Paul vs. the “Super-apostles”

2 Corinthians 11

I’d like y’all to put up with a little foolishness from me. Yes, y’all are putting up with me. For I am jealous for y’all with a godly jealousy, because I promised y’all in marriage to one husband—Christ—that I might present y’all as a pure virgin to him. But I fear that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, so y’all’s minds might be corrupted from sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus whom we didn’t preach, or if y’all receive a different spirit than the one y’all received, or a different “good news” than the one y’all accepted, y’all put up with it well enough! For I consider myself not at all inferior to those “super-apostles.” But though I am untrained in speech, I am not so in knowledge. Indeed, in every way we made this clear to y’all in all things.

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that y’all would be exalted as I preached the gospel of God to y’all free of charge? I robbed other churches by taking wages from them so that I might do deacon-work for y’all. When I was present with y’all and needed something, I never burdened anyone, because the siblings who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to y’all, and I will continue to do so. As the truth of Christ is in me, no one will block me from boasting in the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I don’t love y’all? God knows I do!

But what I am doing, I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded as equal with us in the things they boast about. For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. Therefore it’s not a big surprise that his deacons also masquerade as deacons of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their works.

Paul Boasts in His Sufferings

I say again: let no one consider me a fool. But if y’all do, then receive me as a fool, so that I also can boast a little. When I speak in this confident boasting way, I am not speaking according to the Lord, but in foolishness. Since many others boast according the flesh, I will boast too. For y’all, being so wise, gladly put up with fools! In fact, y’all even put up with someone who would enslave y’all, devour y’all, take advantage of y’all, put y’all down, or slap y’all in the face. To my shame, I must say that we were too weak for that! Yet in whatever way anyone else dares to boast (I am speaking foolishness) I also dare to boast: Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the descendants+11:22 or, seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they deacons of Christ? (I’m speaking like a crazy person) I am more so: way more work, more times in prison, countless beatings, many times near death. Five times I received forty lashes minus one from the Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, Three times I was shipwrecked, I have been a night and a day in the open sea. I have been on many journeys, with dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own countrymen, dangers from ethnic groups, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers in the sea, and dangers from fake brothers. I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, and been cold and naked.

Besides everything else, there is a daily pressure on me—my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation?

If it is necessary to boast, I will boast about my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is to be blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus a ruler under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascenes in order to apprehend me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall, and I escaped from his hands.