2 Corinthians 11 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Paul Defends His Apostleship

1 I wish ^G3785 that you would bear ^G430 with me in a little ^G3398 foolishness ^G877, but [fn]indeed ^G2532 you are bearing ^G430 with me.

2 For I am ^G2206 jealous ^G2206 for you with a godly ^G2316 jealousy ^G2205, for I betrothed ^G718 you to one ^G1520 husband ^G435, so that I might present ^G3936 you as a pure ^G53 virgin ^G3933 to Christ ^G5547. 3 But I fear ^G5399 that, as the serpent ^G3789 deceived ^G1818 Eve ^G2096 by his craftiness ^G3834, your minds ^G3540 will be corrupted ^G5351 from the simplicity ^G572 and purity ^G54 of devotion to Christ ^G5547. 4 For if ^G1487 [fn]one comes ^G2064 and preaches ^G2784 another ^G243 Jesus ^G2424 whom ^G3739 we did not preach ^G2784, or ^G2228 you receive ^G2983 a different ^G2087 spirit ^G4151 which ^G3739 you did not receive ^G2983, or ^G2228 a different ^G2087 gospel ^G2098 which ^G3739 you did not accept ^G1209, you bear ^G430 this beautifully ^G2573. 5 For I consider ^G3049 myself in no way ^G3367 inferior ^G5302 to the [fn]most-eminent ^G6088 apostles ^G652. 6 But even ^G2532 if ^G1487 I am unskilled ^G2399 in word ^G3056, yet ^G235 I am not so in knowledge ^G1108; in ^G235 fact ^G235, in every ^G3956 way ^G3956 we have made ^G5319 this evident ^G5319 to you in all ^G3956 things ^G3956.

7 Or ^G2228 did I commit ^G4160 a sin ^G266 in humbling ^G5013 myself ^G1683 so ^G2443 that you might be exalted ^G5312, because ^G3754 I proclaimed ^G2097 the gospel ^G2098 of God ^G2316 to you without ^G1432 charge ^G1432? 8 I robbed ^G4813 other ^G243 churches ^G1577 by taking ^G2983 wages ^G3800 from them to minister ^G1248 to you. 9 And when I was ^G3918 present ^G3918 with you and was ^G5302 in ^G5302 need ^G5302, I was ^G2655 not a ^G2655 burden ^G2655 to ^G2655 anyone ^G3762; for when the brothers ^G80 came ^G2064 from Macedonia ^G3109 they fully ^G4322 supplied ^G4322 my need ^G5303, and in everything ^G3956 I kept ^G5083 and will keep ^G5083 myself ^G1683 from being ^G4 a burden ^G4 to you. 10 As the truth ^G225 of Christ ^G5547 is in me, this ^G3778 boasting ^G2746 of mine ^G1519 G1473 will not be stopped ^G5420 in the regions ^G2824 of Achaia ^G882. 11 Why ^G1223 G5101? Because ^G3754 I do not love ^G25 you? God ^G2316 knows ^G6063 I do!

12 But what ^G3739 I am doing ^G4160 I will continue ^G2532 to do ^G4160, so ^G2443 that I may cut ^G1581 off ^G1581 opportunity ^G874 from those ^G3588 who desire ^G2309 an opportunity ^G874 to be found ^G2147 just ^G2531 as we are in the matter about which ^G3739 they are boasting ^G2744. 13 For such ^G5108 men ^G5108 are false ^G5570 apostles ^G5570, deceitful ^G1386 workers ^G2040, disguising ^G3345 themselves as apostles ^G652 of Christ ^G5547. 14 And no ^G3756 wonder ^G2295, for even ^G846 Satan ^G4567 disguises ^G3345 himself as an angel ^G32 of light ^G5457. 15 Therefore ^G3767 it is not surprising ^G3173 if ^G1487 his ministers ^G1249 also ^G2532 disguise ^G3345 themselves as ministers ^G1249 of righteousness ^G1343, whose ^G3739 end ^G5056 will be according ^G2596 to their deeds ^G2041.

16 Again ^G3825 I say ^G3004, let no ^G3361 one ^G5100 think ^G1380 me foolish ^G878; but if ^G1487 you do, receive ^G1209 me even ^G2579 as foolish ^G878, so ^G2443 that I also ^G2532 may boast ^G2744 a little ^G3398. 17 What ^G3739 I am saying ^G2980, I am not saying ^G2980 [fn]according to the Lord ^G2962, but as in foolishness ^G877, in this ^G3778 confidence ^G5287 of boasting ^G2746. 18 Since ^G1893 many ^G4183 boast ^G2744 according ^G2596 to the flesh ^G4561, I will boast ^G2744 also ^G2532. 19 For you, being ^G1510 so wise ^G5429, are bearing ^G430 the foolish ^G878 gladly ^G2234. 20 For you bear ^G430 it if ^G1487 anyone ^G5100 enslaves ^G2615 you, anyone ^G5100 devours ^G2719 you, anyone ^G5100 takes ^G2983 advantage of you, anyone ^G5100 exalts ^G1869 himself, anyone ^G5100 hits ^G1194 you in the face ^G4383. 21 To my shame ^G819 I must say ^G3004 that we have been weak ^G770 by comparison.

But in whatever ^G3739 G302 respect anyone ^G5100 else is ^G5111 daring ^G5111—I speak ^G3004 in foolishness ^G877—I am ^G5111 just ^G2532 as daring ^G5111 myself ^G1473. 22 Are they Hebrews ^G1445? So ^G2532 am I. Are they Israelites ^G2475? So ^G2532 am I. Are they Abraham’s ^G11 seed ^G4690? So ^G2532 am I. 23 Are they ministers ^G1249 of Christ ^G5547?—I speak ^G2980 as if insane ^G3912—I more ^G5228 so ^G5228; in [fn]far ^G4056 more ^G4056 labors ^G2873, in [fn]far ^G4056 more ^G4056 imprisonments ^G5438, in beatings ^G4127 without ^G5234 number ^G5234, in frequent ^G4178 danger ^G2288 of death ^G2288. 24 Five ^G3999 times ^G3999 I received ^G2983 from the Jews ^G2453 forty ^G5062 lashes less one ^G3844 G1520. 25 Three ^G5151 times ^G5151 I was beaten ^G4463 with ^G4463 rods ^G4463, once ^G530 I was stoned ^G3034, three ^G5151 times ^G5151 I was shipwrecked ^G3489—a night ^G3574 and ^G3574 a ^G3574 day ^G3574 I have spent ^G4160 in the deep ^G1037. 26 I have been on frequent ^G4178 journeys ^G3597, in dangers ^G2794 from rivers ^G4215, dangers ^G2794 from robbers ^G3027, dangers ^G2794 from my countrymen ^G1085, dangers ^G2794 from the Gentiles ^G1484, dangers ^G2794 in the city ^G4172, dangers ^G2794 in the desolate ^G2047 places ^G2047, dangers ^G2794 on the sea ^G2281, dangers ^G2794 among ^G1722 false ^G5569 brothers ^G5569. 27 I have been in labor ^G2873 and hardship ^G3449, in ^G1722 many ^G4178 sleepless ^G70 nights ^G70, in starvation ^G3042 and thirst ^G1373, often ^G4178 hungry ^G3521, in cold ^G5592 and [fn]without ^G1132 enough clothing ^G1132. 28 Apart ^G5565 from such [fn]external ^G3924 things, there is the daily ^G2596 G2250 pressure ^G1999 on me of concern ^G3308 for all ^G3956 the churches ^G1577. 29 Who ^G5101 is weak ^G770 without ^G2532 G3756 my being weak ^G770? Who ^G5101 is made ^G4624 to ^G4624 stumble ^G4624 [fn]without ^G2532 G3756 my burning ^G4448 concern ^G4448?

30 If ^G1487 I have ^G1163 to boast ^G2744, I will boast ^G2744 of what ^G769 pertains to my weakness ^G769. 31 The God ^G2316 and Father ^G3962 of the Lord ^G2962 Jesus ^G2424, He who is blessed ^G2128 forever ^G165, knows ^G6063 that I am not lying ^G5574. 32 In Damascus ^G1154 the ethnarch ^G1481 under Aretas ^G702 the king ^G935 was guarding ^G5432 the city ^G4172 of the Damascenes ^G1153 in order to seize ^G4084 me, 33 and I was let ^G5465 down ^G5465 in a basket ^G4553 through ^G1223 a window ^G2376 [fn]in the wall ^G5038, and so escaped ^G1628 his hands ^G5495.