Study Desk

I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me.

Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.

For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, this you tolerate very well!

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.

For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.

But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge?

Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve you;

I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brothers came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so.

And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.

As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!

Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.

But what I am doing I will also continue to do, so that I may eliminate the opportunity from those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little.

I say again, let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.

What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also.

Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly.

For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, if anyone devours you, if anyone takes advantage of you, if anyone exalts himself, if anyone hits you in the face.

For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.

To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone else is bold—I am speaking in foolishness—I too am bold.

I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

Are they servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.

Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea.

Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers;

In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?

Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?

If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.

If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me,

In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:

and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.