Would that ye could bear with me in a little foolishness: {Or, nay indeed bear with me}but indeed ye do bear with me.
For I am jealous over you with {Greek: a jealously of God.}a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your {Greek: thoughts. See chapter 3:14.}minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.
For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on chapter 2:12.}gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with him.
For I reckon that I am not a whit behind {Or, those preeminent apostles}the very chiefest apostles.
But though I be rude in speech, yet am I not in knowledge; {Or, nay, in everything we have made it manifest among all men to you-ward}nay, in every way have we made this manifest unto you in all things.
Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I {Greek: brought good tidings. See chapter 10:16}preached to you the gospel of God for nought?
I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you;
and when I was present with you and was in want, I was not a burden on any man; for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my want; and in everything I kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this glorying in the regions of Achaia.
Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off {Greek: the occasion of them.}occasion from them that desire an occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ.
And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light.
It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
I say again, Let no man think me foolish; but if ye do, yet as foolish receive me, that I also may glory a little.
That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying.
Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
For ye bear with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves.
For ye bear with a man, if he bringeth you into bondage, if he devoureth you, if he taketh you captive, if he exalteth himself, if he smiteth you on the face.
I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet whereinsoever any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft.
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep;
in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my {Greek: race. Compare Acts 7:19.}countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
{Or, Besides the things which I omit Or, Besides the things that come out of course}Besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches.
Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not?
If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weakness.
{Or, God and the Father See Romans 15:6.}The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed {Greek: unto the ages.}for evermore knoweth that I lie not.
In Damascus the {Greek: ethnarch.}governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to take me:
and through a window was I let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.
Querverweise zu 2. Korinther 11,12 2Kor 11,12
and when I was present with you and was in want, I was not a burden on any man; for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my want; and in everything I kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
If others partake of this right over you, do not we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right; but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the {See marginal note on chapter 4:15.}gospel of Christ.
{Or, which is nothing else save that there &c.}which is not another gospel: only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel of Christ.
Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
When I therefore was thus minded, did I show fickleness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be the yea yea and the nay nay?
I desire therefore that the younger {Or, women}widows marry, bear children, rule the household, give no occasion to the adversary for reviling:
Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
{Or, they that are moved by love do it, knowing &c.}the one do it of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel;
{Or, but they that are factious proclaim Christ, not &c.}but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds.
What then? only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
For I know that this shall turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
according to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing shall I be put to shame, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
{Or, But if to live in the flesh be my lot, this is the fruit of my work: and what I shall choose I know not.}But if to live in the flesh, — if {Greek: this is for me fruit of work.}this shall bring fruit from my work, then {Or, what shall I choose?}what I shall choose I know not.
But I am in a strait betwixt the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ; for it is very far better:
yet to abide in the flesh is more needful for your sake.
And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide, yea, and abide with you all, for your progress and joy {Or, of faith}in the faith;
that your glorying may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again.
Only {Greek: behave as citizens worthily. Compare chapter 3:20.}let your manner of life be worthy of the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on chapter 1:5.}gospel of Christ: that, whether I come and see you or be absent, I may hear of your state, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving {Greek: with.}for the faith of the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on chapter 1:5.}gospel;
and in nothing affrighted by the adversaries: which is for them an evident token of perdition, but of your salvation, and that from God;
because to you it hath been granted in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer in his behalf:
having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
We are not again commending ourselves unto you, but speak as giving you occasion of glorying on our behalf, that ye may have wherewith to answer them that glory in appearance, and not in heart.
But {Or, he is one}he is in one mind, and who can turn him?And what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
{Jeremiah 9:24.}But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
For not even they who {Some ancient authorities read have been circumcised.}receive circumcision do themselves keep the law; but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through {Or, whom}which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world.