Paul and the False Apostles

1O that ye were bearing with me a little of the folly, but ye also do bear with me: 2for I am zealous for you with zeal of God, for I did betroth you to one husband, a pure virgin, to present to Christ, 3and I fear, lest, as the serpent did beguile Eve in his subtilty, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that [is] in the Christ; 4for if, indeed, he who is coming doth preach another Jesus whom we did not preach, or another Spirit ye receive which ye did not receive, or other good news which ye did not accept — well were ye bearing [it], 5for I reckon that I have been nothing behind the very chiefest apostles, 6and even if unlearned in word — yet not in knowledge, but in every thing we were made manifest in all things to you.

7The sin did I do — myself humbling that ye might be exalted, because freely the good news of God I did proclaim to you? 8other assemblies I did rob, having taken wages, for your ministration; 9and being present with you, and having been in want, I was chargeable to no one, for my lack did the brethren supply — having come from Macedonia — and in everything burdenless to you I did keep myself, and will keep. 10The truth of Christ is in me, because this boasting shall not be stopped in regard to me in the regions of Achaia; 11wherefore? because I do not love you? God hath known!

12and what I do, I also will do, that I may cut off the occasion of those wishing an occasion, that in that which they boast they may be found according as we also; 13for those such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ, 14and no wonder — for even the Adversary doth transform himself into a messenger of light; 15no great thing, then, if also his ministrants do transform themselves as ministrants of righteousness — whose end shall be according to their works.

Paul's Sufferings and Service

(Colossians 1:24-29)

16Again I say, may no one think me to be a fool; and if otherwise, even as a fool receive me, that I also a little may boast. 17That which I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting; 18since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast: 19for gladly do ye bear with the fools — being wise, 20for ye bear, if any one is bringing you under bondage, if any one doth devour, if any one doth take away, if any one doth exalt himself, if any one on the face doth smite you; 21in reference to dishonour I speak, how that we were weak, and in whatever any one is bold — in foolishness I say [it] — I also am bold. 22Hebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I also! 23ministrants of Christ are they? — as beside myself I speak — I more; in labours more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths many times; 24from Jews five times forty [stripes] save one I did receive; 25thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice was I shipwrecked, a night and a day in the deep I have passed; 26journeyings many times, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from kindred, perils from nations, perils in city, perils in wilderness, perils in sea, perils among false brethren; 27in laboriousness and painfulness, in watchings many times, in hunger and thirst, in fastings many times, in cold and nakedness; 28apart from the things without — the crowding upon me that is daily — the care of all the assemblies. 29Who is infirm, and I am not infirm? who is stumbled, and I am not fired;

30if to boast it behoveth [me], of the things of my infirmity I will boast; 31the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ — who is blessed to the ages — hath known that I do not lie! — 32In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king was watching the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me, 33and through a window in a rope basket I was let down, through the wall, and fled out of his hands.