1 I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!
2 I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one husband.
3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
4 For if some one comes and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough.
5 I think that I am not in the least inferior to these superlative apostles.
6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not in knowledge; in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.
7 Did I commit a sin in abasing myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God's gospel without cost to you?
8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you.
9 And when I was with you and was in want, I did not burden any one, for my needs were supplied by the brethren who came from Macedo'nia. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine shall not be silenced in the regions of Acha'ia.
11 And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12 And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do.
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
15 So it is not strange if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
16 I repeat, let no one think me foolish; but even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.
17 (What I am saying I say not with the Lord's authority but as a fool, in this boastful confidence;
18 since many boast of worldly things, I too will boast.)
19 For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves!
20 For you bear it if a man makes slaves of you, or preys upon you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.
21 To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever any one dares to boast of -- I am speaking as a fool -- I also dare to boast of that.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one -- I am talking like a madman -- with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.
24 Five times I have received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.
25 Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been adrift at sea;
26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brethren;
27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for ever, knows that I do not lie.
32 At Damascus, the governor under King Ar'etas guarded the city of Damascus in order to seize me,
33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped his hands.
Versículos relacionados com 2 Corinthians, 11:
Chapter 11 of 2 Corinthians is a Paul's self defense against the false apostles who were undermining their authority and influence in the Church in Corinth. Paul highlights his apostolic credentials and ministry, as well as his concern for the well-being of the Corinthians and their loyalty to Christ. The verses selected below address topics related to apostolic authority, false teachings, and the true nature of God's ministers.
Romans 16:17 - "I ask you, brothers, to be careful with those who cause divisions and put obstacles to the teaching you have learned. This verse talks about the importance of avoiding those who preach false teachings and causes divisions in the church, something Paul emphasizes in 2 Corinthians 11.
Galatians 1:8-9 - "But even though we or an angel of heaven preach a gospel different from the one we preach to you, who is cursed! , be cursed! " Paul warns of the severity of preaching a different gospel from what was taught by him and the other apostles.
1 Timothy 4:1 - "The Spirit clearly says that in recent times some will abandon faith and follow deceiving spirits and demons doctrines." This verse talks about the reality of false teachings that will arise within the church and how important it is to be alert not to be deceived.
1 Corinthians 9:12 - "But we never use this right. On the contrary, we endure everything to create any obstacles to the gospel of Christ." Paul talks about his personal self -denial not to create any obstacles to the gospel and highlights the importance of placing Christ's interests above personal interests.
2 Timothy 2:24-25 - "The servant of the Lord should not live fighting, but be kind to everyone, able to teach and patient. Instruct with meekness those who oppose themselves, in the hope that God will bring them to repentance and so , know the truth. " This verse highlights the need to be kind and patient in teaching those who oppose the truth and seek to lead people to repentance and knowledge of the truth rather than just to overcome them in an argument.
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