Paul and the False Apostles 1 AKJV Would to God you could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. BSB BSB: I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness, but you are already doing that.
3 AKJV But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. BSB BSB: I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ.
4 AKJV For if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him. BSB BSB: For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it very easily.
5 AKJV For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very most chief apostles. BSB BSB: I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”
6 AKJV But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things. BSB BSB: Although I am not a polished speaker, I am certainly not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every way possible.
7 AKJV Have I committed an offense in abasing myself that you might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely? BSB BSB: Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?
8 AKJV I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. BSB BSB: I robbed other churches by accepting their support in order to serve you.
9 AKJV And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brothers which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so will I keep myself. BSB BSB: And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have refrained from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.
10 AKJV As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia. BSB BSB: As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.
11 AKJV Why? because I love you not? God knows. BSB BSB: Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: But I will keep on doing what I am doing, in order to undercut those who want an opportunity to be regarded as our equals in the things of which they boast.
13 AKJV For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. BSB BSB: For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
14 AKJV And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. BSB BSB: And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
15 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.
Paul’s Suffering and Service (Colossians 1:24–29)
16 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.
17 AKJV That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. BSB BSB: In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.
18 AKJV Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. BSB BSB: Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I too will boast.
19 AKJV For you suffer fools gladly, seeing you yourselves are wise. BSB BSB: For you gladly put up with fools, since you are so wise.
20 AKJV For you 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. BSB BSB: In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or exalts himself or strikes you in the face.
21 AKJV I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. However, when ever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also. BSB BSB: To my shame I concede that we were too weak for that! Speaking as a fool, however, I can match what anyone else dares to boast about.
22 AKJV Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. BSB BSB: Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
23 AKJV Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. BSB BSB: Are they servants of Christ? (I am speaking as if I were out of my mind.) I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.
24 AKJV Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. BSB BSB: Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
25 AKJV 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; BSB BSB: Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea.
26 AKJV In journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by my 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 brothers; BSB BSB: In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers,
27 AKJV In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. BSB BSB: in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure.
28 AKJV Beside those things that are without, that which comes on me daily, the care of all the churches. BSB BSB: Apart from these external trials, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
29 AKJV Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? BSB BSB: Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with grief?
30 AKJV If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern my infirmities. BSB BSB: If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
31 AKJV The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for ever more, knows that I lie not. BSB BSB: The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying.
32 AKJV In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: BSB BSB: In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.
33 AKJV And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands. BSB BSB: But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.