Paul and the False Apostles 1 CPDV I wish that you would endure a small amount of my foolishness, so as to bear with me. BSB BSB: I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness, but you are already doing that.
3 CPDV But I am afraid lest, as the serpent led astray Eve by his cleverness, so your minds might be corrupted and might fall away from the simplicity which 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 CPDV For if anyone arrives preaching another Christ, one whom we have not preached; or if you receive another Spirit, one whom you have not received; or another Gospel, one which you have not been given: you might permit him to guide you. 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 CPDV For I consider that I have done nothing less than the great Apostles. BSB BSB: I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”
6 CPDV For although I may be unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge. But, in all things, we have been made manifest to you. 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 CPDV Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you would be exalted? For I preached the Gospel of God to you 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 CPDV I have taken from other churches, receiving a stipend from them to the benefit of your ministry. BSB BSB: I robbed other churches by accepting their support in order to serve you.
9 CPDV And when I was with you and in need, I was burdensome to no one. For the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied whatever was lacking to me. And in all things, I have kept myself, and I will keep myself, from being burdensome to you. 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 CPDV The truth of Christ is in me, and so this glorying shall not be broken away from me 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 CPDV Why so? Is it because I do not love you? God knows I do. BSB BSB: Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12 CPDV But what I am doing, I will continue to do, so that I may take away an opportunity from those who desire an opportunity by which they may glory, so as to be considered to be like us. 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 CPDV For false apostles, such as these deceitful workers, are presenting themselves as if they were Apostles of Christ. BSB BSB: For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
14 CPDV And no wonder, for even Satan presents himself as if he were an Angel of light. BSB BSB: And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
15 CPDV Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers present themselves as if they were ministers of justice, for their 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 CPDV I say again. And let no one consider me to be foolish. Or, at least, accept me as if I were foolish, so that I also may glory a small amount. 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 CPDV What I am saying is not said according to God, but as if in foolishness, in this matter of glorying. BSB BSB: In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.
18 CPDV Since so many glory according to the flesh, I will glory also. BSB BSB: Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I too will boast.
19 CPDV For you freely accept the foolish, though you yourselves claim to be wise. BSB BSB: For you gladly put up with fools, since you are so wise.
20 CPDV For you permit it when someone guides you into servitude, even if he devours you, even if he takes from you, even if he is extolled, even if he strikes you repeatedly 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 CPDV I speak according to disgrace, as if we had been weak in this regard. In this matter, (I speak in foolishness) if anyone dares, I dare 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 CPDV They are Hebrews; so am I. They are Israelites; so am I. They are the offspring 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 CPDV They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as if I were less wise); more so am I: with many more labors, with numerous imprisonments, with wounds beyond measure, with frequent mortifications. 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 CPDV On five occasions, I received forty stripes, less one, from the Jews. BSB BSB: Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
25 CPDV Three times, I was beaten with rods. One time, I was stoned. Three times, I was shipwrecked. For a night and a day, I was in the depths of the sea. 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 CPDV I have made frequent journeys, through dangerous waters, in danger of robbers, in danger from my own nation, in danger from the Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in danger in the sea, in danger from 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 CPDV with hardships and difficulties, with much vigilance, in hunger and thirst, with frequent fasts, 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 CPDV and, in addition to these things, which are external: there is my daily earnestness and solicitude for all the churches. BSB BSB: Apart from these external trials, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
29 CPDV Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I am not being burned? BSB BSB: Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with grief?
30 CPDV If it is necessary to glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weaknesses. BSB BSB: If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
31 CPDV The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. BSB BSB: The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying.
32 CPDV At Damascus, the governor of the nation under Aretas the king, watched over the city of the Damascenes, so as to apprehend me. BSB BSB: In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.
33 CPDV And, through a window, I was let down along the wall in a basket; and so I 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.