Paul and the False Apostles 1 DBY Would that ye would bear with me in a little folly; but 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 DBY But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craft, so your thoughts should be corrupted from simplicity as to the 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 DBY For if indeed he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ye get a different Spirit, which ye have not got, or a different glad tidings, which ye have not received, ye might well bear with it . 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 DBY For I reckon that in nothing I am behind those who are in surpassing degree apostles. BSB BSB: I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”
6 DBY But if I am a simple person in speech, yet not in knowledge, but in everything making the truth manifest in all things 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 DBY Have I committed sin, abasing myself in order that ye might be exalted, because I gratuitously announced to you the glad tidings of God? 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 DBY I spoiled other assemblies, receiving hire for ministry towards you. BSB BSB: I robbed other churches by accepting their support in order to serve you.
9 DBY And being present with you and lacking, I did not lazily burden any one, (for the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied what I lacked,) and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will 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 DBY The truth of Christ is in me that this boasting shall not be stopped as to 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 DBY Why? because I do not love you? God knows. BSB BSB: Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12 DBY But what I do, I will also do, that I may cut off the opportunity of those wishing for an opportunity, that wherein they boast 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 DBY For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. BSB BSB: For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
14 DBY And it is not wonderful, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. BSB BSB: And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
15 DBY It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also transform themselves as 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 DBY Again I say, Let not any one think me to be a fool; but if otherwise, receive me then even as a fool, that I also may boast myself some 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 DBY What I speak I do not speak according to the Lord, but as in folly, 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 DBY Since many boast according to flesh, I also will boast. BSB BSB: Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I too will boast.
19 DBY For ye bear fools readily, being wise. BSB BSB: For you gladly put up with fools, since you are so wise.
20 DBY For ye bear if any one bring you into bondage, if any one devour you , if any one get your money , if any one exalt himself, if any one beat 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 DBY I speak as to dishonour, as though we had been weak; but wherein any one is daring, (I speak in folly,) I also am daring. 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 DBY Are they Hebrews? I also. Are they Israelites? I also. Are they seed of Abraham? I also. BSB BSB: Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
23 DBY Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as being beside myself) I above measure so ; in labours exceedingly abundant, in stripes to excess, in prisons exceedingly abundant, 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 DBY From the Jews five times have I received forty stripes , save one. BSB BSB: Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
25 DBY Thrice have I been scourged, once I have been stoned, three times I have suffered shipwreck, a night and day I passed 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 DBY in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own race, in perils from the nations, in perils in the city, in perils in the desert, in perils on the sea, in perils among false brethren; 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 DBY in labour and toil, 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 DBY Besides those things that are without, the crowd of cares pressing on me daily, the burden of all the assemblies. BSB BSB: Apart from these external trials, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
29 DBY Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is stumbled, 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 DBY If it is needful to boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. BSB BSB: If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
31 DBY The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows — he who is blessed for ever — that I do not lie. BSB BSB: The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying.
32 DBY In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes shut up, wishing to take me; BSB BSB: In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.
33 DBY and through a window in a basket I was 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.