Paul and the False Apostles 1 RV Would that ye could bear with me in a little foolishness: nay 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 RV But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward 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 RV For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to 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 RV For I reckon that I am not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. BSB BSB: I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”
6 RV But though I be rude in speech, yet am I not in knowledge; nay, in everything we have made it manifest among all men to you-ward. 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 RV Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God for nought? 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 RV I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you; BSB BSB: I robbed other churches by accepting their support in order to serve you.
9 RV and when I was present with you and was in want, I was not a burden on any man; for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my want; and in everything I kept myself from being burdensome unto 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 RV As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this glorying 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 RV Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth. BSB BSB: Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12 RV But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire an 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 RV For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. BSB BSB: For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
14 RV And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. BSB BSB: And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
15 RV It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion 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 RV I say again, Let no man think me foolish; but if ye do , yet as foolish receive me, that I also may glory 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 RV That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying. BSB BSB: In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.
18 RV 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 RV For ye bear with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves . BSB BSB: For you gladly put up with fools, since you are so wise.
20 RV For ye bear with a man, if he bringeth you into bondage, if he devoureth you, if he taketh you captive , if he exalteth himself, if he smiteth 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 RV I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet whereinsoever any is bold (I speak in foolishness), 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 RV 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 RV Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labours more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, 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 RV 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 RV Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I 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 RV in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in 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 RV in labour and travail, 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 RV Beside those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches. BSB BSB: Apart from these external trials, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
29 RV Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is made to stumble, 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 RV If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weakness. BSB BSB: If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
31 RV The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for evermore, knoweth 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 RV In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes, in order to take me: BSB BSB: In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.
33 RV and through a window was I let down in a basket 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.