Paul and the False Apostles 1 WBS I earnestly wish ye 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 WBS But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, 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 WBS For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye 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 WBS For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very greatest apostles. BSB BSB: I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”
6 WBS But though I am 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 WBS Have I committed an offense in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God without reward? 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 WBS 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 WBS And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren who 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 WBS 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 WBS Why? because I love you not? God knoweth. BSB BSB: Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12 WBS But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them who desire occasion; that in what 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 WBS 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 WBS And no wonder; 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 WBS Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also are 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 WBS 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 WBS That which I speak, I speak it not according to 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 WBS 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 WBS For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. BSB BSB: For you gladly put up with fools, since you are so wise.
20 WBS For ye suffer, if a man bringeth you into bondage, if a man devoureth you , if a man taketh from you , if a man exalteth himself, if a man 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 WBS I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. But in whatever respect 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 WBS Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they 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 WBS 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 often. 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 WBS From the Jews five times I received forty stripes save one. BSB BSB: Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
25 WBS Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was 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 WBS In journeyings 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 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 WBS 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 WBS Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon 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 WBS Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is made to fall into sin, 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 WBS 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 WBS The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 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 WBS 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 WBS 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.