2 Corinthians 11

1 I hope you will bear [put up with, tolerate] with a little [small, humble] of my foolishness [reckless, senseless behavior], but [yet, however] you are already doing that [enduring, bearing with me]. word study 2 I am jealous [zealous, having God’s concern] for you with a godly [divine, from God] jealousy [zeal, enthusiasm]. For I promised [betrothed, engaged] you to one [single, unique] husband, to present [stand by, recommend] you as a pure [chaste, innocent] virgin [unmarried, modest] to Christ [the Anointed, Messiah]. word study 3 I am afraid [deeply concerned, have a fear], however, that just as Eve [the first woman, created by God] was deceived [completely beguiled, misled] by the serpent’s [symbolizing sly cunning, malice] cunning [craftiness, cleverness], your minds [thoughts, perceptions] may be led astray [corrupted, turned away] from your simple [uncomplicated, sincere] and pure [holy, untainted] devotion [love, commitment] to Christ [the Anointed One, Jesus]. word study 4 For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus [other than the One we preached, a different Christ] other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different [kind of, contrary] spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel [message of salvation, good news] than the one you accepted, you put up with it [very patiently, too easily, without resistance] way too easily. word study 5 I consider [reckon, estimate] myself in no way [not a whit, nothing] inferior [lacking, falling short] to those [the very chiefest, greatest] “super-apostles [extra-special, chief apostles].” word study 6 Although I am not a [rude or unskilled] polished speaker, I am certainly not lacking [uneducated or without knowledge] in knowledge [spiritual understanding or insight]. We have made this clear [manifest or evident] to you in every way [in all things or thoroughly] possible. word study 7 Was it a sin [a transgression, missing the mark] for me to humble [lower my pride, abase] myself in order to exalt [elevate, lift up] you, because I preached [proclaimed, shared] the gospel [good news, message of salvation] of God [the one true deity] to you free of charge [freely, without cost]? word study 8 I robbed [took unfair advantage of, plundered] other churches [assemblies, congregations] by accepting their support [compensation, wages] in order to serve [minister to, provide service for] you [as your spiritual leader, for your benefit]. word study 9 And when I was with [present among] you and in need [lacking, experiencing want], I was not a burden [weighing heavily, causing trouble] to anyone; for the brothers [fellow believers, brethren] who came from Macedonia [a region in Greece, a place of support] supplied [provided, filled up] my needs [deficiencies, lacks]. I have refrained [kept myself, been careful] from being a burden [causing trouble, weighing heavily] to you in any way [in everything, at all times], and I will continue [persevere, keep on] to do so [to refrain, to keep myself]. word study 10 As surely as the truth [reality, faithfulness] of Christ [the Anointed One, Messiah] is in me, this boasting [pride, glorying] of mine will not be silenced [stopped, blocked] in the regions [areas, territories] of Achaia [a province in ancient Greece]. word study 11 Why [for what reason, because of what]? Because I do not [completely, in any way] love [show esteem and goodwill towards] you? God [the one true deity] knows [is fully aware, perceives] I do [truly, indeed]! word study 12 But I will keep on doing [continue to act, persevere] what I am doing, in order to [for the purpose of, so that I may] undercut [cut off occasion, prevent] those who want [desire, are seeking] an opportunity [a chance, a starting point] to be regarded as our equals [like us, comparable to us] in the things of which they boast [glory, take pride]. word study 13 For such men [of this kind, with these characteristics] are false apostles [pretending to be messengers of God], deceitful [dishonest, tricky] workers, masquerading [transforming themselves, disguising their true nature] as apostles [messengers, representatives] of Christ [the Anointed One, the Messiah]. word study 14 And no wonder [no marvel], for Satan [the adversary, accuser] himself masquerades [transforms, disguises] as an angel [messenger] of light [purity, truth]. word study 15 It is not surprising [no great thing], then, if his servants [ministers, those who attend to others] masquerade [transform themselves, pretend to be] as servants [ministers, agents] of righteousness [living according to God’s will, being in right standing with God]. Their end [goal, final result] will correspond [be according to, match] to their actions [works, deeds, the things they do]. word study 16 I repeat [say again, emphasize]: Let no one [no person, no individual] take me for a fool [consider me foolish, think me mindless]. But if you do [if otherwise, yet], then receive me as a fool [as foolish, like a mindless person], so that I too [and I also] may boast [glory, take pride] a little [to a small extent, in a humble way]. word study 17 In this confident boasting [with great assurance, in this matter of glorying] of mine, I am not speaking [uttering words, talking] as the Lord [God, the supreme authority] would, but as a fool [in foolishness, senselessly, without wisdom]. word study 18 Since [at this point in time, for this reason] many [a large number, numerous] are boasting [glorying, taking pride] according to [in line with, following] the flesh [human nature, physical body], I too [and I, myself] will boast [glory, take pride]. word study 19 For [since, because] you gladly [with pleasure, willingly] tolerate [endure, put up with] fools [the foolish, mindless ones], since [because, as] you are [exist as, being] so [truly, deeply] wise [thoughtful, discerning]. word study 20 In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves [completely controls] you or [takes advantage of, exploits] exploits you or [takes from, devours] takes advantage of you or [exalts himself, lifts himself up] exalts himself or strikes [beats] you in the face [presence, countenance]. word study 21 To my shame [dishonour] I concede that we were too weak [feeble] for that! Speaking as a fool [in foolishness], however, I can match [be bold] what anyone else dares to boast [speak boldly] about [in comparison]. word study 22 Are they Hebrews [descendants of Abraham, Israelites]? So am I. Are they Israelites [God’s chosen people, descendants of Jacob]? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham [the father of the Jewish nation]? So am I. word study 23 Are they servants [ministers, attendants] of Christ [the Anointed One, Messiah]? I am speaking like I am out of my mind [as a fool, beside myself], but I am so much more: in harder labor [toil, exhausting work], in more imprisonments [prisons, times of confinement], in worse beatings [stripes, blows, wounds] [severely, beyond measure], in frequent danger [often, many times] of death [physical or spiritual]. word study 24 Five times [on five occasions] I received [took, accepted] from the Jews [people of Jewish descent] the forty [a period of testing] lashes [stripes, blows] minus [save, lacking] one [a single unit]. word study 25 Three times [thrice, on three occasions] I was beaten [struck, whipped] with rods [wooden sticks, as a form of punishment], once [one time, on a single occasion] I was stoned [pelted with stones, to kill], three times [thrice, repeatedly] I was shipwrecked [stranded, wrecked at sea]. I spent [passed, endured] a night and a day [twenty-four hours, a full day] in the open [deep, vast] sea [the deep, the ocean]. word study 26 In my frequent [often, many times] journeys [traveling, trips], I have been in danger [perils, risks] from rivers [streams, waters] and from bandits [robbers, rebels], in danger [threats, hazards] from my countrymen [family, nation] and from the Gentiles [non-Jews, heathen], in danger [threats] in the city [town, metropolis] and in the country [wilderness, desert], in danger [hazards, risks] on the sea [large body of water] and among false brothers [pretenders, impostors], word study 27 in labor [hard work, toil] and toil [painful effort, struggle] and often [frequently, many times] without sleep [in sleeplessness, wakeful nights], in hunger [lack of food, famine] and thirst [strong physical need, craving] and often [many times, frequently] without food [in fasting, abstinence], in cold [lack of warmth, chill] and exposure [nakedness, without adequate clothing]. word study 28 Apart from [excluding, beyond] these external trials [pressures, difficulties], I face daily [every day, constantly] the pressure [anxiety, concern] of my concern [care, solicitude] for all [every, each] the churches [assemblies, congregations]. word study 29 Who is weak [feeble, infirm], and I am not weak [without strength, morally frail]? Who is led into sin [caused to stumble, offended], and I do not burn [am not on fire, feel indignation] with grief? word study 30 If [it is necessary] I must boast [glory, take pride], I will boast [glory, rejoice] of the things [matters, circumstances] that show [concern, pertain to] my weakness [infirmity, frailty]. word study 31 The God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] and Father [the ultimate paternal authority] of the Lord [the Master] Jesus, who is forever [for all eternity, throughout the ages] worthy of praise [deserving admiration], knows [is fully aware, perceives] that I am not lying [do not speak falsely, am truthful]. word study 32 In [before all time, from the very first] Damascus [the city of the Damascenes], the governor [ethnarch, a ruler of a district] under King Aretas [an Arabian king] secured [guarded, kept watch over] the city [a town with walls] of the Damascenes [inhabitants of Damascus] in order to [desirous of, wishing to] arrest [catch, take hold of] me. word study 33 But I was lowered [let down, through a rope basket] in a basket [a woven container] through a window [an opening in the wall] in the wall [a barrier surrounding the city] and escaped [fled from] his grasp [hands, symbolizing power or control]. word study