2 Corinthians 11

2 Corinthians 11:1

Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.

I do well know, that the success of the doctrine depends much upon the authority and good reputation of the teacher: give me leave therefore, since the false apostles are so apt to set forth themselves, and to disparage me, to boast a little of myself; and indeed ye do give me leave.

2 Corinthians 11:2

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

I must crave pardon to do thus; for I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I, by my ministry, have espoused you unto one husband, even to Christ: and I would be loth ye should be carried away with any strange love, but would fain present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:4

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.

For, if these emulous preachers, whom ye so much magnify, did preach to you a truer Messiah than we do; or if by them ye did receive a better and more powerful Spirit than ye have received by us, &c. ye might well applaud them, and stand out for them; but now, seeing they preach the same Christ with us, and pretend to give the same Spirit, and deliver the same Gospel, what reason can there be, that we, who first brought you to this Christ by this Gospel, and by whom the miraculous gifts of the Spirit were first dealt amongst you, should be neglected in comparison of them?

2 Corinthians 11:6

But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things.

For, if I be not so eloquent in my speech as some of them, yet my knowledge is not short of theirs: but what need I say thus to you, who, upon good experience, know well and thoroughly what we are?

2 Corinthians 11:7

Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

Is this a reason of my contempt amongst you, that I lived in a homely fashion with you; and abased myself for your spiritual advantage, so to preach the Gospel freely amongst you, that, in the mean while, I earned my own living?

2 Corinthians 11:8

I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

I made myself beholden, for maintenance, to other Churches; taking wages of them, to do you service.

2 Corinthians 11:10

As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

And, lest ye should think I aim at some further provision from you hereafter, I do solemnly swear, as the truth of Christ is in me and preached by me, I will not take maintenance from any of you, nor be bereft of this ground of my boasting, while I shall be in any part of the regions of Achaia.

2 Corinthians 11:12

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

But, as I do preach freely amongst you, so I will do; that I may cut off all occasion of advantage and exception from those false apostles, that seek occasion: for they boast of this, as a meritorious act of theirs, that they take nothing of you for their preaching: I will not therefore herein give them cause to say they go beyond me; but will be equal unto them, in this, wherein they so much glory.

2 Corinthians 11:14

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

For even Satan himself, though he be indeed an unclean spirit of darkness: yet, to deceive men the better, doth oftimes put himself into the form of a glorious, heavenly, lightsome angel.

2 Corinthians 11:16

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.

I know it is an argument of weakness and folly, for a man to boast of himself, and to set forth his own praises; yet, now ye force me to it, let no man impute this to me, as folly: or, if ye will needs take it so, let me, for the time, take the privilege and liberty of folly, to brag of myself a while.

2 Corinthians 11:17

That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were, foolishly in this confidence of boasting.

That which I shall now speak, I am content that it appear as spoken in a certain human, and, as ye may construe it, a vain and fond manner, and not as from the Lord; I mean, that I do thus confidently glory of myself unto you: but, if the occasion, which is my own defence and the vindication of my Apostleship from contempt, be well considered, it will be found, that this boasting is both necessary and holy.

2 Corinthians 11:18

Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

Seeing your false apostles do vaunt and brag of their privileges, in these outward and worldly matters, why may I not be allowed to do so also?

2 Corinthians 11:19

For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

If ye construe this as foolish, yet ye may very well bear with it: for ye suffer fools gladly, because ye yourselves are wise.

2 Corinthians 11:20

For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.

I well see, that your wisdom, such as it is, hath made you very patient, in other occasions: my emulous adversaries have wrought strangely upon you, and have sped well; you can be content, that they should make slaves of you, and pillage you, and prey upon you at pleasure; that they should brag of themselves causelessly and unjustly; that they should smite and censure you as they list.

2 Corinthians 11:21

I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

I mean, that they should smite you in your reputation, by reproaches and contumelies: as they do us much more; taxing us, as if we were weak and worthless men: wherein yet they are mistaken, and have foully wronged us; for, wherein soever any of them thinks that he hath cause to be bold and confident, let me speak, as they may take it, foolishly, I am bold also, and dare enter into comparison with him.

2 Corinthians 11:23

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more.

Do they boast to be the ministers of Christ? I speak (you may think) foolishly, but truly; I am more than they boast to be, an Apostle.

2 Corinthians 11:24

Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

Five several times was I scourged by the Jews, according to the utmost rigour of their punishment in this kind; receiving each time forty lashes, save one.

2 Corinthians 11:25

A night and a day I have been in the deep.

I have been a night and a day, after my shipwreck, in the sea, beaten with the waves.

2 Corinthians 11:28

Beside these things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

Beside these outward miseries and dangers, I have been daily macerated inwardly and deeply afflicted, with the common cares and fears of all the Churches of Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:29

Who is offended, and I burn not?

Who is offended, and I am not tormented with sorrow, and consumed with zeal of the redress?

2 Corinthians 11:30

If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

If I must needs glory, I will glory of those things, which are accounted my miseries and disgraces; as of my scourgings, hunger, nakedness, persecutions: Yea, I will glory of my very flight.

2 Corinthians 11:33

And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.

I was hard driven for my life: and, out of a desire to reserve myself for the further use and benefit of the Church and service of my God, I was content to be let down out of a window in a basket, and escaped.