Paul and Those Who Pretend to Be Apostles
1I hope you will put up with me in a little foolish bragging. Yes, please put up with me! 2My jealousy for you comes from God himself. I promised to give you to only one husband. That husband is Christ. I wanted to be able to give you to him as if you were a pure virgin. 3But Eve’s mind was tricked by the snake’s clever lies. And here’s what I’m afraid of. Your minds will also somehow be led astray. They will be led away from your true and pure love for Christ. 4Suppose someone comes to you and preaches about a Jesus different from the Jesus we preached about. Or suppose you receive a spirit different from the Spirit you received before. Or suppose you receive a different message of good news. Suppose it was different from the one you accepted earlier. You put up with those kinds of things easily enough.
5I don’t think I’m in any way less important than those “super-apostles.” 6It’s true that I haven’t been trained as a speaker. But I do have knowledge. I’ve made that very clear to you in every way. 7I preached God’s good news to you free of charge. When I did that, I was putting myself down in order to lift you up. Was this a sin? 8I received help from other churches so I could serve you. This was almost like robbing them. 9When I was with you and needed something, I didn’t cause you any expense. The believers who came from Macedonia gave me what I needed. I haven’t caused you any expense at all. And I won’t ever do it. 10I’m sure that the truth of Christ is in me. And I’m just as sure that nobody in Achaia will keep me from bragging. 11Why? Because I don’t love you? No! God knows I do!
12And I will keep on doing what I’m doing. That will stop those who claim they have things to brag about. They think they have a chance to be considered equal with us. 13People like that are false apostles. They are workers who tell lies. They only pretend to be apostles of Christ. 14That comes as no surprise. Even Satan himself pretends to be an angel of light. 15So it doesn’t surprise us that Satan’s servants also pretend to be serving God. They will finally get exactly what they deserve.
Paul Brags About His Sufferings
16I will say it again. Don’t let anyone think I’m a fool. But if you do, put up with me just as you would put up with a fool. Then I can do a little bragging. 17When I brag about myself like this, I’m not talking the way the Lord would. I’m talking like a fool. 18Many are bragging the way the people of the world do. So I will brag like that too. 19You are so wise! You gladly put up with fools! 20In fact, you even put up with anyone who makes you a slave or uses you. You put up with those who take advantage of you. You put up with those who claim to be better than you. You put up with those who slap you in the face. 21I’m ashamed to have to say that I was too weak for that!
Whatever anyone else dares to brag about, I also dare to brag about. I’m speaking like a fool! 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Do they belong to the people of Israel? So do I. Are they Abraham’s children? So am I. 23Are they serving Christ? I am serving him even more. I’m out of my mind to talk like this! I have worked much harder. I have been in prison more often. I have suffered terrible beatings. Again and again I almost died. 24Five times the Jews gave me 39 strokes with a whip. 25Three times I was beaten with sticks. Once they tried to kill me by throwing stones at me. Three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. 26I have had to keep on the move. I have been in danger from rivers. I have been in danger from robbers. I have been in danger from my fellow Jews and in danger from Gentiles. I have been in danger in the city, in the country, and at sea. I have been in danger from people who pretended they were believers. 27I have worked very hard. Often I have gone without sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty. Often I have gone without food. I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, every day I am concerned about all the churches. It is a very heavy load. 29If anyone is weak, I feel weak. If anyone is led into sin, I burn on the inside.
30If I have to brag, I will brag about the things that show how weak I am. 31I am not lying. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows this. May God be praised forever. 32In Damascus the governor who served under King Aretas had their city guarded. He wanted to arrest me. 33But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall. So I escaped from the governor.
Paulo Ne Atorɔ Asomafoɔ
1Mewɔ anidasoɔ sɛ, sɛ meyɛ nkwaseadeɛ koraa a, mobɛgye me. Mepa mo kyɛw, monyɛ saa. 2Metwe mo ho ninkunu, sɛdeɛ Onyankopɔn twe mo ho ninkunu no. Mote sɛ ɔbaabunu a mahyɛ no awadeɛ ho bɔ ama ɔbarima baako pɛ bi a ɔno ne Kristo. 3Mesuro sɛ wɔbɛsɛe mo adwene na mo a mode mo ho nyinaa ama Kristo no, mobɛgyae sɛdeɛ ɔwɔ no nam anifire so daadaa Hawa no. 4Mode anigyeɛ gye obiara a ɔba mo nkyɛn bɛka Yesu foforɔ a ɔnnyɛ deɛ yɛka ne ho asɛm kyerɛ mo no di; mogye honhom bi ne asɛmpa bi a nsonsonoeɛ da ɛno ne Honhom ne Asɛmpa a yɛka kyerɛ mo no ntam no di.
5Mennye nni sɛ meyɛ “Asomafoɔ” no mu abomfiaa. 6Ebia mʼano ntee deɛ, nanso mʼadwene mu abue. Ɛkwan biara so, yɛama mo ate saa asɛm yi ase. 7Mebɛkaa Onyankopɔn Asɛmpa no kyerɛɛ mo no, mannye mo hwee. Mebrɛɛ me ho ase sɛdeɛ ɛbɛma mo akrɔn. Bɔne a meyɛeɛ ne sɛ meyɛɛ saa? 8Ɛberɛ a na mereyɛ mo mu adwuma no, asafo afoforɔ bi na na wɔtua me ka. 9Ɛberɛ a na mewɔ mo nkyɛn no, sɛ sika ho hia me a, na menha mo. Na anuanom a wɔte Makedonia no de biribiara a ɛho hia me brɛ me. Sɛdeɛ na ɛte mmerɛ a atwam no, saa ara nso na daakye ɛbɛyɛ. Merenyɛ adesoa mma mo da. 10Kristo nokorɛdie a ahyɛ me ma enti, mehyɛ mo bɔ sɛ obiara rentumi nka mʼahohoahoa yi nhyɛ wɔ Helaman mu da. 11Adɛn enti na meka saa? Ɛfiri sɛ, mennɔ mo anaa? Onyankopɔn nim sɛ medɔ mo.
12Mɛkɔ so madi dwuma a meredi no seesei yi sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, saa “asomafoɔ” no rennya kwan nhoahoa wɔn ho sɛ dwuma a wɔdi no te sɛ yɛn dwuma a yɛdi no pɛ. 13Saa nnipa no nyɛ nokorɛ asomafoɔ. Wɔyɛ atorɔ asomafoɔ a wɔnam twa atorɔ wɔ wɔn adwuma ho ma nnipa hunu wɔn sɛ wɔyɛ Kristo asomafoɔ. 14Ɛnyɛ me nwanwa, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔbonsam koraa tumi sesa ne ho ma ɔdane yɛ sɛ hann. 15Enti ɛnyɛ nwanwa sɛ nʼasomfoɔ tumi sesa wɔn ho de daadaa nnipa sɛ wɔyɛ papa. Awieeɛ no, wɔbɛnya wɔn nneyɛeɛ so akatua pɛpɛɛpɛ.
Paulo Hoahoa Ne Ho
16Meti mu ka bio sɛ: Ɛnsɛ sɛ obiara susu sɛ meyɛ ɔkwasea. Sɛ mosusu saa a, ɛnneɛ monnye me sɛdeɛ mobɛgye ɔkwasea na menam so matumi mahoahoa me ho. 17Asɛm a mereka yi nyɛ deɛ Awurade pɛ sɛ meka. Meka ahohoahoa ho asɛm a, na mekasa sɛ ɔkwasea. 18Nanso, ɛsiane sɛ nnipa bebree hoahoa wɔn ho nipasu mu enti, me nso mɛyɛ saa. 19Mo ankasa mo ani ate enti mode anigyeɛ gye nkwaseafoɔ. 20Mogye obi a ɔhyɛ mo so anaa deɛ ɔnya mo ho biribi anaa deɛ ɔsum mo afidie anaa deɛ ɔmmu mo anaa deɛ ɔbɔ mo ani so. 21Mefɛre sɛ mɛgye yei ato mu, nanso yɛn ahoɔmmerɛ na ɛma yɛyɛɛ saa.
Sɛ obi tumi de biribi hoahoa ne ho a, merekasa sɛ ɔkwasea, e nso mɛtumi ahoahoa me ho wɔ dekodeɛ no ho bi. 22Wɔyɛ Hebrifoɔ anaa? Me nso meyɛ bi. Wɔyɛ Israelfoɔ anaa? Me nso meyɛ bi. Wɔyɛ Abraham asefoɔ anaa? Me nso meyɛ bi. 23Wɔyɛ Kristo asomfoɔ anaa? Merekasa sɛ ɔbɔdamfoɔ. Nanso, meyɛ ɔsomfoɔ pa sene wɔn. Mayɛ adwuma a ɛyɛ den sene wɔn; mada afiase mpɛn bebree; wɔabɔ me mmaa bebree na metaa mebɛn owuo nso. 24Yudafoɔ bɔɔ me mmaa aduasa nkron ahodoɔ enum. 25Romafoɔ bɔɔ me mmaa mprɛnsa na wɔsii me aboɔ pɛnkorɔ. Metenaa ahyɛn mu maa ɛbɔeɛ mprɛnsa. Medii nsuo ase nnɔnhwere aduonu ɛnan pɛn. 26Mʼakwantuo ahodoɔ mu, mehyiaa nsuyire ne akwanmukafoɔ. Mehunuu amane wɔ Yudafoɔ ne amanamanmufoɔ nsam. Mehunuu nkuro so amane. Mehunuu wiram amane. Mehunuu ɛpo so amane ne nnamfoɔ a wɔnka nokorɛ nsam amane. 27Mayɛ adwuma a ɛyɛ den na ɔbrɛ wɔ mu. Mpɛn pii, menna. Ɛkɔm ne sukɔm dee me. Mpɛn pii, mennya aduane a ɛbɛso me nni. Mennya baabi nna anaa atadeɛ nhyɛ. 28Ɛberɛ biara na mema asafo ahodoɔ no ho nsɛm yɛ me asɛnhia. 29Sɛ obi yɛ mmerɛ a ɛma me nso meyɛ mmerɛ. Sɛ obi ka ɔfoforɔ kɔ bɔne mu a, ɛma me werɛ ho.
30Sɛ mehoahoa me ho a, na ɛsɛ sɛ mehoahoa me ho wɔ nneɛma a ɛkyerɛ me mmerɛyɛ no mu. 31Awurade Yesu no, Onyankopɔn ne Agya no a ɛsɛ sɛ yɛkamfo no no nim sɛ merentwa nkontompo. 32Ɛberɛ a mewɔ Damasko no, Amrado a na ɔhyɛ Ɔhene Areta ase no maa awɛmfoɔ wɛnee kuro no ɛpono pɛɛ sɛ wɔkyere me. 33Nanso, wɔde me sii kɛntɛn mu twetwee me faa ɔfasuo bi a apae tokuro mu de me sii fam maa medwane firii ne nsam.
