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 ndi Atumwi Onyenga
1Ndikukhulupirira kuti mupirira nako pangʼono kupusa kwanga. Chonde tandipirirani! 2Nsanje imene ndimakuchitirani ndi yofanana ndi ya Mulungu. Ndinakulonjezani mwamuna mmodzi yekha, mwamunayo ndiye Khristu, kuti ndidzakuperekeni inuyo kwa Iyeyo monga namwali wangwiro. 3Koma ndikuopa kuti monga Hava ananyengedwa ndi kuchenjera kwa njoka, mitima yanunso ingasocheretsedwe kuleka nʼkudzipereka moona mtima ndi modzipereka kwenikweni kwa Khristu. 4Pakuti ngati wina abwera kwa inu nalalikira Yesu wina wosiyana ndi Yesu amene tinamulalikira, kapena ngati mulandira mzimu wina wosiyana ndi Mzimu amene munalandira, kapena uthenga wabwino wina wosiyana ndi umene munawuvomereza, inuyo mumangolandira mosavuta.
5Komatu sindikuganiza kuti ndine wotsika kwambiri kwa “atumwi apamwamba.” 6Mwina ndikhoza kukhala wosaphunzitsidwa kayankhulidwe, koma ndili ndi chidziwitso. Izi tinakufotokozerani momveka bwinobwino. 7Kodi linali tchimo kwa ine kudzichepetsa nʼcholinga chakuti ndikukwezeni pamene ndinkalalikira Uthenga Wabwino wa Mulungu kwa inu mwaulere? 8Ndinkalanda mipingo ina pomalandira thandizo kwa iwo kuti ndikutumikireni. 9Ndipo pamene ndinali pakati panu, nditasowa kanthu, sindinalemetse munthu aliyense, pakuti abale ena amene anachokera ku Makedoniya anandipatsa zonse zimene ndinkazisowa. Ndayesetsa kuti ndisakhale cholemetsa kwa inu mʼnjira ina iliyonse, ndipo ndidzapitiriza kutero. 10Kunena moona mtima molingana ndi chilungamo cha Khristu chimene chili mwa ine, palibe amene angandiletse kudzitamandira mʼzigawo za ku Akaya. 11Nʼchifukwa chiyani ndikutero? Kodi nʼchifukwa choti sindikukondani? Mulungu akudziwa kuti ndimakukondani!
12Ndipo ndipitiriza kuchita zomwe ndikuchitazi nʼcholinga chakuti ndisapereke mpata kwa amene akufuna kupezera mwayi woti afanane nafe pa zinthu zimene iwowo amadzitamandira. 13Pakuti anthu oterewa ndi atumwi onama, antchito achinyengo, odzizimbayitsa ngati atumwi a Khristu. 14Sizododometsa zimenezi, pakuti Satana mwini amadzizimbayitsa kuoneka ngati mngelo wowunikira anthu. 15Nʼzosadabwitsa tsono ngati atumiki ake akudzizimbayitsa ngati otumikira chilungamo. Matsiriziro awo adzalandira zoyenerana ndi ntchito zawo.
Paulo Anyadira Mazunzo Ake
16Ndibwereze kunena kuti, wina aliyense asandiyese chitsiru. Koma ngati mutero, mundilandire monga mmene mukhoza kulandirira chitsiru, kuti ndinyadirepo pangʼono. 17Kudzinyadira kwangaku, sindikuyankhula monga mmene Ambuye akufunira koma ngati chitsiru. 18Popeza ambiri akudzitama monga dziko lapansi limachitira, inenso ndidzitamanso. 19Inu mumalolera kukhala ndi zitsiru mokondwera chifukwa mumati ndinu anzeru! 20Kunena zoona mumangololera aliyense; amene amakusandutsani akapolo, kapena amene amakudyerani masuku pamutu, kapena amene amakupezererani, kapena amene amadzitukumula, kapena amene amakumenyani khofi. 21Ndikuvomera mwamanyazi kuti ife sitinali olimba mtima kuti nʼkuchita zinthu zimenezi.
Ndikuyankhula ngati chitsiru kuti chimene wina aliyense akhoza kudzitama nacho, Inenso ndikhoza kudzitama nachonso. 22Kodi iwo ndi Ahebri? Inenso ndine Mhebri. Kodi iwo ndi Aisraeli? Inenso ndine Mwisraeli. Kodi iwo ndi zidzukulu za Abrahamu? Inenso ndine mdzukulu wa Abrahamu. 23Kodi iwo ndi atumiki a Khristu? Ndikuyankhula ngati wamisala. Ine ndine woposa iwowo. Ndagwira ntchito kwambiri kupambana iwo, ndakhala ndikuyikidwa mʼndende kawirikawiri, ndakwapulidwapo kwambiri, kawirikawiri ndinali pafupi kufa. 24Andikwapulapo kasanu zikoti zija za Ayuda, makumi anayi kuchotsapo chimodzi. 25Katatu anandimenya ndi ndodo. Kamodzi anandigendapo miyala. Katatu sitima yathu ya panyanja inasweka, ndipo ndinakhala usiku ndi usana ndi kuyandama pa nyanja. 26Ndakhala ndikuyenda maulendo ataliatali. Moyo wanga wakhala ukukumana ndi zoopsa pa mitsinje, zoopsa za achifwamba, zoopsa zochokera kwa abale anga Ayuda, zoopsa zochokera kwa anthu akunja. Ndinakumana ndi zoopsa mʼmizinda, mʼmidzi, pa nyanja, ndi pakati pa abale onyenga. 27Ndakhala ndikugwira ntchito molimbika ndipo kawirikawiri ndakhala ndikuchezera usiku wonse osagona. Ndakhala ndikumva njala ndi ludzu ndipo kawirikawiri ndakhala wopanda chakudya. Ndakhala ndi kuzizidwa ndi wosowa zovala. 28Kuwonjezera pa zonsezi, tsiku ndi tsiku ndimakhala pa chipsinjo cha nkhawa ya mipingo yonse. 29Ndani ali wofowoka, ine wosakhala naye mʼkufowoka kwakeko? Ndani amene mnzake amuchimwitsa, ine wosavutika mu mtima?
30Ngati nʼkoyenera kudzitamandira, ndidzadzitamandira pa zinthu zimene zimaonetsa kufowoka kwanga. 31Mulungu, Atate a Ambuye Yesu, amene tiyenera kumutamanda nthawi zonse, akudziwa kuti sindikunama. 32Ku Damasiko, bwanamkubwa woyimira Mfumu Areta, anayika alonda kuzungulira mzinda wonse kuti andigwire. 33Koma abale anandiyika mʼdengu nanditsitsira pa chipupa kudzera pa zenera la mpandawo, motero ndinapulumuka mʼmanja mwake.
