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.
Paulu àti àwọn aposteli ẹlẹ́kọ̀ọ́ èké
111.1: 2Kọ 11.21.Mo rò wí pé ẹ ó faradà díẹ̀ nínú ìwà òmùgọ̀ mi ṣùgbọ́n bẹ́ẹ̀ ni, mo fẹ́ kí ẹ gbà mí láàyè. 211.2: Ho 2.19-20; Ef 5.26-27.Nítorí pé èmi ń jowú lórí i yín bí ẹni ìwà-bí-Ọlọ́run: nítorí tí mo ti fì yín fún ọkọ kan, kí èmi bà á lè mú yín wá bí wúńdíá tí ó mọ́ sọ́dọ̀ Kristi. 311.3: Gẹ 3.4.Ṣùgbọ́n ẹ̀rù ń bà mí, kí ó má bà á jẹ́ pé, bí ejò ti tan Efa jẹ́ nípasẹ̀ àrékérekè rẹ̀, a lè mú ọkàn yín ṣáko lọ kúrò nínú òtítọ́ yín àti ìfarajì fún Kristi. 411.4: Ga 1.6.Nítorí bí ẹnìkan bá wá tí ó sì wàásù Jesu mìíràn, yàtọ̀ sí èyí tí a ti wàásù rí tàbí bí ẹ̀yin bá gba ẹ̀mí mìíràn, yàtọ̀ sí èyí tí ẹ ti gbà tàbí ìhìnrere mìíràn yàtọ̀ sí èyí tí ẹ ti gbà, tí ẹ sì ti yára tẹ́wọ́ gbà á.
511.5: 2Kọ 12.11; Ga 2.6.Nítorí mo rò pé èmi kò rẹ̀yìn nínú ohunkóhun sí àwọn àgbà Aposteli. 611.6: 1Kọ 1.17.Bí mo tilẹ̀ jẹ́ òpè nínú ọ̀rọ̀ sísọ, kì í ṣe nínú ìmọ̀; Ní ọ̀nàkọnà ni àwa ti fi èyí hàn dájúdájú fún yín nínú ohun gbogbo. 711.7: 2Kọ 12.13; 1Kọ 9.18.Tàbí ẹ̀ṣẹ̀ ni mo dá bí èmi ti ń rẹ ara mí sílẹ̀ kí a lè gbé yín ga, nítorí tí mo wàásù ìhìnrere Ọlọ́run fún un yín lọ́fẹ̀ẹ́. 811.8: Fp 4.15,18.Èmí ń ja ìjọ mìíràn ni olè nípa gbígba ìpèsè owó ki èmi bà á lè sìn yín. 9Nígbà tí mo sì wà pẹ̀lú yín, tí mo sì ṣe aláìní, èmi kò dẹ́rù pa ẹnikẹ́ni: nítorí ohun tí mo ṣe aláìní ni àwọn ará tí ó ti Makedonia wá ti mú wá. Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni nínú ohun gbogbo mo pa ara mi mọ́ láti má ṣe jẹ́ ẹrù fún yín, èmi yóò sì pa ara mi mọ́ bẹ́ẹ̀. 1011.10: 1Kọ 9.15.Ó jẹ́ òtítọ́, Kristi tí ń bẹ nínú mi pé kò sí ẹni tí ó lè dá mi lẹ́kun ìṣògo yìí ni gbogbo ẹkùn Akaia. 1111.11: 2Kọ 12.15.Nítorí kín ni? Nítorí èmi kò fẹ́ràn yín ni bí? Ọlọ́run mọ̀.
1211.12: 1Kọ 9.12.Èmi yóò tẹ̀síwájú láti máa ṣe ohun ti èmi ń ṣe láti le mú ìjákulẹ̀ bá àwọn tí wọn ń wá ọ̀nà láti bá wa dọ́gba nínú èyí ti àwa ń ṣògo lé lórí. 13Nítorí irú àwọn ènìyàn bẹ́ẹ̀ ni àwọn èké Aposteli àwọn ẹni ti ń ṣiṣẹ́ ẹ̀tàn, tí ń pa wọ́n dà di aposteli Kristi. 14Kì í sì í ṣe ohun ìyanu; nítorí Satani, tìkára rẹ̀ ń pa ara rẹ̀ dàbí angẹli ìmọ́lẹ̀. 15Nítorí náà kì í ṣe ohun ńlá bí àwọn ìránṣẹ́ rẹ̀ pẹ̀lú bá pa ara wọn dàbí àwọn ìránṣẹ́ òdodo; ìgbẹ̀yìn àwọn ẹni tí yóò rí gẹ́gẹ́ bí iṣẹ́ wọn.
Paulu ṣògo nínú ìjìyà rẹ̀
16Mo sì tún wí pé, kí ẹnikẹ́ni má ṣe rò pé òmùgọ̀ ni mí; ṣùgbọ́n bí bẹ́ẹ̀ bá ni, ẹ gbà mí bí òmùgọ̀ kí èmi lè gbé ara mi ga díẹ̀. 1711.17: 1Kọ 7.12,25.Ohun tí èmi ń sọ, èmi kò sọ ọ́ nípa ti Olúwa, ṣùgbọ́n bí òmùgọ̀ nínú ìgbẹ́kẹ̀lé ìṣògo yìí. 18Ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀, ni ó ń ṣògo nípa ti ara, èmi ó ṣògo pẹ̀lú. 1911.19: 1Kọ 4.10.Nítorí ẹ̀yin fi inú dídùn gba àwọn òmùgọ̀ nígbà tí ẹ̀yin tìkára yín jẹ́ ọlọ́gbọ́n. 20Nítorí ẹ̀yin faradà á bí ẹnìkan bá sọ yín dí òǹdè, bí ẹnìkan bá jẹ́ yín run, bí ẹnìkan bá gbà lọ́wọ́ yín, bí ẹnìkan bá gbé ara rẹ̀ ga, bí ẹnìkan bá gbá yín lójú. 21Èmi ń wí lọ́nà ẹ̀gàn, bí ẹni pé àwa jẹ́ aláìlera!
Ṣùgbọ́n nínú ohunkóhun tí ẹnìkan ti ní ìgboyà, èmi ń sọ̀rọ̀ bí òmùgọ̀, èmi ní ìgboyà pẹ̀lú. 22Heberu ni wọ́n bí? Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni èmi. Israẹli ni wọ́n bí? Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni èmi. Irú-ọmọ Abrahamu ní òun bí? Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni èmi. 2311.23: Ap 16.23; 2Kọ 6.5.Ìránṣẹ́ Kristi ni wọ́n bí? Èmi ń sọ bí òmùgọ̀, mo ta wọ́n yọ; ní ti làálàá lọ́pọ̀lọpọ̀, ní ti pàṣán, mo rékọjá, ní ti túbú nígbàkúgbà, ní ti fífẹ́rẹ kú nígbà púpọ̀. 2411.24: De 25.3.Nígbà márùn-ún ni mo gba pàṣán ogójì dín ẹyọ kan lọ́wọ́ àwọn Júù. 2511.25: Ap 16.22; 14.19.Nígbà mẹ́ta ni a fi ọ̀gọ̀ lù mí, ẹ̀ẹ̀kan ṣoṣo ni a sọ mí ní òkúta, ẹ̀ẹ̀mẹta ni ọkọ̀ ojú omi mi rì, ọ̀sán kan àti òru kan ni mo wà nínú ibú. 2611.26: Ap 9.23; 14.5.Ní ìrìnàjò nígbàkúgbà, nínú ewu omi, nínú ewu àwọn ọlọ́ṣà, nínú ewu àwọn ará ìlú mi, nínú ewu àwọn aláìkọlà, nínú ewu ni ìlú, nínú ewu ní aginjù, nínú ewu lójú Òkun, nínú ewu láàrín àwọn èké arákùnrin. 2711.27: 1Kọ 4.11.Nínú làálàá àti ìrora, nínú ìṣọ́ òru nígbàkúgbà, nínú ebi àti òǹgbẹ, nínú àwẹ̀ nígbàkúgbà, nínú òtútù àti ìhòhò. 28Pẹ̀lú nǹkan wọ̀nyí tí ó jẹ́ tí òde, ọ̀pọ̀ ni èyí tí ń wọn n dúró tì mí lójoojúmọ́, àní àníyàn fún gbogbo ìjọ. 2911.29: 1Kọ 9.22.Ta ni ó ṣe àìlera, tí èmi kò ṣe àìlera? Tàbí a mú kọsẹ̀, tí ara mi kò gbiná?
30Bí èmi yóò bá ṣògo, èmi ó kúkú máa ṣògo nípa àwọn nǹkan tí ó jẹ́ ti àìlera mi. 31Ọlọ́run àti Baba Olúwa wá Jesu Kristi, ẹni tí ó jẹ́ olùbùkún jùlọ láéláé mọ̀ pé èmi kò ṣèké. 3211.32-33: Ap 9.24-25.Ní Damasku, baálẹ̀ tí ó wà lábẹ́ ọba Areta fi ẹgbẹ́ ogun ká ìlú àwọn ará Damasku mọ́, ó ń fẹ́ láti mú mi bí arúfin: 33Láti ojú fèrèsé nínú agbọ̀n ni a sì ti sọ̀ mí kalẹ̀ lẹ́yìn odi, tí mo sì bọ́ lọ́wọ́ rẹ̀.
