2 Corinthians 11
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1 |
Would to God ye could bear with me a
little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
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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.
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3 |
But I fear, lest by any means, as the
serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, Gen. 3.1-5 so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is
in Christ.
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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.
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5 |
For I suppose I was not a whit behind the
very chiefest apostles.
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6 |
But though I be rude in speech,
yet not in knowledge; but we have been thoroughly made manifest
among you in all things.
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7 |
Have I committed an offense in abasing
myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the
gospel of God freely?
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8 |
I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
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9 |
And when I was present with you, and
wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me
the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: Phil. 4.15-18 and in all things I have kept myself from being
burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
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10 |
As the truth of Christ is in me, no man
shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achai'a.
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11 |
Wherefore? because I love you not? God
knoweth.
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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.
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13 |
For such are false apostles,
deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of
Christ.
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14 |
And no marvel; for Satan himself is
transformed into an angel of light.
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15 |
Therefore it is no great thing if
his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness;
whose end shall be according to their works.
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Paul's Sufferings as
an Apostle |
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.
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17 |
That which I speak, I speak it not
after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of
boasting.
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18 |
Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I
will glory also.
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19 |
For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
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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.
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21 |
I speak as concerning reproach, as though
we had been weak.
Howbeit, whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak
foolishly,) I am bold also.
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22 |
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are
they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
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23 |
Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as
a fool,) I am more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above
measure, in prisons more frequent, Acts 16.23 in deaths oft.
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24 |
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Deut. 25.3
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25 |
Thrice was I beaten with rods, Acts
16.22 once was I stoned, Acts 14.19 thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in
the deep;
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26 |
in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, Acts 9.23 in perils by the heathen, Acts 14.5 in perils in the city, in perils in the
wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among
false brethren;
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27 |
in weariness and painfulness, in
watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold
and nakedness.
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28 |
Beside those things that are without,
that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the
churches.
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29 |
Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is
offended, and I burn not?
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30 |
If I must needs glory, I will glory of
the things which concern mine infirmities.
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31 |
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie
not.
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32 |
In Damascus the governor under Ar'etas
the king kept the city of the Dam'ascenes with a garrison, desirous
to apprehend me:
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33 |
and through a window in a basket was I
let down by the wall, and escaped his hands. Acts 9.23-25
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