Paul and the False Apostles

1I WISH ye would bear with me a little in my foolishness, yea indeed bear with me. 2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy; for I have espoused you to one husband, to present you a chaste virgin to Christ. 3But I fear lest as the serpent beguiled Eve by his craftiness, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which belongs to Christ. 4For if he indeed that cometh preach another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not embraced, ye might well bear with him. 5For I reckon myself to be nothing inferior to the very chief of the apostles. 6For though I may be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but on every occasion we have been made manifest in all things among you.

7Am I chargeable with a fault (humbling myself that you might be exalted), that I preached to you the gospel of God freely? 8I plundered other churches, receiving a provision from them, in order to minister to you. 9And when I was with you, and in want, I was burdensome to no man; for my want the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied; and on every occasion I have kept myself from being burdensome, and will keep myself. 10I protest, by the truth of Christ in me, that from this boasting no man shall seal up my lips in the regions of Achaia. 11Wherefore? Because I love you not? God knoweth.

12But what I do, I will do also, that I may cut off occasion from those who desire occasion, that wherein they boast, they may be found even as we. 13For such are fake apostles, deceitful labourers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14And no marvel! For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15It is no wonder therefore if his ministers also be transformed as ministers of righteousness; whose end will be according to their works.

Paul’s Suffering and Service
(Colossians 1:24–29)

16I repeat it again, Let no man suppose that I am a fool; but if otherwise, then as a fool receive me, that I too may boast myself a little. 17What I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as it were in folly in this confidence of boasting. 18Seeing many boast themselves after the flesh, I will boast also. 19For ye bear with fools easily when you are wise yourselves. 20For ye bear if a man enslave you, if a man eat you up, if a man receive from you, if a man is insolent, if a man smite you on the face. 21I speak with reference to the reproach cast on me, as though we were feeble; but wherein any man is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also. 22Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. 23Are they the ministers of Christ? (I speak foolishly) I am above them: in labours more abundantly, in stripes exceedingly more, in prisons more frequently, in the most immediate danger of death often. 24Of the Jews five times I have received forty stripes save one. 25Thrice I have been scourged with rods, once I have been stoned, thrice I have suffered shipwreck, a whole night and day I have passed in the deep; 26in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own countrymen, in perils from the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the desert, in perils on the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27in labour and travail, in watchings often, in fastings frequently, in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness; 28and beside all these things from without, that accumulated burden which cometh on me daily, the care of all the churches. 29Who is feeble, and am I not feeble? Who is offended, and am I not on fire?

30If I must glory, I will glory in the things which respect my infirmities. 31The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. 32In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes, intending to seize me; 33and through a window in a basket I was let down by the wall, and escaped out of his hands.