Don’t be Misled by Those Who Seek to Make a Profit Off The Word of God
[1-15] I hope to God you’ll put up with me even when I do speak a little bit crazy: and you have put up with me. But I am crazy over you with a godly passion because I’ve promised you to Christ so that I can present you as a faithful spouse to Christ. But I fear, in case by some means, as the snake fooled Eve with half-truths, so your minds would wander from the pure truth that is in Christ. I’m afraid that if someone comes and preaches something different about Yeshua that we haven’t preached, or if you accept another spirit, which You haven’t accepted before, or hear another new word, which you haven’t accepted before, you might very well believe it. But I think that I haven’t followed the least bit behind the very first followers. And though I am not very well trained in my speech, yet I am in knowledge; but we’ve been thoroughly open among you in everything. What sin have I done in humbling myself so that you might be lifted up, so I could preach to you the New Word of God freely and without pay? What support I took from other churches, I took to help you. And when I was with you, and needed anything, I was supported by none of you, because what I needed I was given by the Christians, who came from another place: and I’ve kept myself from asking you for any help for anything, and so I will keep myself from ever asking you for anything. As the truth of Christ is in me, no one there will stop me from saying this. And why? Do you think it’s because I don’t love you? God knows that I do. But what I do, that I’ll keep on doing, so that I can cut off any chance for those who want a chance to make something of themselves, so that they can appear to be just as we are. And people like this are false followers, false workers, changing themselves into the appearance of followers of Christ. And no wonder, even Satan changes into a messenger of light. So it’s not strange if their ministers also are changed into the ministers of goodness; who will be punished for what they do.
The Many Sufferings
[16] I say again, let no one think me as crazy; but if otherwise, still accept me as a crazy person, so that I can talk about myself a little. What I speak, I don’t speak for God, but as in stupidity, in this self-confident bragging. Seeing that many brag about their earthly lives, I’ll brag also. And you gladly accept thoughtless ones, seeing that you yourselves are wise! And you even allow it, if they control you, if they use you, if they take from you, if they say they’re better than you, or even if they hit you on the face. And I speak as about our own dishonor, as we had been weak in this way, too. Even so, whatever anyone wants to brag about, though I speak stupidly, I will brag about it, also. Are they Jews? So am I. Are they from Israel? So am I. Are they the descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a crazy person, but I am more! I have worked harder; I have been beaten more times than I can count; I have been locked up more often; I have escaped death more often. The Jews beat me five times with thirty-nine licks. I was beaten with sticks three times; I was attacked with stones once; I was shipwrecked three times, and spent a night and a day in the sea; I have traveled often, and have been in danger of drowning, in danger of thieves, in danger of my own people, in danger of other people, in danger in the city, in danger in the countryside, in danger in the sea, in danger among false Christians; I have been tired and aching, often with no sleep, hungry and thirsty, often willingly going without food, cold and going without clothes. And besides all this, my daily concerns, the care of all the churches. Who is more weak than I am? Who is offended, and I am not burning with anger? So if I need to brag, I’ll brag about all my weaknesses. The God, who Yeshua, our Christ is from, which is blessed forever, knows I’m not lying. Even in Damascus, the governor under Arttas, the one who guarded the city of the Damascus, wanted to arrest me: And I was let down through a window in a basket by the wall, and escaped from them.
