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Paul Boasts About His Sufferings and Dangers
Paul responds to criticism from the false "super-apostles" by boasting in foolishness about his sufferings, dangers, and service for Christ—imprisonment, beatings, stoning, shipwrecks, and dangers on journeys—and concludes with his escape from Damascus, where he was lowered in a basket through an opening in the city wall.
2 Corintios 11,1-33
1I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Yes, do bear with me.
Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρόν ⸀τι ⸀ἀφροσύνης· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνέχεσθέ μου.
2I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God, for I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you to Christ as a pure virgin.
ζηλῶ γὰρ ὑμᾶς θεοῦ ζήλῳ, ἡρμοσάμην γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ παρθένον ἁγνὴν παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ·
3But I am afraid that, just as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts may be corrupted and drawn away from the sincerity and purity of your devotion to Christ.
φοβοῦμαι δὲ μή πως, ὡς ὁ ὄφις ⸂ἐξηπάτησεν Εὕαν⸃ ἐν τῇ πανουργίᾳ αὐτοῦ, ⸀φθαρῇ τὰ νοήματα ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἁπλότητος ⸂καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος⸃ τῆς εἰς τὸν Χριστόν.
4For if someone comes along preaching another Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἄλλον Ἰησοῦν κηρύσσει ὃν οὐκ ἐκηρύξαμεν, ἢ πνεῦμα ἕτερον λαμβάνετε ὃ οὐκ ἐλάβετε, ἢ εὐαγγέλιον ἕτερον ὃ οὐκ ἐδέξασθε, καλῶς ⸀ἀνέχεσθε.
5Yet I consider myself in no way inferior to those "super-apostles."
λογίζομαι γὰρ μηδὲν ὑστερηκέναι τῶν ὑπερλίαν ἀποστόλων·
6Even if I am untrained as a speaker, I am not lacking in knowledge. We have made this plain to you in every way and in every situation.
εἰ δὲ καὶ ἰδιώτης τῷ λόγῳ, ἀλλʼ οὐ τῇ γνώσει, ἀλλʼ ἐν παντὶ ⸀φανερώσαντες ἐν πᾶσιν εἰς ὑμᾶς.
7Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God's gospel to you free of charge?
Ἢ ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησα ἐμαυτὸν ταπεινῶν ἵνα ὑμεῖς ὑψωθῆτε, ὅτι δωρεὰν τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ εὐαγγέλιον εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν;
8I robbed other churches, accepting their support in order to serve you.
ἄλλας ἐκκλησίας ἐσύλησα λαβὼν ὀψώνιον πρὸς τὴν ὑμῶν διακονίαν,
9And when I was with you and in need, I was a burden to no one, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I lacked. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.
καὶ παρὼν πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ ὑστερηθεὶς οὐ κατενάρκησα οὐθενός· τὸ γὰρ ὑστέρημά μου προσανεπλήρωσαν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἐλθόντες ἀπὸ Μακεδονίας· καὶ ἐν παντὶ ἀβαρῆ ⸂ἐμαυτὸν ὑμῖν⸃ ἐτήρησα καὶ τηρήσω.
10As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.
ἔστιν ἀλήθεια Χριστοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ ὅτι ἡ καύχησις αὕτη οὐ φραγήσεται εἰς ἐμὲ ἐν τοῖς κλίμασι τῆς Ἀχαΐας.
11Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!
διὰ τί; ὅτι οὐκ ἀγαπῶ ὑμᾶς; ὁ θεὸς οἶδεν.
12And what I am doing I will keep on doing, so as to cut the ground from under those who are looking for a chance to be found our equals in the very thing they boast about.
Ὃ δὲ ποιῶ καὶ ποιήσω, ἵνα ἐκκόψω τὴν ἀφορμὴν τῶν θελόντων ἀφορμήν, ἵνα ἐν ᾧ καυχῶνται εὑρεθῶσιν καθὼς καὶ ἡμεῖς.
13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
οἱ γὰρ τοιοῦτοι ψευδαπόστολοι, ἐργάται δόλιοι, μετασχηματιζόμενοι εἰς ἀποστόλους Χριστοῦ·
14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
καὶ οὐ ⸀θαῦμα, αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ Σατανᾶς μετασχηματίζεται εἰς ἄγγελον φωτός·
15So it is no surprise if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will match their works.
οὐ μέγα οὖν εἰ καὶ οἱ διάκονοι αὐτοῦ μετασχηματίζονται ὡς διάκονοι δικαιοσύνης, ὧν τὸ τέλος ἔσται κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν.
16Again I say: let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then accept me as a fool, so that I too may do a little boasting.
Πάλιν λέγω, μή τίς με δόξῃ ἄφρονα εἶναι— εἰ δὲ μή γε, κἂν ὡς ἄφρονα δέξασθέ με, ἵνα κἀγὼ μικρόν τι καυχήσωμαι·
17What I am saying now, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as a fool would, in this business of boasting.
ὃ λαλῶ οὐ ⸂κατὰ κύριον λαλῶ⸃, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ, ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ὑποστάσει τῆς καυχήσεως.
18Since so many are boasting according to the flesh, I too will boast.
ἐπεὶ πολλοὶ καυχῶνται ⸀κατὰ σάρκα, κἀγὼ καυχήσομαι.
19After all, you gladly put up with fools, since you are so wise!
ἡδέως γὰρ ἀνέχεσθε τῶν ἀφρόνων φρόνιμοι ὄντες·
20For you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone puts on airs, if someone slaps you in the face.
ἀνέχεσθε γὰρ εἴ τις ὑμᾶς καταδουλοῖ, εἴ τις κατεσθίει, εἴ τις λαμβάνει, εἴ τις ἐπαίρεται, εἴ τις ⸂εἰς πρόσωπον ὑμᾶς⸃ δέρει.
21To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I dare it too.
κατὰ ἀτιμίαν λέγω, ὡς ὅτι ἡμεῖς ⸀ἠσθενήκαμεν· ἐν ᾧ δʼ ἄν τις τολμᾷ, ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ λέγω, τολμῶ κἀγώ.
22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's offspring? So am I.
Ἑβραῖοί εἰσιν; κἀγώ. Ἰσραηλῖταί εἰσιν; κἀγώ. σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ εἰσιν; κἀγώ.
23Are they servants of Christ? I am out of my mind to talk this way—I am more: in far greater labors, in far more imprisonments, in far worse beatings, often at the point of death.
διάκονοι Χριστοῦ εἰσιν; παραφρονῶν λαλῶ, ὑπὲρ ἐγώ· ἐν κόποις περισσοτέρως, ἐν ⸂φυλακαῖς περισσοτέρως, ἐν πληγαῖς ὑπερβαλλόντως⸃, ἐν θανάτοις πολλάκις·
24Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes minus one.
ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων πεντάκις τεσσεράκοντα παρὰ μίαν ἔλαβον,
25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked; I spent a night and a day adrift at sea.
τρὶς ἐραβδίσθην, ἅπαξ ἐλιθάσθην, τρὶς ἐναυάγησα, νυχθήμερον ἐν τῷ βυθῷ πεποίηκα·
26I have been constantly on the move: in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own people, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in danger at sea, in danger from false brothers.
ὁδοιπορίαις πολλάκις, κινδύνοις ποταμῶν, κινδύνοις λῃστῶν, κινδύνοις ἐκ γένους, κινδύνοις ἐξ ἐθνῶν, κινδύνοις ἐν πόλει, κινδύνοις ἐν ἐρημίᾳ, κινδύνοις ἐν θαλάσσῃ, κινδύνοις ἐν ψευδαδέλφοις,
27I have labored and toiled, often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst, often gone without food; I have been cold and without clothing.
⸀κόπῳ καὶ μόχθῳ, ἐν ἀγρυπνίαις πολλάκις, ἐν λιμῷ καὶ δίψει, ἐν νηστείαις πολλάκις, ἐν ψύχει καὶ γυμνότητι·
28And besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
χωρὶς τῶν παρεκτὸς ἡ ⸀ἐπίστασίς ⸀μοι ἡ καθʼ ἡμέραν, ἡ μέριμνα πασῶν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν.
29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not inwardly burn?
τίς ἀσθενεῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἀσθενῶ; τίς σκανδαλίζεται καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι;
30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
Εἰ καυχᾶσθαι δεῖ, τὰ τῆς ἀσθενείας μου καυχήσομαι.
31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ⸀Ἰησοῦ οἶδεν, ὁ ὢν εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι.
32In Damascus the governor under King Aretas kept the city of the Damascenes under guard in order to arrest me,
ἐν Δαμασκῷ ὁ ἐθνάρχης Ἁρέτα τοῦ βασιλέως ἐφρούρει τὴν ⸂πόλιν Δαμασκηνῶν⸃ πιάσαι ⸀με,
33but I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.
καὶ διὰ θυρίδος ἐν σαργάνῃ ἐχαλάσθην διὰ τοῦ τείχους καὶ ἐξέφυγον τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ.