King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 5 notes
Read 2 Corinthians 11 in the app
1Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
2For 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.
3But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4For 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.
This corruption of the gospel from its simplicity seems to be a key 🗝 and common problem in the early church.
The good news was too good, so often people feel naturally more inclined to accept excesses.
5For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
6But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
7Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
8I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
9And 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: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
10As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
Oh OK, so not that Paul did not take support for the ministry work — he did.
But not from all churches; here he for some reason had decided to do ministry freely for all the regions of Achaia.
And the other churches in other regions knew his needs and funded them.
11Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
12But 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.
13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
Okay, so they were false apostles, meaning of course true apostles existed.
That also means the assertion that there were and can only be 12 apostles of Christ in all of Christianity is false.
14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
16I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.
17That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
18Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
19For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
20For 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.
Oh my Lord and my God, these things are now so common in the church in Africa 🌍 these days.
Literally so-called men of God smiting the flock, and that physically, devouring them and manipulating themselves beyond measure.
21I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, ( I speak foolishly,) 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 ministers of Christ? ( I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
29Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
30If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
31The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
For the king to personally want him arrested shows the extent to which Paul was breaking and destroying set systems, cultures and thinking 💭 which kept the peace ✌️ for the rulers to rule.
Whether such rulership was usurped or through malice and lies 🤥, they still exerted influence.
And now here comes Paul the trouble maker.
No wonder he came to the realization that the weapons of this battle are mighty through God to pull down strong holds etc.
Indeed his enemies testified that the people who have turned the world upside down are here also.
33And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.