2 Corinthians 11:5-23

5Those teachers call themselves very special apostles. But I think that I am as special as they are!

6Perhaps I do not speak as well as they speak. But I do know what I am speaking about. We have always made this very clear to you in everything that we do.

7When I told you God's good news, I never asked you to pay me anything. I made myself less important so that you could be more important. I do not think that I was wrong to do that.

8Believers in other churches gave money to me so that I could serve you. It is like I was robbing them so that I could help you.

9When I was there with you, I never made you help me. Even when I needed something, I did not cause trouble to anyone. Instead, the believers who came from Macedonia gave me everything that I needed. I was very careful never to cause you to have trouble. And I will continue to be careful like that.

10The message that I speak about Christ is true. So I will continue to be proud of how I lived among you. Nobody in the whole region of Achaia can stop me doing that.

11You must not think that I say this because I do not love you. God himself knows that I love you.

12Yes, I will continue to work among you in the way that I am already doing. I will not take any pay from you. Then there will be no chance for those other teachers to be proud about themselves. They will not be able to say that they work in the same way that we do.

13Those people are false apostles. They do not work in an honest way. They try to make people think that Christ has sent them as his apostles.

14That should not surprise you! Even Satan can change himself to look like an angel who belongs to the light.

15So do not be surprised when Satan's servants do the same thing. They can also seem to be serving God. They may seem to be doing good things, but really what they do is bad. So God will punish them in the end.

16I say this again: nobody should think that I am a fool. But even if you do think that, still listen to me. Give me a chance to praise myself a little, as a fool would do.

17When I say good things about myself like this, it is not how the Lord would talk. No, these are the words of a fool.

18But many other people are using human ideas to praise themselves. So I will also do that.

19You think that you are very wise! So you are happy to listen to fools.

20You accept people who make you like their slaves. You accept people who cheat you, or take things from you. You accept people who are proud of themselves. Even if someone hits you in your face, you still accept him.

21But we were not brave enough to do things like that to you. Should I be ashamed of that? But other people are brave enough to praise themselves. So I will also be proud of the same things. (Now I am talking like a fool!)

22Are they proud that they are Hebrew people? So am I. Do they belong to Israel's people? So do I. Are they descendants of Abraham's family? So am I.

23Are they Christ's servants? I serve him even better than they do! (Now I am speaking like a crazy person.) I work much more than they have worked. I have been in prison more often than they have. People have hit me with whips very many times. I have nearly died many times.