II Corinthians - Ferrar Fenton Bible Translation page 1206

H. CORINTHIANS. 11-7

IO II I2 Have! committed a sin, lowering

myself so that you might be exalted, when I preached the gospel of God to you? I robbed other assemblies, ac- cepting wages for services to you. And when with you and being dehcient, I burdened none: for the brothers arriving from Macedonia supplied my deficiency, and I kept myself free from troubling you for maintenance, and I will continue to do so. Christ’s truth is in me; therefore this boast shall not be torn from me in the dis- trict of Achaia. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows But what Indo, and will do, is that I may cut off the opportunity of those who desire one, so that in what they boast, they may be found the same as ourselves. For these sham apost1es—·tricksters transform themselves into apostles

14 of Christ: and no wonder, for Satan transformed himself into an angel of

15 light; therefore it is not much if his servants transform themselves as though they were servants of righteousness. Their end will be the same as their works. 16 I say again, let no one consider me to be a fool ;i but if I am, and you should regard me as a fool, then I 18 Z0 2I 22 26 myselfwill boast a little. Whatl say I do not speak from the Lord ; but as though in delirium from this madness of boasting. Since many boast about their position, I will boast as well. For you endure fools complacently you are sensible! For you endure it if they enslave you, if they devour you, if they rob, if they pirate, if they strike you in the face I I speak of dishonour, because we

have been insulted. Whatever any other may dare-~I speak in delirium I myself will dare it as well. Are they Hebrews? I am. Are they Is— raelites? I am. Are they Abraham’s heirs? I am. Are they servants of Christ? I speak raving»--I am more. Unbounded in work; indomitable in fight; very often in prison ; frequently in death! From jews five times I received forty lashes less one ; thrice I have been {logged ; once lhave been stoned ; three times I have been ship- wrecked; anight and adayl struggled in the sea. Often,when travelling, in dangers on rivers, dangers from rob- bers, dangers from fel1ow~country- men, dangers from foreigners ; in town dangers, in desert dangers, in perils. at sea, in troubles from pre-

12--12

tended friends; in labour and hard- ship, often in want of rest, in hunger and thirst, frequently in starvation, in cold, and nakedness: besides these events—··my daily task~—the anxiety for all the assemblies. Who is weak, and I am not weak? whois offended, and I am not Bred ? If there must be boasting, I will boast of my weak- ness. The God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ, to Whom be blessing for ever, knows that I lie not. In Damascus the governor of Aretas

the king guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to catch me; but I was let down in a basket through a window, and escaped his hands. But it is useless for me to boast: I will come to visions and revelations from the Lord. I knew a man in Christ fourteen

years ago-—whether in a body I do not know, or outof the body, I know not; God knows--·he himself was carried up as far as the third heaven. Andl knew this man--—whether ina body or out of the body,I know not; God knows——·that he was carried into paradise, and heard unutterable ideas, 28 33 12 which it is not possible for a man to relate. I will boast about that man; 5 but I will not boast about myself, ex- cept in my weaknesses. Yet if I 6 wished to be boastful, I should not be a fool; for I tell the truth. But I forbear, for fear any one should consider _me greater than what he sees, or what he bears from me. And that I might not be made

overbearing bythe sublimity of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh--—a messenger from Satan to correct me, so that I might not be haughty. I implored the Lord thrice about this, that He would re- move it from me; but He said to me: ‘ My gift is enough for you; for My power is perfected in weakness} Therefore I will boast more pleasantly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. So I am content in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, and oppressions, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong. Have I become a fool? You have

forced me, and I wish to be set right with you ; for I am inferior in nothing to these supercilious apostles, even if I am nothing. The credentials of the 1206 IO II I2