1. I hope you will put up with a little of my foolish bragging. But you are already doing that.
2. My jealousy for you comes from God himself. I promised to give you to only one husband. That husband is Christ. I wanted to be able to give you to him as if you were a pure virgin.
3. But Eve was tricked by the snake's clever lies. And I'm afraid that in the same way your minds will somehow be led down the wrong path. They will be led away from your true and pure love for Christ.
4. Suppose someone comes to you and preaches about a Jesus different from the Jesus we preached about. Or suppose you receive a spirit different from the one you received before. Or suppose you receive a message of good news different from the one you accepted earlier. You put up with those kinds of things easily enough.
5. But I don't think I'm in any way less important than those "super-apostles."
6. I may not be a trained speaker. But I do have knowledge. I've made that very clear to you in every way.
7. When I preached God's good news to you free of charge, I put myself down in order to lift you up. Was that a sin?
8. Did I rob other churches when I received help from them so that I could serve you?
9. When I was with you and needed something, I didn't cause you any expense. The believers who came from Macedonia gave me what I needed. I haven't caused you any expense at all. And I won't ever do it.
10. I'm sure that the truth of Christ is in me. And I'm just as sure that nobody in Achaia will keep me from bragging.
11. Why? Because I don't love you? No! God knows I do!
12. And I will keep on doing what I'm doing. That will stop those who claim they have things to brag about. They think they have a chance to be considered equal with us.
13. People like that are false apostles. They work hard to trick others. They only pretend to be apostles of Christ.
14. That comes as no surprise. Even Satan himself pretends to be an angel of light.
15. So it doesn't surprise us that those who serve Satan pretend to be serving God. They will finally get exactly what they should.
16. I will say it again. Don't let anyone think I'm a fool. But if you do, receive me just as you would receive a fool. Then I can do a little bragging.
17. When I brag about myself like this, I'm not talking the way the Lord would. I'm talking like a fool.
18. Many are bragging the way the people of the world do. So I will brag like that too.