5. I do not think that those “great apostles” are any better than I am.
6. I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have shown this to you clearly in every way.
7. I preached God’s Good News to you without pay. I made myself unimportant to make you important. Do you think that was wrong?
8. I accepted pay from other churches. I took their money so that I could serve you.
9. If I needed something when I was with you, I did not trouble any of you. The brothers who came from Macedonia gave me all that I needed. I did not allow myself to depend on you in any way. And I will never depend on you.
10. No one in Southern Greece will stop me from bragging about that. I say this with the truth of Christ in me.
11. And why do I not depend on you? Do you think it is because I do not love you? No. God knows that I love you.
12. And I will keep on doing what I am doing now. I will continue because I want to stop those people from having a reason to brag. They would like to say that the work they brag about is the same as ours.
13. Such men are not true apostles. They are workers who lie. And they change themselves to look like apostles of Christ.
14. This does not surprise us. Even Satan changes himself to look like an angel of light.
15. So it does not surprise us if Satan’s servants also make themselves look like servants who work for what is right. But in the end they will be punished for the things they do.
16. I tell you again: No one should think that I am a fool. But if you think that I am a fool, then accept me as you would accept a fool. Then I can brag a little, too.
17. I brag because I feel sure of myself. But I am not talking as the Lord would talk. I am bragging like a fool.
18. Many people are bragging about their lives in the world. So I will brag, too.
19. You are wise, so you will gladly be patient with fools!
20. You are even patient with someone who orders you around and uses you! You are patient with those who trick you, or think they are better than you, or hit you in the face!
21. It is shameful to me to say this, but we were too “weak” to do those things to you!But if anyone else is brave enough to brag, then I also will be brave and brag. (I am talking like a fool.)
22. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they from Abraham’s family? So am I.
23. Are they serving Christ? I am serving him more. (I am crazy to talk like this.) I have worked much harder than they. I have been in prison more often. I have been hurt more in beatings. I have been near death many times.
24. Five times the Jews have given me their punishment of 39 lashes with a whip.
25. Three different times I was beaten with rods. One time they tried to kill me with stones. Three times I was in ships that were wrecked, and one of those times I spent the night and the next day in the sea.