1. I wish that you would put up with a little foolishness from me, but indeed you are putting up with me.
2. For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I betrothed you to one husband, to present you to Messiah as a pure virgin.
3. But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds might be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion and purity to the Messiah.
4. For if someone comes and proclaims another Yeshua whom we did not proclaim, or if you receive a different spirit that you did not receive, or a different “good news” that you did not accept, you put up with that well enough!
5. For I consider myself in no way inferior to the “super special” emissaries.
6. Even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge. No, in every way we have made this clear to you in all things.
7. Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed to you God’s Good News free of charge?
8. I robbed other communities by taking wages from them for service to you.
9. When I was present with you and I was in need, I did not burden anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. In everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and I will continue to do so.
10. As the truth of Messiah is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.
11. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12. But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off the opportunity from those who want an opportunity in what they boast about to also be regarded just as we are.
13. For such men are false emissaries, deceitful workers masquerading as Messiah’s emissaries.
14. And no wonder, for even satan masquerades as an angel of light.
15. It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their deeds.