11 I would like you to bear with me in a little foolishness — please do bear with me! ² For I am jealous for you with God’s kind of jealousy; since I promised to present you as a pure virgin in marriage to your one husband, the Messiah; ³ and I fear that somehow your minds may be seduced away from simple and pure devotion to the Messiah, just as Havah was deceived by the serpent and his craftiness. ⁴ For if someone comes and tells you about some other Yeshua than the one we told you about, or if you receive a spirit different from the one you received or accept some so-called “good news” different from the Good News you already accepted, you bear with him well enough! ⁵ For I don’t consider myself in any way inferior to these “super-emissaries.” ⁶ I may not be a skilled speaker, but I do have the knowledge; anyhow, we have made this clear to you in every way and in every circumstance.

⁷ Or did I sin in humbling myself so that you could be exalted, in proclaiming God’s Good News to you free of charge? ⁸ I robbed other congregations by accepting support from them in order to serve you. ⁹ And when I was with you and had needs, I did not burden anyone: my needs were met by the brothers who came from Macedonia. In nothing have I been a burden to you, nor will I be. ¹⁰ The truthfulness of the Messiah is in me, so that this boast concerning me is not going to be silenced anywhere in Achaia. ¹¹ Why won’t I ever accept your support? Is it that I don’t love you? God knows I do! ¹² No, I do it — and will go on doing it — in order to cut the ground from under those who want an excuse to boast that they work the same way we do. ¹³ The fact is that such men are pseudo-emissaries: they tell lies about their work and masquerade as emissaries of the Messiah. ¹⁴ There is nothing surprising in that, for the Adversary himself masquerades as an angel of light; ¹⁵ so it’s no great thing if his workers masquerade as servants of righteousness. They will meet the end their deeds deserve.