1
Woulde to God, yee coulde suffer a litle my foolishnes, and in deede, ye suffer me.
2
For I am ielous ouer you, with godly ielousie: for I haue prepared you for one husband, to present you as a pure virgine to Christ:
3
But I feare least as the serpent beguiled Eue through his subtiltie, so your mindes shoulde be corrupt from the simplicitie that is in Christ.
4
For if he that commeth, preacheth another Iesus whome we haue not preached: or if yee receiue another spirite whome ye haue not receiued: either another Gospell, which yee haue not receiued, ye might well haue suffered him.
5
Verely I suppose that I was not inferior to the very chiefe Apostles.
6
And though I be rude in speaking, yet I am not so in knowledge, but among you wee haue beene made manifest to the vttermost, in all things.
7
Haue I committed an offence, because I abased my selfe, that ye might be exalted, and because I preached to you ye Gospell of God freely?
8
I robbed other Churches, and tooke wages of them to doe you seruice.
9
And when I was present with you, and had neede, I was not slouthfull to the hinderance of any man: for that which was lacking vnto me, the brethre which came from Macedonia, supplied, and in all thinges I kept and will keepe my selfe, that I should not be grieuous to you.
10
The trueth of Christ is in me, that this reioycing shall not be shut vp against me in the regions of Achaia.
11
Wherefore? because I loue you not? God knoweth.
12
But what I doe, that will I doe: that I may cut away occasion from them which desire occasion, that they might be found like vnto vs in that wherein they reioyce.
13
For such false apostles are deceitfull workers, and transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ.
14
And no marueile: for Satan himselfe is transformed into an Angel of light.
15
Therefore it is no great thing, though his ministers transforme themselues, as though they were the ministers of righteousnes, whose end shall be according to their workes.
Paul’s Suffering and Service
(Colossians 1:24–29)
16
I say againe, Let no man thinke that I am foolish, or els take mee euen as a foole, that I also may boast my selfe a litle.
17
That I speake, I speake it not after the Lord: but as it were foolishly, in this my great boasting.
18
Seeing that many reioyce after the flesh, I will reioyce also.
19
For ye suffer fooles gladly, because that yee are wise.
20
For ye suffer, euen if a man bring you into bondage, if a man deuoure you, if a man take your goods, if a man exalt himselfe, if a man smite you on the face.
21
I speake as concerning the reproche: as though that we had bene weake: but wherein any man is bold (I speake foolishly) I am bold also.
22
They are Hebrues, so am I: they are Israelites, so am I: they are the seede of Abraham, so am I:
23
They are the ministers of Christ (I speake as a foole) I am more: in labours more aboundant: in stripes aboue measure: in prison more plenteously: in death oft.
24
Of the Iewes fiue times receiued I fourtie stripes saue one.
25
I was thrise beaten with roddes: I was once stoned: I suffered thrise shipwracke: night and day haue I bene in the deepe sea.
26
In iourneying I was often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of mine owne nation, in perils among the Gentiles, in perils in the citie, in perils in wildernes, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren,
27
In wearinesse and painefulnesse, in watching often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in colde and in nakednesse.
28
Beside the thinges which are outwarde, I am combred dayly, and haue the care of all the Churches.
29
Who is weake, and I am not weake? who is offended, and I burne not?
30
If I must needes reioyce, I will reioyce of mine infirmities.
31
The God, euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, which is blessed for euermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32
In Damascus the gouernour of the people vnder King Aretas, layde watch in the citie of the Damascens, and would haue caught me.
33
But at a window was I let downe in a basket through the wall, and escaped his handes.