Letters to the Churches

What I am saying is not in accordance with the Lord; rather, this conceited boasting is spoken as a fool would speak.

Since many people boast in a worldly way, I too will boast this way.

For since you yourselves are so wise, you gladly put up with fools!

You put up with it if someone makes slaves of you, exploits you, takes you in, puffs himself up, slaps you in the face.

To my shame, I must admit that we have been too “weak” to do such things! But if anyone dares to boast about something — I’m talking like a fool! — I am just as daring.

Are they Hebrew-speakers? So am I. Are they of the people of Isra’el? So am I. Are they descendants of Avraham? So am I.

Are they servants of the Messiah? (I’m talking like a madman!) I’m a better one! I’ve worked much harder, been imprisoned more often, suffered more beatings, been near death over and over.

Five times I received “forty lashes less one” from the Jews.

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea.

In my many travels I have been exposed to danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the desert, danger at sea, danger from false brothers.

I have toiled and endured hardship, often not had enough sleep, been hungry and thirsty, frequently gone without food, been cold and naked.

And besides these external matters, there is the daily pressure of my anxious concern for all the congregations.

Who is weak without my sharing his weakness? Who falls into sin without my burning inside?

If I must boast, I will boast about things that show how weak I am.

God the Father of the Lord Yeshua — blessed be he forever — knows that I am not lying!

When I was in Dalmanuta, the governor under King Aretas had the city of Dalmanuta guarded in order to arrest me;

but I was lowered in a basket through an opening in the wall and escaped his clutches.

I have to boast. There is nothing to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

I know a man in union with the Messiah who fourteen years ago was snatched up to the third heaven; whether he was in the body or outside the body I don’t know, God knows.

And I know that such a man — whether in the body or apart from the body I don’t know, God knows —

was snatched into Gan-‘Eden and heard things that cannot be put into words, things unlawful for a human being to utter.

About such a man I will boast; but about myself I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses.

If I did want to boast, I would not be foolish; because I would be speaking the truth. But, because of the extraordinary greatness of the revelations, I refrain, so that no one will think more of me than what my words or deeds may warrant.

Therefore, to keep me from becoming overly proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from the Adversary to pound away at me, so that I wouldn’t grow conceited.

Three times I begged the Lord to take this thing away from me;