2 Corinthians 11:5-12

11:5 For I consider myself not at all inferior to those “super-apostles.” ¹  11:6 And even if I am unskilled ²  in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way. 11:7 Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself ³  so that you could be exalted, because I proclaimed ⁴  the gospel of God to you free of charge? 11:8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so that I could serve you! ⁵  11:9 When ⁶  I was with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs. ⁷  I ⁸  kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. 11:10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine ⁹  will not be stopped ¹⁰  in the regions of Achaia. 11:11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! ¹¹  11:12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals ¹²  in the things they boast about.

[11:5]  ¹ tn The implicit irony in Paul’s remark is brought out well by the TEV: “I do not think that I am the least bit inferior to those very special so-called ‘apostles’ of yours!”

[11:6]  ² sn Unskilled in speaking means not professionally trained as a rhetorician.

[11:7]  ³ sn Paul is referring to humbling himself to the point of doing manual labor to support himself.

[11:7]  ⁴ tn Or “preached.”

[11:8]  ⁵ sn That is, serve them free of charge (cf. the end of v. 7).

[11:9]  ⁶ tn Grk “you, and when.” A new sentence was started here in the translation.

[11:9]  ⁷ tn If the participle ἐλθόντες (elqonte") is taken as temporal rather than adjectival, the translation would be, “for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, fully supplied my needs” (similar to NASB).

[11:9]  ⁸ tn Grk “needs, and I kept.” A new sentence was started here in the translation.

[11:10]  ⁹ tn That is, that Paul offers the gospel free of charge to the Corinthians (see 2 Cor 11:7).

[11:10]  ¹⁰ tn Or “silenced.”

[11:11]  ¹¹ tn Grk “God knows!” The words “I do” are supplied for clarity. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[11:12]  ¹² tn Grk “an opportunity, so that they may be found just like us.”