I have made a fool of myself. But you made me do it. You should have praised me. Even though I am nothing, I am in no way less important than the“ super- apostles.”

我成了愚妄人，是被你们强逼的。我本该被你们称许才是。我虽算不了什么，却没有一件事在那些最大的使徒以下。

我成了愚蠢人，是被你们逼出来的，因为我本该被你们赞许才是。虽然我算不了什么，却没有一件事在那些超级使徒以下。

我成了愚蠢人，是被你们逼出来的，因为我本该被你们赞许才是。虽然我算不了什么，却没有一件事在那些超级使徒以下。

我成了“傻瓜”是被你们逼的！你们本该称许我才对。我虽然算不了什么，却没有一点比不上那些“超级使徒”。

我成了愚妄的人，是你们逼成的。其实你们应该称赞我，因为我虽然算不得什么，却没有一点比不上那些“超等使徒”。

我成了愚妄的人，是你们逼我的。其实我应该受到你们的推荐，因为即使我一无所是，我也没有一点赶不上那些“超级使徒”。

我成了愚妄人，是被你們強逼的。我本該被你們稱許才是。我雖算不了甚麼，卻沒有一件事在那些最大的使徒以下。

我成了愚蠢人，是被你們逼出來的，因為我本該被你們讚許才是。雖然我算不了甚麼，卻沒有一件事在那些超級使徒以下。

我成了愚蠢人，是被你們逼出來的，因為我本該被你們讚許才是。雖然我算不了甚麼，卻沒有一件事在那些超級使徒以下。

我成了「傻瓜」是被你們逼的！你們本該稱許我才對。我雖然算不了什麼，卻沒有一點比不上那些「超級使徒」。

我成了愚妄的人，是你們逼成的。其實你們應該稱讚我，因為我雖然算不得甚麼，卻沒有一點比不上那些“超等使徒”。

我成了糊塗人，是你們強逼我的。我本該受你們稱許才是呢。我雖算不了甚麼，卻沒有一件趕不上那些超等的「使徒」啊。

我成了愚妄的人，是你們逼我的。其實我應該受到你們的推薦，因為即使我一無所是，我也沒有一點趕不上那些「超級使徒」。

我為愚矣、緣爾逼我、蓋我當為爾所舉、我雖不足數、而不亞於至大使徒、

吾誇誠狂、緣爾不得已、爾當許我、我雖無才、不亞於至大使徒、

我自誇而為狂、乃爾使我不得已、蓋爾原當稱譽我、我雖如無有、凡事不亞於至大之使徒、

吾之狂誕、爾使之也。吾早應受爾等之保舉矣。吾固不足道也、然較諸聲望最隆之宗徒、亦何所欠缺乎？

I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the“ super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.

I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing.

You have made me act like a fool. You ought to be writing commendations for me, for I am not at all inferior to these“ super apostles,” even though I am nothing at all.

I have been a fool; you forced it on me. You ought to have commended me, since I am not in any way inferior to those“ super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.

I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, since I was in no respect inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody.

I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing.

I am become foolish: ye compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I am nothing.

I have become a fool; you forced it on me. I should have been endorsed by you, since I am not in any way inferior to the“ super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.

I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.

I have become a fool. You yourselves forced me to do it, for I should have been commended by you. For I lack nothing in comparison to those“ super- apostles,” even though I am nothing.

I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for in nothing was I inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing.

I don’t think I’m in any way less important than those“ super- apostles.”

I hope you will put up with me in a little foolish bragging. Yes, please put up with me!

That means Paul or Apollos or Peter or the world or life or death or the present or the future. All are yours.

It’s the same with you. Suppose you have done everything you were told to do. Then you should say,‘ We are not worthy to serve you. We have only done our duty.’ ”

I am by far the least important of all the Lord’s holy people. But he gave me the grace to preach to the Gentiles about the unlimited riches that Christ gives.

I will say it again. Don’t let anyone think I’m a fool. But if you do, put up with me just as you would put up with a fool. Then I can do a little bragging.When I brag about myself like this, I’m not talking the way the Lord would. I’m talking like a fool.

One of you says,“ I follow Paul.” Another says,“ I follow Apollos.” Aren’t you acting like ordinary human beings?After all, what is Apollos? And what is Paul? We are only people who serve. We helped you to believe. The Lord has given each of us our own work to do.I planted the seed. Apollos watered it. But God has been making it grow.So the one who plants is not important. The one who waters is not important. It is God who makes things grow. He is the important one.

If we are having trouble, it is so that you will be comforted and renewed. If we are comforted, it is so that you will be comforted. Then you will be able to put up with the same suffering we have gone through.

While I was with you, I kept on showing you the actions of a true apostle. These actions include signs, wonders and miracles.

Last of all, he also appeared to me. I was like someone who wasn’t born at the right time.I am the least important of the apostles. I’m not even fit to be called an apostle. I tried to destroy God’s church.But because of God’s grace I am what I am. And his grace was not wasted on me. No, I have worked harder than all the other apostles. But I didn’t do the work. God’s grace was with me.

Suppose I decide to brag. That would not make me a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I don’t brag, so that no one will think more of me than they should. People should judge me by what I do and say.

Some people in Jerusalem were thought to be important. But it makes no difference to me what they were. God does not treat people differently. Those people added nothing to my message.In fact, it was just the opposite. They recognized the task I had been trusted with. It was the task of preaching the good news to the Gentiles. My task was like Peter’s task. He had been trusted with the task of preaching to the Jews.God was working in Peter as an apostle to the Jews. God was also working in me as an apostle to the Gentiles.James, Peter and John are respected as pillars in the church. They recognized the special grace given to me. So they shook my hand and the hand of Barnabas. They wanted to show they accepted us. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles. They would go to the Jews.They asked only one thing. They wanted us to continue to remember poor people. That was what I had wanted to do all along.When Peter came to Antioch, I told him to his face that I was against what he was doing. He was clearly wrong.He used to eat with the Gentiles. But certain men came from a group sent by James. When they arrived, Peter began to draw back. He separated himself from the Gentiles. That’s because he was afraid of the circumcision group sent by James.Peter’s actions were not honest, and other Jews in Antioch joined him. Even Barnabas was led astray.I saw what they were doing. It was not in line with the truth of the good news. So I spoke to Peter in front of them all.“ You are a Jew,” I said.“ But you live like one who is not. So why do you force Gentiles to follow Jewish ways?”