2 Corinthians 12:11

⁹ But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.

¹⁰ That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.

¹² The true marks of an apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles—were performed among you with great perseverance.

¹³ In what way were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.
KJV: 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.
WEB: I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for I am in no way inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing.
ASV: 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.
DARBY: I have become a fool; *ye* have compelled me; for *I* ought to have been commended by you; for I have been nothing behind those who were in surpassing degree apostles, if also I am nothing.
BLB: I have become a fool; you⁺ compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you⁺. For in nothing was I lacking [to] the “most eminent apostles,” even if I am nothing.

ÅB: Jeg er blitt en dåre; dere har tvunget meg til det. For jeg burde få ros av dere; jeg sto jo ikke i noe tilbake for de såre store apostler, om jeg enn er intet.
OTB: Jeg har blitt tåpelig; dere tvang meg. Jeg burde faktisk ha blitt rost av dere, siden jeg på ingen måte var underlegen de mest fremstående apostlene, selv om jeg er ingenting.
B1930: Jeg er blitt en dåre; I har tvunget mig til det. For jeg burde få ros av eder; jeg stod jo ikke i noget tilbake for de såre store apostler, om jeg enn er intet.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

2 Corinthians 11:5
I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”
Read in context
2 Corinthians 11:1
I hope you will bear with a little of my foolishness, but you are already doing that.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 15:8–10
And last of all He appeared to me also, as to one of untimely birth.
Read in context
Ephesians 3:8
Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
Read in context
1 Corinthians 3:22
whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future. All of them belong to you,
Read in context
Luke 17:10
So you also, when you have done everything commanded of you, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Read in context
2 Corinthians 11:16–17
I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 3:4–7
For when one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?
Read in context