2 Corinthians 12:11
 
2 Corinthians 12:11
(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.
(1611 KJV) I am become a foole in glorying, ye haue compelled me. For I ought to haue beene commended of you: for in nothing am I behinde the very chiefest Apostles, though I be nothing.
(1587 Geneva Bible) I was a foole to boast my selfe: yee haue compelled mee: for I ought to haue bene commended of you: for in nothing was I inferiour vnto the very chiefe Apostles, though I bee nothing.
(1526 Tyndale) I am made a fole in bostynge my silfe. Ye have copelled me: I ought to have bene comeded of you. For in nothinge was I inferior vnto ye chefe apostels Though I be nothynge
 
Counterfeit Versions
(1881 RV) 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.
(1901 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.
(AMP) Now I have been [speaking like] a fool! But you forced me to it, for I ought to have been [saved the necessity and] commended by you. For I have not fallen short one bit or proved myself at all inferior to those superlative [false] apostles [of yours], even if I am nothing (a nobody).
(CEB) I’ve become a fool! You made me do it. Actually, I should have been commended by you. I’m not inferior to the super-apostles in any way, even though I’m a nonentity.
(CEV) I have been making a fool of myself. But you forced me to do it, when you should have been speaking up for me. I may be nothing at all, but I am as good as those super apostles.
(CSB) 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.
(1899 Douay-Rheims Roman Catholic) I am become foolish: you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you: for I have no way come short of them that are above measure apostles, although I be nothing.
(ERV) I have been talking like a fool, but you made me do it. You people are the ones who should say good things about me. I am worth nothing, but those “super apostles” are not worth any more than I am!
(ESV) 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.
(GNB) am acting like a fool—but you have made me do it. You are the ones who ought to show your approval of me. For even if I am nothing, I am in no way inferior to those very special apostles of yours.
(HCSB) I have become a fool; you forced it on me. I ought to have been recommended by you, since I am in no way inferior to the "super-apostles," even though I am nothing
(THE MESSAGE) Well, now I've done it! I've made a complete fool of myself by going on like this. But it's not all my fault; you put me up to it. You should have been doing this for me, sticking up for me and commending me instead of making me do it for myself.
(NASV) I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, for in no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody.
(NCV) I have been talking like a fool, but you made me do it. You are the ones who should say good things about me. I am worth nothing, but those "great apostles" are not worth any more than I am!
(NIRV) 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."
(NIV) 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.
(RSV) 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 superlative apostles, even though I am nothing.
(NAB-Roman Catholic) I have been foolish. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I am in no way inferior to these “superapostles,” even though I am nothing.
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) I have become unreasonable. YOU compelled me to, for I ought to have been recommended by YOU. For I did not prove to be inferior to [YOUR] superfine apostles in a single thing, even if I am nothing.
 
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
γεγονα αφρων καυχωμενος υμεις με ηναγκασατε εγω γαρ ωφειλον υφ υμων συνιστασθαι ουδεν γαρ υστερησα των υπερ λιαν αποστολων ει και ουδεν ειμι
 
Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
γεγονα αφρων υμεις με ηναγκασατε εγω γαρ ωφειλον υφ υμων συνιστασθαι ουδεν γαρ υστερησα των υπερ λιαν αποστολων ει και ουδεν ειμι
 
Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
D 06 - Paris: Claromontanus - Sixth century
K 018 - Ninth century
 
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
L 020 - Ninth century
P 025 - Ninth century
 
Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Omits “in glorying“ after “a fool”
Greisbach, Johann - 1805
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Wordsworth, Christopher - 1856 revised in 1870
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
 
Affected Teaching
Paul had told the Corinthians that he was playing the fool when he had boasted concerning himself and his ministry. It was unfortunate that the situation at the Corinthian church had forced him to boast openly about his ministry which was an apologetic and not self-aggrandizement. Instead of the Corinthians commending Paul and embracing him as a brother, instead they had attached themselves to the false teachers who constantly puffed themselves up. Paul states here that he was not inferior to those great apostles who took Corinth by storm with all their false teachings and self-promotion. If those false apostles in Corinth would have been true apostles, then they would have agreed with Paul about being “nothing” which means without Christ he could have done nothing nor could he have done so much for the church at Corinth. The modern versions omit the phrase “in glorying” which is exactly what Paul has in view. Without that phrase, it reads as if Paul had become a fool, a buffoon, in general and in no way was Paul a fool like a court jester. He felt foolish that he had to give a dissertation on his qualifications and his sacrifices which he made as a true Apostle of Christ. He did this to show that the false Apostles had not suffered at all which means they lined up their message with the world system and told people what they wanted to hear. Paul suffered because he told people what they needed to hear and that in no way makes him some kind of fool.

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