2 Corinthians 11:1

2 Corinthians 11:1 says, Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.  Paul apologizes for seemingly speaking about what he had done for the gospel if it were viewed as being done to bring glory to himself.  This would indeed be folly, but Paul did not talk about what he had done to bring himself glory.  He spoke to show how God had worked through him to spread the gospel.  There were many false teachers or preachers who were attempting to discredit Paul, and he was simply talking about his success, and giving the glory to Christ, to establish the fact that what he preached was the truth of God.  We may at times come under attack by those who would deny or pervert the gospel, and if we do we should be able to defend what we have done for God's glory and never for our own.  Verse two adds, For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.  Paul said that he had a Godly jealousy over the church at Corinth.  They had come to Christ under his preaching, and he did not want them to be led astray by false teachings.  He had presented to them one husband, Jesus Christ, and wanted them to remain a pure bride for Him.  We know that the church is referred to as the bride of Christ, and as such we should do all that we can, under the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit, to remain pure for Him.  Verse three continues, But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.  Paul said that he feared that by any means the Corinthians might have their minds corrupted to the simplicity that is in Christ.  He feared that they would be beguiled by the serpent, which is Satan.  There are those today who would have us believe that the gospel is just too simple and that we must do something on our own to prove ourselves worthy of salvation.  When anyone begins to claim that there is any requirement for salvation other than faith in Christ, they are attempting to lead us astray.   Verse four declares, For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.  There are those today who preach another Jesus and gospel.  They preach a Jesus who is no different than we are, or at least no different than what we will become.  We will never be able to live the sinless life that Jesus lived because we at some point will give in to self-will.  They set up certain requirements to prove our worthiness, but we will never be worthy of salvation because of our own goodness.  They have to preach a different spirit, because the Holy Spirit will never lead us to any way to salvation but Jesus Christ, crucified, resurrected, and Lord.  Paul said he feared that some might hear and believe such a one that preached these things, which is why it is important to know what the Bible really says about salvation.