Disciples’ Relation to the World

¹⁸ “^(A)If the world hates you, ^[a]you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but ^(B)I chose you out of the world, ^(C)because of this the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you, ‘^(D)A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, ^(E)they will persecute you as well; if they ^(F)followed My word, they will follow yours also.

⁷ But we have this treasure in ^[a](A)earthen containers, so that the extraordinary greatness of ^(B)the power will be of God and not from ourselves; ⁸ we are ^(C)afflicted in every way, but not ^(D)crushed; ^(E)perplexed, but not despairing; ^9 (F)persecuted, but not ^(G)abandoned; ^(H)struck down, but not destroyed; ^10 (I)always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that ^(J)the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are constantly being handed over to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. ¹² So death works in us, but life in you.

^3 (A)giving no reason for taking offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, ⁴ but in everything ^(B)commending ourselves as ^[a](C)servants of God, ^(D)in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in difficulties, ⁵ in ^(E)beatings, in imprisonments, in ^(F)[b]mob attacks, in labors, in sleeplessness, in ^(G)hunger, ⁶ in purity, in ^(H)knowledge, in ^(I)patience, in kindness, in the ^(J)Holy Spirit, in ^(K)genuine love, ⁷ in ^(L)the word of truth, and in ^(M)the power of God; by ^(N)the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, ⁸ by glory and ^(O)dishonor, by ^(P)evil report and good report; regarded as ^(Q)deceivers and yet ^(R)true; ⁹ as unknown and yet well known, as ^(S)dying and yet behold, ^(T)we are alive; as ^[c]punished and yet not put to death, ¹⁰ as ^(U)sorrowful yet always ^(V)rejoicing, as ^(W)poor yet making many rich, as ^(X)having nothing and yet possessing ^(Y)all things.

^16 (A)Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying, I am not saying ^[a](B)as the Lord would, but as ^(C)in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. ¹⁸ Since ^(D)many boast ^(E)according to the flesh, I will boast also. ¹⁹ For you, ^(F)being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. ²⁰ For you tolerate it if anyone ^(G)enslaves you, if anyone ^(H)devours you, if anyone ^(I)takes advantage of you, if anyone ^(J)exalts himself, if anyone ^(K)hits you in the face. ²¹ To my ^(L)shame I must say that we have been ^(M)weak by comparison.

But in whatever respect anyone else ^(N)is bold—I am ^(O)speaking in foolishness—I too am bold. ²² Are they ^(P)Hebrews? ^(Q)So am I. Are they ^(R)Israelites? ^(S)So am I. Are they ^[b](T)descendants of Abraham? ^(U)So am I. ²³ Are they ^(V)servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if insane—I more so; in ^(W)far more labors, in ^(X)far more imprisonments, ^[c](Y)beaten times without number, often in danger of ^(Z)death. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews ^(AA)thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(AB)beaten with rods, once I was ^(AC)stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea. ²⁶ I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my ^(AD)countrymen, dangers from the ^(AE)Gentiles, dangers in the ^(AF)city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among ^(AG)false brothers; ²⁷ I have been in ^(AH)labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in ^(AI)hunger and thirst, often ^(AJ)without food, in cold and ^[d](AK)exposure. ²⁸ Apart from such ^[e]external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for ^(AL)all the churches. ²⁹ Who is ^(AM)weak without my being weak? Who is ^[f]led into sin ^[g]without my intense concern?