2 Corinthians 6:16-13:14

New King James Version

¹⁶ And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ^(A)you^[a] are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

¹⁷ Therefore

The Corinthians’ Repentance

7 Therefore,^(F) having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

The Corinthians’ Repentance

² Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, ^(G)we have cheated no one. ³ I do not say this to condemn; for ^(H)I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. ^4 (I)Great is my boldness of speech toward you, ^(J)great is my boasting on your behalf. ^(K)I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.

⁵ For indeed, ^(L)when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but ^(M)we were troubled on every side. ^(N)Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. ⁶ Nevertheless ^(O)God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by ^(P)the coming of Titus, ⁷ and not only by his coming, but also by the ^[b]consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

⁸ For even if I made you ^(Q)sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; ^(R)though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. ⁹ Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰ For ^(S)godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; ^(T)but the sorrow of the world produces death. ¹¹ For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what ^(U)clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be ^(V)clear in this matter. ¹² Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, ^(W)but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.

The Joy of Titus

¹³ Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit ^(X)has been refreshed by you all. ¹⁴ For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true. ¹⁵ And his affections are greater for you as he remembers ^(Y)the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him. ¹⁶ Therefore I rejoice that ^(Z)I have confidence in you in everything.

Excel in Giving

8 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: ² that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and ^(AA)their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. ³ For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, ⁴ imploring us with much urgency ^[c]that we would receive the gift and ^(AB)the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. ⁵ And not only as we had hoped, but they first ^(AC)gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the ^(AD)will of God. ⁶ So ^(AE)we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. ⁷ But as ^(AF)you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see ^(AG)that you abound in this grace also.

Christ Our Pattern

^8 (AH)I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(AI)that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become ^(AJ)rich.

¹⁰ And in this ^(AK)I give advice: ^(AL)It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and ^(AM)were desiring to do a year ago; ¹¹ but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. ¹² For ^(AN)if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.

¹³ For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; ¹⁴ but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. ¹⁵ As it is written, ^(AO)“He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

Collection for the Judean Saints

¹⁶ But thanks be to God who ^[d]puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. ¹⁷ For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord. ¹⁸ And we have sent with him ^(AP)the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, ¹⁹ and not only that, but who was also ^(AQ)chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us ^(AR)to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind, ²⁰ avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us— ^21 (AS)providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

²² And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, because of the great confidence which we have in you. ²³ If anyone inquires about ^(AT)Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are ^(AU)messengers^[e] of the churches, the glory of Christ. ²⁴ Therefore show to them, ^[f]and before the churches, the proof of your love and of our ^(AV)boasting on your behalf.

Administering the Gift

9 Now concerning ^(AW)the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; ² for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a ^(AX)year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. ^3 (AY)Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; ⁴ lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this ^[g]confident boasting. ⁵ Therefore I thought it necessary to ^[h]exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a ^[i]grudging obligation.

The Cheerful Giver

^6 (AZ)But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows ^[j]bountifully will also reap ^[k]bountifully. ⁷ So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, ^(BA)not grudgingly or of ^[l]necessity; for ^(BB)God loves a cheerful giver. ^8 (BC)And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

¹⁰ Now ^[m]may He who ^(BE)supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, ^[n]supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your ^(BF)righteousness, ¹¹ while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, ^(BG)which causes thanksgiving through us to God. ¹² For the administration of this service not only ^(BH)supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, ¹³ while, through the proof of this ministry, they ^(BI)glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal ^(BJ)sharing with them and all men, ¹⁴ and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding ^(BK)grace of God in you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God ^(BL)for His indescribable gift!

The Spiritual War

10 Now ^(BM)I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—^(BN)who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. ² But I beg you ^(BO)that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ^4 (BP)For the weapons ^(BQ)of our warfare are not ^[o]carnal but ^(BR)mighty in God ^(BS)for pulling down strongholds, ^5 (BT)casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ^6 (BU)and being ready to punish all disobedience when ^(BV)your obedience is fulfilled.

Reality of Paul’s Authority

^7 (BW)Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? ^(BX)If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even ^[p]so ^(BY)we are Christ’s. ⁸ For even if I should boast somewhat more ^(BZ)about our authority, which the Lord gave ^[q]us for ^[r]edification and not for your destruction, ^(CA)I shall not be ashamed— ⁹ lest I seem to terrify you by letters. ¹⁰ “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but ^(CB)his bodily presence is weak, and his ^(CC)speech contemptible.” ¹¹ Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.

Limits of Paul’s Authority

^12 (CD)For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. ^13 (CE)We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), ^(CF)for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; ¹⁵ not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, ^(CG)in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, ¹⁶ to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment.

¹⁷ But ^(CH)“he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” ¹⁸ For ^(CI)not he who commends himself is approved, but ^(CJ)whom the Lord commends.

Concern for Their Faithfulness

11 Oh, that you would bear with me in a little ^(CK)folly—and indeed you do bear with me. ² For I am ^(CL)jealous for you with godly jealousy. For ^(CM)I have betrothed you to one husband, ^(CN)that I may present you ^(CO)as a chaste virgin to Christ. ³ But I fear, lest somehow, as ^(CP)the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds ^(CQ)may be corrupted from the ^[s]simplicity that is in Christ. ⁴ For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a ^(CR)different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!

Paul and False Apostles

⁵ For I consider that ^(CS)I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. ⁶ Even though ^(CT)I am untrained in speech, yet I am not ^(CU)in knowledge. But ^(CV)we have ^[t]been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.

⁷ Did I commit sin in ^[u]humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you ^(CW)free of charge? ⁸ I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. ⁹ And when I was present with you, and in need, ^(CX)I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked ^(CY)the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. ^10 (CZ)As the truth of Christ is in me, ^(DA)no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ Why? ^(DB)Because I do not love you? God knows!

¹² But what I do, I will also continue to do, ^(DC)that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. ¹³ For such ^(DD)are false apostles, ^(DE)deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into ^(DF)an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, ^(DG)whose end will be according to their works.

Reluctant Boasting

¹⁶ I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I speak, ^(DH)I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. ¹⁸ Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast. ¹⁹ For you put up with fools gladly, ^(DI)since you yourselves are wise! ²⁰ For you put up with it ^(DJ)if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. ²¹ To our shame ^(DK)I say that we were too weak for that! But ^(DL)in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also.

Suffering for Christ

²² Are they ^(DM)Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: ^(DN)in labors more abundant, ^(DO)in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, ^(DP)in deaths often. ²⁴ From the Jews five times I received ^(DQ)forty ^(DR)stripes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(DS)beaten with rods; ^(DT)once I was stoned; three times I ^(DU)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; ²⁶ in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, ^(DV)in perils of my own countrymen, ^(DW)in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; ²⁷ in weariness and toil, ^(DX)in sleeplessness often, ^(DY)in hunger and thirst, in ^(DZ)fastings often, in cold and nakedness— ²⁸ besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: ^(EA)my deep concern for all the churches. ^29 (EB)Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

³⁰ If I must boast, ^(EC)I will boast in the things which concern my ^[v]infirmity. ^31 (ED)The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(EE)who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. ^32 (EF)In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; ³³ but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.

The Vision of Paradise

12 It is ^[w]doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to ^(EG)visions and ^(EH)revelations of the Lord: ² I know a man ^(EI)in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one ^(EJ)was caught up to the third heaven. ³ And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— ⁴ how he was caught up into ^(EK)Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. ⁵ Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not ^(EL)boast, except in my infirmities. ⁶ For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.

The Thorn in the Flesh

⁷ And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a ^(EM)thorn in the flesh was given to me, ^(EN)a messenger of Satan to ^[x]buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. ^8 (EO)Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. ⁹ And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly ^(EP)I will rather boast in my infirmities, ^(EQ)that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore ^(ER)I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. ^(ES)For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Signs of an Apostle

¹¹ I have become ^(ET)a fool ^[y]in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for ^(EU)in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though ^(EV)I am nothing. ^12 (EW)Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and ^(EX)wonders and mighty ^(EY)deeds. ¹³ For what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, except that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong!

Love for the Church

^14 (EZ)Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for ^(FA)I do not seek yours, but you. ^(FB)For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. ¹⁵ And I will very gladly spend and be spent ^(FC)for your souls; though ^(FD)the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

¹⁶ But be that as it may, ^(FE)I did not burden you. Nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you by cunning! ¹⁷ Did I take advantage of you by any of those whom I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus, and sent our ^(FF)brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?

^19 (FG)Again, ^[z]do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? ^(FH)We speak before God in Christ. ^(FI)But we do all things, beloved, for your edification. ²⁰ For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that ^(FJ)I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults; ²¹ lest, when I come again, my God ^(FK)will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many ^(FL)who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, ^(FM)fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.

Coming with Authority

13 This will be ^(FN)the third time I am coming to you. ^(FO)“By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” ^2 (FP)I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent ^[aa]I write to those ^(FQ)who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again ^(FR)I will not spare— ³ since you seek a proof of Christ ^(FS)speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty ^(FT)in you. ^4 (FU)For though He was crucified in weakness, yet ^(FV)He lives by the power of God. For ^(FW)we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

⁵ Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, ^(FX)that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you ^[ab]are ^(FY)disqualified. ⁶ But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

Paul Prefers Gentleness

⁷ Now ^[ac]I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though ^(FZ)we may seem disqualified. ⁸ For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. ⁹ For we are glad ^(GA)when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, ^(GB)that you may be made complete. ^10 (GC)Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the ^(GD)authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.

Greetings and Benediction

¹¹ Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. ^(GE)Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love ^(GF)and peace will be with you.

^12 (GG)Greet one another with a holy kiss.

¹³ All the saints greet you.

^14 (GH)The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and ^(GI)the ^[ad]communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.