2 Corinthians 10-13 (New American Standard Bible)

2 Corinthians 10

Paul Describes Himself

 ¹Now ^(A)I, Paul, myself ^(B)urge you by the ^(C)meekness and gentleness of Christ--I who ^(D)am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!

 ²I ask that ^(E)when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against ^(F)some, who regard us as if we walked ^(G)according to the flesh.

 ³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war ^(H)according to the flesh,

 ⁴for the ^(I)weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful ^(J)for the destruction of fortresses.

 ⁵We are destroying speculations and every ^(K)lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the ^(L)obedience of Christ,

 ⁶and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever ^(M)your obedience is complete.

 ^7(N)You are looking at things as they are outwardly ^(O)If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ's, ^(P)so also are we.

 ⁸For even if ^(Q)I boast somewhat further about our ^(R)authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,

 ⁹for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.

 ¹⁰For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is ^(S)unimpressive and ^(T)his speech contemptible."

 ¹¹Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

 ¹²For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who ^(U)commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.

 ¹³But we will not boast ^(V)beyond our measure, but ^(W)within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.

 ¹⁴For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for ^(X)we were the first to come even as far as you in the ^(Y)gospel of Christ;

 ¹⁵not boasting ^(Z)beyond our measure, that is, in ^(AA)other men's labors, but with the hope that as ^(AB)your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, ^(AC)enlarged even more by you,

 ¹⁶so as to ^(AD)preach the gospel even to ^(AE)the regions beyond you, and not to boast ^(AF)in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.

 ¹⁷But ^(AG)HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD.

 ¹⁸For it is not he who ^(AH)commends himself that is approved, but he ^(AI)whom the Lord commends.

2 Corinthians 11

Paul Defends His Apostleship

 ¹I wish that you would ^(AJ)bear with me in a little ^(AK)foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me.

 ²For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I ^(AL)betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might ^(AM)present you as a pure virgin.

 ³But I am afraid that, as the ^(AN)serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

 ⁴For if one comes and preaches ^(AO)another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a ^(AP)different spirit which you have not received, or a ^(AQ)different gospel which you have not accepted, you ^(AR)bear this ^(AS)beautifully.

 ⁵For I consider myself ^(AT)not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.

 ⁶But even if I am ^(AU)unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in ^(AV)knowledge; in fact, in every way we have ^(AW)made this evident to you in all things.

 ⁷Or ^(AX)did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the ^(AY)gospel of God to you ^(AZ)without charge?

 ⁸I robbed other churches by ^(BA)taking wages from them to serve you;

 ⁹and when I was present with you and was in need, I was ^(BB)not a burden to anyone; for when ^(BC)the brethren came from ^(BD)Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from ^(BE)being a burden to you, and will continue to do so.

 ^10(BF)As the truth of Christ is in me, ^(BG)this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of ^(BH)Achaia.

 ¹¹Why? ^(BI)Because I do not love you? ^(BJ)God knows I do!

 ¹²But what I am doing I will continue to do, ^(BK)so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.

 ¹³For such men are ^(BL)false apostles, ^(BM)deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

 ¹⁴No wonder, for even ^(BN)Satan disguises himself as an ^(BO)angel of light.

 ¹⁵Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, ^(BP)whose end will be according to their deeds.

 ^16(BQ)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.

 ¹⁷What I am saying, I am not saying ^(BR)as the Lord would, but as ^(BS)in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

 ¹⁸Since ^(BT)many boast ^(BU)according to the flesh, I will boast also.

 ¹⁹For you, ^(BV)being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly.

 ²⁰For you tolerate it if anyone ^(BW)enslaves you, anyone ^(BX)devours you, anyone ^(BY)takes advantage of you, anyone ^(BZ)exalts himself, anyone ^(CA)hits you in the face.

 ²¹To my ^(CB)shame I must say that we have been ^(CC)weak by comparison But in whatever respect anyone else ^(CD)is bold--I ^(CE)speak in foolishness--I am just as bold myself.

 ²²Are they ^(CF)Hebrews? ^(CG)So am I Are they ^(CH)Israelites? ^(CI)So am I Are they ^(CJ)descendants of Abraham? ^(CK)So am I.

 ²³Are they ^(CL)servants of Christ?--I speak as if insane--I more so; in ^(CM)far more labors, in ^(CN)far more imprisonments, ^(CO)beaten times without number, often in ^(CP)danger of death.

 ²⁴Five times I received from the Jews ^(CQ)thirty-nine lashes.

 ²⁵Three times I was ^(CR)beaten with rods, once I was ^(CS)stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

 ²⁶I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my ^(CT)countrymen, dangers from the ^(CU)Gentiles, dangers in the ^(CV)city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among ^(CW)false brethren;

 ²⁷I have been in ^(CX)labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in ^(CY)hunger and thirst, often ^(CZ)without food, in cold and ^(DA)exposure.

 ²⁸Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for ^(DB)all the churches.

 ²⁹Who is ^(DC)weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?

 ³⁰If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my ^(DD)weakness.

 ³¹The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^(DE)He who is blessed forever, ^(DF)knows that I am not lying.

 ³²In ^(DG)Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was ^(DH)guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me,

 ³³and I was let down in a basket ^(DI)through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

2 Corinthians 12

Paul's Vision

 ^1(DJ)Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and ^(DK)revelations of the Lord.

 ²I know a man ^(DL)in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, ^(DM)God knows--such a man was ^(DN)caught up to the ^(DO)third heaven.

 ³And I know how such a man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, ^(DP)God knows--

 ⁴was ^(DQ)caught up into ^(DR)Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.

 ^5(DS)On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my ^(DT)weaknesses.

 ⁶For if I do wish to boast I will not be ^(DU)foolish, ^(DV)for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.

A Thorn in the Flesh

 ⁷Because of the surpassing greatness of the ^(DW)revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a ^(DX)thorn in the flesh, a ^(DY)messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself!

 ⁸Concerning this I implored the Lord ^(DZ)three times that it might leave me.

 ⁹And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for ^(EA)power is perfected in weakness " Most gladly, therefore, I will rather ^(EB)boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

 ¹⁰Therefore ^(EC)I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with ^(ED)distresses, with ^(EE)persecutions, with ^(EF)difficulties, ^(EG)for Christ's sake; for ^(EH)when I am weak, then I am strong.

 ¹¹I have become ^(EI)foolish; you yourselves compelled me Actually I should have been commended by you, for ^(EJ)in no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though ^(EK)I am a nobody.

 ¹²The ^(EL)signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.

 ¹³For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that ^(EM)I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me ^(EN)this wrong!

 ¹⁴Here ^(EO)for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I ^(EP)will not be a burden to you; for I ^(EQ)do not seek what is yours, but ^(ER)you; for ^(ES)children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but ^(ET)parents for their children.

 ¹⁵I will ^(EU)most gladly spend and be expended for your souls If ^(EV)I love you more, am I to be loved less?

 ¹⁶But be that as it may, I ^(EW)did not burden you myself; nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I ^(EX)took you in by deceit.

 ^17(EY)Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I?

 ¹⁸I ^(EZ)urged ^(FA)Titus to go, and I sent ^(FB)the brother with him Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves in the same ^(FC)spirit and walk ^(FD)in the same steps?

 ¹⁹All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, ^(FE)it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and ^(FF)all for your upbuilding, ^(FG)beloved.

 ²⁰For I am afraid that perhaps ^(FH)when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be ^(FI)strife, jealousy, ^(FJ)angry tempers, ^(FK)disputes, ^(FL)slanders, ^(FM)gossip, ^(FN)arrogance, ^(FO)disturbances;

 ²¹I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have ^(FP)sinned in the past and not repented of the ^(FQ)impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.

2 Corinthians 13

Examine Yourselves

 ^1(FR)This is the third time I am coming to you ^(FS)EVERY FACT IS TO BE CONFIRMED BY THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES.

 ²I have previously said when present the second time, and though now absent I say in advance to those who have ^(FT)sinned in the past and to all the rest as well, that ^(FU)if I come again I will not ^(FV)spare anyone,

 ³since you are ^(FW)seeking for proof of the ^(FX)Christ who speaks in me, and who is not weak toward you, but ^(FY)mighty in you.

 ⁴For indeed He was ^(FZ)crucified because of weakness, yet He lives ^(GA)because of the power of God For we also are ^(GB)weak ^[a]in Him, yet ^(GC)we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.

 ^5(GD)Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; ^(GE)examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you ^(GF)fail the test?

 ⁶But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.

 ⁷Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved.

 ⁸For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.

 ⁹For we rejoice when we ourselves are ^(GG)weak but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you be ^(GH)made complete.

 ¹⁰For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present ^(GI)I need not use ^(GJ)severity, in accordance with the ^(GK)authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.

 ^11(GL)Finally, brethren, rejoice, ^(GM)be made complete, be comforted, ^(GN)be like-minded, ^(GO)live in peace; and ^(GP)the God of love and peace will be with you.

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

 ^13(GR)All the saints greet you.

 ^14(GS)The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the ^(GT)love of God, and the ^(GU)fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.