²³ Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: ^(A)in labors more abundant, ^(B)in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, ^(C)in deaths often.

⁴ But in all things we commend ourselves ^(A)as ministers of God: in much ^[a]patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, ^5 (B)in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;

²⁴ From the Jews five times I received ^(A)forty ^(B)stripes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(C)beaten with rods; ^(D)once I was stoned; three times I ^(E)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;

⁹ as unknown, and ^(A)yet well known; ^(B)as dying, and behold we live; ^(C)as chastened, and yet not killed;

⁶ who also made us sufficient as ^(A)ministers of ^(B)the new covenant, not ^(C)of the letter but of the ^[a]Spirit; for ^(D)the letter kills, ^(E)but the Spirit gives life.

⁹ Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should ^(A)not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, ^10 (B)who delivered us from so great a death, and ^[a]does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,

¹⁰ But ^(A)by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, ^(B)yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

²⁹ To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me ^(A)mightily.

Sacrificial Service for Christ

^24 (A)I now rejoice in my sufferings ^(B)for you, and fill up in my flesh ^(C)what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for ^(D)the sake of His body, which is the church,