The Spiritual War

10 Now ^(A)I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—^(B)who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

¹⁰ “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but ^(A)his bodily presence is weak, and his ^(B)speech contemptible.”

²⁹ Take My yoke upon you ^(A)and learn from Me, for I am ^[a]gentle and ^(B)lowly in heart, ^(C)and you will find rest for your souls.

² Indeed I, Paul, say to you that ^(A)if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.

Living Sacrifices to God

12 I ^(A)beseech^[a] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies ^(B)a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your ^[b]reasonable service.

The Thorn in the Flesh

⁷ And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a ^(A)thorn in the flesh was given to me, ^(B)a messenger of Satan to ^[a]buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. ^8 (C)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 ^(D)I will rather boast in my infirmities, ^(E)that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

³⁰ If I must boast, ^(A)I will boast in the things which concern my ^[a]infirmity.

^3 (A)I was with you ^(B)in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.