2 Corinthians 8-13

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Encouragement to Be Generous

8 We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia, ² for during a severe ordeal of affliction their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. ³ For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means and even beyond their means, ⁴ begging us earnestly for the favor^[a] of partnering in this ministry to the saints,^{(A) 5} and not as we expected. Instead, they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, ⁶ so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking^[b] among you.^{(B) 7} Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you^[c]—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.^[d](C)

⁸ I do not say this as a command, but I am, by mentioning the eagerness of others, testing the genuineness of your love.^{(D) 9} For you know the generous act^[e] of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.^{(E) 10} And in this matter I am giving my opinion: it is beneficial for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something.^{(F) 11} Now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means.^{(G) 12} For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.^{(H) 13} For I do not mean that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality between ¹⁴ your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may also supply your need, in order that there may be equality. ¹⁵ As it is written,

Commendation of Titus

¹⁶ But thanks be to God, who put in the heart of Titus the same eagerness for you that I myself have. ¹⁷ For he not only accepted our appeal, but since he is more eager than ever, he is going to you of his own accord. ¹⁸ With him we are sending the brother who is praised among all the churches for his work for the gospel,^{(J) 19} and not only that, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us while we are administering this generous undertaking^[f] for the glory of the Lord himself^[g] and to show our goodwill.^{(K) 20} We are making this arrangement lest anyone blame us about this generous gift that we are administering, ²¹ for we are setting our minds on what is right not only before the Lord but also before the people.^{(L) 22} And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found eager in many matters but who is now more eager than ever because of his great confidence in you. ²³ As for Titus, he is my partner and coworker in your service; as for our brothers, they are messengers^[h] of the churches, the glory of Christ.^{(M) 24} Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you to them.^(N)

The Collection for Christians at Jerusalem

9 Now it is not necessary for me to write you about the ministry to the saints, ² for I know your eagerness, which is the subject of my boasting about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them.^{(O) 3} But I am sending^[i] the brothers in order that our boasting about you may not prove to have been empty in this case, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be;^{(P) 4} otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be put to shame—to say nothing of you—in this undertaking.^{[j] 5} So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for this bountiful gift that you have promised, so that it may be ready as a bountiful gift and not as an extortion.

⁶ The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.^{(Q) 7} Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not regretfully or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.^{(R) 8} And God is able to provide you with every blessing^[k] in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.^{(S) 9} As it is written,

¹⁰ He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.^{[m] 11} You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us, ¹² for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. ¹³ Through the testing of this ministry you^[n] glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your partnership with them and with all others,^{(U) 14} while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!^(V)

Paul Defends His Ministry

10 I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you but bold toward you when I am away!^(W)— ² I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think we are acting according to human standards.^{[o](X) 3} Indeed, we live as humans^[p] but do not wage war according to human standards,^{[q] 4} for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human,^[r] but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments^{(Y) 5} and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.^{(Z) 6} We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.^(AA)

⁷ Look^[s] at what is before your eyes. If you are confident that you belong to Christ, remind yourself of this, that just as you belong to Christ, so also do we.^{(AB) 8} Now, even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it.^{(AC) 9} I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten you with my letters. ¹⁰ For someone says,^[t] “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible.”^{(AD) 11} Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent we will also do when present.

¹² We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they do not show good sense.^{(AE) 13} We, however, will not boast beyond limits but will keep within the field that God has assigned to us, to reach out even as far as you. ¹⁴ For we were not overstepping our limits when we reached you; we were the first to come all the way to you with the good news^[u] of Christ.^{(AF) 15} We do not boast beyond limits, that is, in the labors of others, but our hope is that, as your faith increases, our field among you may be greatly enlarged, ¹⁶ so that we may proclaim the good news^[v] in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in someone else’s field. ¹⁷ “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”^{(AG) 18} For it is not those who commend themselves that are approved but those whom the Lord commends.^(AH)

Paul and the False Apostles

11 I wish you would put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, do put up^[w] with me!^{(AI) 2} I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.^{(AJ) 3} But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by its cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure^[x] devotion to Christ.^{(AK) 4} For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.^{(AL) 5} I think that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles.^{(AM) 6} Even if I am untrained in speech, I certainly am not with respect to knowledge; certainly in every way and in all things we have made this evident to you.^(AN)

⁷ Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed God’s good news^[y] to you free of charge?^{(AO) 8} I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. ⁹ And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for my needs were supplied by the brothers who came from Macedonia. So I refrained and will continue to refrain from burdening you in any way.^{(AP) 10} As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.^{(AQ) 11} And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!^(AR)

¹² And what I do I will also continue to do, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in what they boast about. ¹³ For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.^{(AS) 14} And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵ So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds.^(AT)

Paul’s Sufferings as an Apostle

¹⁶ I repeat, let no one think that I am a fool, but if you do, then accept me as a fool, so that I, too, may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying in regard to this boastful undertaking, I am saying not with the Lord’s authority but as a fool;^{(AU) 18} since many boast according to human standards,^[z] I will also boast. ¹⁹ For you gladly put up with fools, being wise yourselves! ²⁰ For you put up with it when someone makes slaves of you or preys upon you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or gives you a slap in the face. ²¹ To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that.^{(AV) 22} Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.^{(AW) 23} Are they ministers of Christ? I am talking like a madman—I am a better one: with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless floggings, and often near death.^{(AX) 24} Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.^{(AY) 25} Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea;^{(AZ) 26} on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters;^{(BA) 27} in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food,^[aa] cold and naked.^{(BB) 28} And, besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I am not indignant?^(BC)

³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.^{(BD) 31} The God and Father of the Lord Jesus (blessed be he forever!) knows that I do not lie.^{(BE) 32} In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to^[ab] seize me,^{(BF) 33} but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall^[ac] and escaped from his hands.

Paul’s Visions and Revelations

12 It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. ² I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows.^{(BG) 3} And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— ⁴ was caught up into paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. ⁵ On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. ⁶ But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me,^{(BH) 7} even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep^[ad] me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated.^{[ae] 8} Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me,^{(BI) 9} but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power^[af] is made perfect in weakness.” So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.^{(BJ) 10} Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.^(BK)

Paul’s Concern for the Corinthian Church

¹¹ I have been a fool! You forced me to it. Indeed you should have been the ones commending me, for I am not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing.^{(BL) 12} The signs of an apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, signs and wonders and mighty works.^{(BM) 13} How have you been worse off than the other churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!^(BN)

¹⁴ Here I am, ready to come to you this third time, and I will not be a burden because I do not want what is yours but you, for children ought not to save up for their parents but parents for their children.^{(BO) 15} I will most gladly spend and be spent for you. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?^{(BP) 16} Be that as it may, I did not burden you. But, crafty person that I am, did I take you in by deceit? ¹⁷ Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus to go and sent the brother with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves with the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same footsteps?^(BQ)

¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves before you? We are speaking in Christ before God. Everything we do, beloved, is for the sake of building you up.^{(BR) 20} For I fear that when I come I may find you not as I wish and that you may find me not as you wish; I fear that there may perhaps be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.^{(BS) 21} I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you and that I may have to mourn over many who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery that they have practiced.^(BT)

Further Warning

13 This is the third time I am coming to you. “Any charge must be sustained by the evidence of two or three witnesses.”^{(BU) 2} I warned those who sinned previously and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not be lenient— ³ since you desire proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you but is powerful in you.^{(BV) 4} For he was crucified in weakness but lives by the power of God. For we are weak in him,^[ag] but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.^(BW)

⁵ Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test!^{(BX) 6} I hope you will find out that we have not failed. ⁷ But we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. ⁸ For we cannot do anything against the truth but only for the truth. ⁹ For we rejoice when we are weak but you are strong. This is what we pray for, that you may be restored.^{(BY) 10} So I write these things while I am away from you, so that when I come I may not have to be severe in using the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.^(BZ)

Final Greetings and Benediction

¹¹ Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell.^[ah] Be restored; listen to my appeal;^[ai] agree with one another; live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.^{(CA) 12} Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.^(CB)

¹³ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of^[aj] the Holy Spirit be with all of you.^(CC)