The Character of Paul’s Ministry

We are not giving anyone an occasion for offense, so that the ministry will not be blamed. Instead, as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything: by great endurance, by afflictions, by hardships, by difficulties, by beatings, by imprisonments,(A) by riots, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times of hunger, by purity,(B) by knowledge,(C) by patience,(D) by kindness,(E) by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love,(F) by the word of truth,[a](G) by the power of God;(H) through weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, through glory(I) and dishonor, through slander and good report; regarded as deceivers, yet true; as unknown, yet recognized; as dying, yet see—we live; as being disciplined, yet not killed; 10 as grieving, yet always rejoicing;(J) as poor, yet enriching many; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

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Footnotes

  1. 6:7 Or by truthful speech

We are giving no one an occasion for taking offense in anything, in order that our ministry will not have fault found with it, but commending ourselves as servants of God in every way, in much endurance, in afflictions, in distresses, in difficulties, in beatings, in prisons, in disturbances, in troubles, in sleepless nights, in going hungry, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love without hypocrisy, in the word of truth, in the power of God, with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and left hand, through glory and dishonor, through slander and good repute, regarded as deceivers and yet truthful, as unknown and yet known completely, as dying, and behold, we go on living, as disciplined, and yet not put to death, 10 as grieving, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and possessing everything.

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Paul’s Hardships

We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path,(A) so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments(B) and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;(C) in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit(D) and in sincere love;(E) in truthful speech(F) and in the power of God;(G) with weapons of righteousness(H) in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor,(I) bad report(J) and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;(K) known, yet regarded as unknown; dying,(L) and yet we live on;(M) beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;(N) poor, yet making many rich;(O) having nothing,(P) and yet possessing everything.(Q)

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