Miracles Glorify Christ

¹¹ Now ^(A)God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, ^12 (B)so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. ^13 (C)Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists ^(D)took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ^[a]“We ^[b]exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul ^(E)preaches.” ¹⁴ Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.

¹⁵ And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

¹⁶ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, ^[c]overpowered them, and prevailed against ^[d]them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷ This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and ^(F)fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. ¹⁸ And many who had believed came ^(G)confessing and telling their deeds. ¹⁹ Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. ^20 (H)So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

The Riot at Ephesus

^21 (I)When these things were accomplished, Paul ^(J)purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through ^(K)Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, ^(L)I must also see Rome.” ²² So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, ^(M)Timothy and ^(N)Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.

²³ And ^(O)about that time there arose a great commotion about ^(P)the Way. ²⁴ For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of ^[e]Diana, brought ^(Q)no small profit to the craftsmen. ²⁵ He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. ²⁶ Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that ^(R)they are not gods which are made with hands. ²⁷ So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and ^[f]her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.”

²⁸ Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” ²⁹ So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized ^(S)Gaius and ^(T)Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions. ³⁰ And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him. ³¹ Then some of the ^[g]officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater. ³² Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together. ³³ And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And ^(U)Alexander ^(V)motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people. ³⁴ But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

³⁵ And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: “Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess ^[h]Diana, and of the image which fell down from ^[i]Zeus? ³⁶ Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. ³⁷ For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of ^[j]your goddess. ³⁸ Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a ^[k]case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. ³⁹ But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly. ⁴⁰ For we are in danger of being ^[l]called in question for today’s uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.” ⁴¹ And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

Journeys in Greece

20 After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and ^(W)departed to go to Macedonia.

Greeting

1 Paul, ^(A)an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and ^(B)Timothy our brother,

To the church of God which is at Corinth, ^(C)with all the saints who are in all Achaia:

^2 (D)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Comfort in Suffering

^3 (E)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who ^(F)comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any ^[a]trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For as ^(G)the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our ^[b]consolation also abounds through Christ. ⁶ Now if we are afflicted, ^(H)it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. ⁷ And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that ^(I)as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

Delivered from Suffering

⁸ For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of ^(J)our ^[c]trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. ⁹ Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should ^(K)not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, ^10 (L)who delivered us from so great a death, and ^[d]does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, ¹¹ you also ^(M)helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on ^[e]our behalf ^(N)for the gift granted to us through many.

Paul’s Sincerity

¹² For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in ^[f]simplicity and ^(O)godly sincerity, ^(P)not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. ¹³ For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end ¹⁴ (as also you have understood us in part), ^(Q)that we are your boast as ^(R)you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Sparing the Church

¹⁵ And in this confidence ^(S)I intended to come to you before, that you might have ^(T)a second benefit— ¹⁶ to pass by way of you to Macedonia, ^(U)to come again from Macedonia to you, and be helped by you on my way to Judea. ¹⁷ Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan ^(V)according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? ¹⁸ But as God is ^(W)faithful, our ^[g]word to you was not Yes and No. ¹⁹ For ^(X)the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, ^(Y)Silvanus, and ^(Z)Timothy—was not Yes and No, ^(AA)but in Him was Yes. ^20 (AB)For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. ²¹ Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and ^(AC)has anointed us is God, ²² who ^(AD)also has sealed us and ^(AE)given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

²³ Moreover ^(AF)I call God as witness against my soul, ^(AG)that to spare you I came no more to Corinth. ²⁴ Not ^(AH)that we ^[h]have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for ^(AI)by faith you stand.

Paul Urges Forgiveness

2 But I determined this within myself, ^(AJ)that I would not come again to you in sorrow. ² For if I make you ^(AK)sorrowful, then who is he who makes me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me?

Forgive the Offender

³ And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, ^(AL)I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, ^(AM)having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. ⁴ For out of much ^[i]affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, ^(AN)not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.

⁵ But ^(AO)if anyone has caused grief, he has not ^(AP)grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe. ⁶ This punishment which was inflicted ^(AQ)by the majority is sufficient for such a man, ^7 (AR)so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. ⁸ Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. ⁹ For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are ^(AS)obedient in all things. ¹⁰ Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For ^[j]if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, ¹¹ lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Triumph in Christ

¹² Furthermore, ^(AT)when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and ^(AU)a ^[k]door was opened to me by the Lord, ^13 (AV)I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.

¹⁴ Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us ^[l]diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. ¹⁵ For we are to God the fragrance of Christ ^(AW)among those who are being saved and ^(AX)among those who are perishing. ^16 (AY)To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And ^(AZ)who is sufficient for these things? ¹⁷ For we are not, as ^[m]so many, ^(BA)peddling^[n] the word of God; but as ^(BB)of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

Christ’s Epistle^(BC)

3 Do ^(BD)we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, ^(BE)epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? ^2 (BF)You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; ³ clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ^(BG)ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not ^(BH)on tablets of stone but ^(BI)on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

The Spirit, Not the Letter

⁴ And we have such trust through Christ toward God. ^5 (BJ)Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but ^(BK)our sufficiency is from God, ⁶ who also made us sufficient as ^(BL)ministers of ^(BM)the new covenant, not ^(BN)of the letter but of the ^[o]Spirit; for ^(BO)the letter kills, ^(BP)but the Spirit gives life.

Glory of the New Covenant

⁷ But if ^(BQ)the ministry of death, ^(BR)written and engraved on stones, was glorious, ^(BS)so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, ⁸ how will ^(BT)the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? ⁹ For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry ^(BU)of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. ¹⁰ For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. ¹¹ For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

¹² Therefore, since we have such hope, ^(BV)we use great boldness of speech— ¹³ unlike Moses, ^(BW)who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at ^(BX)the end of what was passing away. ¹⁴ But ^(BY)their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. ¹⁵ But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. ¹⁶ Nevertheless ^(BZ)when one turns to the Lord, ^(CA)the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now ^(CB)the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is ^(CC)liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding ^(CD)as in a mirror ^(CE)the glory of the Lord, ^(CF)are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as ^[p]by the Spirit of the Lord.