2 Corinthians 8-13

New American Standard Bible 1995

Great Generosity

8 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been ^(A)given in the churches of ^(B)Macedonia, ² that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the ^(C)wealth of their liberality. ³ For I testify that ^(D)according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, ⁴ begging us with much urging for the ^(E)favor ^[a]of participation in the ^[b](F)support of the ^[c]saints, ⁵ and this, not as we had ^[d]expected, but they first ^(G)gave themselves to the Lord and to us by ^(H)the will of God. ⁶ So we ^(I)urged ^(J)Titus that as he had previously ^(K)made a beginning, so he would also complete in you ^(L)this gracious work as well.

⁷ But just as you ^(M)abound ^(N)in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the ^[e]love we inspired in you, see that you ^(O)abound in this gracious work also. ⁸ I ^(P)am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. ⁹ For you know ^(Q)the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ^(R)though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. ¹⁰ I ^(S)give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin ^(T)a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. ¹¹ But now finish ^[f]doing it also, so that just as there was the ^(U)readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. ¹² For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable ^(V)according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. ¹³ For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— ¹⁴ at this present time your abundance being a supply for ^(W)their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for ^(X)your need, that there may be equality; ¹⁵ as it is written, “^(Y)He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

¹⁶ But ^(Z)thanks be to God who ^(AA)puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of ^(AB)Titus. ¹⁷ For he not only accepted our ^(AC)appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord. ¹⁸ We have sent along with him ^(AD)the brother whose fame in the things of the ^(AE)gospel has spread through ^(AF)all the churches; ^19 (AG)and not only this, but he has also been ^(AH)appointed by the churches to travel with us in ^(AI)this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our ^(AJ)readiness, ^20 [g]taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift; ²¹ for we ^(AK)have regard for what is honorable, not only in ^(AL)the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. ²² We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you. ²³ As for ^(AM)Titus, he is my ^(AN)partner and fellow worker ^[h]among you; as for our ^(AO)brethren, they are ^[i](AP)messengers of the churches, ^(AQ)a glory to Christ. ²⁴ Therefore ^[j]openly before the churches, ^[k]show them the proof of your love and of our ^(AR)reason for boasting about you.

God Gives Most

9 For ^(AS)it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ^(AT)ministry to the ^[l]saints; ² for I know your readiness, of which I ^(AU)boast about you to the ^(AV)Macedonians, namely, that ^(AW)Achaia has been prepared since ^(AX)last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. ³ But I have sent the brethren, in order that our ^(AY)boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, ^(AZ)as I was saying, you may be prepared; ⁴ otherwise if any ^(BA)Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to speak of you—will be put to shame by this confidence. ⁵ So I thought it necessary to urge the ^(BB)brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised ^[m](BC)bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a ^[n](BD)bountiful gift and not ^[o](BE)affected by covetousness.

⁶ Now this I say, ^(BF)he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows ^[p]bountifully will also reap ^[q]bountifully. ⁷ Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not ^(BG)grudgingly or under compulsion, for ^(BH)God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And ^(BI)God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; ⁹ as it is written,

¹⁰ Now He who supplies ^(BK)seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and ^(BL)increase the harvest of your righteousness; ¹¹ you will be ^(BM)enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing ^(BN)thanksgiving to God. ¹² For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying ^(BO)the needs of the ^[s]saints, but is also overflowing ^(BP)through many thanksgivings to God. ¹³ Because of the proof given by this ^(BQ)ministry, they will ^(BR)glorify God for your obedience to your ^(BS)confession of the ^(BT)gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your ^[t]contribution to them and to all, ¹⁴ while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. ^15 (BU)Thanks be to God for His indescribable ^(BV)gift!

Paul Describes Himself

10 Now ^(BW)I, Paul, myself ^(BX)urge you by the ^(BY)meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who ^(BZ)am ^[u]meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! ² I ask that ^(CA)when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against ^(CB)some, who regard us as if we walked ^(CC)according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war ^(CD)according to the flesh, ⁴ for the ^(CE)weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but ^[v]divinely powerful ^(CF)for the destruction of fortresses. ⁵ We are destroying speculations and every ^(CG)lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the ^(CH)obedience of Christ, ⁶ and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever ^(CI)your obedience is complete.

^7 [w](CJ)You are looking at ^[x]things as they are outwardly. ^(CK)If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, ^(CL)so also are we. ⁸ For even if ^(CM)I boast somewhat ^[y]further about our ^(CN)authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, ^9 [z]for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. ¹⁰ For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his ^[aa]personal presence is ^(CO)unimpressive and ^(CP)his speech contemptible.” ¹¹ Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

¹² For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with ^[ab]some of those who ^(CQ)commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. ¹³ But we will not boast ^(CR)beyond our measure, but ^[ac](CS)within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for ^(CT)we were the first to come even as far as you in the ^(CU)gospel of Christ; ¹⁵ not boasting ^(CV)beyond our measure, that is, in ^(CW)other men’s labors, but with the hope that as ^(CX)your faith grows, we will be, ^[ad]within our sphere, ^(CY)enlarged even more by you, ¹⁶ so as to ^(CZ)preach the gospel even to ^(DA)the regions beyond you, and not to boast ^[ae](DB)in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another. ¹⁷ But ^(DC)he who boasts is to boast in the Lord. ¹⁸ For it is not he who ^(DD)commends himself that is approved, but he ^(DE)whom the Lord commends.

Paul Defends His Apostleship

11 I wish that you would ^(DF)bear with me in a little ^(DG)foolishness; but ^[af]indeed you are bearing with me. ² For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I ^(DH)betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might ^(DI)present you as a pure virgin. ³ But I am afraid that, as the ^(DJ)serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. ⁴ For if ^[ag]one comes and preaches ^(DK)another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a ^(DL)different spirit which you have not received, or a ^(DM)different gospel which you have not accepted, you ^(DN)bear this ^(DO)beautifully. ⁵ For I consider myself ^(DP)not in the least inferior to the ^[ah]most eminent apostles. ⁶ But even if I am ^(DQ)unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in ^(DR)knowledge; in fact, in every way we have ^(DS)made this evident to you in all things.

⁷ Or ^(DT)did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the ^(DU)gospel of God to you ^(DV)without charge? ⁸ I robbed other churches by ^(DW)taking wages from them to serve you; ⁹ and when I was present with you and was in need, I was ^(DX)not a burden to anyone; for when ^(DY)the brethren came from ^(DZ)Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from ^(EA)being a burden to you, ^[ai]and will continue to do so. ^10 (EB)As the truth of Christ is in me, ^(EC)this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of ^(ED)Achaia. ¹¹ Why? ^(EE)Because I do not love you? ^(EF)God knows I do!

¹² But what I am doing I will continue to do, ^(EG)so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be ^[aj]regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. ¹³ For such men are ^(EH)false apostles, ^(EI)deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ No wonder, for even ^(EJ)Satan disguises himself as an ^(EK)angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, ^(EL)whose end will be according to their deeds.

^16 (EM)Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying, I am not saying ^[ak](EN)as the Lord would, but as ^(EO)in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. ¹⁸ Since ^(EP)many boast ^(EQ)according to the flesh, I will boast also. ¹⁹ For you, ^(ER)being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. ²⁰ For you tolerate it if anyone ^(ES)enslaves you, anyone ^(ET)devours you, anyone ^(EU)takes advantage of you, anyone ^(EV)exalts himself, anyone ^(EW)hits you in the face. ²¹ To my ^(EX)shame I must say that we have been ^(EY)weak by comparison.

But in whatever respect anyone else ^(EZ)is bold—I ^(FA)speak in foolishness—I am just as bold myself. ²² Are they ^(FB)Hebrews? ^(FC)So am I. Are they ^(FD)Israelites? ^(FE)So am I. Are they ^[al](FF)descendants of Abraham? ^(FG)So am I. ²³ Are they ^(FH)servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in ^[am](FI)far more labors, in ^[an](FJ)far more imprisonments, ^[ao](FK)beaten times without number, often in ^(FL)danger of death. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews ^(FM)thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(FN)beaten with rods, once I was ^(FO)stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. ²⁶ I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my ^(FP)countrymen, dangers from the ^(FQ)Gentiles, dangers in the ^(FR)city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among ^(FS)false brethren; ²⁷ I have been in ^(FT)labor and hardship, ^[ap]through many sleepless nights, in ^(FU)hunger and thirst, often ^(FV)without food, in cold and ^[aq](FW)exposure. ²⁸ Apart from such ^[ar]external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for ^(FX)all the churches. ²⁹ Who is ^(FY)weak without my being weak? Who is ^[as]led into sin ^[at]without my intense concern?

³⁰ If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my ^(FZ)weakness. ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^(GA)He who is blessed forever, ^(GB)knows that I am not lying. ³² In ^(GC)Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was ^(GD)guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, ³³ and I was let down in a basket ^(GE)through a window ^[au]in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

Paul’s Vision

12 ^(GF)Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and ^(GG)revelations ^[av]of the Lord. ² I know a man ^(GH)in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, ^(GI)God knows—such a man was ^(GJ)caught up to the ^(GK)third heaven. ³ And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, ^(GL)God knows— ⁴ was ^(GM)caught up into ^(GN)Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. ^5 (GO)On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my ^(GP)weaknesses. ⁶ For if I do wish to boast I will not be ^(GQ)foolish, ^(GR)for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.

A Thorn in the Flesh

⁷ Because of the surpassing greatness of the ^(GS)revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a ^(GT)thorn in the flesh, a ^(GU)messenger of Satan to ^[aw]torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! ⁸ Concerning this I implored the Lord ^(GV)three times that it might leave me. ⁹ And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for ^(GW)power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather ^(GX)boast ^[ax]about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰ Therefore ^(GY)I am well content with weaknesses, with ^[ay]insults, with ^(GZ)distresses, with ^(HA)persecutions, with ^(HB)difficulties, ^(HC)for Christ’s sake; for ^(HD)when I am weak, then I am strong.

¹¹ I have become ^(HE)foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, for ^(HF)in no respect was I inferior to the ^[az]most eminent apostles, even though ^(HG)I am a nobody. ¹² The ^[ba](HH)signs ^[bb]of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by ^[bc]signs and wonders and ^[bd]miracles. ¹³ For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that ^(HI)I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me ^(HJ)this wrong!

¹⁴ Here ^(HK)for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I ^(HL)will not be a burden to you; for I ^(HM)do not seek what is yours, but ^(HN)you; for ^(HO)children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but ^(HP)parents for their children. ¹⁵ I will ^(HQ)most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If ^(HR)I love you more, am I to be loved less? ¹⁶ But be that as it may, I ^(HS)did not burden you myself; nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I ^(HT)took you in by deceit. ^17 (HU)Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? ¹⁸ I ^(HV)urged ^(HW)Titus to go, and I sent ^(HX)the brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not ^[be]conduct ourselves ^[bf]in the same ^(HY)spirit and walk ^(HZ)in the same steps?

¹⁹ All this time ^[bg]you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, ^(IA)it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and ^(IB)all for your upbuilding, ^(IC)beloved. ²⁰ For I am afraid that perhaps ^(ID)when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be ^(IE)strife, jealousy, ^(IF)angry tempers, ^(IG)disputes, ^(IH)slanders, ^(II)gossip, ^(IJ)arrogance, ^(IK)disturbances; ²¹ I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have ^(IL)sinned in the past and not repented of the ^(IM)impurity, ^[bh]immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.

Examine Yourselves

13 ^(IN)This is the third time I am coming to you. ^(IO)Every ^[bi]fact ^[bj]is to be confirmed by the ^[bk]testimony of two or three witnesses. ² I have previously said when present the second time, and though now absent I say in advance to those who have ^(IP)sinned in the past and to all the rest as well, that ^(IQ)if I come again I will not ^(IR)spare anyone, ³ since you are ^(IS)seeking for proof of the ^(IT)Christ who speaks in me, and who is not weak toward you, but ^(IU)mighty in you. ⁴ For indeed He was ^(IV)crucified because of weakness, yet He lives ^(IW)because of the power of God. For we also are ^(IX)weak ^[bl]in Him, yet ^(IY)we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.

^5 (IZ)Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; ^(JA)examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you ^[bm](JB)fail the test? ⁶ But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves ^[bn]do not fail the test. ⁷ Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may ^[bo]appear unapproved. ⁸ For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹ For we rejoice when we ourselves are ^(JC)weak but you are strong; this we also pray for, ^[bp]that you be ^(JD)made complete. ¹⁰ For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present ^(JE)I need not use ^(JF)severity, in accordance with the ^(JG)authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.

^11 (JH)Finally, brethren, ^[bq]rejoice, ^[br](JI)be made complete, be comforted, ^(JJ)be like-minded, ^(JK)live in peace; and ^(JL)the God of love and peace will be with you. ^12 (JM)Greet one another with a holy kiss. ^13 (JN)All the ^[bs]saints greet you.

^14 (JO)The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the ^(JP)love of God, and the ^(JQ)fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.