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But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
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And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.
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In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you.
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There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the Lord’s people.
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And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
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You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
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This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
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Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
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We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
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And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
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So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it.
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We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you.
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But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
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I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.
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I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you.
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And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
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It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
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In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face.
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Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.
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Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
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Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say,
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Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians
I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.
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So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less?
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Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening.
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Final Warnings
This will be my third visit to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”
