Book of Common Prayer

The signs of a true apostle

¹¹ I’ve been a fool! You forced me into it. If I was to have received an official commendation, it ought actually to have come from you! After all, I’m not inferior to the super-apostles, even though I am nothing. ¹² The signs of a true apostle, you see, were performed among you in all patience, with signs and wonders and powers. ¹³ In what way have you been worse off than all the other churches, except in the fact that I myself didn’t become a burden to you? Forgive me this injustice!

¹⁴ Now look: this is the third time I’m ready to come to you. And I’m not going to be a burden, because I’m not looking for what belongs to you, but you yourselves. Children, after all, shouldn’t be saving up for their parents, but parents for their children! ¹⁵ For my part, I will gladly spend and be spent on your behalf. If I love you all the more, am I going to be loved any the less?

¹⁶ Grant me this, that I didn’t lay any burden on you. But—maybe I was a trickster, and I took you by deceit! ¹⁷ Did I cheat you by any of the people I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus to go to you, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus cheat you? He behaved in the same spirit as me, didn’t he? He conducted himself in the same manner, didn’t he?

What will happen when Paul arrives?

¹⁹ You will imagine we are explaining ourselves again. Well, we’re speaking in God’s presence, in the Messiah! My beloved ones, it has all been intended to build you up. ²⁰ I’m afraid, you see, that when I come I may find you rather different from what I would wish—and I may turn out to be rather different from what you would wish! I’m afraid there may still be fighting, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. ²¹ I’m afraid that perhaps, when I come once more, my God may humble me again in front of you, and I will have to go into mourning over many who sinned before, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and shameless immorality that they have practiced.

The two ways

¹³ “Go in by the narrow gate. The gate that leads to destruction, you see, is nice and wide, and the road going there has plenty of room. Lots of people go that way. ¹⁴ But the gate leading to life is narrow, and the road going there is a tight squeeze. Not many people find their way through.

¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets. They will come to you dressed like sheep, but inside they are hungry wolves. ¹⁶ You’ll be able to tell them by the fruit they bear: you don’t find grapes growing on thorn-bushes, do you, or figs on thistles? ¹⁷ Well, in the same way, good trees produce good fruit, and bad trees produce bad fruit. ¹⁸ Actually, good trees can’t produce bad fruit, nor can bad ones produce good fruit! ¹⁹ Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire. ²⁰ So: you must recognize them by their fruits.

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Master, Master’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; only people who do the will of my father in heaven.