Book of Common Prayer

¹¹ There are signs that show a true apostle. I did all these things when I was among you. There were signs, wonderful works, and other big works which I did. You saw the power of God, even though I was being tested.

¹² In what way did you not receive as much as the other churches? Only this! I did not trouble you to pay me. Forgive me for the wrong I did you!

¹³ Now, I am ready to come to you for the third time. And I will not trouble you to pay me. I do not want what belongs to you, but I want you. The children should not save up for their parents, but the parents should do it for their children.

¹⁴ For my part, I am glad to spend what I have, and to spend myself for the sake of your souls. But it seems to me that the more I love you the less you love me!

¹⁵ All right then, I did not trouble you for any money. But some of you think that I have been mean and played a trick on you.

¹⁶ Did I send anyone to you to get something for myself? No!

¹⁷ I asked Titus to go and I sent our brother with him. Did Titus get anything for himself? No! Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?

¹⁸ Am I saying all this just to you? Are we just trying to make ourselves look right to you? No, we say this before God and in Christ. And my dear people, I have done it all to make you better Christians.

¹⁹ I want to be pleased with you when I come. But I am afraid I will not be. And I am afraid that you will not be pleased with me. I fear that I may find quarrelling, jealousy, anger, and that I will find you are enemies to each other, that you are spoiling each other's names, that you are telling stories about each other, that you are proud and do not obey rulers.

²⁰ And I am afraid that when I come my God will make me ashamed of you. I am afraid that my heart will be very sad about you. Many have been doing wrong things for a long time. Many have not turned away from their dirty ways, their wrong use of sex, and the things they should be ashamed of.

⁴¹ When Jesus came near, he saw the city. His heart was very sad and he cried.

⁴² He said, `I wish you knew today what things would give you peace! But now you do not see what they are.

⁴³ The time will come when the people who hate you will put a wall all around you. They will shut you up and keep you in on every side.

⁴⁴ They will break you down to the ground. They will kill the people within you. They will not leave one stone of your houses on top of another. That will happen because you did not know the time when God was ready to help you.'

⁴⁵ Jesus went into the temple. He began to drive out the people who were buying and selling in the temple.

⁴⁶ He said to them, `It is written, "My house shall be a place where people talk with God." But you have made it a place for people who steal!'

⁴⁷ He taught in the temple every day. The chief priests, scribes and the leaders of the people wanted to kill him.

⁴⁸ But they did not find any way they could do it. All the people stayed around to hear what Jesus said.