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10 Now I, Paul, encourage you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ (I, who am lowly when present among you but bold when absent).
2 And I urge you that, when I am present, I need not be bold with the same confidence as that which I think to be bold against some, who think of us as though we walked according to the flesh.
3 Nevertheless, though we walk in the flesh, yet we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty, through God, to cast down strongholds,
5 overthrowing arguments - and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God - and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,
6 and being ready to avenge all disobedience, once your obedience is fulfilled.
7 Do you perceive things by outward appearance? If anyone is persuaded in himself that he is Christ’s, let him further consider this in himself: that as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.
8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority (which the Lord has given us for building up and not for pulling you down) I shall not be ashamed -
9 lest I might seem as if to frighten you away with letters.
10 For indeed they say, “his letters are heavy and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is of no value.”
11 Let such a one think this: that as such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, we will also be in deed when we are present.
12 For we dare not reckon ourselves among, or compare ourselves to, those who praise themselves. But they do not understand that they measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with themselves.
13 But we will not boast of things which are not measurable, but according to the measure of the rule which God has distributed to us; a measure to reach even to you.
14 For we do not stretch ourselves beyond measure, as though we had not reached you. For as far as you also we have come in the Gospel of Christ,
15 not boasting of things which are beyond measure (that is, of others’ labors). But we do hope, when your faith shall increase, to be magnified by you abundantly, according to our area,
16 and to preach the Gospel in those regions beyond you (not to rejoice in another’s area which has already been prepared).
17 But, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord”.
18 For the one who praises himself is not approved, but the one whom the Lord praises.
11 I wish you could suffer a little of my foolishness, and indeed, suffer me.
2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have prepared you for one husband; to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
3 Yet I fear, however, that just as the serpent tricked Eve through his subtlety, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if someone comes, preaching another Jesus whom we have not preached - or if you receive another spirit whom you have not received, or another gospel which you have not received - you might well tolerate him.
5 For I suppose that I am not inferior to the very chief Apostles.
6 And though I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge. And among you we have made ourselves clearly understood in all things.
7 Have I committed an offense because I abased myself, that you might be exalted; and because I freely preached to you the Gospel of God?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to do you service.
9 And when I was present with you, and had need, I was not a hindrance to anyone. For that which I was lacking, the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied. And in all things, I have myself from being burdensome to you, and will keep doing so.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this rejoicing shall not be taken from me in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.
12 But what I do I will do so that I may cut off the opportunity of those who desire the opportunity to be found like us in that of which they boast.
13 For such false apostles are deceitful workers and transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ.
14 And it is no wonder; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore, it is no great thing for his ministers to transform themselves, as though they were the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
16 I say again, let no one think that I am foolish, (or even take me as a fool) that I may also boast of myself a little.
17 What I speak, I do not speak according to the Lord but, as it were, foolishly, while we are boasting.
18 Seeing that many rejoice after the flesh, I will rejoice also.
19 For you endure fools gladly, because you are wise.
20 For you endure, even if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone takes from you, if someone exalts himself, if someone strikes you on the face.
21 Concerning dishonor I speak as though we were weak. But wherein anyone is bold (I speak foolishly) I am bold also.
22 They are Hebrews, so am I. They are Israelites, so am I. They are the seed of Abraham, so am I.
23 They are the ministers of Christ. (I speak as a fool) I am more: in labors, more abundant; in stripes, above measure; in prison, more exceedingly; in death, often.
24 Five times I have received forty stripes minus one from the Jews.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods. I was once stoned. I suffered shipwreck three times. Night and day, I have been on the deep sea.
26 While journeying I was often in perils from waters, in perils from robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils among the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brothers,
27 in weariness and painfulness, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and in nakedness.
28 Besides outward things, I am daily-laden, and care for all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I do not burn?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of my infirmities.
31 The God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is blessed forevermore, knows that I do not lie.
32 In Damascus, the governor of the people under King Aretas posted a guard over the city of the Damascenes and would have caught me.
33 But at a window, I was let down in a basket, through the wall, and escaped his hands.
12 Doubtless, it is not profitable for me to boast. Yet, I will now come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2 More than fourteen years ago I knew a man in Christ, (whether he was in the body, I cannot tell, or out of the body, I cannot tell; God knows.) who was taken up into the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell; God knows).
4 How that he was taken up into Paradise, and heard words which cannot be spoken, which are not possible for man to utter.
5 Of such a man I will boast. Of myself I will not boast, except that it be of my weakness.
6 For though I would desire to boast, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think me above that which he sees in me, or hears of me;
7 and lest I should be exalted out of measure through the abundance of revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, because I should not be exalted out of measure.
8 For this thing I implored the Lord three times, that it might depart from me.
9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you. For My power is made perfect through weakness.” Therefore, rather, I will very gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
10 Therefore, I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in anguish for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
11 I have become a fool in boasting. You have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you. For in nothing was I inferior to the very chief Apostles, though I am nothing.
12 Indeed, the signs of an Apostle were worked out among you with all patience; with signs and wonders and great works.
13 For in what have you been inferior to other churches, except that I myself have not been burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong.
14 Behold, I am ready to come to you this third time. And yet I will not be burdensome to you. For I seek not what is yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the fathers, but the fathers for the children.
15 And I will most gladly spend, and will be spent, for your souls; though, the more I love you, the less I am loved.
16 But let it be that I do not burden you. Yet for as much as I was crafty, I took you with guile.
17 Did I defraud you by any of those whom I sent to you?
18 I have urged Titus to go. And with him I have sent a brother. Did Titus defraud you of anything? Have we not walked in the selfsame spirit, in the same steps?
19 Again, do you think that we defend ourselves to you? We speak before God, in Christ. But we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.
20 For I fear that when I come, I shall not find you as I would like - and that I shall not be found by you as you would like - and that there is strife, envying, wrath, rivalry, slander, gossip, pride, and discord;
21 that when I come again, my God humbles me among you. And I shall lament many of those who have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lewdness which they have committed.
13 This is the third time that I come to you. In the mouths of two or three witnesses shall every word stand.
2 I told you before, and tell you now beforehand, as though I had been present a second time. So I write now - being absent from those who until now have sinned, and to all others - that if I come again, I will not spare anyone;
3 since you seek proof of Christ speaking in me, Who is not weak toward you, but is mighty in you.
4 For though He was crucified through His weakness, yet He lives through the power of God. And we, no doubt, are weak in Him. But we shall live with Him, through the power of God, toward you.
5 Test yourselves, whether you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Do you not know yourselves how that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are disqualified?
6 But I trust that you shall know that we are not disqualified.
7 Now I pray to God that you do no evil; not that we should seem approved, but that you should do that which is honest, though we may be disqualified.
8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but for the truth.
9 For we are glad when we are weak, and you are strong. For this also we pray: even your perfecting.
10 Therefore, I write these things while being absent (so that when I am present, I should not use sharpness) according to the power which the Lord has given me to edification, and not to destruction.
11 Finally brothers, farewell. Be perfect. Be of good comfort. Be of one mind. Live in peace. And the God of love and peace shall be with you.
12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the Saints salute you.
13 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ - and the love of God - and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.
(the second Epistle to the Corinthians written from Philippi - a city in Macedonia - and sent by Titus and Lucas)
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