Beginning

Paul Defends His Ministry

10 Now I, Paul, who am lowly in presence among you but bold toward you while absent, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. ² I beg you that when I am present, I might not have to be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, ⁵ casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is complete.

⁷ Do you look at things from the outward appearance? If any man trusts that he is Christ’s, let him consider again that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s. ⁸ For even if I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord has given us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed, ⁹ lest I appear to frighten you by my letters. ¹⁰ “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” ¹¹ Let such a person consider this: that 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 count or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. They who measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another are not wise. ¹³ But we will not boast beyond measure, but within the boundaries which God has appointed us, which reach even you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves as though we did not reach you, since we have come to you, preaching the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ We are not boasting of things beyond our measure in other men’s labors. But we have hope that when your faith is increased, our region shall be greatly enlarged by you, ¹⁶ to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you and not to boast in another man’s accomplishments. ¹⁷ But, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”^{[a] 18} For it is not he who commends himself who is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.

Paul and the False Apostles

11 I would to God you could bear with me a little in my folly. Indeed, bear with me. ² For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. ³ But I fear that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve through his trickery, so your minds might be led astray from the simplicity that is in Christ. ⁴ For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might submit to it readily enough.

⁵ For I think I am not in any way inferior to the most eminent of the apostles. ⁶ Even though I am unpolished in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. All things about us have been thoroughly revealed to you. ⁷ Did I commit a sin in abasing myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God free of charge? ⁸ I robbed other churches by accepting wages from them to serve you. ⁹ Furthermore, when I was present with you and was lacking, I was a burden to no one. For the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I lacked. In all things I have kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so will I keep myself. ¹⁰ As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.

¹² And I will continue doing what I am doing, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be found equal to us in what they boast about. ¹³ For such are false apostles and deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder! For even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

Paul’s Sufferings as an Apostle

¹⁶ I say again, let no one think that I am a fool. Otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, so that I also may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. ¹⁸ Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast. ¹⁹ For you tolerate fools gladly, seeing you yourselves are wise. ²⁰ For you permit it if a man brings you into bondage, if a man devours you, if a man takes from you, if a man exalts himself, or if a man strikes you on the face. ²¹ I say to my reproach that we were too weak for that.

But whenever anyone is bold (I speak foolishly), I am bold also. ²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they servants of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I suffered shipwreck; a night and a day I have been in the deep; ²⁶ in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen, in perils by the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the 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, and in cold and nakedness. ²⁸ Beside the external things, the care of all the churches pressures me daily. ²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I am not distressed?

³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of the things which concern my weakness. ³¹ The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forevermore, knows that I am not lying. ³² In Damascus the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me. ³³ But I was let down by the wall through a window in a basket and escaped his hands.

Visions and Revelations

12 Doubtless it is not profitable for me to boast. So I will move on to visions and revelations of the Lord. ² I knew a man in Christ over fourteen years ago—whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. ³ And I knew that such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell, God knows— ⁴ was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words not permitted for a man to say. ⁵ Of such a person, I will boast. Yet of myself I will not boast, except in my weaknesses. ⁶ For if I desire to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But now I resist, lest anyone should think of me above that which he sees me to be or hears from me. ⁷ And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me, lest I be exalted above measure. ⁸ I asked the Lord three times that this thing might depart from me. ⁹ But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ So I take pleasure in weaknesses, in reproaches, in hardships, in persecutions, and in distresses for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul’s Concern for the Corinthian Church

¹¹ I have become a fool in boasting. You have compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for I am in no way inferior to the leading apostles, though I am nothing. ¹² Truly the signs of an apostle were performed among you in all patience, in signs and wonders, and mighty deeds. ¹³ For in what respect were you inferior to other churches, unless it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong!

¹⁴ I am ready to come to you this third time. And I will not be burdensome to you, for I do not seek what is yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. ¹⁵ And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? ¹⁶ But be that as it may. I did not burden you. Nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with deceit. ¹⁷ Did I take advantage of you by any of those whom I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus to go, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?

¹⁹ Again, do you think that we are defending ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ. We do all things, beloved, for your edifying. ²⁰ For I fear that when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish. I fear there are debates, envying, wrath, strife, backbiting, whispering, arrogance, and disorder. ²¹ And I fear that when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall mourn for many who have sinned already, who have not repented of uncleanness, sexual immorality, and lasciviousness which they have committed.

Final Warnings and Greetings

13 This is the third time I am coming to you. “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”^{[b] 2} I told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time. And being absent now, I write to those who have sinned before, and to all the others, that if I come again, I will not spare anyone, ³ since you seek proof of Christ speaking through me, who toward you is not weak, but is mighty in you. ⁴ For though He was crucified through weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. So also we are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God serving you.

⁵ Examine yourselves, seeing whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not know that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. ⁶ I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. ⁷ Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do that which is honorable, whether or not we may seem disqualified. ⁸ For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹ For we are glad when we are weak, and you are strong. We wish even your perfection. ¹⁰ Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should be sharp, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.

¹¹ Finally, brothers, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, and live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

¹² Greet one another with a holy kiss. ¹³ All the saints greet you.

¹⁴ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.