Beginning
Now Don’t Make Me Have To Act Boldly Against Some of You, For My Weapons Are Powerful
10 Now I, Paul, myself, am appealing-to you by the gentleness and kindness of Christ— I who face-to-face am lowly among you, but while absent am-bold toward you! 2 And I am begging that I may not [have to] be bold[a] while present with the confidence with which I am considering to dare [to act] against some considering us as walking in accordance with the flesh[b]. 3 For [though] walking in the flesh, we are not waging-war in accordance with the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly[c], but powerful in[d] God for the tearing-down of fortresses. We are tearing-down[e] considerations[f] 5 and every height[g] being raised-up against the knowledge of God, and taking-captive every thought[h] to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish[i] all disobedience[j], when your obedience is fulfilled[k].
If I Boast In My Authority In Christ, I Will Not Be Put To Shame
7 You are[l] looking at things according to appearance. If someone[m] is confident in himself that he is Christ’s[n], let him consider this again in himself: that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. 8 For if I should boast anything more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building-up and not for tearing you down, I shall not be put-to-shame— 9 in order that I may not seem[o] as-if I would [merely] frighten you by my letters! 10 Because “The letters”, he[p] says, “are weighty and strong, but the presence of his body is weak, and his speaking is treated-with-contempt[q]”. 11 Let such a one consider this: that such as we are in word by letters while absent, such ones we are also in deed while present!
For I Do Not Commend Myself Or Compare Myself To Others
12 For we do not dare to class or compare ourselves with some of the ones commending themselves. But they— measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves— do not understand[r].
And I Do Not Boast In Unmeasured Things Or In The Labors of Others
13 And we will not boast in unmeasured[s] things, but in-relation-to[t] the measure of [u] the standard[v] which God apportioned to us as a measure: to reach as far as even you. 14 For we are not, as-if not reaching to you, overextending ourselves. For we arrived even as far as you in connection with the good-news of Christ!— 15 not boasting in unmeasured things, in labors belonging-to-others, but having the hope, while your faith is growing, that we might be enlarged[w] in[x] you in relation to our standard of measure, for an abundance; 16 that we might announce-the-good-news in the regions beyond[y] you, not that we might boast in the prepared things in the standard of measure belonging-to-another.
The One The Lord Commends Is The Approved One
17 But “let the one boasting be boasting in the Lord” [Jer 9:24]. 18 For not that one commending himself is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
I Am Jealous For You, For I Fear That You Are Being Corrupted By False Messengers
11 O-that you would bear-with me as to a little bit[z] of foolishness— but indeed, keep-bearing-with[aa] me! 2 For I am jealous-for[ab] you with a jealousy[ac] of [ad] God. For I betrothed[ae] you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am fearing that as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds[af] should somehow be corrupted[ag] from sincerity[ah] and purity for[ai] Christ. 4 For indeed if the one coming proclaims another Jesus whom we did not proclaim, or you receive a different spirit which you did not receive, or a different good-news which you did not accept— you bear-with him nicely!
For I Come Short of No Other Apostle, Especially In Knowledge
5 For I think that I have in no way come-short-of [aj] the superlative[ak] apostles. 6 But even though I am untrained in speech, nevertheless I am not in knowledge. But in every way we made this evident in all things to you.
Or Did I Sin By Not Letting You Pay Me?
7 Or[al] did I commit a sin [by] humbling myself in order that you might be exalted— because I freely[am] announced-as-good-news to you the good-news of God? 8 I robbed[an] other churches, having taken rations[ao] from them for your ministry! 9 And while being present with you and having been in-need, I did not burden anyone— for the brothers having come from Macedonia supplied my need. And in every way I kept and will keep myself unburdensome to you.
I Won’t Stop This Boast, For It Cuts Off The Opportunity For False Apostles
10 As the truth of Christ is[ap] in me, this boasting[aq] will not be stopped for me in the regions of Achaia! 11 For what reason? Because I do not love you? God knows I do. 12 But what I am doing, I indeed will do in order that I may cut-off the opportunity[ar] of the ones wanting an opportunity that they might be found to be just as also we in what they are boasting. 13 For such ones are false-apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if also his ministers are disguising themselves as ministers of righteousness— whose end shall be according to their works.
Don’t Think Me Foolish, But I Too Can Boast
16 Again I say, let no one think me to be foolish. Otherwise indeed, receive me even if as foolish, in order that I also may boast a little bit! 17 In this confidence[as] of boasting[at], what I am speaking, I am not speaking according-to the Lord, but as in foolishness.
I Also Can Boast In My Heritage And My Service For Christ
18 Since many are boasting according-to the flesh, I also will boast! 19 For with-pleasure you bear-with the unwise[au], being wise. 20 For you bear-with it if anyone enslaves[av] you, if anyone devours[aw] you, if anyone takes you, if anyone lifts-up[ax] himself, if anyone beats[ay] you in the face. 21 I speak in-accordance-with my dishonor[az]— how that we have been weak! But in whatever anyone may dare to boast— I am speaking in foolishness— I also dare. 22 Are they Hebrews? I also. Are they Israelites? I also. Are they seed of Abraham? I also. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I speak being distraught[ba], I more— in far-more labors, in far-more prisons, in many-more beatings, in deaths[bb] often.
But I Will Boast In The Things Pertaining To My Weakness
24 By Jews five-times I received forty lashes less one. 25 Three-times I was beaten-with-rods. Once I was stoned. Three-times I was shipwrecked. I have done a night-and-day in the deep. 26 On journeys often— in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my nation[bc], in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false-brothers. 27 In labor and hardship, in watchings[bd] often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Apart from the external[be] things, there is the daily pressure[bf] on me, the concern for all the churches— 29 who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused-to-fall, and I do not burn[bg]? 30 If it-is-necessary[bh] to boast, I will boast the things of my weakness! 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, the One being blessed[bi] forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus, the ethnarch[bj] of Aretas[bk] the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes to seize me. 33 And I was lowered in a basket through a window through the wall and escaped his hands.
I Could Boast In My Visions And Revelations From The Lord
12 It-is-necessary to boast. It is not beneficial[bl], but I will come to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago— whether in the body, I do not know, or outside of the body, I do not know. God knows— that such a one was snatched-away[bm] to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man— whether in the body or apart from the body, I do not know. God knows— 4 that he was snatched away into paradise, and heard unspeakable words which are not permitted for a man to speak. 5 I will boast on behalf of such a one. But I will not boast on behalf of myself, except in the weaknesses. 6 For if I should desire to boast, I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I am sparing you, that no one might credit to me beyond what he sees as to me, or hears as to something from me.
But God’s Power Is Perfected In Weakness, So I Will Boast In My Weaknesses
7 And[bn] for the excess[bo] of the revelations— for-this-reason, in order that I might not be exalted[bp], a thorn in the flesh was given to me; a messenger of Satan to[bq] beat[br] me in order that I might not be exalted. 8 I appealed-to the Lord about this three-times, that it[bs] might depart from me. 9 And He has said to me: “My grace is sufficient[bt] for you. For My power is perfected[bu] in weakness”. Therefore most-gladly[bv] I will rather boast in my weaknesses in order that the power of Christ may dwell upon me. 10 For this reason I am well-pleased with weaknesses, with insults[bw], with constraints, with persecutions and distresses for the sake of Christ. For whenever I am weak, at that time I am powerful[bx].
I Ought To Be Commended By You, For I Did The Signs of The Apostle Among You
11 I have become foolish— you compelled me! For I ought to be being commended by you! For I in no way came-short-of the superlative[by] apostles, even though I am nothing; 12 the signs[bz] of the apostle were produced among you in[ca] all endurance in both signs and wonders, and miracles.
My Only Shortcoming Is Not Letting You Pay Me! I Will Gladly Spend Myself For You!
13 For what is it as to which you were worse-off [cb] than the other churches?— except that I myself did not burden[cc] you. Forgive me this wrong-doing! 14 Behold— this is the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden. For I am not seeking your things, but you. For the children ought not to be storing-up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 But I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls— though while loving you more, I am[cd] loved less!
And Everyone I Sent You Did The Same As I
16 But let it[ce] be— I did not weigh you down, but being crafty, I took you by deceit! 17 As to anyone of whom I have sent-out to you— I did not exploit you through him, did I ? 18 I urged Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same spirit? In the same footsteps?
In All This I Am Speaking To Edify You, Lest I Should Have To Come And Mourn Over You
19 All-this-time are you thinking[cf] that we are defending-ourselves to you? We are speaking before God in Christ— and speaking all things, beloved, for the sake of your edification. 20 For I am fearing that having come, I may somehow find you to be not such as I want and I may be found by you to be such as you do not want— that somehow there may be strife, jealousy, rages[cg], selfish-interests, slanders, whisperings, puffings [with pride], disorders[ch]; 21 that I having come again[ci], my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn many of the ones having previously-sinned and not having repented over[cj] the impurity and sexual-immorality and sensuality which they practiced.
When I Come I Will Not Spare Those Seeking Proof of Christ Speaking In Me
13 This is the third time I am coming[ck] to you. Every word shall be established based-on the mouth of two and three witnesses. 2 I have said-before and I am saying-beforehand, as being-present[cl] the second time and being-absent now, to the ones having previously-sinned and to all the rest— that if I come again I will not spare you, 3 since you are seeking a proof of Christ speaking in me, Who is not weak toward you, but is strong in you. 4 For indeed He was crucified because-of weakness[cm], but He lives because-of the power of God. For indeed we are weak in Him, but we will live with Him because of the power of God toward you.
Prove Yourselves, That Christ Is In You!
5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith! Prove[cn] yourselves! Or do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?— unless indeed you are disapproved[co]. 6 But I hope that you will come-to-know that we are not disapproved.
We Are Praying For You
7 And we are praying to God that you may not do anything bad[cp]— not in order that we may appear approved[cq], but in order that you may be doing the good, and we may be as[cr] disapproved. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but [only] for the truth. 9 For we are rejoicing whenever we are weak but you are strong. This also we are praying— your restoration[cs].
I Am Writing So I Don’t Have To Act Severely When I Come
10 For this reason I am writing these things while absent— in order that while being-present, I may not act severely[ct] according-to[cu] the authority which the Lord gave me for building-up and not for tearing-down.
11 Finally, brothers, be rejoicing[cv], be restored[cw], be exhorted[cx], be thinking the same thing, be living-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 [cy] the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of [cz] God and the fellowship of [da] the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing