Beginning

10 ¶ Now I, Paul, myself beseech you by the meekness and clemency of the Christ (who in presence am low among you, but being absent am bold toward you)

² but I beseech you that I need not be bold when I am present with that confidence, with which I am esteemed to use against some who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.

³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh

⁴ (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the destruction of strong holds),

⁵ casting down reasonings and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and leading captive every thought into the obedience of the Christ

⁶ and having a readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

⁷ ¶ Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If anyone trusts to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s.

⁸ For though I should glory somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord has given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed,

⁹ That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by 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 one think this, that such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.

¹² ¶ For we dare not mix ourselves in with or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves, but they do not understand that they are measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves.

¹³ But we will not glory of things beyond our measure, but according to the measure of the rule, of the measure which God has distributed to us, to reach even unto you.

¹⁴ For we do not overextend ourselves by reaching unto you; for we are also come unto you with the gospel of the Christ,

¹⁵ Not glorying of things beyond our measure in the labours of others; but having hope of the increase of your faith, that we shall be abundantly enlarged among you according to our rule,

¹⁶ to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, without entering into the measure {Gr. rule} of another to glory in that which has already been made ready.

¹⁷ But he that glories, let him glory in the Lord.

¹⁸ For it is not he that commends himself that is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

11 ¶ I wish ye could bear with me a little in my folly and indeed bear with me.

² For I am jealous over you with the jealousy of God, for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to the Christ.

³ But I fear that as the serpent deceived Eve through his craftiness, so your senses should be corrupted in some way, and ye should fall from the simplicity that is in the Christ.

⁴ Therefore if anyone comes preaching another Jesus whom we have not preached or if ye receive another spirit from that which ye have received or another gospel from that which ye have accepted, ye bear well with it.

⁵ ¶ I reckon that I have not been inferior in any way to those grandiose apostles.

⁶ But though I am rude in speech, yet not in knowledge, but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things.

⁷ Have I committed an offence in humbling myself that ye might be exalted because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

⁸ I deprived the other congregations, {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} taking wages of them, to do you service.

⁹ And when I was present with you and had need, I was not a burden to any of you, for that which was lacking to me was supplied by the brethren which came from Macedonia; and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.

¹⁰ It is the truth of Christ in me that this glory shall not be sealed up unto me in the regions of Achaia.

¹¹ Why? because I do not love you? God knows.

¹² But what I do, I will continue to do that I may take away the occasion from those who desire it to be found like unto us in that in which they glory.

¹³ For these false apostles are deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

¹⁴ And it is no marvel, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers transform themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.

¹⁶ ¶ I say again, Let no one think me a fool if otherwise, receive me as a fool, that I may yet glory a little.

¹⁷ That which I speak, I speak it not according to the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of glory.

¹⁸ Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

¹⁹ For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

²⁰ For ye suffer it if anyone brings you into bondage, if anyone devours you, if anyone takes of you, if anyone exalts himself, if anyone smites you on the face.

²¹ I speak as concerning the reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit in that in which another 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 ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more, in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often.

²⁴ Of the Jews five times I received forty stripes less one.

²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned; three times I suffered shipwreck, night and day I have been in the deep;

²⁶ in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by those of my nation, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

²⁷ in labour and travail, in many watches, in hunger and thirst, in many fasts, in cold and nakedness.

²⁸ Beside those things that are without, my daily combat is the welfare of all the congregations. {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}

²⁹ Who is sick, and I am not sick? who stumbles, and I burn not?

³⁰ If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern my weakness.

³¹ The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for evermore, knows that I do not lie.

³² In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me;

³³ and through a window in a basket I was let down by the wall and escaped his hands.

12 ¶ Certainly it is not expedient for me to glory, but I will come to the visions and the revelations of the Lord.

² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell; God knows) was caught up to the third heaven.

³ And I know such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell; God knows)

⁴ who was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

⁵ Of such a one I will glory, yet of myself I will not glory, except in my weaknesses.

⁶ Therefore if I should desire to glory in these things, I should not be a fool; for I would say the truth, but now I forbear lest anyone should think of me above that which he sees me to be or that he hears of me.

⁷ And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me above measure, there is given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

⁸ For this thing I besought the Lord three times that it might be taken from me.

⁹ And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather glory in my weaknesses that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

¹⁰ Therefore I am content in weaknesses, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake, for when I am weak, then am I strong.

¹¹ ¶ I have been a fool, glorying; ye have compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you, for in nothing am I behind the grandiose apostles, though I am nothing.

¹² Truly the signs of the apostle were worked out among you in all patience, in signs and wonders and power.

¹³ For what is it in which ye were inferior to the other congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} except in that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.

¹⁴ Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be burdensome to you, for I seek not your things, 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 utterly spent for your souls though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

¹⁶ But be it so, I did not burden you; nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.

¹⁷ Did I make a gain of you by any of those whom I sent unto you?

¹⁸ I besought Titus and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus defraud you? Did we not walk in the same Spirit and in the same steps?

¹⁹ Again, do ye think that we excuse ourselves unto you? We speak before God in Christ, but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.

²⁰ For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I desire and that I shall be found unto you such as ye desire not, lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, rumours, tumults,

²¹ lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I would have to mourn over many who have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

13 ¶ This third time I am coming unto you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

² I told you before and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now, I write to those who until now have sinned and to all others that, if I come again, I will not spare,

³ Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who unto 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. By which we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God in you.

⁵ Examine yourselves whether ye are in the faith; prove your own selves. Do ye not know your own selves if Jesus Christ is in you? Unless ye are reprobates.

⁶ But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

⁷ ¶ Now I pray to God that ye do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is good, though we be as reprobates.

⁸ For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

⁹ By which we are glad that we are weak and ye are strong, and even so we pray for your perfection.

¹⁰ Therefore I write these things being absent lest being present I should treat you with more severity, according to the power which the Lord has given me for edification, and not for destruction.

¹¹ ¶ For the rest, brethren, that ye may have joy, be perfected, have consolation, be of one mind, having peace; and the God of peace and charity shall be with you.

¹² Greet one another with a holy kiss.

¹³ All the saints salute you.

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