Historical

He refers to the false apostles, and defends his authority and calling.

10 I Paul myself beseech you, by the meekness and softness of Christ – I who when I am present among you am of no reputation, but am bold toward you when absent. ² I beseech you so that I need not to be bold when I am present (with that same confidence that I am supposed to be bold with) toward some who consider us as though we walked carnally. ³ Nevertheless, though we walk encompassed with the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal things, but things mighty in God to cast down strongholds, ⁵ with which we overthrow imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity all understanding to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and are ready to take vengeance on all disobedience, when your obedience might come to an end. ⁷ Do you look on things after the outward appearance?

If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ’s, let him also consider that as he is Christ’s, so also are we Christ’s. ⁸ And if I were to boast somewhat of our authority, which the Lord has given us to build up, and not to break you down, it would not be to my discredit. ⁹ I say this so that I do not seem as though I went about to make you afraid with letters. ¹⁰ For the epistles (says he) are strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is poor. ¹¹ Let such a man think of it this way: that as we are in words by letters when we are absent, such are we in deeds when we are present.

¹² For we cannot find in our hearts to make ourselves of their number, or to compare ourselves with those who laud themselves; nevertheless, while they measure themselves against themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they understand nothing. ¹³ But we will not boast unduly, but according to the measure of the work that God has assigned to us – a work that reaches even to you. ¹⁴ For we are not overrating ourselves, as if we had not reached to you, because we did reach you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ And we do not claim undue credit for other men’s labours. Yea, and we hope, when your faith is increased among you, to be advanced further in our work, ¹⁶ and to preach the gospel in those regions that are beyond you – and not to boast of that which is prepared already by another man’s work.

¹⁷ But let him who boasts, boast in the Lord. ¹⁸ For he who praises himself is not accepted, but he whom the Lord praises.

Paul (with reluctance) commends himself, and defends his authority against the false prophets.

11 I would you could suffer me a little in my foolishness, yea and I ask you to bear with me. ² For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I espoused you to one man, to present you a chaste virgin to Christ. ³ But I fear that, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. ⁴ For if he who comes preaches another Jesus than him whom we preached, or if you are given another spirit than that which you were given, or another gospel than that which you were given, you might right well be content.

⁵ I suppose that I was not behind the chief apostles. ⁶ Though I be poor in speaking, yet I am not so in knowledge. However, among you we are known to the utmost, who we are in all things. ⁷ Did I sin, because I humbled myself so that you could be exalted, and because I preached to you the gospel of God free? ⁸ I robbed other congregations, and took support from them in order to serve you. ⁹ And when I was present with you and had need, I was a burden to no one, for that which was lacking to me, the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in all things I kept myself so that I would not be burdensome to you. And I will continue so to keep myself. ¹⁰ If the truth of Christ is in me, this claim will not be taken from me in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows. ¹² Nevertheless, what I do, that I will continue to do, so as to cut away occasion from those who desire occasion to seem like us in the things that they claim.

¹³ For the false apostles are deceitful workers, and fashion themselves to be like the apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for Satan himself is changed into the fashion of an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers fashion themselves as though they were the ministers of righteousness – whose end shall be according to their deeds.

¹⁶ I say again, lest anyone think that I am foolish, or else even now take me as a fool if I boast a little, ¹⁷ that what I am saying I do not say after the ways of the Lord, but as it were foolishly, since we have now come to boasting. ¹⁸ Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will boast also. ¹⁹ For you suffer fools gladly, because you yourselves are wise. ²⁰ For you oblige even if a man brings you into bondage, if a man devours, if a man takes, if a man exalts himself, if a man strikes you on the face. ²¹ I speak by way of rebuke. As if we were weak!

However, in any point a man dares to presume (I speak foolishly), I dare to presume 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 like a fool); I am more so: in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prison more frequently, in death often.

²⁴ Five times from the Jews I received every time forty stripes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. I was once stoned. I suffered shipwreck three times. Night and day I have been in the deep of the sea, ²⁶ often journeying, in danger in rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my own nation, in danger among the heathen. I have been in danger in cities, in danger in the countryside, in danger on the sea, in danger among false brethren, ²⁷ in labour and travail, in sleepless nights often, in hunger, in thirst – going without food often, in cold and without clothing. ²⁸ And besides the things that outwardly happen to me, I am daily concerned and do care for all the congregations. ²⁹ Who is sick, and I am not sick? Who is hurt in the faith and my heart does not burn? ³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of my afflictions. ³¹ The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forevermore, knows that I do not speak untruly.

³² In the city of Damascus, the governor of the people under king Aretas laid watch in the city of the Damascenes, and would have captured me. ³³ But at a window I was let down in a basket through the wall, and so escaped his hands.

Paul is taken up into the third heaven and hears words not to be spoken of.

12 No doubt it is not seemly for me to boast. Nevertheless, I will come to visions and revelations from the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ about fourteen years ago (whether he was in the body I cannot tell, or whether he was out of the body I cannot tell, God knows) who was taken up into the third heaven. ³ And I know the same man (whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell, God knows), ⁴ how he was taken up into Paradise and heard words not to be spoken, which no man can utter. ⁵ Of this man I will boast. Of myself I will not boast, unless it be of my infirmities. ⁶ And yet if I chose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. Nevertheless, I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be, or hears from me.

⁷ And lest I should be unduly lifted up through the greatness of the revelations, there was given to me unquietness of the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me – because I should not be unduly lifted up. ⁸ For this thing I besought the Lord three times, to put it from me. ⁹ And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect through weakness. Very gladly therefore will I rest in my weakness, so that the strength of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰ Therefore I am content in infirmities, in reproach, in need, in persecutions, in anguish, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

¹¹ I am made a fool in going on about myself. You have compelled me. I ought to have been commended by you. For in nothing was I inferior to the chief apostles. Though I am nothing, ¹² yet the signs that mark an apostle were wrought among you with all patience – with miracles, and wonders, and works of power. ¹³ For in what were you less favoured than other congregations? – unless it is in that I was not burdensome to you. Forgive me this wrong done to you! ¹⁴ And now the third time I am ready to come to you, and still I will not be a burden to you. For I seek not yours, but you. Also, the children ought not to lay up for the fathers and mothers, but the fathers and mothers for the children. ¹⁵ I will very gladly give, and will be given, for your souls – though the more I love you, the less I am loved in return.

¹⁶ But granted that I did not impose upon you, nevertheless I was crafty and took you with guile – ¹⁷ Did I rob you through any of the men that I sent to you? ¹⁸ I asked Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus defraud you of anything? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in like steps? ¹⁹ Again, do you think that we are justifying ourselves to you? We speak in Christ, in the sight of God.

But we do all things, dearly beloveds, for your upbuilding. ²⁰ For I fear lest it come to pass that when I come, I will not find you such as I would like, and you will find me such as I would not want. I fear lest there be found among you debate, envying, anger, rivalry, backbiting, whisperings, swelling, and discord. ²¹ I fear that when I come again, God may bring me low among you, and I may be constrained to bewail many of those who have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and wantonness that they have committed.

He promises to come to them, and he exhorts them to get themselves in order so that he may find them perfect and in harmony.

13 Now I am coming the third time to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall everything be established. ² I told you before and I am warning you now, and as I said when I was present with you the second time, so I write now, being absent, to those who in time past have sinned and to all others: if I come again, I will not spare, ³ seeing that you seek proof of Christ who speaks in me – who among you is not weak, but is mighty in you. ⁴ And indeed, though it came of weakness that he was crucified, yet he lives through the power of God. And we no doubt are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the might of God among you.

⁵ Prove yourselves, whether you are in the faith or not. Examine your own selves. Do you not know your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless you are castaways. ⁶ I trust that you will realize that we are not castaways.

⁷ I desire before God that you do no evil – not that we should seem commendable, but that you should do that which is honourable. And let us be counted as uncommendable persons.

⁸ We can do nothing against the truth, only for the truth. ⁹ We are glad when we are weak and you strong. This also we wish for: even that you were perfect. ¹⁰ Therefore I write these things being absent, lest when I am present I must use sharpness, according to the power that the Lord has given me – to build up, and not to break down.

¹¹ Finally, brethren, fare ye well. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

¹² Greet one another in a holy kiss. ¹³ All the saints send greetings to you. ¹⁴ May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

The end of the second epistle to the Corinthians.
Sent from Philippi, a city in
Macedonia, by the
hands of Titus
and Lucas.