Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

Paul’s Ministry Defended

10 Now I, Paul, appeal to you myself by the humility and gentleness of Christ, who when I am present in person^[a] am humble among you, but when I^[b] am absent am bold toward you— ² now I ask when I^[c] am present that I will not need to be bold with the confidence with which I propose to show boldness toward some who consider us as behaving according to the flesh. ³ For although we^[d] are living in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, ⁴ for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but powerful to God for the tearing down of fortresses, tearing down arguments ⁵ and all pride that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. ⁶ And we are ready^[e] to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is completed.

⁷ You are looking at things according to appearance. If anyone is convinced he himself is Christ’s, he should consider this concerning himself again: that just as Christ himself is, so also are we. ⁸ For even if I boast somewhat more about our authority that the Lord gave us for building you up and not for tearing you down^[f], I will not be put to shame, ⁹ so that I do not want to appear as if I were terrifying you by my letters, ¹⁰ because it is said, “His letters are severe and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech is of no account.” ¹¹ Let such a person consider this: that what we are in word by letters when we^[g] are absent, we will also be in actions^[h] when we^[i] are present.

¹² For we do not dare to classify or to compare ourselves with some who commend themselves, but they themselves, when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, do not understand. ¹³ But we will not boast beyond limits^[j], but according to the measure of the assignment that God has assigned to us as a measure to reach even as far as you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we^[k] had not reached you, because we have reached even as far as you with the gospel of Christ, ¹⁵ not boasting beyond limits^[l] in the labors of others, but having hope that as your faith is growing to be enlarged greatly by you according to our assignment, ¹⁶ so that we may proclaim the gospel in the regions that lie beyond you, and not boast in the things accomplished in the area assigned to someone else. ¹⁷ But “the one who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”^{[m] 18} For it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Paul Defends His Apostleship

11 I wish that you would put up with me in something a little foolish^[n]—but indeed you are putting up with me. ² For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. ³ But I am afraid lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds may be led astray from the sincerity and the purity of devotion to Christ. ⁴ For if the one who comes proclaims another Jesus whom we have not proclaimed, or you receive a different spirit which you did not receive, or a different gospel which you did not accept, you put up with it well enough! ⁵ For I consider myself in no way to be inferior to the preeminent apostles.^{[o] 6} But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not in knowledge; certainly in everything we have made this clear to you in every way. ⁷ Or did I commit a sin by^[p] humbling myself in order that you may be exalted, because I proclaimed the gospel of God to you without payment? ⁸ I robbed other churches by^[q] accepting support from them for the ministry to you. ⁹ And when I^[r] was present with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will keep myself from being a burden. ¹⁰ As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine^[s] will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ Why^[t]? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! ¹² But what I am doing, I will also do, in order that I may remove the opportunity of those who want an opportunity, that they may be found just as also we are in what they are boasting about. ¹³ For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is not a great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

Paul Boasts in His Sufferings

¹⁶ Again I say, do not let anyone think I am foolish. But indeed, if you do, accept me even as foolish, in order that I also may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying in this project of boasting, I am not saying as the Lord would say, but as in foolishness. ¹⁸ Since many are boasting according to human standards, I also will boast. ¹⁹ For because you^[u] are wise, you put up with foolish people gladly! ²⁰ For you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone is presumptious toward you, if someone strikes you in the face. ²¹ I say this to my shame, namely, that we have been weak.

But in whatever anyone dares to boast—I am speaking in foolishness—I also dare to boast. ²² Are they Hebrews? I am also! Are they Israelites? I am also! Are they descendants of Abraham? I am also! ²³ Are they servants of Christ?—I am speaking as though I were beside myself—I am more so, with far greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with beatings to a much greater degree, in danger of death many times. ²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. A day and a night I have spent in the deep water. ²⁶ I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own people, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers because of false brothers, ²⁷ with toil and hardship, often in sleepless nights, with hunger and thirst, often going hungry, in cold and poorly clothed. ²⁸ Apart from these external things, there is the pressure on me every day of the anxiety about all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to sin, and I do not burn with indignation? ³⁰ If it is necessary to boast, I will boast about the things related to my weakness^[v]. ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever^[w], knows that I am not lying. ³² In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to take me into custody, ³³ and I was lowered through a window through the wall in a rope-basket, and I escaped his hands.