Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

Paul Defends His Authority

10 Now ^(A)I, Paul, myself ^(B)plead with you by the ^(C)gentleness and forbearance of Christ—I who ^(D)am humble when face-to-face with you, but courageous toward you when absent! ² But I beg that ^(E)when I am present I need not act so courageously with the confidence that I consider to daringly use against ^(F)some, who consider us as if we walked ^(G)according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war ^(H)according to the flesh, ⁴ for the ^(I)weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but ^[a]divinely powerful ^(J)for the tearing down of strongholds, ⁵ as we tear down speculations and every ^(K)lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to the ^(L)obedience of Christ, ⁶ and are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever ^(M)your obedience is fulfilled.

^7 [b](N)You are looking at ^[c]things as they are outwardly. ^(O)If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, ^(P)so also are we. ⁸ For even if ^(Q)I boast somewhat ^[d]further about our ^(R)authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be put to shame, ^9 [e]for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. ¹⁰ For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his ^[f]personal presence is ^(S)weak and ^(T)his ^[g]words contemptible.” ¹¹ Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

¹² For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with ^[h]some of those who ^(U)commend themselves, but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. ¹³ But we will not boast ^(V)beyond our measure, but ^[i](W)within the measure of the area of influence which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach you, (for ^(X)we were the first to come even as far as you in the ^(Y)gospel of Christ), ¹⁵ not boasting ^(Z)beyond our measure in ^(AA)other men’s labors, but having the hope—that as ^(AB)your faith grows—to be ^(AC)enlarged even more by you ^[j]within our area of influence, ¹⁶ so as to ^(AD)proclaim the gospel even to ^(AE)the regions beyond you, and not to boast ^[k](AF)in what has been accomplished in the area of influence of another. ¹⁷ But ^(AG)he who boasts is to boast in the Lord. ¹⁸ For it is not the one who ^(AH)commends himself that is approved, but the one ^(AI)whom the Lord commends.

Paul Defends His Apostleship

11 I wish that you would ^(AJ)bear with me in a little ^(AK)foolishness, but ^[l]indeed you are bearing with me. ² For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, for I ^(AL)betrothed you to one husband, so that I might ^(AM)present you as a pure virgin to Christ. ³ But I fear that, as the ^(AN)serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be corrupted from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. ⁴ For if ^[m]one comes and preaches ^(AO)another Jesus whom we did not preach, or you receive a ^(AP)different spirit which you did not receive, or a ^(AQ)different gospel which you did not accept, you ^(AR)bear this ^(AS)beautifully. ⁵ For I consider myself ^(AT)in no way inferior to the ^[n]most-eminent apostles. ⁶ But even if I am ^(AU)unskilled in word, yet I am not so in ^(AV)knowledge; in fact, in every way we have ^(AW)made this evident to you in all things.

⁷ Or ^(AX)did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed the ^(AY)gospel of God to you ^(AZ)without charge? ⁸ I robbed other churches by ^(BA)taking wages from them to minister to you. ⁹ And when I was present with you and was in need, I was ^(BB)not a burden to anyone; for when ^(BC)the brothers came from ^(BD)Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept and will keep myself from ^(BE)being a burden to you. ^10 (BF)As the truth of Christ is in me, ^(BG)this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of ^(BH)Achaia. ¹¹ Why? ^(BI)Because I do not love you? ^(BJ)God knows I do!

¹² But what I am doing I will continue to do, ^(BK)so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be found just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. ¹³ For such men are ^(BL)false apostles, ^(BM)deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for even ^(BN)Satan disguises himself as an ^(BO)angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is not surprising if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness, ^(BP)whose end will be according to their deeds.

^16 (BQ)Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying, I am not saying ^[o](BR)according to the Lord, but as ^(BS)in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. ¹⁸ Since ^(BT)many boast ^(BU)according to the flesh, I will boast also. ¹⁹ For you, ^(BV)being so wise, are bearing the foolish gladly. ²⁰ For you bear it if anyone ^(BW)enslaves you, anyone ^(BX)devours you, anyone ^(BY)takes advantage of you, anyone ^(BZ)exalts himself, anyone ^(CA)hits you in the face. ²¹ To my ^(CB)shame I must say that we have been ^(CC)weak by comparison.

But in whatever respect anyone else ^(CD)is daring—I ^(CE)speak in foolishness—I am just as daring myself. ²² Are they ^(CF)Hebrews? ^(CG)So am I. Are they ^(CH)Israelites? ^(CI)So am I. Are they Abraham’s ^(CJ)seed? ^(CK)So am I. ²³ Are they ^(CL)ministers of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in ^[p](CM)far more labors, in ^[q](CN)far more imprisonments, in ^(CO)beatings without number, in frequent ^(CP)danger of death. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews ^(CQ)forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(CR)beaten with rods, once I was ^(CS)stoned, three times I was shipwrecked—a night and a day I have spent in the deep. ²⁶ I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my ^(CT)countrymen, dangers from the ^(CU)Gentiles, dangers in the ^(CV)city, dangers in the desolate places, dangers on the sea, dangers among ^(CW)false brothers. ²⁷ I have been in ^(CX)labor and hardship, in many sleepless nights, in ^(CY)starvation and thirst, often ^(CZ)hungry, in cold and ^[r](DA)without enough clothing. ²⁸ Apart from such ^[s]external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for ^(DB)all the churches. ²⁹ Who is ^(DC)weak without my being weak? Who is made to stumble ^[t]without my burning concern?

³⁰ If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my ^(DD)weakness. ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^(DE)He who is blessed forever, ^(DF)knows that I am not lying. ³² In ^(DG)Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was ^(DH)guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, ³³ and I was let down in a basket ^(DI)through a window ^[u]in the wall, and so escaped his hands.