Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
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.
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