Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁶ So while always being confident^[a], and knowing that while being-at-home in the body we are away-from-home, from the Lord ⁷ (for we walk by faith, not by appearance^[b])— ⁸ yet we are confident^[c] and prefer rather to get-away-from-home, out of the body, and to get-at-home with the Lord.

Therefore We Are Ambitious To Please Him By Persuading People

⁹ Therefore^[d] we indeed are ambitious^[e] to be pleasing to Him— whether being at-home or being away-from-home. ¹⁰ For we all must appear^[f] before the judgment-seat of Christ in order that each one might receive-back^[g] the things done in^[h] the body, in-accordance-with the things which he practiced, whether good or bad.

¹¹ Therefore knowing the fear^[a] of the Lord, we are persuading^[b] people.

Now Our Heart Has Been Made Known To God, And I Hope To You. Boast In Us

Now^[c] we have been made known to God. And I hope that we also have been made known in your consciences. ¹² We are not again commending ourselves to you, but are giving you an opportunity for a boast about us, in order that you may have an answer for the ones boasting in appearance and not in heart. ¹³ For if we lost-our-senses, it is for God! If we are sound-minded, it is for you!

For The Love of Christ Controls Us As We Live a New Life For Him

¹⁴ For the love of ^[a] Christ controls^[b] us, we having determined this— that One died for all, therefore all died. ¹⁵ And He died for all so that the ones living might no longer be living for themselves, but for the One having died and been raised for them. ¹⁶ So then from now on, we regard^[c] no one based-on^[d] the flesh^[e]. Even though we have known Christ based on the flesh, nevertheless now we no longer are knowing Him thus. ¹⁷ So then if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation^[f]. The old things passed-away; behold, new things have come-into-being^[g].

The Kingdom of God Is Like Seed That Grows From Within Itself To Maturity

²⁶ And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like this: as-if a person would throw the seed upon the soil, ²⁷ and would be sleeping and arising night and day, and the seed would be budding and growing-long— how, he does not^[a] know. ²⁸ The soil bears-fruit by-itself ^[b]— first grass, then a head, then a full grain in the head. ²⁹ And whenever the fruit permits^[c], immediately he^[d] sends-forth the sickle because the harvest has come^[e]”.

The Kingdom of God Is Like a Mustard Seed. It Starts Small And Grows Large

³⁰ And He was saying, “How should we liken the kingdom of God, or with what parable may we present it?— ³¹ as a seed of a mustard-plant, which when it is sown upon the soil is being smaller than all^[f] the seeds upon the soil. ³² And when it is sown, it goes-up and becomes larger than all the garden-plants. And it makes large branches so that the birds of the heaven are able to be nesting under the shade of it”.

Jesus Spoke To The Crowd In Parables And Explained Everything To His Disciples

³³ And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them, as they were able to hear it. ³⁴ And He was not speaking to them apart from a parable. But He was explaining^[g] everything privately to His own disciples.