2 Corinthians 10–13

10Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you: ²yea, I beseech you, that I may not when present show courage with the confidence wherewith I count to be bold against some, who count of us as if we walked according to the flesh. ³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh ⁴(for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds), ⁵casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; ⁶and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full. ⁷Ye look at the things that are before your face. If any man trusteth in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ’s, so also are we. ⁸For though I should glory somewhat abundantly concerning our authority (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down), I shall not be put to shame: ⁹that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. ¹⁰For, His letters, they say, are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account. ¹¹Let such a one reckon this, that, what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present. ¹²For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with certain of them that commend themselves: but they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding. ¹³But we will not glory beyond our measure, but according to the measure of the province which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even unto you. ¹⁴For we stretch not ourselves overmuch, as though we reached not unto you: for we came even as far as unto you in the gospel of Christ: ¹⁵not glorying beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors; but having hope that, as your faith groweth, we shall be magnified in you according to our province unto further abundance, ¹⁶so as to preach the gospel even unto the parts beyond you, and not to glory in another’s province in regard of things ready to our hand. ¹⁷But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. ¹⁸For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

11Would that ye could bear with me in a little foolishness: but indeed ye do bear with me. ²For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ. ³But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ. ⁴For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with him. ⁵For I reckon that I am not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. ⁶But though I be rude in speech, yet am I not in knowledge; nay, in every way have we made this manifest unto you in all things. ⁷Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God for nought? ⁸I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you; ⁹and when I was present with you and was in want, I was not a burden on any man; for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my want; and in everything I kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself. ¹⁰As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this glorying in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth. ¹²But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. ¹³For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. ¹⁴And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. ¹⁵It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.

¹⁶I say again, Let no man think me foolish; but if ye do, yet as foolish receive me, that I also may glory a little. ¹⁷That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying. ¹⁸Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. ¹⁹For ye bear with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves. ²⁰For ye bear with a man, if he bringeth you into bondage, if he devoureth you, if he taketh you captive, if he exalteth himself, if he smiteth you on the face. ²¹I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet whereinsoever any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also. ²²Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. ²³Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft. ²⁴Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. ²⁵Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep; ²⁶in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; ²⁷in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. ²⁸Besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches. ²⁹Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not? ³⁰If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weakness. ³¹The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for evermore knoweth that I lie not. ³²In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to take me: ³³and through a window was I let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.

12I must needs glory, though it is not expedient; but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. ²I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not; or whether out of the body, I know not; God knoweth), such a one caught up even to the third heaven. ³And I know such a man (whether in the body, or apart from the body, I know not; God knoweth), ⁴how that he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. ⁵On behalf of such a one will I glory: but on mine own behalf I will not glory, save in my weaknesses. ⁶For if I should desire to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I shall speak the truth: but I forbear, lest any man should account of me above that which he seeth me to be, or heareth from me. ⁷And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. ⁸Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. ⁹And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

¹¹I am become foolish: ye compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I am nothing. ¹²Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, by signs and wonders and mighty works. ¹³For what is there wherein ye were made inferior to the rest of the churches, except it be that I myself was not a burden to you? forgive me this wrong.

¹⁴Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be a burden to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. ¹⁵And I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less? ¹⁶But be it so, I did not myself burden you; but, being crafty, I caught you with guile. ¹⁷Did I take advantage of you by any one of them whom I have sent unto you? ¹⁸I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?

¹⁹Ye think all this time that we are excusing ourselves unto you. In the sight of God speak we in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying. ²⁰For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would, and should myself be found of you such as ye would not; lest by any means there should be strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults; ²¹lest again when I come my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore, and repented not of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they committed.

13This is the third time I am coming to you. At the mouth of two witnesses or three shall every word be established. ²I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, to them that have sinned heretofore, and to all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare; ³seeing that ye seek a proof of Christ that speaketh in me; who to you-ward is not weak, but is powerful in you: ⁴for he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth through the power of God.…