2 Corinthians 9–10

Chapter 9

God Gives Most

¹For ^ait is superfluous for me to write to you about this ^bministry to the ¹saints;

²for I know your readiness, of which I ^aboast about you to the ^bMacedonians, namely, that ^cAchaia has been prepared since ^dlast year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them.

³But I have sent the brethren, in order that our ^aboasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, ^bas I was saying, you may be prepared;

⁴otherwise if any ^aMacedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to speak of you—will be put to shame by this confidence.

⁵So I thought it necessary to urge the ^abrethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised ^1bbountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a ^cbountiful gift and not ^2daffected by covetousness.

⁶Now this I say, ^ahe who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows ¹bountifully will also reap bountifully.

⁷Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not ^agrudgingly or under compulsion, for ^bGod loves a cheerful giver.

⁸And ^aGod is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

⁹as it is written,

“^aHe scattered abroad, he gave to the poor,

His righteousness ¹endures forever.”

¹⁰Now He who supplies ^aseed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and ^bincrease the harvest of your righteousness;

¹¹you will be ^aenriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing ^bthanksgiving to God.

¹²For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying ^athe needs of the ¹saints, but is also overflowing ^bthrough many thanksgivings to God.

¹³Because of the proof given by this ^aministry, they will ^bglorify God for your obedience to your ^cconfession of the ^dgospel of Christ and for the liberality of your ¹contribution to them and to all,

¹⁴while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.

^15aThanks be to God for His indescribable ^bgift!

Chapter 10

Paul Describes Himself

¹Now ^aI, Paul, myself ^burge you by the ^cmeekness and gentleness of Christ—I who ^dam ¹meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!

²I ask that ^awhen I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against ^bsome, who regard us as if we walked ^caccording to the flesh.

³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war ^aaccording to the flesh,

⁴for the ^aweapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but ¹divinely powerful ^bfor the destruction of fortresses.

⁵We are destroying speculations and every ^alofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the ^bobedience of Christ,

⁶and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever ^ayour obedience is complete.

^71aYou are looking at ²things as they are outwardly. ^bIf anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, ^cso also are we.

⁸For even if ^aI boast somewhat ¹further about our ^bauthority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,

⁹¹for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.

¹⁰For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his ¹personal presence is ^aunimpressive and ^bhis speech contemptible.”

¹¹Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

¹²For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with ¹some of those who ^acommend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.

¹³But we will not boast ^abeyond our measure, but ^1bwithin the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.

¹⁴For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for ^awe were the first to come even as far as you in the ^bgospel of Christ;

¹⁵not boasting ^abeyond our measure, that is, in ^bother men’s labors, but with the hope that as ^cyour faith grows, we will be, ¹within our sphere, ^denlarged even more by you,

¹⁶so as to ^apreach the gospel even to ^bthe regions beyond you, and not to boast ^1cin what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.

¹⁷But ^ahe who boasts is to boast in the Lord.

¹⁸For it is not he who ^acommends himself that is approved, but he ^bwhom the Lord commends.