2 Corinthians 9–10

9There is no need^r for me to write to you about this service^s to the Lord’s people.^{t 2}For I know your eagerness to help,^u and I have been boasting^v about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year^w you in Achaia^x were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. ³But I am sending the brothers^y in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.^{z 4}For if any Macedonians^a come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. ⁵So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers^b to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift,^c not as one grudgingly given.^d

Generosity Encouraged

⁶Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.^{e 7}Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give,^f not reluctantly or under compulsion,^g for God loves a cheerful giver.^{h 8}And God is ableⁱ to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need,^j you will abound in every good work. ⁹As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts^k to the poor;

their righteousness endures forever.”^al

¹⁰Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food^m will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.^{n 11}You will be enriched^o in every way so that you can be generous^p on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.^q

¹²This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs^r of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.^{s 13}Because of the service^t by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God^u for the obedience that accompanies your confession^v of the gospel of Christ,^w and for your generosity^x in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵Thanks be to God^y for his indescribable gift!^z

Paul’s Defense of His Ministry

10By the humility and gentleness^a of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul,^b who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! ²I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold^c as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.^{d 3}For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.^{e 4}The weapons we fight with^f are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power^g to demolish strongholds.^{h 5}We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,ⁱ and we take captive every thought to make it obedient^j to Christ. ⁶And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.^k

⁷You are judging by appearances.^al If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ,^m they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.^{n 8}So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us^o for building you up rather than tearing you down,^p I will not be ashamed of it. ⁹I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. ¹⁰For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive^q and his speaking amounts to nothing.”^{r 11}Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

¹²We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves.^s When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. ¹³We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us,^t a sphere that also includes you. ¹⁴We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you^u with the gospel of Christ.^{v 15}Neither do we go beyond our limits^w by boasting of work done by others.^x Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow,^y our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, ¹⁶so that we can preach the gospel^z in the regions beyond you.^a For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. ¹⁷But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^{bb 18}For it is not the one who commends himself^c who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.^d