2 Corinthians 9–10

Administering the Gift

9Now concerning ^athe ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; ²for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a ^byear ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. ^3cYet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; ⁴lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this ¹confident boasting. ⁵Therefore I thought it necessary to ²exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a ³grudging obligation.

The Cheerful Giver

^6dBut this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows ⁴bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, ^enot grudgingly or of ⁵necessity; for ^fGod loves a cheerful giver. ^8gAnd God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. ⁹As it is written:

^h“He has dispersed abroad,

He has given to the poor;

His righteousness endures forever.”

¹⁰Now ⁶may He who ⁱsupplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, ⁷supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your ^jrighteousness, ¹¹while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, ^kwhich causes thanksgiving through us to God. ¹²For the administration of this service not only ^lsupplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, ¹³while, through the proof of this ministry, they ^mglorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal ⁿsharing with them and all men, ¹⁴and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding ^ograce of God in you. ¹⁵Thanks be to God ^pfor His indescribable gift!

The Spiritual War

10Now ^aI, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—^bwho in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. ²But I beg you ^cthat when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think 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. ^4dFor the weapons ^eof our warfare are not ¹carnal but ^fmighty in God ^gfor pulling down strongholds, ^5hcasting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ⁱand being ready to punish all disobedience when ^jyour obedience is fulfilled.

Reality of Paul’s Authority

^7kDo you look at things according to the outward appearance? ^lIf anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even ²so ^mwe are Christ’s. ⁸For even if I should boast somewhat more ⁿabout our authority, which the Lord gave ³us for ⁴edification and not for your destruction, ^oI shall not be ashamed—⁹lest I seem to terrify you by letters. ¹⁰“For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but ^phis bodily presence is weak, and his ^qspeech contemptible.” ¹¹Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.

Limits of Paul’s Authority

^12rFor we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. ^13sWe, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you. ¹⁴For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), ^tfor it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; ¹⁵not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, ^uin other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, ¹⁶to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment.

¹⁷But ^v“he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” ¹⁸For ^wnot he who commends himself is approved, but ^xwhom the Lord commends.