2 Corinthians 9–10

The Collection for Christians at Jerusalem

⁹Now it is not necessary for me to write you about the ministry to the saints, ²for I know your eagerness, which is the subject of my boasting about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them.^{* 3}But I am sending^l the brothers in order that our boasting about you may not prove to have been empty in this case, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be;^{* 4}otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be put to shame—to say nothing of you—in this undertaking.^{m 5}So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for this bountiful gift that you have promised, so that it may be ready as a bountiful gift and not as an extortion.

⁶The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.^{* 7}Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not regretfully or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.^{* 8}And God is able to provide you with every blessingⁿ in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.^{* 9}As it is written,

“He scatters abroad; he gives to the poor;

his righteousness^o endures forever.”^*

¹⁰He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.^{p 11}You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us, ¹²for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. ¹³Through the testing of this ministry you^q glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your partnership with them and with all others,^{* 14}while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. ¹⁵Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!^*

Paul Defends His Ministry

¹⁰I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you but bold toward you when I am away!^*—²I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think we are acting according to human standards.^{r* 3}Indeed, we live as humans^s but do not wage war according to human standards,^{t 4}for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human,^u but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments^{* 5}and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.^{* 6}We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.^*

⁷Look^v at what is before your eyes. If you are confident that you belong to Christ, remind yourself of this, that just as you belong to Christ, so also do we.^{* 8}Now, even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it.^{* 9}I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten you with my letters. ¹⁰For someone says,^w “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible.”^{* 11}Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent we will also do when present.

¹²We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they do not show good sense.^{* 13}We, however, will not boast beyond limits but will keep within the field that God has assigned to us, to reach out even as far as you. ¹⁴For we were not overstepping our limits when we reached you; we were the first to come all the way to you with the good news^x of Christ.^{* 15}We do not boast beyond limits, that is, in the labors of others, but our hope is that, as your faith increases, our field among you may be greatly enlarged, ¹⁶so that we may proclaim the good news^y in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in someone else’s field. ¹⁷“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”^{* 18}For it is not those who commend themselves that are approved but those whom the Lord commends.^*