2Corinthians:1:12-2
Seeker Overlay ON
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For this is my proud boast ,
the testimony of my conscience ,
that it was in holiness and with pure motives before God ,
not in worldly wisdom ,
but in the grace of God ,
that I have conducted myself in the world ,
and above all in my relations with you .
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For I am writing to you nothing different from what you read aloud and very well recognize ,
and I hope will continue to recognize to the very end ,
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as some indeed did recognize in part at last ,
that I am your cause of boasting ,
just as you will be mine on the Day of Jesus our Lord .
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And in this confidence I intended to visit you ,
before going elsewhere ,
that you might have a pleasure twice over .
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I intended to go by you into Macedonia ,
and to come again to you from Macedonia ,
and by you to be sent forward on my way to Judea .
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In purposing this did I display "
caprice "?
Or what I purpose do I purpose in a worldly way ,
so that it may mean either "
Yes ,
yes ,"
or "
No ,
no "?
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As God is faithful ,
my message to you is not now "
Yes ,"
now "
No ."
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For Jesus Christ ,
Son of God ,
who was proclaimed among you by us ,
that is ,
by Silvanus and Timothy and me ,
was not wavering between "
Yes "
and "
No ,"
but in him is the everlasting "
Yes ."
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For however many are the promises of God ,
in him they are "
Yes ."
Therefore also through him let the Amen be said by our voices to the glory of God .
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And he who has established me with you in the Anointed One ,
and has anointed me ,
is God .
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He has also set his seal upon me ,
and given me the pledge of his Spirit in my heart .
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But for my part I call God to witness ,
as my soul shall answer for it ,
that it was to spare you that I came not to Corinth
* (
not that I am attempting to lord it over your faith ,
but rather to work with you for your happiness );
for your faith is stedfast .
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Now I Paul ,
myself ,
appeal to you by the humble-heartedness and selflessness of Christ -
Paul who "
in your presence is humble ,
but bold enough when he is absent " -
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I beseech you ,
and I say ,
do not make me show my boldness ,
when I come in the boldness with which I think I shall show my courage against some who think that I am walking on the low level of the flesh .
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Though I do walk on the low level of the flesh ,
I do not make war as the flesh does ;
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for the weapons of my warfare are not weapons of the flesh ,
but mighty for God ,
in pulling down all fortresses .
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For I pull down imaginations and every crag that lifts itself against the knowledge of God .
And I carry every thought away into captivity and subjection to Christ ;
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and I am fully prepared to punish every act of disobedience ,
when once your submission has been put beyond question .
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Look these facts in the face .
If any man is fully persuaded as regards himself that he belongs to Christ ,
let him consider again with himself ,
that just as he is Christs ,
so also am I .
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If ,
however ,
I were to boast more loudly concerning the authority which the Lord gave me (
not to cast you down ,
but to build you up ),
I should have no cause for shame .
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Let it not seem as if I were overawing you with my letters .
* "
His letters indeed ,"
says one , "
are mighty and forcible ,
but his personality is weak ,
and his speech contemptible ."
*
Let such a man assure himself that my actions ,
when I am present ,
will be just like my words in my letters when I am absent .
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I have not indeed the audacity to class myself among ,
or compare myself with ,
certain of the self-commenders ;
yet they are not wise in measuring themselves by one another and in comparing themselves with one another .
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I ,
however ,
will not indulge in undue boasting ,
but will confine it within the limits of the sphere to which God has assigned me -
a sphere which reaches even to you .
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For I am not overstepping the limits of my authority ,
as though I reached you not ;
since I have already come even as far as Corinth to proclaim the gospel of Christ .
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I am not "
boasting beyond measure in the labors of others ,"
but it is my hope that ,
as your faith goes on increasing among yourselves ,
by the enlargement of my appointed limits ,
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I may carry the gospel to countries beyond you ;
and not be boasting of work made ready to my hand within another mans limit .
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Meanwhile .
Let him who boasts ,
boast in the Lord .
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For a man is proved worthy ,
not by his self-commendation ,
but when he is commended by the Lord .
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Would that you could put up with a little "
folly "
from me !
Nay ,
do bear with me .
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I have a divine jealousy on your behalf ;
for I betrothed you to one only husband ,
even to Christ ,
that I might present you to him ,
a chaste virgin .
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But I fear lest ,
just as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness ,
so your minds should be seduced from your single-mindedness and purity toward Christ .
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If indeed some one is coming to preach another Jesus ,
whom I did not preach ,
or you are receiving a Spirit other than you once received ,
or another gospel which you did not accept before ,
you would do well to bear with me .
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For I reckon that I am in no respect behind your superapostolic apostles .
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Yes ,
though I be unskilled in speech ,
at least I am not in knowledge ;
indeed I made this perfectly plain to you in all things and among all men .
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Is it a sin ,
forsooth ,
that I humbled myself that you might be exalted ,
in preaching the gospel to you free of cost ?
*
Other churches I spoiled ,
and took their wages to do you service .
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Even when I lacked the actual necessities of life while I was with you ,
I was a burden to no one ;
for whatever I lacked ,
the brothers from Macedonia supplied ,
when they came .
So I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way ,
and will continue to do so .
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As the truth of Christ is in me ,
this boasting of mine shall not be stopped within the boundaries of Greece !
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And why ?
Because I love you not ?
God knows I do .
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I am doing and will continue to do this in order to cut away the ground from under those who wish some cause for slander ;
and that the ground of their boasting may appear as does mine .
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For such fellows are sham apostles of Christ .
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No wonder !
for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light .
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It is no great marvel ,
then ,
if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness .
Their end will be according to their works .
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I say again ,
let no one think me a fool .
Or ,
if you must ,
at least bear with me as a fool ,
that I ,
too ,
may do a little boasting .
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What I am about to say I am not speaking by the Lords command ,
but as it were in pure folly ,
in this boldness of boasting .
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Since so many are making worldly boasts ,
I shall boast ,
too !
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Although you are wise ,
you put up with fools willingly enough !
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You put up with it ,
though they make slaves of you ,
live on you ,
seize your property ,
lord it over you ,
even strike you in the face ,
in the way of degradation !
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I say that I was weak ,
and yet for whatever reason any one is bold (
I speak in mere folly )
I too am bold .
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Are they Hebrews ?
So am I .
Are they descendants of Israel ?
So am I .
Are they descendants of Abraham ?
So am I .
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Are they ministers of Christ ? (
I speak as though I were beside myself ),
such ,
far ,
more ,
am I ;
in labors more abundant ,
in imprisonments also more abundant ,
in floggings beyond measure ,
in deaths often .
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Five times at the hands of the Jews ,
I have received one short of forty lashes .
*
Three times I have been scourged by the Romans ;
once I have been stoned ;
three times have I been shipwrecked ;
a night and a day have I been adrift in the open sea .
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My journeys have been many ;
in perils of rivers ,
in perils of bandits ;
in perils from my countrymen ,
in perils in the city ,
in perils in the wilderness ;
in perils on the sea ,
in perils among false brothers ;
*
in toil and weariness ,
often in sleepless watching ,
in hunger and thirst ,
often without anything to eat ;
in cold and in nakedness .
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Not to mention other things ,
there is the crowding pressure of each day upon me ,
the care of all the churches .
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Who is weak ,
and I am not weak ?
Who is caused to stumble ,
but I burn with indignation ?
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If boast I must ,
it shall be concerning my weakness .
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The God and Father of the Lord Jesus ,
he who is blessed forever ,
knows that I am telling the truth .
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In Damascus ,
the governor under Aretas the King ,
kept guard over the city of the Damascus ,
to arrest me ;
*
but through an opening in the wall I was let down in a basket ,
and so escaped and out of his hands .
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I am forced to boast ,
though it is unprofitable ,
but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord .;
18 I urged Titus to go ,
and with him I sent our brother .
Did Titus make gain of you ?
And did I not walk in the same spirit as he did ?
Did I not take the very same steps ?
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I know a Christian man who ,
fourteen years ago (
whether in the body I know not ,
or out of the body ,
I know not .
God knows ),
was caught up - -
this man of whom I speak -
even into the third heaven .
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And I know such a man (
whether in the body or apart from the body I know not ,
God knows ),
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who was caught up into Paradise ,
and heard unutterable words which no human being is permitted to utter .
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Of such a one I will boast ;
but on my own behalf I will not boast except in my weaknesses .
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If I should choose to continue boasting I should not be foolish ,
for I should be speaking the truth .
But I refrain ,
lest by the stupendous grandeur of the revelation any one should estimate me beyond what he sees in me ,
or hears from me .
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It was for this reason ,
lest I should be over-elated ,
that there was given me a thorn in the flesh ,
a messenger of Satan ,
to buffet me ,
lest I should be over-elated .
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Concerning this ,
three times over I supplicated the Lord that it might leave me ;
*
but he has answered me . "
My grace is sufficient for you ;
it is in weakness that my power is perfected ."
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Most gladly therefore will I boast rather of my weakness ,
that over me like a tent may be pitched the power of Christ .
That is why I rejoice in weakness ,
in ill-treatment ,
in troubles ,
in persecutions and calamities for Christs sake .
For when I am weak ,
then am I strong .
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I am become a fool -
you have forced me to ;
for you yourselves ought to have been my vindicators .
In no respect am I inferior to these superapostolic apostles ,
even though I am nothing .
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In truth the signs of the true apostle were wrought among you in all patience by signs and marvels and powers .
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In what respect ,
then ,
were you inferior to the other churches ,
except that I myself was not a burden to you ?
Forgive me this wrong !
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And now for the third time I am preparing to visit you .
I will not be a burden to you ,
for I am not seeking yours ,
but you .
For the children ought not to lay up for the parents ,
but the parents for the children .
*
For my part ,
I will most gladly spend ,
yea ,
and will myself be spent ,
for your souls .
If I love you more abundantly ,
am I to be loved the less ?
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But though it be granted that I was not a burden to you ,
yet ,
you say ,
this was my cunning with which I caught you by a trick .
*
Did I make gain of you through any of those whom I sent to you ?
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Do you think that all this time I am defending myself to you ?
It is before the presence of God that I am speaking in Christ ;
and all ,
beloved ,
for your upbuilding .
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For I dread that perhaps ,
when I come ,
I may not find you to be such as I wish ,
and that I may be found by you such as you do not wish ;
I dread lest there should be quarrels ,
jealousy ,
tempers ,
party spirit ,
slandering ,
gossip ,
arrogance ,
tumults ;
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and lest when I come again my God may humble me before you ,
and lest I shall mourn for many those who have sinned before ,
and have not repented of the impurity and immorality and wantonness which they have practised .
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This will be my third visit to you .
Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be confirmed .
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I have said formerly ,
and I now forewarn you as when I was present the second time ,
so now when I am absent the second time ,
so now when I am absent ,
saying to those who had sinned before ,
and to all the rest , "
If I come again ,
I will not spare ,"
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Since you want a proof of Christ who is speaking in me ,
he who is not feeble toward you ,
but powerful among you .
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For though he was crucified through weakness ,
yet he now lives through the power of God .
I also am weak ,
sharing in his weakness ,
but I shall live with him by the power of God .
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Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith ;
put your own selves to the proof .
Or do you not know ,
your own selves ,
that Jesus Christ is in you ,
unless indeed you fail to abide the proof ?
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But I hope you will find that I abide the proof .
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And my prayer to God is that you may do no evil ;
not in order that I may appear approved ,
but that you may do what is noble ,
though I should seem unable to abide the proof .
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For I have no power against the truth ,
but only in defense of the truth .
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For I am always glad whenever I am weak ,
but you are strong .
For this also I am praying ,
for your perfect reformation .
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For this reason I am writing thus while absent ,
so that when I come ,
I may not have to deal sharply ,
according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up ,
and not for pulling down .
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Finally ,
brothers ,
farewell .
Aim at perfection ,
take courage ,
be of one mind ,
live in peace ;
so shall the God of love and peace be with you .
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Salute one another with a holy kiss .
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All the saints salute you .
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ ,
and the love of God ,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all .
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