Dec 3 - 2 Corinthians 9-11
2 Corinthians
1Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints,2for I know your readiness, of which I boast 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.3But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove vain in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be.4Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated--to say nothing of you--for being so confident.5So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.6The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.7Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.9As it is written, "He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness 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.11You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.12For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.13By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others,14while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.15Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
1I, Paul, myself entreat 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 beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh.3For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.4For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.5We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,6being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.7Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we.8For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed.9I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters.10For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account."11Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.12Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.13But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you.14For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. We were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ.15We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged,16so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area of influence.17"Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
1I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!2I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.3But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.4For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.5I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles.6Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.7Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God's gospel to you free of charge?8I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you.9And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.10As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.11And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!12And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do.13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.14And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.15So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.16I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.17What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not with the Lord's authority but as a fool.18Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.19For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves!20For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.21To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!But whatever anyone else dares to boast of--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast of that.22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I.23Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one--I am talking like a madman--with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.24Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.25Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;26on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;27in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.28And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.32At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me,33but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.