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¹ PAUL’S SECOND LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY IN CORINTHa. Greeting From Paul, an apostleb of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and from Timothy our brother. To the community of God that’s in Corinth, together with all the holy ones who are in all of Achaia.c

² Grace and peace to you, from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ!

³ God Comforts us in All our Troubles Blessd God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion, and the God of all encouragement.

⁴ God’s the One who encourages us in all our troubles.e That way, we can encourage people in all kinds of trouble, thanks to the encouragement that we ourselves have received from God.

⁵ Because just as Christ’s sufferings are overflowing in us, through Christ our encouragement is also overflowing.

⁶ So if we’re experiencing trouble, it’s for your encouragement and salvation. And if we’re being encouraged, it’s to give you encouragement,f as you endure the same sufferings that we’re experiencing.

⁷ And our hope for you is solid. Because we know that ifg we’re partners in suffering, we’re equally partners in encouragement.

⁸ Explanation of Setbacks and Changes in Travel Plans After all, brothers and sisters, we want you to knowh about the trouble we’ve faced in Asia-how we were completely weighed down, beyond our strength. It was to the point that we even gave up hope of coming out of it alive.i

⁹ But we’ve been carrying a death sentence inside so that we won’t have confidence in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead.

¹⁰ God has saved us from some really horrible deaths,j and is going to save us.k God is where our hope lies.l And God’s going to save us again,

¹¹ with you helping us in prayer. That way, thanksgiving will be offered by many people for God’s gift to us, through many people’s prayers on ourm behalf.

¹² Because we can proudly affirm the testimony of our conscience:n that we’re not operating in human wisdom, but in God’s grace. And we’ve lived in the world in the wholeheartednesso and sincerity of God-and especially in our relationship with you.

¹³ After all, we’re not writing you anything that you can’t both read and understand.

¹⁴ And I hope that you’ll understand completely, just as you’ve understood us to a certain extent so far.p Because on the day of our Lord Jesus, you’re going to be proud of us, just like we’re going to be proud of you.q

¹⁵ And I’d wanted to come to you with that confidence earlier, so you’d have a second chance.r

¹⁶ I was going to go by way of you to Macedonia,s then back again from Macedonia to you, and then, with your help, on to Judea.

¹⁷ So that’s what I wanted to do. Did I suddenly turn fickle? Or do I make plans for my own selfish purposes, so that I can say “yes, yes” one minute, and “no, no” the next?t

¹⁸ No, God’s my witness:u what we’ve said to you is not “yes” and “no”.

¹⁹ After all, consider God’s son Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us-myself and Silvanusv and Timothy. He didn’t turn out to be “yes” and “no”: far from it! The answer turned out to be “yes” in Christ.

²⁰ Because all of God’s promises are “yes” in him. So thanks to Christ, the “Amen” to God’s glory comes from us.

²¹ And God’s the One who’s confirming us-with you-in Christ. And God has anointed us.

²² And God has sealed us, and has given us the first installment of the Spirit in our hearts.

²³ And on my life before God,w I testify that it was to spare you that I decided I wouldn’t come to Corinth after all.

²⁴ We’re not going to dominatex your faith. No, we’re working together with you for your happiness, because you’re standing in faith.

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¹ Paul’s Decision to Wait before Visiting the Corinthians Soa I made a decision for myself: I wouldn’t make another painful visit to you.

² After all, if I hurt you, who’s going to cheer me up, except the one who’s been hurt by me?

³ And that’s exactly what I wrote, so that I wouldn’t come and be hurt by the very ones who should make me happy.b As I thought of you all, I was convinced that my happiness was in everybody’s happiness.c

⁴ After all, I wrote you in a lot of distress and heartbreak-with a lot of tears. It was the opposite of my intention for you to be hurt-I wanted for you to know how very deeply I love you.d

⁵ Well, if somebody’s hurt somebody, they haven’t hurt me. No, to a certain extent-not to exaggerate-he’s hurt you all.

⁶ The certain person has gotten enough punishment from the majority.

⁷ So now it’d be better for you to forgive the person and encourage him. That way the person won’t be sort of overwhelmed by too much grief.

⁸ So I’m asking you to confirm your love to him.

⁹ After all, that’s exactly why I wrote: so I’d know what you’re made of-if you’d be obedient all the way.

¹⁰ But if you forgive somebody something, so do I. Because the thing I’m forgiving them for-if there is something to forgive them for-I’m forgiving it for your sake, in the presence of Christ.

¹¹ That way, we won’t get conned by Satan. Because we know all aboute his ways of thinking.

¹² I’d gone to Troas to preach the good news of Christ, and the Lord opened a door for me.f

¹³ But I didn’t have any rest in my spirit about the fact that I hadn’t found my brother Titus.g So I said goodbye to them and went off to Macedonia.

¹⁴ Well, thank God for always leadingh us in the victory procession in Christ-and for spreadingi the scent of the knowledge of God through us in every location.

¹⁵ Because whether we’re among people who are being saved or lost, we’re the wonderful scent of Christ in the presence of God.j

¹⁶ For some it’s the smell of death and leads to death, but for others it’s the smell of life and leads to life. And who’s adequate for all this?

¹⁷ After all, we’re not making a profit on God’s word, like a lot of people are. Just the opposite: we’re coming out of sincerity. In Christ, we’re speaking from God and in front of God.

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¹ Servants of the New Covenant Are we starting to try to get your acceptance again?a Or maybe we don’t need letters of recommendation to or from you, like some people do.

² You’re our letter, written on our hearts, where everybody can see it and read it.b

³ You’re on display because you’re Christ’s letter, which is in our care.c It’s not written with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God-not written on stone tablets, but on human hearts.d

⁴ Through Christ, that’s the sort of confidence we have in front of God.

⁵ It’s not that we’re adequate on our owne to consider anything as coming from us. Far from it: our adequacy is from God.

⁶ And God’s the One who has made us adequate as ministers of the new covenant-a covenant not of text,f but of the Spirit. Because the textg kills, but the Spirit brings to life.

⁷ Now, the ministry of death, engraved on stones, came with glory. So much so, that Israelitesh couldn’t look at Moses’ face, because of the glory of his face-which was fading!i

⁸ If that’s true, how much more will the ministry of the Spirit come with glory?

⁹ Because if there’s glory in the ministry of condemnation, then the ministry that enables people to live right is going to have far more glory.j

¹⁰ Because even what has been glorious, isn’t glorious anymore, when set alongside this exceptional glory.

¹¹ After all, if what disappears came with glory, won’t there be much more glory in what lasts?k

¹² So since we have this kind of hope, we’re very bold-

¹³ not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face. (That way, the Israelitesl couldn’t stare at the tail end of the glory that was disappearing.)

¹⁴ But their ways of thinking were stubborn.m

¹⁵ After all, the same veil still lies over the reading of the old covenant to this day. It’s never been lifted.n Because in Christ it’s done away with-yet to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts.

¹⁶ But “whenever one turns to the Sovereign One, the veil gets removed”.o

¹⁷ And “the Lord” is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there’s freedom.

¹⁸ And we’re all there with unveiled faces, reflectingp the glory of the Lord. And we’re being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory! It’s all from Lord, the Spirit.

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¹ We are Treasures in Containers Made of Clay So, since we have this ministry thanks toa God’s mercy, we don’t give up.

² Instead, we renounce the secrecy of shameful behavior. We don’t live in deceitfulness, and we don’t distort God’s word into a lie. Just the opposite: in openness and truthfulness,b we recommend ourselves to everybody’s conscience in front of God.

³ And if the good news we bring is still veiled, it’s veiled around those who are being lost.

⁴ The god of this worldc is among them, and has made faithless people’s ways of thinking blind. That way, they never clearly seed the bright light of the good news of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

⁵ After all, we’re not preaching ourselves: we’re preaching Jesus Christ as Lord. And we position ourselves as your servantse because of Jesus.f

⁶ After all, the same God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness”g is the One who has shined in our hearts. So our hearts are lit up byh the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

⁷ But we have this treasure in containers made of clay. That way, the ultimate power will be God’s, and not from us.

⁸ Everywhere we’re under pressure, but we’re not crushed. We’re at the end of our rope, but not in despair.

⁹ We’re persecuted, but not abandoned. We’re knocked down, but not destroyed.

¹⁰ We always carry the death of Jesus with us in our bodies. That way, the life of Jesus can also be manifested in our bodies.

¹¹ Because we who are alive are constantly being handed overi to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus can be manifested in our mortal bodies.j

¹² So death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

¹³ But we have the same spirit of faith as in the scripture,k “I believed, so I spoke”.l We believe, so we speak.

¹⁴ We know that the One who raised Jesusm is going to raise us with Jesus too-and bring us to him along with you.

¹⁵ Because it’s all for you,n so that as grace expands to more and more people, thanks will overflow and God will get more glory.o

¹⁶ That’s why we don’t give up. Not at all! Even if our outer self is falling apart,p our inner self is being renewed day by day:

¹⁷ this light, short-lived trouble of ours is bringing about an absolutely unsurpassed, and eternal, level of glory in us.q

¹⁸ Because what’s visible is temporary, but the things that can’t be seen are eternal.

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¹ Our Hope of an Eternal Home After all, we know that if our home on the earth, this “tent” of ours, is taken down, we have a building from God as our home. That one’s not made by human hands-it’s eternal in the heavens.a

² And of course, in this home we groan. We’re yearning to put on, over it, our building from heaven.

³ If we can just be clothed, we won’t feel naked!b

⁴ Yes, while we’re in this tent we groan under a burden. Because we don’t want to undress-we want to put something on over what we’re wearing. That way, what’s mortal will be swallowed up by life.

⁵ And the One who has prepared us for exactly that is God, who has given us the Spirit as a down payment.

⁶ So we always keep up our courage. And we keep in mind thatc while we’re at home in our body, we’re not home with the Lord.

⁷ Because we live our livesd by faith, not by sight.

⁸ And we also take courage as we sense thate it’s better to be away from the home of our body and to be home with the Lord.

⁹ That’s why we aspire, whether at home or away from home, to please him.f

¹⁰ After all, we all have to appear in front of Christ’s judgment bench.g And each person is going to getpaid backh for the things they’ve done while they were in their body,i whether good or bad.

¹¹ Why we Preach the Good News of Jesus Christ So, because we know what it is to respect the Lord,j we try to win people over. And what we’re doing is obvious to God. But I also hope that it’llk be obvious to your conscience.

¹² We’re not trying to get in your good graces all over again:l far from it. We’re giving you an opportunity to be proud of us-so that you’ll have something to say to those who base their pride on appearances, rather on the heart.

¹³ Because if we’re out of our minds, it’s for God; if we’re in our right minds, it’s for you.

¹⁴ Because Christ’s love compels us, when we conclude that One died on behalf of everyone. That implies that everybody died.m

¹⁵ And when he died for everyone, it was so that those who live would not live for themselves anymore, but for the One who died and rose on their behalf.

¹⁶ Messengers of Reconciliation with God So from now on, we don’t look atn anybody on the basis of their outward condition,o Even though we once saw Christ that way,p we don’t seeq him that way anymore.

¹⁷ The conclusion is that if somebody’s in Christ, they’re a new creation. The old is gone; now the new has come.

¹⁸ And it’s all from God. It’s none other than God who reconciled us to God through Christ. And God has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

¹⁹ Just as God was in Christ, reconciling the world back to God-not counting their offenses against them-so God has also put the message of reconciliation in us.

²⁰ So we’re ambassadors on Christ’s behalf. It’s as though God were pleading through us, when we ask on behalf of Christ: come backr to God!

²¹ God appointed the One who never sinned To be a sin offering on our behalf, So that in him We could come to embody God’s just character.s

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¹ And so, working together with God, we urge you not to accept the grace of God for nothing.

² Because it says, I heard you at a good moment, And I rescued you on a day for salvation.a. Look-now is the right moment; now is the day for salvation.

³ We’re not putting any obstacle in front of anybody, so our ministry won’t come under criticism.

⁴ No, as God’s servants, we try to stay in everybody’s good graces.b We have a lot of endurancec.-in troubles, in struggles, in difficulties,d

⁵ in beatings, in imprisonment, in riots, in hard work, in sleeplessness, in hunger,

⁶ in sincerity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love,

⁷ in truthfulness,e in the power of God. We usef the weapons of justice and integrity in each hand,g

⁸ through honorh and dishonor, through slander and praise, sometimes seen as liars, sometimes seen as truthful,

⁹ sometimes unknown and sometimes recognized. Sometimes we’re just about dying, but see-we’re still alive. We’re beaten but not killed.

¹⁰ We’re in pain yet we celebrate; we’re poor yet we make lots of people rich; we have nothing, yet we possess everything.

¹¹ We are Not the Ones Holding Back-You are We’ve opened up to you,i Corinthians. We’ve laid our hearts wide open.

¹² We’re not shutting you out—you’re feeling shut out because of your own emotions.j

¹³ Fair is fair! I’m saying this to you as my children: open your hearts to us too.k

¹⁴ You are God’s Temple (see 1 Cor. 5:9-11) [[Don’t get mismatched withl unbelievers. After all-what do right living and lawlessness have in common? What kind of relationship can there be between light and darkness?

¹⁵ And what agreement is there between Christ and Beliar?m What commonality is there between faith and unbelief?

¹⁶ And what agreement can there be between the Temple of God and idols? After all, wen are the temple of the Living God. It’s just like God said: I am going to live among them and walk among them, And I’m going to be their God, And they’re going to be my people.o

¹⁷ So come out from being in with them, And be separate, says your Sovereign, And don’t touch what’s filthy. And then I’ll take you in,p

¹⁸ And I’ll be a father to you, And you’ll be sons and daughters to me,q. Says your Sovereign, the All Powerful.

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¹ So, since we have these promises, dear friends, let’s cleanse ourselves from every kind of physical and spiritual pollution. Let’s be completely holy, in reverence for God.a.]]

² Let us Back into your Hearts Let us in.b We haven’t been unfair to anyone, we haven’t corrupted anyone, and we haven’t tricked anyone out of their money.

³ I’m not saying that to criticize-because, as I said before, you’re in our hearts, to live together and die together.

⁴ I have a lot of confidence in you. I’m very proud of you. I’m full of encouragement, and I’m overflowing with joy in the midst of our troubles.

⁵ Paul’s Relief That their Hearts Have Changed Because when we got to Macedonia, we didn’t get any physical restc.-just the opposite. We were in all kinds of trouble: we had conflicts outside, and fears inside.

⁶ But God, who encourages people who are down,d encouraged us. Titus arrived!e

⁷ And it wasn’t just his arrival that encouraged us, but also the encouragement that he felt about you. He was telling us about your yearning, your sorrow, your passionate feelings on my behalf. I was so much happier when I heard that!f

⁸ Because even if I did hurt you in that letter, I don’t regret it, although I did at first.g (After all,h I see that the letter hurt you-even if just for a moment.)

⁹ I’m happy now-not that you were hurt-but that you were hurt into a change of heart.i

¹⁰ Because you were hurt with God’s kind of pain,j so that you weren’t harmed by us at all. Because God’s kind of pain brings about a change of heartk that leads to salvation without regret-but the world’s pain leads to death.l

¹¹ After all, look at exactly what God’s kind of painm accomplished in you: not just active commitment, not just determination to clear yourselves, not just anger, not just alarm, but also yearning, passion, and action to right the wrong. In every way, you’ve shown yourselves to be innocent in this thing.n

¹² So if I did write to you that way, it wasn’t because of the person who had done wrong, and it wasn’t because of the person who was wronged. It was so that your active commitment to uso would be revealed to you in front of God.

¹³ That’s why we’re encouraged. In addition to this encouragement of ours, we were all the more happy that Titus was happyp.-that his spirit was at peace about you all.

¹⁴ Because although I’ve bragged a bit about you to him, I haven’t been ashamed. Not at all. We’ve been truthful in everything we’ve said to you about ourselves, and the positive things we said to Titus about you have also turned out to be just as true.q

¹⁵ And he keeps feeling better and better about the way you all listened to him, because he remembers how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.r

¹⁶ I’m happy to say that I’m completely confident in you.

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¹ News and Instructions about the Collection for Famine Relief in the Land of Israel (see 1 Cor. 16) Brothers and sisters, we want to let you know about the grace of God that’s been given to the communities in Macedonia.

² In the midst of the intense testing of religious persecution,a the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty, have totally overflowed into wholehearted generosity on their part.

³ Because they gave as much as they were able, and-as I can testify-beyond their ability, on their own initiative.

⁴ They were asking us-really begging us-if they could join in the gift and the common effort of service to the holy ones.b

⁵ Although it wasn’t what we expected, they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, by God’s will.c

⁶ The result was that we encouraged Titus (since he started it) to finish making up the gift with you.

⁷ After all, you have plenty of everything: faith, eloquence, knowledge, and active commitment-plus the love for us that you share.d So no doubt you’ll have plenty for this gift too.

⁸ I’m not saying this as an order. I’m just testing out the genuineness of your love by telling you about the active commitment that others have shown.

⁹ After all, you know the gift that our Lord Jesus Christ gave us: how he was rich, but he made himself poor, so that through his poverty you could become rich.

¹⁰ Soe I’ll give you my opinion about this: it’s actually better for you this way,f given that you started out last year not just doing it, but wanting to do it.

¹¹ So now just finish up the project. That way, just as you’ve been willing and eager, you can now finish up with however much you can afford.g

¹² Because if somebody’s eager to give, their gift will be appreciatedh on the basis of what they have, not on the basis of what they don’t have.

¹³ After all, the point is not to create relief for others and distress for you. No, it’s a matter of fairness.

¹⁴ At the moment, your extra supply is going towards their shortage. Then someday their extra supply can go towards your shortage. That way it’ll be equal.

¹⁵ Just like the scripture says:i The person with a lot didn’t have too much, And the person with a little didn’t go short.j

¹⁶ Well, thank God, who has putk into Titus’s heart the same active commitment towards you that we have.

¹⁷ Because he didn’t just accept our request: he was so strongly committed that he has started out on his own to come to you.

¹⁸ And we’ve sent with him the brother who is well recognizedl by all the communities for his preaching of the good news.

¹⁹ And not only that-he’s also been elected by the communities as our traveling companion as we deliver this gift for them.m It’s for the Lord’s own glory and in fulfillment of our strong commitment.n

²⁰ We’re making sure that no one will find fault with us about how we’ve handled this generous gift.o

²¹ After all, we’re keeping in mind not only “what’s good in the Lord’s eyes,” but also what’s good “in people’s eyes”.p

²² We’ve also sent our brother with them. We’ve tested him and found him to be committed many times, in all kinds of ways. And now he’s all the more committed, because he’s totally confident in you.

²³ As for Titus, he’s my partner and my coworker on your behalf. As for our other two brothers, they’re representativesq from the communities, and they’re an honor to Christ.

²⁴ So I’m sure you’ll show them your love. And in front of all the communities, give them proof of the positive things we’ve said about you.r

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¹ Of course, I hardly needa to write you about the service project for the holy ones,

² because I know how committed you are.b I bragged to the Macedoniansc about it: “Achaiad has been ready since last year”. And your enthusiasm has provoked most of them to give more.

³ But I’ve sent the brothers to make sure that our bragging about you about this won’t be empty. Just as I’ve been telling people, you’ll be ready.

⁴ It won’t somehow turn out that people from Macedonia will come with me, and discover that you’re not ready. We’d be embarrassed if that happenede.-not to mention you!

⁵ So I’ve decided I’d better ask the brothers to go to you ahead of us. And they’ll pre-arrange the generous giftf that you originally promised. That way, what’s prepared will be a generous gift,g and not like something squeezed out of you.h

⁶ I will say this, though. “The person that plants sparingly will harvest sparingly too. And the person that plants generously will also harvest generously”.i

⁷ Each person should give just as they’ve decided beforehand in their heart-not out of guiltj or compulsion. Because “God loves a person that gives joyfully”.k

⁸ And God is able to make all kinds of grace overflow for you, so that in every way, at every moment, you’ll have everything you need. And you’ll overflow into doing all kinds of good things.

⁹ Just like scripture says,l. They distribute good things, They give to the poor. The good they do lasts forever.m

¹⁰ And God, who supplies seed to the person who plants, and bread for food, is going to supply and multiply your supply of seed. And God is going to cause an abundant harvest to come from the good thing you’ve done.n

¹¹ You’ll be wealthy in every way, and so you’ll be totally wholehearted.o And that will result in our giving thanks to God.

¹² Because this service projectp isn’t just meeting the needs of the holy ones:q it’s also overflowing into lots of thanksr to God.

¹³ Through the successs of this service project, people are going to be glorifying God. They’ll glorify God for your obedience to your public profession of the good news of Christ, and for the wholehearted way that you’ve sharedt with them and with everyone.

¹⁴ And when they pray for you, their hearts will go out to you, thanks to the incredibleu grace that God has shown you.

¹⁵ Thank God for this gift that’s too wonderful for words! v

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¹ Paul Defends his Ministry I myself, Paul, am appealing to you, with Christ’s gentleness and patience. I’m the one who’s supposed to be unassuming when I’m with you, but bold towards you when I’m not around.

² And I’m pleading with you: I don’t want to have to be bold when I come. But if I have to, I think I have the confidence to confront certain people-people who think we’re living as ordinary physical people.a

³ Well, we are ordinary physical people, but we don’t fight on a physical level.b

⁴ Our weapons aren’t physicalc at all-they’re powerful weapons of Godd for tearing down fortresses. They tear down arguments,

⁵ and every proud constructione that’s raised up in opposition to the knowledge of God. And our weapons capture every thought and make it obey Christ.

⁶ They’re ready to punish all disobedience, whenever you come to a place of full obedience.f

⁷ Look at what’s right in front of you!g If somebody’s confident that they belong to Christ, they should reconsider about themselves. Because we belong to Christ just as much as they do.

⁸ After all, supposeh we have bragged a bit too much about our authority-which the Lord gave us, for building you up, not tearing you down. If that’s true, I’m not going to be embarrassed about it.

⁹ I don’t want to appear as though I’m trying to shocki you with my letters.

¹⁰ Because they say, “His letters are deep and powerful, but his physical presence is weak, and his speech is despicable”.

¹¹ Whoever says that should consider this: whatever we’re like when we communicate through letters, we’re going to be the same in action, when we’re there.

¹² Now, we’re not trying to put ourselves in the same category with certain people who are recommending themselves to you. And we’re not trying to compare ourselves to them. But when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they don’t get it!j

¹³ And we’re not going to brag off into infinity:k we’re going to use the yardstick of what God has allotted to us-the fact that we even reached as far as you in our ministry.

¹⁴ After all, it’s not as though we haven’t reached you, and we’re overextending ourselves.l Because we were the first to come all the way to you with the good news of Christ.

¹⁵ We’re not bragging off into infinity about other people’s work.m But we have hope that, as your faith grows, we’ll enlarge our territory a great deal among you-within our proper bounds.

¹⁶ We hope to preach the good news in regions beyond you-not using somebody else’s yardstick and bragging about work they’ve already done.n

¹⁷ Becauseo “The person who brags should brag about the Lord”.p

¹⁸ After all, it’s not people who recommend themselves that are approved: it’s people that the Lord recommends.q

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¹ Paul and the False Apostles I wish you could put up with me in a little bit of foolishness. Really, please indulge me.

² After all, I’m jealous over you, with God’s jealousy. I promised you in marriage to one husband! I’m supposed to present you to Christ as an innocent virgin.a

³ And I’m worried that somehow, just like the serpent tricked Eve by his dishonesty, your minds are going to be corrupted from your wholeheartedness and purityb towards Christ.

⁴ After all, supposec somebody comes and preaches another Jesus, that we haven’t preached before-or you accept a different spirit, that you haven’t received before-or you accept another good news, that you haven’t accepted before. You put up with itd nicely!

⁵ Well, I don’t think I’m inferior in any way to those “super-apostles”.

⁶ And even if I am an amateur at public speaking, I’m certainly not an amateur when it comes to knowledge. Far from it. We’ve demonstrated that in every possible way.

⁷ Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you could be lifted up? Was it a sin that I brought you the good news of God for free?

⁸ That I robbed other communities to get incomee so I could serve you?

⁹ And even when I ran short on money while I was with you, I wasn’t a burden to anyone! Because my financial need was taken care of by the Christiansf who came from Macedonia.g I’ve always kept myself from being a burden to you, and I’m going to keep it that way.

¹⁰ By the truth of Christ that’s in me, I’m not going to be kept from bragging about thish in the regions of Achaia.i

¹¹ Why? Because I don’t love you?? God knows I do!

¹² And I’m also going to continue doing what I’m doing. That way, I’ll be able to deny an opportunity toj those who want to brag that they’re actually just like us.

¹³ Because these kind of people are false apostles, con artists. They’re disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

¹⁴ And it’s no wonder-after all, Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light.

¹⁵ So it’s no big thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of what’s right.k In the end, they’ll get what their actions deserve.l

¹⁶ I’ll say again: nobody should take me for a fool. But if you do, then at least indulgem me as a fool, and let me brag a little bit.

¹⁷ I’m not going to talk as the Lord would in this bragging exercise,n but as though I’m being foolish:

¹⁸ since lots of people are bragging on a human level,o I will too.

¹⁹ After all, you’re happy to put up with fools—you being so wise and all!

²⁰ Yes, you put up with anybody that enslaves you, preys on you,p takes advantage of you, puffs themselves up, smacks you in the face.

²¹ I’m ashamed to admit that we’ve been too weak for such things! Well, is anybody daring? (I’m talking like a fool now!) So am I.

²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendents? So am I.

²³ Are they servants of Christ? (I’m talking like I’m out of my mind, now.) I’m a better one! I’ve worked harder, I’ve been imprisoned more, and I’ve been wounded far more. I’ve been near death lots of times.

²⁴ I got thirty-nine lashes from the Jews five times.q

²⁵ I was beaten with wooden rods three times by the Romans. I got stoned once. I was shipwrecked three times. I’ve spent a night and a day in the water.

²⁶ I’ve had lots of journeys, with dangers from rivers, dangers from armed robbers, dangers from fellow Jews, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the outback, dangers in the sea, dangers from false Christians.r

²⁷ With sweats and hardship, in lots of sleepless nights, going hungry and thirsty-hungry lots of times, cold, and in rags.t

²⁸ Apart from everything else, there’s my daily concern for all the communities.

²⁹ Who is weak without me feeling weak? Who falls into sin without me feeling terrible?u

³⁰ If I have to brag, I’m going to brag about my weakness.

³¹ God, the Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever and ever, knows I’m not lying.

³² In Damascus,v king Aretasw was watching the city to capture me.

³³ And I was lowered out of a window through the city wall in a basket, and slipped through his fingers.x

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¹ Paul’s Visions and Revelations I have to brag. It’s not good for anything, but I’ll go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

² I know a person who was in Christ fourteen years ago. Whether what happened was in his body or out of his body, I don’t know; God knows. That certain person was snatched away to heaven.a

³ Yes,b I know a certain person that was snatched away to Paradise-whether in his body or out of his body, I don’t know; God knows.

⁴ And he heard secret things-things no human being is allowed to talk about.

⁵ I’m going to brag about that certain person. But about myself, I’ll only brag about my weaknesses.

⁶ That way,c if I should decide to brag, I won’t be being foolish, because I’ll be telling the truth. I’m going to restrain myself, so that nobody will go beyond what they see or hear from me,

⁷ and judge me by the exceptional nature of the revelations.d So, to prevent me from getting too full of myself, a “thorn in the flesh”e was given to me. It was one of Satan’s angels, who gets to slap me-so that I won’t get too full of myself.

⁸ I’ve asked the Lord three times about this-for it to be taken away from me.

⁹ But he’s said to me, "My grace is enough for you.f Because power is brought to perfection in weakness." So I’m totally happy to brag about my weaknesses. That way, Christ’s power can find a home in me.

¹⁰ So I’m content with weaknesses, insults,g hardships, persecutions, and stressful situations. Because when I’m weak, then I’m strong.

¹¹ Paul’s Hurt Feelings at Having to Defend Himself to the Corinthians I’ve been foolish—you’ve forced me into it. After all, you ought to have been the ones defending me.h Because I’m not a bit inferior to those "super-apostles"—even if I am nothing.

¹² The miraclesi of an apostle were performed in front of youj with complete consistencyk.-miracles,l wonders, and displays of power.

¹³ In what way have you gotten a worse deal than the other communities-other than the fact that I wasn’t a burden to you? Forgive me for that injustice!

¹⁴ Look, this is the third time I’m getting ready to come to you. And I’m not going to be a burden to you-because I’m not after your money: I’m after you. After all, children don’t have to save up for their parents: parents save up for their children.

¹⁵ And I’ll gladly spend-and be spent-for you.m If I love you too much, am I supposed to be loved less?

¹⁶ Well, fine.n I didn’t burden you. But no-con artist that I am-I took you in by deceit.

¹⁷ Have I used one of the people I’ve sent to you to squeeze money out of you?o

¹⁸ I asked Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him. Surely Titus didn’t squeeze you for money! Haven’t we conducted ourselves in the same spirit as he has? Haven’t we followed in the same footsteps?

¹⁹ Maybe all this time you’ve been thinking that we’re defending ourselves to you.p We’re saying this in front of God, in Christ, dear friends: everything we’re doing is to build you up.q

²⁰ Because I’m afraid that when I come, maybe I’ll find that you’re not the way I want you to be-and I won’t turn out to be the way you want me to be either. Will there be petty fights, jealousy, rages, competitiveness, vicious talk, gossiping, self-importance, infighting?r

²¹ I don’t want to come to you again and have God humiliate me in front of you. Then I’d have to grieve over lots of people-who sinned before, and didn’t change their heartss from the filthiness and sexual immorality and promiscuityt that they were into.u

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¹ Final Warnings and Greetings This is the third time I’m coming to you. Everything is to be established from the testimony ofa two or three witnesses.b

² When I was with you the second time, I warned the people who’ve been sinning all this time. And I’m warning them, and everybody else, while I’m away:c if I come again, I won’t spare people.

³ Since you’re looking for proof that Christ is speaking in me, I’ll give it to you. He’s not weak towards you-he’s powerful among you.

⁴ After all, though he was hung on a cross in weakness, he lives in the power of God. And though we’re weak in him, yet with you we’re going to live with him in God’s power.

⁵ Test yourselves to see if you’re in the faith. Evaluate yourselves. Or don’t you realize that Christ is in you-that is, unless you’re unworthy of him?d

⁶ And I’m confident that you’re going to know we’re not unworthy.e

⁷ And we’re praying to Godf that you won’t do anything wrong. And not so that we’ll look goodg.-far from it. We’re praying that you’ll do the right thingh and that we’ll look like the unworthy ones.i

⁸ After all, we don’t have any power to fight against the truth-only for it.

⁹ Because we’re happy whenever we’re weak but you’re strong. That’s exactly what we’re praying for: your wholeness.j

¹⁰ That’s why I’m writing all this while I’m away-so that I won’t have to be ruthless with the authority the Lord has given me. That authority is intended for building people up, not for tearing them down.

¹¹ Finally, brothers and sisters, goodbye. Be well. Encourage one another. Be in agreement and be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

¹² Greet each other with a holy kiss. All the holy ones say hello.

¹³ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the unifying presencek of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

¹⁴