Study Desk

Paul's Defense of His Ministry

By the humility and gentleness^(a) of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul,^(b) who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" toward you when away!

I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold^(c) as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.^(d)

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.^(e)

The weapons we fight with^(f) are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power^(g) to demolish strongholds.^(h)

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,⁽ⁱ⁾ and we take captive every thought to make it obedient^(j) to Christ.

And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.^(k)

You are judging by appearances.^[a](l) If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ,^(m) they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.⁽ⁿ⁾

So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us^(o) for building you up rather than tearing you down,^(p) I will not be ashamed of it.

I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters.

For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive^(q) and his speaking amounts to nothing."^(r)

Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves.^(s) When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.

We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us,^(t) a sphere that also includes you.

We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you^(u) with the gospel of Christ.^(v)

Neither do we go beyond our limits^(w) by boasting of work done by others.^(x) Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow,^(y) our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand,

so that we can preach the gospel^(z) in the regions beyond you.^(aa) For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else's territory.

But, "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."^[b](ab)

For it is not the one who commends himself^(ac) who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.^(ad)

Paul and the False Apostles

I hope you will put up with^(a) me in a little foolishness.^(b) Yes, please put up with me!

I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband,^(c) to Christ, so that I might present you^(d) as a pure virgin to him.

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning,^(e) your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached,^(f) or if you receive a different spirit^(g) from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel^(h) from the one you accepted, you put up with it⁽ⁱ⁾ easily enough.

I do not think I am in the least inferior to those "super-apostles."^[a](j)

I may indeed be untrained as a speaker,^(k) but I do have knowledge.^(l) We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.

Was it a sin^(m) for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God⁽ⁿ⁾ to you free of charge?^(o)

I robbed other churches by receiving support from them^(p) so as to serve you.

And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed.^(q) I have kept myself from being a burden to you^(r) in any way, and will continue to do so.

As surely as the truth of Christ is in me,^(s) nobody in the regions of Achaia^(t) will stop this boasting^(u) of mine.

Why? Because I do not love you? God knows^(v) I do!^(w)

And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.

For such people are false apostles,^(x) deceitful^(y) workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.^(z)

And no wonder, for Satan^(aa) himself masquerades as an angel of light.

It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.^(ab)

I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool.^(ac) But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting.

In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would,^(ad) but as a fool.^(ae)

Since many are boasting in the way the world does,^(af) I too will boast.^(ag)

You gladly put up with^(ah) fools since you are so wise!^(ai)

In fact, you even put up with^(aj) anyone who enslaves you^(ak) or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face.

To my shame I admit that we were too weak^(al) for that! Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about.^(am)

Are they Hebrews? So am I.^(an) Are they Israelites? So am I.^(ao) Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I.^(ap)

Are they servants of Christ?^(aq) (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder,^(ar) been in prison more frequently,^(as) been flogged more severely,^(at) and been exposed to death again and again.^(au)

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes^(av) minus one.

Three times I was beaten with rods,^(aw) once I was pelted with stones,^(ax) three times I was shipwrecked,^(ay) I spent a night and a day in the open sea,

I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews,^(az) in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city,^(ba) in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.^(bb)

I have labored and toiled^(bc) and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food;^(bd) I have been cold and naked.

Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.^(be)

Who is weak, and I do not feel weak?^(bf) Who is led into sin,^(bg) and I do not inwardly burn?

If I must boast, I will boast^(bh) of the things that show my weakness.^(bi)

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever,^(bj) knows^(bk) that I am not lying.

In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.^(bl)

But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.^(bm)

Paul's Vision and His Thorn

I must go on boasting.^(a) Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations^(b) from the Lord.

I know a man in Christ^(c) who fourteen years ago was caught up^(d) to the third heaven.^(e) Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.^(f)

And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—

was caught up^(g) to paradise^(h) and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.

I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.⁽ⁱ⁾

Even if I should choose to boast,^(j) I would not be a fool,^(k) because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say,

or because of these surpassingly great revelations.^(l) Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,^(m) a messenger of Satan,⁽ⁿ⁾ to torment me.

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.^(o)

But he said to me, "My grace^(p) is sufficient for you, for my power^(q) is made perfect in weakness.^(r)"^(s) Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight^(t) in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,^(u) in persecutions,^(v) in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.^(w)

I have made a fool of myself,^(x) but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the "super-apostles,"^[a](y) even though I am nothing.^(z)

I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.^(aa)

How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you?^(ab) Forgive me this wrong!^(ac)

Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,^(ad) and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents,^(ae) but parents for their children.^(af)

So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.^(ag) If I love you more,^(ah) will you love me less?

Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you.^(ai) Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery!

Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you?

I urged^(aj) Titus^(ak) to go to you and I sent our brother^(al) with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God^(am) as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends,^(an) is for your strengthening.^(ao)

For I am afraid that when I come^(ap) I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be.^(aq) I fear that there may be discord,^(ar) jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,^(as) slander,^(at) gossip,^(au) arrogance^(av) and disorder.^(aw)

I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved^(ax) over many who have sinned earlier^(ay) and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery^(az) in which they have indulged.

Final Warnings

This will be my third visit to you.^(a) "Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses."^[a](b)

I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent:^(c) On my return I will not spare^(d) those who sinned earlier^(e) or any of the others,

since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me.^(f) He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.

For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness,^(g) yet he lives by God's power.^(h) Likewise, we are weak⁽ⁱ⁾ in him, yet by God's power we will live with him^(j) in our dealing with you.

Examine yourselves^(k) to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.^(l) Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you^(m)—unless, of course, you fail the test?

And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.

Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.

For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.

We are glad whenever we are weak⁽ⁿ⁾ but you are strong;^(o) and our prayer is that you may be fully restored.^(p)

This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh^(q) in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.^(r)

Finally, brothers and sisters,^(s) rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.^(t) And the God of love^(u) and peace^(v) will be with you.

Greet one another with a holy kiss.^(w)

All God's people here send their greetings.^(x)

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,^(y) and the love of God,^(z) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit^(aa) be with you all.