1 Corinthians 7:17 - 2 Corinthians 11:14

Evangelical Heritage Version

¹⁷ However, each person is to live in the situation the Lord assigned to him—the situation he was in when God called him to faith. I give this same command in all the churches. ¹⁸ If a man was circumcised when he was called, he should not become uncircumcised. If a man was uncircumcised when he was called, he should not get circumcised. ¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping God’s commands is important. ²⁰ Let each person stay in that calling in which he was called. ²¹ Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let it bother you. But if you are able to become free, take advantage of it. ²² For the slave who was called to be in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person. Likewise, the free person who was called is Christ’s slave. ²³ You were bought at a price. Do not become slaves of men. ²⁴ Brothers,^[a] let each person remain before God in the situation he was in when he was called.

²⁵ Now concerning virgins, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one whom the Lord in his mercy made worthy of trust. ²⁶ Accordingly, I think this is good because of the difficult situation we face,^[b] namely, that it is good for a person to remain as he is. ²⁷ Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be freed. Are you unattached? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸ But if you do get married, you have not sinned, and if a virgin gets married, she has not sinned. Yet such people will be under pressure in their earthly lives, and I am trying to spare you.

²⁹ I also say this, brothers: The time is short. From now on, let those who have wives live as if they have none; ³⁰ those who weep, as if not weeping; those who rejoice, as if not rejoicing; those who buy, as if not possessing; ³¹ and those who use the world, as if not getting any use out of it. For the way of life that belongs to this world is passing away.

³² I would like you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord and thinks about how to please the Lord. ³³ But the married man is concerned about the things of the world and thinks about how to please his wife, ³⁴ and so he is divided. The unmarried woman and the virgin are concerned about the things of the Lord, so as to be holy both in body and in spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the things of the world and thinks about how to please her husband. ³⁵ I am saying this for your own benefit, not to impose a restriction, but to encourage honorable, undistracted devotion to the Lord.

³⁶ But if someone thinks he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin,^[c] if his feelings are strong^[d] and it seems necessary, he should do what he desires. It is not a sin. They should marry. ³⁷ But if someone stands firm in his heart and is not driven by need, but has control over his own desire^[e] and has decided in his own heart to keep his virgin as she is, he does well. ³⁸ So then, he who marries his virgin^[f] does well, and he who does not marry her^[g] does better.

³⁹ A wife^[h] is bound to her husband for as long as he lives, but if the husband has died, she is free to be married to any man she wishes, only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she is more blessed if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I too have God’s Spirit.

Love Builds Up

8 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. ² If anyone supposes that he knows something, he does not yet know the way he ought to know. ³ But if anyone loves God, this person has been known^[i] by him.

⁴ So, concerning the eating of food from idol sacrifices, we know that an idol is not anything real in the world and that there is no God but one. ⁵ Indeed, even if there are so-called “gods,” whether in the heavens or on earth (as in fact there are many “gods” and many “lords”), ⁶ nevertheless for us there is one God—the Father, from whom all things exist and we exist for him—and one Lord—Jesus Christ, through whom all things exist and we exist through him.

⁷ However, that knowledge is not in everyone. Instead some, who are still affected by their former habit with the idol, eat the food as something sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

⁸ Food will not bring us closer to God. We do not lack anything if we do not eat, nor are we better off if we do. ⁹ And be careful that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰ For if someone sees you, a person who has knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of this man, weak as he is, be emboldened to eat food from an idol sacrifice? ¹¹ You see, the weak person is being destroyed by your knowledge—the brother for whose sake Christ died! ¹² And when you sin in this way against your brothers and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I do not cause my brother to sin.

What Paul Does With His Rights and Freedom

9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus, our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? ² If I am not an apostle to others, yet at least I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

³ This is my defense to those who examine me. ⁴ Do we not have a right to eat and to drink? ⁵ Do we not have a right to take along a wife who is a believer, as the rest of the apostles do, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?^{[j] 6} Or are Barnabas and I the only ones who have no right to be spared from manual labor? ⁷ What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat some of its fruit? Or who takes care of a flock and does not drink milk from the flock? ⁸ Am I saying this just from a human point of view? Doesn’t the law also say this? ⁹ Yes, it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out grain.”^[k] Is God really concerned about oxen, ¹⁰ or does he say this entirely for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher ought to thresh in hope of getting a share. ¹¹ If we sowed spiritual seed for your good, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? ¹² If others have some right to make this claim on you, don’t we even more? But we did not use this right. Instead, we endure everything so as not to cause any hindrance for the gospel of Christ.

¹³ Do you not know that those who do the work in the temple eat food from the temple, and those who attend to the altar receive a portion from what is on the altar? ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel are to receive their living from the gospel. ¹⁵ But I have used none of these things.

I am not writing this to have it done this way in my case, because it is better for me to die than to let anyone deprive me of my boast. ¹⁶ You see, if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, because an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷ If I do this as a volunteer, I receive compensation. But if not, I have been entrusted with a responsibility as a steward. ¹⁸ What then is my compensation? To present the gospel of Christ^[l] free of charge when I preach it, instead of making use of the right I have when I preach the gospel.

¹⁹ In fact, although I am free from all, I enslaved myself to all so that I might gain many more. ²⁰ To the Jews, I became like a Jew so that I might gain Jews. To those who are under the law, I became like a person under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might gain those who are under the law. ²¹ To those who are without the law, I became like a person without the law (though I am not without God’s law but am within the law of Christ) so that I might gain those who are without the law. ²² To the weak, I became weak so that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all people so that I may save at least some. ²³ And I do everything for the sake of the gospel so that I may share in it along with others.

Christian Effort and Self-Discipline

²⁴ Do you not know that when runners compete in the stadium, they all run, but only one receives the prize? Run like that—to win. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable victor’s wreath, but we do it for an imperishable one. ²⁶ That is why there is nothing aimless about the way I run. There is no pummeling of the air in the way I box. ²⁷ Instead I hit my body hard and make it my slave so that, after preaching to others, I myself will not be rejected.

A Lesson From Sacred History: Be Careful Not to Fall

10 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, ² and they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. ³ They all ate the same spiritual food ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them—and that rock was Christ! ⁵ Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them. He had them die in the wilderness.

⁶ Now these things took place as examples to warn us not to desire evil things the way they did. ⁷ Do not become idolaters like some of them—as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to celebrate wildly.”^{[m] 8} And let us not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. ⁹ Let us not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and so were being destroyed by the serpents. ¹⁰ And do not grumble, as some of them grumbled, and were destroyed by the destroyer. ¹¹ All^[n] these things that were happening to them had meaning as examples, and they were written down to warn us, to whom the end of the ages has come.

¹² So let him who thinks he stands be careful that he does not fall. ¹³ No testing has overtaken you except ordinary testing. But God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tested beyond your ability, but when he tests you, he will also bring about the outcome that you are able to bear it.

The Table of the Lord and the Table of Demons

¹⁴ Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak to you as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying. ¹⁶ The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion^[o] of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a communion^[p] of the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because there is one bread, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

¹⁸ Consider the people of Israel.^[q] Those who eat the sacrifices are partners of the altar, aren’t they? ¹⁹ So what am I saying? That food from idol sacrifices is anything, or that an idol is anything? ²⁰ No, but I do say this: What the Gentiles sacrifice, “they sacrifice to demons, and not to God,”^[r] and I do not want you to become partners of demons. ²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. ²² Or are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he is?

Live for the Good of Others and for the Glory of God

²³ “Everything is permitted”^[s]—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permitted”—but not everything builds up. ²⁴ Let no one seek his own good, but that of others. ²⁵ Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without asking questions for the sake of conscience. ²⁶ For “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”^{[t] 27} If one of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat whatever you are served without asking questions for the sake of conscience. ²⁸ But if someone says to you, “This is from a sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience.^{[u] 29} I mean the other person’s conscience, not your own. For why is my freedom judged by someone else’s conscience? ³⁰ If I eat the food with thankfulness, why am I criticized for something for which I give thanks?

³¹ So whether you eat or drink, or do anything else, do everything to the glory of God. ³² Do not give offense to Jews, or Greeks, or God’s church, ³³ just as I also try to please all people in all things, by not seeking what is best for me but for the many, so that they may be saved. 11 ¹ Be imitators of me, just as I am of Christ.

Concerning Head Coverings at Worship

² I praise you, brothers,^[v] for remembering me in all things and holding firmly to the teachings^[w] as I delivered them to you. ³ However, I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and man is woman’s head, and God is Christ’s head. ⁴ Every man who prays or prophesies with a covering hanging down from his head dishonors his head. ⁵ But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for it is one and the same thing as being a woman with a shaved head. ⁶ Indeed, if a woman does not wear a head covering, she should cut off her hair too. But if it is shameful for a woman to cut off her hair or shave her head, she should wear a head covering.

⁷ For a man ought not to wear a head covering, because he is the image and glory of God, but woman is man’s glory. ⁸ For man is not from woman, but woman from man, ⁹ and man was not created for the woman, but woman for the man. ¹⁰ For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head,^[x] because of the angels.

¹¹ Nevertheless, in the Lord, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹² For as woman came from man, so also man comes through woman, and all things are from God.

¹³ Judge for yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Doesn’t the nature of things itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is disgraceful for him, ¹⁵ whereas if a woman has long hair, it is glorious for her? For her long hair has been given to her as a covering. ¹⁶ But if anyone is inclined to be contentious—we have no such custom, and neither do God’s churches.

A Sinful Practice at the Lord’s Supper Needs to Be Eliminated

¹⁷ Now in giving you this next command, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁸ For in the first place, I hear that when you come together in an assembly, there are divisions among you. And to some extent I believe it, ¹⁹ for there also have to be factions among you so that those who are approved may become evident among you. ²⁰ So when you come together in the same place, it is not the Lord’s Supper that you eat. ²¹ For when you eat, each one goes ahead and takes his own supper, and so one person goes hungry while another is drunk. ²² What, don’t you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise God’s church and humiliate those who have nothing? What am I to say to you? Shall I praise you? In this matter I do not praise you!

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said,^[y] “This is my body, which is^[z] for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after the meal, he also took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new testament^[aa] in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

²⁷ Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the Lord’s body and blood. ²⁸ Instead, let a person examine himself and after doing so, let him eat of the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹ For if anyone eats and drinks in an unworthy way^[ab] because he does not recognize^[ac] the Lord’s^[ad] body, he eats and drinks judgment on himself. ³⁰ Because of this, many among you are weak and sick, and quite a few have fallen asleep.^{[ae] 31} But if we judged ourselves, we would not be undergoing judgment. ³² However, when we undergo judgment, we are being disciplined by the Lord so that we may not be condemned with the world.

³³ Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.^{[af] 34} If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home so that your coming together may not result in judgment. The rest of my instructions I will give when I come.

All the Gifts of the Spirit Are Beneficial

12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that when you were pagans, you were deceived and somehow led away to mute idols. ³ Therefore I am informing you that no one speaking by God’s Spirit says, “A curse be upon Jesus,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are different kinds of ministries, and yet the same Lord. ⁶ There are various kinds of activity, but the same God, who produces all of them in everyone.

⁷ Each person is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸ To one person a message of wisdom is given by the Spirit; to another, a message of knowledge, as the same Spirit provides it; ⁹ by the same Spirit, faith is given to someone else; and to another, the same^[ag] Spirit gives healing gifts. ¹⁰ Another is given powers to do miracles; another, the gift of prophecy; another, the evaluating of spirits; someone else, different kinds of tongues;^[ah] and another, the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ One and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them to each one individually as he desires.

The Diversity of the Gifts Enhances the Unity of the Body of Christ

¹² For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so also is Christ. ¹³ For by^[ai] one Spirit we all were baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free people, and we were all caused to drink one Spirit. ¹⁴ Furthermore, the body is not one member, but many. ¹⁵ If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not part of the body,” it does not on that account cease to be part of the body. ¹⁶ If the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not part of the body,” it does not on that account cease to be part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But now God has arranged the members in the body, each and every one of them, as he desired. ¹⁹ If they were all one member, where would the body be? ²⁰ But as it is, there are many members, yet one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need for you,” or again the head to the feet, “I have no need for you.” ²² On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are much more necessary. ²³ As for the parts of the body we consider less honorable, these we provide with more honor. We treat our unpresentable parts with more modesty, ²⁴ whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God put the body together in a way that gave more honor to the parts that lack it. ²⁵ He did it so that there might not be any division in the body, but that the members might all have the same concern for one another. ²⁶ So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it, or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

²⁷ You are the body of Christ, and individually you are members of it. ²⁸ And God appointed in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then miracles, healing gifts, helpful acts, leadership abilities, kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all miracle workers? ³⁰ Do all have healing gifts? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But eagerly seek the greater gifts. And now, I am going to show you a more excellent way.

Love Matters More Than the Other Gifts

13 If I speak in the tongues^[aj] of men and of angels but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and know all the mysteries and have all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give away everything I own, and if I give up my body that I may be burned^[ak] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not envy. It does not brag. It is not arrogant. ⁵ It does not behave indecently. It is not selfish. It is not irritable. It does not keep a record of wrongs. ⁶ It does not rejoice over unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It bears^[al] all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.^[am]

⁸ Love never comes to an end. But if there are prophetic gifts, they will be done away with; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be done away with. ⁹ For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part, ¹⁰ but when that which is complete has come, that which is partial will be done away with. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² Now we see indirectly using a mirror, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I was fully known.

¹³ So now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

Using Spiritual Gifts in Love to Benefit the Church

14 Keep on pursuing love, and eagerly seek spiritual gifts, but especially prophecy. ² For the person who speaks in a tongue^[an] speaks to God, not to people. For no one understands him, but he speaks mysteries in the Spirit. ³ However, the person who prophesies speaks to people things that edify, encourage, and comfort. ⁴ The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. ⁵ I would like all of you to speak in tongues, but I would prefer that you prophesy. For the person who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.

⁶ Brothers,^[ao] if I come to you speaking in tongues, what good will I do you, unless I communicate to you a revelation, or some knowledge, or a prophecy, or some teaching? ⁷ Even lifeless instruments that produce sound, such as a flute or a harp, if they do not make the notes distinct from one another, how will anyone know what is being played on the flute or harp? ⁸ If the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will get ready for battle? ⁹ So also with you: Unless you use your tongue to produce intelligible speech, how will anyone know what is being spoken? To be sure, you will be speaking only into the air.

¹⁰ There are perhaps ever so many kinds of languages in the world, and not one of them is without meaning. ¹¹ Accordingly, if I do not understand the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker, and he will be a foreigner to me. ¹² So also with you: Since you are eager for spiritual gifts, seek to use them abundantly in a way that will build up the church.

¹³ That is why a person who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. ¹⁴ For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding^[ap] is unfruitful. ¹⁵ So what is to be done? I will pray using my spirit, and I will pray also using my understanding. I will sing using my spirit, and I will sing also using my understanding. ¹⁶ Otherwise, how will an uninformed person^[aq] say the “Amen” after you give thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? ¹⁷ To be sure, you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. ¹⁸ I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ¹⁹ But in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

²⁰ Brothers, do not be children in your thinking, but be like babies in regard to evil, and be mature in your thinking. ²¹ It is written in the law, “By different tongues and by foreign lips I will speak to this people, and even so, they will not listen to me, says the Lord.”^{[ar] 22} Therefore, tongues are a sign meant for unbelievers, not believers, whereas prophecy is for believers, not unbelievers. ²³ So if the whole church comes together in the same place and all speak in tongues, and uninformed visitors or unbelievers come in, won’t they say that you are crazy? ²⁴ But if all prophesy and some unbeliever or uninformed visitor comes in, he is reproved by all and judged by all, ²⁵ the secrets of his heart are revealed, and under those circumstances he will fall down on his face and worship God, declaring, “God really is among you!”

Specific Directions for Order in the Church

²⁶ So, brothers, what is to be done? When you come together, each one of you^[as] has a psalm, or a teaching, or a revelation, or an utterance in a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done in a way that builds people up. ²⁷ If someone speaks in a tongue, limit it to two or at most three (speaking one at a time), and have one person interpret. ²⁸ But if there is no interpreter, he is to keep silent in the church and keep his speaking between himself and God. ²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others carefully evaluate what was said. ³⁰ But if a revelation comes to another person as he sits there, let the first person become silent. ³¹ For you all can do your prophesying one at a time, so that all may learn and all may be encouraged. ³² The spirits of the prophets are also subject to the prophets, ³³ for God is not a God of disorder, but of peace.

As in all the churches of the saints,^{[at] 34} the^[au] women are to keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Instead they are to be subordinate, as also the Law says. ³⁵ If they desire to learn something, let them ask their own men^[av] at home, because it is shameful for a woman to speak in the church. ³⁶ Or are you the ones from whom the word of God has gone out? Or did it come to you alone?

³⁷ If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual person, let him recognize that the things I write to you are the Lord’s commands.^{[aw] 38} But if anyone disregards them, he should be disregarded.

³⁹ So, brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰ But let all things be done decently and in good order.

Christ’s Resurrection Is Foundational

15 Brothers, I am going to call your attention to the gospel that I preached to you. You received it, and you took your stand on it. ² You are also being saved by that gospel that was expressed in the words I preached to you, if you keep your hold on it—unless you believed in vain. ³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:

⁶ After that he appeared to over five hundred brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles. ⁸ Last of all, he appeared also to me, the stillborn child, so to speak. ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, and I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted God’s church. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not ineffective. On the contrary, I worked more than all of them (and yet it wasn’t my doing, but it was the grace of God, which was with me, that did it). ¹¹ So whether it is I or they, that is what we preach, and that is what you believed.

¹² Now if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how is it that some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is pointless, and your faith is pointless too. ¹⁵ Then we are even guilty of giving false testimony about God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise, if it were true that the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then it also follows that those who fell asleep in Christ perished. ¹⁹ If our hope in Christ applies only to this life, we are the most pitiful people of all.

²⁰ But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came by a man, the resurrection of the dead also is going to come by a man. ²² For as in Adam they all die, so also in Christ they all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own order: Christ as the firstfruits and then Christ’s people, at his coming. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has done away with every other ruler and every other authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign “until he has put all his enemies under his feet.”^{[ay] 26} Death is the last enemy to be done away with. ²⁷ Certainly, “he has put all things in subjection under his feet.”^[az] Now when it says that all things have been put in subjection, obviously that does not include the one who subjected all things to him. ²⁸ But when all things have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected^[ba] to the one who subjected all things to him, in order that God may be all in all.

²⁹ Otherwise, what will those people do who get baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why do they even get baptized for them? ³⁰ Why do we live in danger every hour? ³¹ Day by day I face death, as surely as I boast about you, brothers,^[bb] in Christ Jesus our Lord. ³² If I fought wild animals in Ephesus with human motives, what good did it do me? If the dead are not raised, then “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”^{[bc] 33} Do not be deceived! “Keeping bad company corrupts good morals.”^{[bd] 34} Use sober judgment, as is right, and do not sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

The Resurrection Body

³⁵ But someone will object, “How can it be that the dead are raised? With what kind of body are they going to come?”

³⁶ You are being foolish. What you sow is not made alive unless it dies. ³⁷ And what you sow is not the body that will be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or some other grain. ³⁸ But God gives it a body of the kind he wanted it to have, and to each of the seeds he gives its own body.

³⁹ Flesh is not all the same kind. Instead, people have one kind of flesh, animals have another kind, birds another, and fish yet another. ⁴⁰ There are also celestial bodies and bodies on earth, but the glory of the celestial bodies differs from that of the bodies on earth. ⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; in fact, one star differs from another in glory.

⁴² That is the way the resurrection of the dead will be. What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. ⁴³ It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. ⁴⁴ It is sown as a natural^[be] body; it is raised as a spiritual^[bf] body.

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living natural being.”^[bg] The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ However, that which is spiritual is not first; rather, first comes the natural, then the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man is of the earth, made of dust. The second man is the Lord^[bh] from heaven. ⁴⁸ As was the man made of dust, so are the people who are made of dust, and as is the heavenly man, so the heavenly people will be. ⁴⁹ And just as we have borne the image of the man made of dust, let us^[bi] also bear the image of the heavenly man.

The Change to Immortality on the Last Day

⁵⁰ Now I say this, brothers: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and what is perishable is not going to inherit what is imperishable. ⁵¹ Look, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ But once this perishable body has put on imperishability, and this mortal body has put on immortality, then what is written will be fulfilled:

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

⁵⁸ Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Plans for a Collection and Travel Plans

16 Now concerning the collection for the saints, do as I directed the churches in Galatia to do. ² On the first day of every week, each of you is to set something aside in keeping with whatever he gains, saving it up at home, so that when I come, no collections will need to be carried out. ³ When I arrive, those whom you approve will be provided with letters, and I will send these representatives to deliver your gracious gift to Jerusalem. ⁴ If it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me.

⁵ I will come to you when I have passed through Macedonia, for I am going to go through Macedonia. ⁶ Perhaps I will have an extended stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way, wherever I go. ⁷ For I do not wish to see you now in passing. I hope to stay with you for a while, if the Lord permits. ⁸ But I will stay on in Ephesus until Pentecost, ⁹ because a door has opened for me, a great opportunity for action, and there are many adversaries.

¹⁰ But if Timothy comes, make sure he has no reason to be afraid while he is with you, for he does the work of the Lord, as I do. ¹¹ Therefore let no one despise him. But send him on his way in peace so that he may come to me, because I am expecting him, and so are the brothers with me.^[bm]

¹² Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. It was not at all his desire to go now, but he will when he has an opportunity.

Closing Messages

¹³ Keep alert. Stand firm in the faith. Demonstrate manly courage. Be strong. ¹⁴ Let everything you do be done in love.

¹⁵ Brothers, you know Stephanas and his household. You know that they are the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they volunteered for service to the saints. ¹⁶ I urge that you also submit to them and to everyone who joins in and works hard. ¹⁷ I am glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus came, because they supplied what was lacking on your part, ¹⁸ and they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such people.

¹⁹ The churches in the province of Asia^[bn] greet you. Aquila and Priscilla^[bo] greet you warmly in the Lord, together with the church that meets in their house. ²⁰ All the brothers greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

²¹ This greeting is written by me, Paul, with my own hand. ²² If anyone does not love the Lord—let him be under a curse!^[bp] Marana tha!^{[bq] 23} The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ^[br] be with you. ²⁴ My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.^[bs]

Greeting

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is in Corinth, together with all the saints who are everywhere in Achaia:

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God Comforts and Rescues Us

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our trouble, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the same comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so through Christ our comfort also overflows. ⁶ If we are troubled, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the ability to endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. ⁷ Our hope for you is sure, since we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so you also share in our comfort.

⁸ Brothers,^[bt] we do not want you to be unaware of the trouble that happened to us in the province of Asia. We were burdened so greatly, so far beyond our ability to bear it, that we even gave up hope of living. ⁹ Yes, we even felt the sentence of death within ourselves. This happened so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He rescued us from such a terrible death, and he will continue to rescue us. We have set our hope on him that he will also rescue us again, ¹¹ as you join in helping us with your prayers for us. Then many people will thank God for the gracious gift given to us through many prayers.

Paul Explains a Change in Plans

¹² Indeed, this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world with God-given holiness^[bu] and sincerity, not with the wisdom of the flesh, but rather in God’s grace—especially toward you. ¹³ In fact, we are not writing you anything other than what you read or also understand. And I hope you will understand completely— ¹⁴ as you have also understood us in part—that on the day of our Lord Jesus we are going to be your reason for boasting, just as you are our reason.

¹⁵ In this confidence, I was planning to visit you first, so that you would have a second gracious gift. ¹⁶ Then I planned to travel from you on to Macedonia, and to return again from Macedonia to you to receive help from you on my way to Judea. ¹⁷ So when I made this plan, I did not do it lightly, did I? Or the things I plan, am I planning them the way the sinful flesh does, so that I would be saying both “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?

¹⁸ As surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” ¹⁹ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us (by me, Silas,^[bv] and Timothy), was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him the “Yes” stands firm. ²⁰ In fact, as many promises as God has made, they have always been “Yes” in him. For that reason we also say “Amen” through him to the glory of God.

²¹ God is the one who makes both us and you to be strong in Christ. He anointed us. ²² He sealed us as his own and gave us the Spirit as the down payment in our hearts.

²³ I call God as my witness, on my very life, that I avoided coming to Corinth in order to spare you. ²⁴ Not that we are lording it over your faith, but we are working together with you for your joy. For you stand firm by faith.

2 That is why I made up my mind that I would not make another sad visit to you. ² For if I make you sad, then who is there to make me glad, other than those I made sad? ³ I am writing^[bw] for this very purpose: That when I arrive, I will not be made sad by those who should make me glad. I am confident about all of you—that what gives me joy is what gives joy to all of you. ⁴ In fact, out of much trouble and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears. My goal was not to make you sad, but that you would know how very much I love you.

Forgive and Comfort the Repentant Sinner

⁵ Now if anyone has caused sorrow, he has not done it to me, but to all of you to some extent (not to overstate it). ⁶ This punishment inflicted on such a person by the majority is enough, ⁷ so that instead you should rather forgive and comfort him, or else such a person could be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸ For that reason, I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹ In fact, this was also the purpose of my writing: I wanted to know the result of your being tested, that is, if you are obedient in all things.

¹⁰ If you forgive anyone anything, I do too. To be sure, if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ for your sake, ¹¹ so that Satan would not take advantage of us. We are certainly not unaware of his schemes.

The Fragrance of Christ

¹² When I came to Troas to proclaim the gospel of Christ and a door was opened for me by the Lord, ¹³ I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-bye to them and went on to Macedonia.

¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ and reveals the fragrance of his knowledge through us in every place. ¹⁵ Yes, we are the fragrance of Christ for God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. ¹⁶ To some we are the odor of death that is a prelude to death, to the others the fragrance of life that is a prelude to life. And who is qualified for these things? ¹⁷ To be sure, we are not like many who peddle the word of God for profit. Instead, in Christ we speak with sincerity in the sight of God, as men from God.

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ² You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. ³ It is clear that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.

⁴ Such is the confidence we have through Christ before God. ⁵ Not that we are competent by ourselves to claim that anything comes from us; rather, our competence is from God. ⁶ He also made us competent as ministers of a new testament^[bx] (not of letter, but of spirit).^[by] For the letter kills, but the spirit^[bz] gives life.

The Ministry of the Spirit

⁷ If the ministry that brought death (which was engraved in letters on stone) came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look directly at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (though it was fading), ⁸ how will the ministry of the spirit^[ca] not be much more glorious? ⁹ For if the ministry that brought condemnation has glory, the ministry that brought righteousness has even more glory. ¹⁰ In fact, in this case, what was glorious is no longer very glorious, because of the greater glory of that which surpasses it. ¹¹ Indeed, if what is fading away was glorious, how much more glorious is that which is permanent!

¹² Therefore, since we have this kind of hope, we act with great boldness. ¹³ We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face, so that the Israelites could not continue to look at the end of the radiance, as it was fading away. ¹⁴ In spite of this, their minds were hardened. Yes, up to the present day, the same veil remains when the Old Testament is read. It has not been removed because it is taken away only in Christ. ¹⁵ Instead, to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts. ¹⁶ But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ But all of us who reflect the Lord’s glory with an unveiled face are being transformed into his own image, from one degree of glory to another. This too is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Treasure in Clay Jars

4 Therefore, since we have this ministry as a result of the mercy shown us, we are not discouraged. ² On the contrary, we have renounced shameful, underhanded methods. We do not operate in a deceitful way, and we do not distort the word of God. Instead, by proclaiming the truth clearly, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.

³ But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing. ⁴ In the case of those people, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from clearly seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is God’s image.

⁵ Indeed, we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For the God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,”^[cb] is the same one who made light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the person^[cc] of Jesus Christ.

⁷ We hold this treasure in clay jars to show that its extraordinary power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not despairing; ⁹ persecuted, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of the Lord Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ To be sure, while we are living we are continually being handed over to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. ¹² So then, death is working in us, but life is working in you.

¹³ Since we have that same spirit of faith, which corresponds to what is written: “I believed; therefore, I have spoken,”^[cd] we also believe, and therefore we speak. ¹⁴ For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and bring us (together with you) into his presence. ¹⁵ In fact, all this is for your benefit, so that as grace increases, it will overflow to the glory of God, as more and more people give thanks.

¹⁶ Therefore we are not discouraged. But even if our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ Yes, our momentary, light trouble produces for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond any comparison. ¹⁸ We are not focusing on what is seen, but on what is not seen. For the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are not seen are eternal.

We Long for Heaven

5 Now we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal home in heaven, which is not made by human hands. ² In fact, the reason we groan is that we long to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven. ³ If we do indeed put it on,^[ce] we will certainly not be found naked. ⁴ To be sure, while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as the down payment.

⁶ Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ But we are confident and would much prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ And for this reason we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home or away. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he did while in the body, whether good or bad.

¹¹ So, since we know the fear of the Lord, we are trying to persuade people. Now, we are well known by God, and I hope that we are also well known in your consciences. ¹² We are not commending ourselves to you again, but we are giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you have a reply for those who boast about outward appearance rather than what is in the heart.

¹³ Actually, if we were out of our minds, it was for God. If we are in our right minds, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ compels^[cf] us, because we came to this conclusion: One died for all; therefore, all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves but for him, who died in their place and was raised again.

God Was in Christ Reconciling the World

¹⁶ As a result, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we knew Christ according to the flesh, we no longer know him that way. ¹⁷ So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. The new has come!^{[cg] 18} And all these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. ¹⁹ That is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them. And he has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, inasmuch as God is making an appeal through us. We urge you, on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

6 As fellow workers we also urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. ² For he says:

Look, now is the favorable time! See, now is the day of salvation!

³ We are giving no one a reason to stumble in any way, so that our ministry will not be blamed. ⁴ Rather, in every way we show ourselves to be God’s ministers: in great endurance, in troubles, in hardships, in difficulties, ⁵ in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in hard work, in sleepless nights, in times of hunger; ⁶ in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love, ⁷ in the word of truth, in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness on the right and on the left; ⁸ through glory and dishonor, through bad report and good report; treated as deceivers yet being honest, ⁹ treated as unknown and yet being well known; as dying, and yet look—we live; as punished yet not put to death; ¹⁰ as grieving yet always rejoicing; as poor yet making many rich; as having nothing yet possessing everything.

¹¹ We have spoken to you openly,^[ci] Corinthians. Our heart is standing wide open. ¹² We have plenty of room for you, but you do not have room for us in your affections. ¹³ I am speaking as to my children: In exchange, open your hearts wide too.

Do Not Be Yoked With Unbelievers

¹⁴ Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what partnership does righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? ¹⁵ And what agreement does Christ have with Belial?^[cj] Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what mutual agreement does God’s temple have with idols? For you^[ck] are the temple of the living God, just as God said:

7 So then, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles flesh and spirit as we seek to bring sanctification to its goal in the fear of God.

You Encouraged Us

² Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one. We have corrupted no one. We have taken advantage of no one. ³ I am not saying this to condemn you. In fact, I have said before that you are in our hearts—we died together and live together with you! ⁴ I have great confidence in you. I am very proud of you. I am filled with encouragement. I am overflowing with joy in all our trouble.

⁵ In fact, when we came to Macedonia, our flesh had no relief. Instead, we were troubled in every way—conflicts on the outside, fears on the inside. ⁶ But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us with the arrival of Titus, ⁷ and not only with his arrival, but also with the comfort he had received concerning you. He told us about your longing, your sorrow, and your serious concern for me. As a result, I rejoiced even more.

⁸ For even if I caused you sorrow with my letter, I do not regret it (even though I did regret it, for I see that my letter caused you sorrow—yet only for a little while). ⁹ Now I rejoice, not because you were made to feel sorrow, but because this sorrow resulted in repentance. Yes, you were made sorry in a godly way. So you were not harmed in any way by us. ¹⁰ In fact, godly sorrow produces repentance, which leads to salvation, leaving no regret. On the other hand, worldly sorrow produces death.

¹¹ Yes, look what godly sorrow produced in you: what diligence, what eagerness to clear yourself, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what correction! In every way you proved yourselves to be pure in this matter. ¹² So although I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did what was wrong, or because of the one who was harmed by it. I wrote instead so that your genuine concern for us would be revealed to you in the sight of God. ¹³ For that reason we have been comforted.

In addition to our comfort, we rejoiced a great deal more at the joy of Titus, because all of you have set his spirit at rest. ¹⁴ For if I made any boast to him about you, I have not been put to shame. Rather, just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting to Titus turned out to be true. ¹⁵ And his heart goes out to you even more, as he remembers the obedience of all of you (how you received him with fear and trembling). ¹⁶ I rejoice because I have complete confidence in you.

Finish the Collection

8 Now brothers,^[co] we want you to know about the grace of God that was given in the churches of Macedonia: ² In a severe test of trouble, their overflowing joy and their deep poverty overflowed into an abundance of their generosity.^{[cp] 3} I testify that of their own free will they gave according to their ability, and even beyond their ability, ⁴ pleading with us with an urgent request for the gracious privilege of joining in this service to the saints. ⁵ And they did this not as we had expected, but in keeping with God’s will they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us. ⁶ As a result we urged Titus, since he had already made a beginning, to bring to completion this gracious gift on your part. ⁷ But just as you overflow in every way—in faith, in word, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us^[cq]—see that you also overflow in this gracious gift.

⁸ I do not say this as a command, but to test how genuine your love is, by comparing it with the eagerness of others. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich.

¹⁰ And I am giving advice in this matter because it is going to be helpful for you. Last year, you were not only the first to take action, but also the first to be willing. ¹¹ Now bring the work to completion too, so that your eagerness to start may be matched by your completing it with what you have. ¹² For if the eagerness is there, a gift is acceptable according to what someone has, not according to what he does not have.

¹³ Certainly, our goal is not that others take it easy while you are burdened, but that there may be equality. ¹⁴ At the present time, your abundance will provide what they lack, in order that their abundance will also provide what you lack—in this way there will be equality. ¹⁵ As it is written, “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”^[cr]

¹⁶ Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you, ¹⁷ because he accepted our encouragement and went to you eagerly, of his own free will. ¹⁸ We sent along with him the brother who is recognized by all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. ¹⁹ Not only that—but also he was elected^[cs] by the churches to be our traveling companion, as we administer this gracious gift to the glory of the Lord and to show our eagerness to help. ²⁰ We are trying to avoid any criticism of the way we are administering this lavish gift. ²¹ To be sure, we are taking into consideration what is proper, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of other people.

²² We sent along with them our brother who has often proved to us in many tests that he is eager, and now is even more eager, because of the great confidence he has in you.

²³ As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. Our brothers, messengers sent by the churches, are the glory of Christ. ²⁴ So then, show the evidence of your love in the sight of the churches, and demonstrate why we boasted to them about you.

Christian Giving

9 It is really not necessary for me to write to you about the service to the saints, ² because I know your eagerness. I am boasting about it on your behalf to the Macedonians, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. Your zeal has stirred up many of them. ³ But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting on your behalf will not prove to be empty in this case, but that you will be prepared just as I have been saying. ⁴ Otherwise, if any Macedonians come along with me and find you unprepared, we (to say nothing of you) would be ashamed of this confidence.^{[ct] 5} That is why I considered it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance, and to arrange ahead of time the expression of praise that you previously promised, so that it may be ready as an expression of praise, not of grudging selfishness.

⁶ This is what I mean: The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. The one who sows generously^[cu] will also reap generously. ⁷ Each one should give as he has determined in his heart, not reluctantly or under pressure, for God loves a cheerful giver.

God Provides

⁸ God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will overflow in every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

¹⁰ And he who provides seed to the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed for sowing, and will increase the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be made rich in every way so that you may be generous^[cw] in every way, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.

¹² To be sure, the administration of this service is not only making up for what is lacking among the saints, but it is also overflowing in many prayers of thanksgiving to God. ¹³ By proving yourselves in this service, many people are glorifying God, as they see the obedience shown in your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity^[cx] shown in your sharing with them and all people. ¹⁴ At the same time as they pray for you, they also express their longing for you, because of the extraordinary measure of God’s grace given to you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Paul’s Defense

10 Now I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the humility and gentleness of Christ—I, who am “gentle” when I am in your presence, but “bold” toward you when I am away. ² I pray that, when I arrive there, I may not have to be bold with the confidence that I expect to use in daring to confront some who think that we walk in the way the sinful flesh does. ³ For even though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war in the way the sinful flesh does. ⁴ Certainly, the weapons of our warfare are not those of the flesh, but weapons made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down thoughts ⁵ such as all arrogance that rises up against the knowledge of God, and we make every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ. ⁶ And we are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is fully restored.

⁷ You are looking at things only according to the outward appearance. If anyone has convinced himself that he belongs to Christ, let him consider this about himself: We belong to Christ just as much as he does. ⁸ Indeed, even if I may boast some more about our authority, which the Lord has given for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be put to shame. ⁹ My purpose is not to seem as if I am trying to frighten you by my letters. ¹⁰ For some say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his physical presence is weak, and his speech amounts to nothing.” ¹¹ Let such a person consider this: What we are, by our word through letters when we are away, is just what we will be in our work when we are present.

¹² To be sure, we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who speak highly of themselves. On the contrary, when they measure themselves only by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. ¹³ But we will not boast about things that cannot be measured. Instead, we will boast according to the measure of the assignment that the God who measures things measured out to us: to reach out also as far as to you. ¹⁴ Indeed, we are not overdoing our boasting, as if we had not come to you. In fact, we were the first ones to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ We are not boasting about things that cannot be measured, that is, in the hard work of others. But we are hoping that, as your faith grows, our assignment will be greatly increased while we are among you, ¹⁶ with the result that we will preach the gospel to the regions beyond you. Then we will not be boasting about what someone else has already done in his assignment. ¹⁷ But let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.^{[cy] 18} To be sure, it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Bear With Me

11 I wish that you would be patient with me in regard to a little foolishness—but you are already being patient with me. ² You see, I am jealous about you, with a godly jealousy, because I promised to present you as a pure virgin to one husband, Christ. ³ But I am afraid that somehow, just as the serpent deceived Eve with his cunning, so also your minds might be led astray from a sincere^[cz] and pure devotion to Christ. ⁴ In fact, if someone comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if you accept a different spirit, which you did not accept before, or a different “gospel,” which you did not welcome before, you put up with it all too well. ⁵ I do not think that I am in any way inferior to the “super-apostles.” ⁶ But even if I am an amateur in speech, yet I am not an amateur in knowledge. No, in everything we have clearly demonstrated that to you in every way.

⁷ Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself, so that you would be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? ⁸ I robbed other churches, by receiving support from them to minister to you! ⁹ And when I was with you and needed something, I did not burden anyone, because when the brothers came from Macedonia, they supplied what I needed. In every way I kept myself from ever being a burden to you, and I will continue to do so. ¹⁰ As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting about me will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do. ¹² But what I am doing, and will continue to do, is being done in order to cut off the opportunity of those who want an opportunity to boast that they should be considered equal to us.

¹³ In fact, such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.