1 Corinthians 7:17 - 2 Corinthians 11:14

GOD’S WORD Translation

¹⁷ Everyone should live the life that the Lord gave him when God called him. This is the guideline I use in every church.

¹⁸ Any man who was already circumcised when he was called to be a Christian shouldn’t undo his circumcision. Any man who was uncircumcised when he was called to be a Christian shouldn’t get circumcised. ¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing, and the lack of it is nothing. But keeping what God commands is everything. ²⁰ All people should stay as they were when they were called. ²¹ Were you a slave when you were called? That shouldn’t bother you. However, if you have a chance to become free, take it. ²² If the Lord called you when you were a slave, you are the Lord’s free person. In the same way, if you were free when you were called, you are Christ’s slave. ²³ You were bought for a price. Don’t become anyone’s slaves. ²⁴ Brothers and sisters, you should remain in whatever circumstances you were in when God called you. God is with you in those circumstances.

²⁵ Concerning virgins: Even though I don’t have any command from the Lord, I’ll give you my opinion. I’m a person to whom the Lord has shown mercy, so I can be trusted. ²⁶ Because of the present crisis I believe it is good for people to remain as they are. ²⁷ Do you have a wife? Don’t seek a divorce. Are you divorced from your wife? Don’t look for another one. ²⁸ But if you do get married, you have not sinned. If a virgin gets married, she has not sinned. However, these people will have trouble, and I would like to spare them from that.

²⁹ This is what I mean, brothers and sisters: The time has been shortened. While it lasts, those who are married should live as though they were not. ³⁰ Those who have eyes filled with tears should live as though they have no sorrow. Those who are happy should live as though there was nothing to be happy about. Those who buy something should live as though they didn’t own it. ³¹ Those who use the things in this world should do so but not depend on them. It is clear that this world in its present form is passing away.

³² So I don’t want you to have any concerns. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, ⌞that is,⌟ about how he can please the Lord. ³³ But the married man is concerned about earthly things, ⌞that is,⌟ about how he can please his wife. ³⁴ His attention is divided.

An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the Lord’s things so that she may be holy in body and in spirit. But the married woman is concerned about earthly things, ⌞that is,⌟ about how she can please her husband. ³⁵ I’m saying this for your benefit, not to restrict you. I’m showing you how to live a noble life of devotion to the Lord without being distracted by other things.

³⁶ No father would want to do the wrong thing when his virgin daughter is old enough to get married. If she wants to get married, he isn’t sinning by letting her get married. ³⁷ However, a father may have come to a decision about his daughter. If his decision is to keep her ⌞at home⌟ because she doesn’t want to get married, that’s fine. ³⁸ So it’s fine for a father to give his daughter in marriage, but the father who doesn’t give his daughter in marriage does even better.

³⁹ A married woman must remain with her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if the man is a Christian.^{[a] 40} However, she will be more blessed if she stays as she is. That is my opinion, and I think that I, too, have God’s Spirit.

Advice about Food Offered to False Gods

8 Now, concerning food offered to false gods: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes people arrogant, but love builds them up. ² Those who think they know something still have a lot to learn. ³ But if they love God, they are known by God.

⁴ Now about eating food that was offered to false gods: We know that the false gods in this world don’t really exist and that no god exists except the one God. ⁵ People may say that there are gods in heaven and on earth—many gods and many lords, as they would call them. ⁶ But for us,

⁷ But not everyone knows this. Some people are so used to worshiping false gods that they believe they are eating food offered to a false god. So they feel guilty because their conscience is weak.

⁸ Food will not affect our relationship with God. We are no worse off if we eat ⌞that food⌟ and no better off if we don’t. ⁹ But be careful that by using your freedom you don’t somehow make a believer who is weak in faith fall into sin. ¹⁰ For example, suppose someone with a weak conscience sees you, who have this knowledge, eating in the temple of a false god. Won’t you be encouraging that person to eat food offered to a false god? ¹¹ In that case, your knowledge is ruining a believer whose faith is weak, a believer for whom Christ died. ¹² When you sin against other believers in this way and harm their weak consciences, you are sinning against Christ.

¹³ Therefore, if eating food ⌞offered to false gods⌟ causes other believers to lose their faith, I will never eat that kind of food so that I won’t make other believers lose their faith.

Paul’s Right to Be Paid for His Work as an Apostle

9 Don’t you agree that I’m a free man? Don’t you agree that I’m an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren’t you the result of my work for the Lord? ² If I’m not an apostle to other people, at least I’m an apostle to you. You are the seal which proves that I am the Lord’s apostle. ³ This is how I defend myself to those who cross-examine me. ⁴ Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? ⁵ Don’t we have the right to take our wives along with us like the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas ^[b] do? ⁶ Or is it only Barnabas and I who don’t have any rights, except to find work to support ourselves?

⁷ Does a soldier ever serve in the army at his own expense? Does anyone plant a vineyard and not eat the grapes? Does anyone take care of a flock and not drink milk from the sheep? ⁸ Am I merely stating some human rule? Don’t Moses’ Teachings say the same thing? ⁹ Moses’ Teachings say, “Never muzzle an ox when it is threshing ^[c] grain.” God’s concern isn’t for oxen. ¹⁰ Isn’t he speaking entirely for our benefit? This was written for our benefit so that the person who plows or threshes should expect to receive a share of the crop. ¹¹ If we have planted the spiritual seed that has been of benefit to you, is it too much if we receive part of the harvest from your earthly goods? ¹² If others have the right to expect this from you, don’t we deserve even more? But we haven’t used our rights. Instead, we would put up with anything in order not to hinder the Good News of Christ in any way.

¹³ Don’t you realize that those who work at the temple get their food from the temple? Don’t those who help at the altar get a share of what is on the altar? ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who spread the Good News should earn their living from the Good News.

¹⁵ I haven’t used any of these rights, and I haven’t written this in order to use them now. I would rather die than have anyone turn my bragging into meaningless words. ¹⁶ If I spread the Good News, I have nothing to brag about because I have an obligation to do this. How horrible it will be for me if I don’t spread the Good News! ¹⁷ If I spread the Good News willingly, I’ll have a reward. But if I spread the Good News unwillingly, I’m ⌞only⌟ doing what I’ve been entrusted to do.

¹⁸ So what is my reward? It is to spread the Good News free of charge. In that way I won’t use the rights that belong to those who spread the Good News.

Paul’s Work as an Apostle

¹⁹ Although I’m free from all people, I have made myself a slave for all people to win more of them. ²⁰ I became Jewish for Jewish people. I became subject to the laws in Moses’ Teachings for those who are subject to those laws. I did this to win them even though I’m not subject to Moses’ Teachings. ²¹ I became like a person who does not have Moses’ Teachings for those who don’t have those teachings. I did this to win them even though I have God’s teachings. I’m really subject to Christ’s teachings. ²² I became like a person weak in faith to win those who are weak in faith. I have become everything to everyone in order to save at least some of them. ²³ I do all this for the sake of the Good News in order to share what it offers.

²⁴ Don’t you realize that everyone who runs in a race runs to win, but only one runner gets the prize? Run like them, so that you can win. ²⁵ Everyone who enters an athletic contest goes into strict training. They do it to win a temporary crown, but we do it to win one that will be permanent. ²⁶ So I run—but not without a clear goal ahead of me. So I box—but not as if I were just shadow boxing. ²⁷ Rather, I toughen my body with punches and make it my slave so that I will not be disqualified after I have spread the Good News to others.

Learn from What Happened in the Time of Moses

10 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that all our ancestors ⌞who left Egypt⌟ were under the cloud, and they all went through the sea. ² They were all united with Moses by baptism in the cloud and in the sea. ³ All of them ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all of them drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from the spiritual rock that went with them, and that rock was Christ. ⁵ Yet, God was not pleased with most of them, so their dead bodies were scattered over the desert.

⁶ These things have become examples for us so that we won’t desire what is evil, as they did. ⁷ So don’t worship false gods as some of them did, as Scripture says, “The people sat down to a feast which turned into an orgy.” ⁸ We shouldn’t sin sexually as some of them did. Twenty-three thousand of them died on one day. ⁹ We shouldn’t put the Lord ^[d] to the test as some of them did. They were killed by snakes. ¹⁰ Don’t complain as some of them did. The angel of death destroyed them. ¹¹ These things happened to make them an example for others. These things were written down as a warning for us who are living in the closing days of history. ¹² So, people who think they are standing firmly should be careful that they don’t fall.

¹³ There isn’t any temptation that you have experienced which is unusual for humans. God, who faithfully keeps his promises, will not allow you to be tempted beyond your power to resist. But when you are tempted, he will also give you the ability to endure the temptation as your way of escape.

Stay Away from Worshiping False Gods

¹⁴ Therefore, my dear friends, get as far away from the worship of false gods as you can.

¹⁵ I’m talking to intelligent people. Judge for yourselves what I’m saying. ¹⁶ When we bless the cup of blessing aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? When we break the bread aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because there is one loaf, we are one body, although we are many individuals. All of us share one loaf.

¹⁸ Look at the people of Israel from a human point of view. Don’t those who eat the sacrifices share what is on the altar? ¹⁹ Do I mean that an offering made to a false god is anything, or that a false god itself is anything? ²⁰ Hardly! What I am saying is that these sacrifices which people make are made to demons and not to God. I don’t want you to be partners with demons. ²¹ You cannot drink the Lord’s cup and the cup of demons. You cannot participate at the table of the Lord and at the table of demons. ²² Are we trying to make the Lord jealous? Are we stronger than he is?

²³ Someone may say, “I’m allowed to do anything,” but not everything is helpful. I’m allowed to do anything, but not everything encourages growth. ²⁴ People should be concerned about others and not just about themselves. ²⁵ Eat anything that is sold in the market without letting your conscience trouble you. ²⁶ Certainly, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything it contains is his.” ²⁷ If an unbeliever invites you ⌞to his house for dinner⌟, and you wish to go, eat anything he serves you without letting your conscience trouble you. ²⁸ However, if someone says to you, “This was sacrificed to a god,” don’t eat it because of the one who informed you and because of conscience. ²⁹ I’m not talking about your conscience but the other person’s conscience. Why should my freedom be judged by someone else’s conscience? ³⁰ If I give thanks to God for the food I eat, why am I condemned for that? ³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything to the glory of God. ³² Don’t cause others to stumble, whether they are Jewish, Greek, or members of God’s church. ³³ I try to please everyone in every way. I don’t think about what would be good for me but about what would be good for many people so that they might be saved.

11 Imitate me as I imitate Christ.

Advice about Worship

² I praise you for always thinking about me and for carefully following the traditions that I handed down to you.

³ However, I want you to realize that Christ has authority over every man, a husband has authority over his wife, and God has authority over Christ. ⁴ Every man who covers his head when he prays or speaks what God has revealed dishonors the one who has authority over him. ⁵ Every woman who prays or speaks what God has revealed and has her head uncovered while she speaks dishonors the one who has authority over her. She is like the woman who has her head shaved. ⁶ So if a woman doesn’t cover her head, she should cut off her hair. If it’s a disgrace for a woman to cut off her hair or shave her head, she should cover her head. ⁷ A man should not cover his head. He is God’s image and glory. The woman, however, is man’s glory. ⁸ Clearly, man wasn’t made from woman but woman from man. ⁹ Man wasn’t created for woman but woman for man. ¹⁰ Therefore, a woman should wear something on her head to show she is under ⌞someone’s⌟ authority, out of respect for the angels.

¹¹ Yet, as believers in the Lord, women couldn’t exist without men and men couldn’t exist without women. ¹² As a woman came into existence from a man, so men come into existence by women, but everything comes from God.

¹³ Judge your own situation. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Doesn’t nature itself teach you that it is disgraceful for a man to have long hair? ¹⁵ Doesn’t it teach you that it is a woman’s pride to wear her hair long? Her hair is given to her in place of a covering. ¹⁶ If anyone wants to argue about this ⌞they can’t, because⌟ we don’t have any custom like this—nor do any of the churches of God.

¹⁷ I have no praise for you as I instruct you in the following matter: When you gather, it results in more harm than good. ¹⁸ In the first place, I hear that when you gather as a church you split up into opposing groups. I believe some of what I hear. ¹⁹ Factions have to exist in order to make it clear who the genuine believers among you are.

²⁰ When you gather in the same place, you can’t possibly be eating the Lord’s Supper. ²¹ Each of you eats his own supper ⌞without waiting for each other⌟. So one person goes hungry and another gets drunk. ²² Don’t you have homes in which to eat and drink? Do you despise God’s church and embarrass people who don’t have anything to eat? What can I say to you? Should I praise you? I won’t praise you for this. ²³ After all, I passed on to you what I had received from the Lord.

On the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread ²⁴ and spoke a prayer of thanksgiving. He broke the bread and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” ²⁵ When supper was over, he did the same with the cup. He said, “This cup is the new promise ^[e] made with my blood. Every time you drink from it, do it to remember me.” ²⁶ Every time you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you tell about the Lord’s death until he comes.

²⁷ Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks from the Lord’s cup in an improper way will be held responsible for the Lord’s body and blood. ²⁸ With this in mind, individuals must determine whether what they are doing is proper when they eat the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹ Anyone who eats and drinks is eating and drinking a judgment against himself when he doesn’t recognize the Lord’s body.

³⁰ This is the reason why many of you are weak and sick and quite a number ⌞of you⌟ have died. ³¹ If we were judging ourselves correctly, we would not be judged. ³² But when the Lord judges us, he disciplines us so that we won’t be condemned along with the rest of the world.

³³ Therefore, brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, wait for each other. ³⁴ Whoever is hungry should eat at home so that you don’t have a gathering that brings judgment on you.

I will give directions concerning the other matters when I come.

Spiritual Gifts

12 Brothers and sisters, I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding concerning spiritual gifts. ² You know that when you were unbelievers, every time you were led to worship false gods you were worshiping gods who couldn’t even speak. ³ So I want you to know that no one speaking by God’s Spirit says, “Jesus is cursed.” No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are different spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. ⁵ There are different ways of serving, and yet the same Lord is served. ⁶ There are different types of work to do, but the same God produces every gift in every person.

⁷ The evidence of the Spirit’s presence is given to each person for the common good of everyone. ⁸ The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak with wisdom. The same Spirit gives another person the ability to speak with knowledge. ⁹ To another person the same Spirit gives ⌞courageous⌟ faith. To another person the same Spirit gives the ability to heal. ¹⁰ Another can work miracles. Another can speak what God has revealed. Another can tell the difference between spirits. Another can speak in different kinds of languages. Another can interpret languages. ¹¹ There is only one Spirit who does all these things by giving what God wants to give to each person.

¹² For example, the body is one unit and yet has many parts. As all the parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether we are Jewish or Greek, slave or free, God gave all of us one Spirit to drink.

¹⁴ As you know, the human body is not made up of only one part, but of many parts. ¹⁵ Suppose a foot says, “I’m not a hand, so I’m not part of the body!” Would that mean it’s no longer part of the body? ¹⁶ Or suppose an ear says, “I’m not an eye, so I’m not a part of the body!” Would that mean it’s no longer part of the body? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? ¹⁸ So God put each and every part of the body together as he wanted it. ¹⁹ How could it be a body if it only had one part? ²⁰ So there are many parts but one body.

²¹ An eye can’t say to a hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² The opposite is true. The parts of the body that we think are weaker are the ones we really need. ²³ The parts of the body that we think are less honorable are the ones we give special honor. So our unpresentable parts are made more presentable. ²⁴ However, our presentable parts don’t need this kind of treatment. God has put the body together and given special honor to the part that doesn’t have it. ²⁵ God’s purpose was that the body should not be divided but rather that all of its parts should feel the same concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts share its suffering. If one part is praised, all the others share in its happiness.

²⁷ You are Christ’s body and each of you is an individual part of it. ²⁸ In the church God has appointed first apostles, next prophets, third teachers, then those who perform miracles, then those who have the gift of healing, then those who help others, those who are managers, and those who can speak in a number of languages. ²⁹ Not all believers are apostles, are they? Are all of them prophets? Do all of them teach? Do all of them perform miracles ³⁰ or have gifts of healing? Can all of them speak in other languages or interpret languages?

³¹ You ⌞only⌟ want the better gifts, but I will show you the best thing to do.^[f]

Love

13 I may speak in the languages of humans and of angels. But if I don’t have love, I am a loud gong or a clashing cymbal. ² I may have the gift to speak what God has revealed, and I may understand all mysteries and have all knowledge. I may even have enough faith to move mountains. But if I don’t have love, I am nothing. ³ I may even give away all that I have and give up my body to be burned.^[g] But if I don’t have love, none of these things will help me.

⁴ Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn’t jealous. It doesn’t sing its own praises. It isn’t arrogant. ⁵ It isn’t rude. It doesn’t think about itself. It isn’t irritable. It doesn’t keep track of wrongs. ⁶ It isn’t happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth. ⁷ Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.

⁸ Love never comes to an end. There is the gift of speaking what God has revealed, but it will no longer be used. There is the gift of speaking in other languages, but it will stop by itself. There is the gift of knowledge, but it will no longer be used. ⁹ Our knowledge is incomplete and our ability to speak what God has revealed is incomplete. ¹⁰ But when what is complete comes, then what is incomplete will no longer be used. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways. ¹² Now we see a blurred image in a mirror. Then we will see very clearly. Now my knowledge is incomplete. Then I will have complete knowledge as God has complete knowledge of me.

¹³ So these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the best one of these is love.

Speak in Ways That Can Be Understood

14 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially the gift of speaking what God has revealed. ² When a person speaks in another language, he doesn’t speak to people but to God. No one understands him. His spirit is speaking mysteries. ³ But when a person speaks what God has revealed, he speaks to people to help them grow, to encourage them, and to comfort them. ⁴ When a person speaks in another language, he helps himself grow. But when a person speaks what God has revealed, he helps the church grow. ⁵ I wish that all of you could speak in other languages, but especially that you could speak what God has revealed. The person who speaks what God has revealed is more important than the person who speaks in other languages. This is true unless he can interpret what he says to help the church grow. ⁶ Brothers and sisters, it wouldn’t do you any good if I came to you speaking in other languages, unless I explained revelation, knowledge, prophecy, or doctrine to you.

⁷ Musical instruments like the flute or harp produce sounds. If there is no difference in the notes, how can a person tell what tune is being played? ⁸ For example, if the trumpet doesn’t sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? ⁹ In the same way, if you don’t speak in a way that can be understood, how will anyone know what you’re saying? You will be talking into thin air.

¹⁰ No matter how many different languages there are in the world, not one of them is without meaning. ¹¹ If I don’t know what a language means, I will be a foreigner to the person who speaks it and that person will be a foreigner to me. ¹² In the same way, since you’re eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in them so that you help the church grow. ¹³ So the person who speaks in another language should pray for an interpretation of what he says.

¹⁴ If I pray in another language, my spirit prays, but my mind is not productive. ¹⁵ So what does this mean? It means that I will pray with my spirit, and I will pray with my mind. I will sing psalms with my spirit, and I will sing psalms with my mind. ¹⁶ Otherwise, if you praise God only with your spirit, how can outsiders say “Amen!” to your prayer of thanksgiving? They don’t know what you’re saying. ¹⁷ Your prayer of thanksgiving may be very good, but it doesn’t help other people grow. ¹⁸ I thank God that I speak in other languages more than any of you. ¹⁹ Yet, in order to teach others in church, I would rather say five words that can be understood than ten thousand words in another language.

²⁰ Brothers and sisters, don’t think like children. When it comes to evil, be like babies, but think like mature people. ²¹ God’s word says,

²² So the gift of speaking in other languages is a sign for unbelievers, not for believers. The gift of speaking what God has revealed is a sign for believers, not for unbelievers. ²³ Suppose the whole congregation gathers in the same place and you speak in other languages. When outsiders or unbelievers come in, won’t they say that you’re out of your mind? ²⁴ Now suppose you speak what God has revealed. When unbelievers or outsiders come in you will show them where they are wrong and convince them that they are sinners. ²⁵ The secrets in their hearts will become known, and in this way they will quickly bow with their faces touching the ground, worship God, and confess that God is truly among you.

Maintain Order in Your Worship Services

²⁶ So what does this mean, brothers and sisters? When you gather, each person has a psalm, doctrine, revelation, another language, or an interpretation. Everything must be done to help each other grow. ²⁷ If people speak in other languages, only two or three at the most should speak. They should do it one at a time, and someone must interpret what each person says. ²⁸ But if an interpreter isn’t present, those people should remain silent in church. They should only speak to themselves and to God.

²⁹ Two or three people should speak what God has revealed. Everyone else should decide whether what each person said is right or wrong. ³⁰ If God reveals something to another person who is seated, the first speaker should be silent. ³¹ All of you can take your turns speaking what God has revealed. In that way, everyone will learn and be encouraged. ³² People who speak what God has revealed must control themselves. ³³ God is not a God of disorder but a God of peace.

As in all the churches of God’s holy people, ³⁴ the women must keep silent. They don’t have the right to speak. They must take their place as Moses’ Teachings say. ³⁵ If they want to know anything they should ask their husbands at home. It’s shameful for a woman to speak in church. ³⁶ Did God’s word originate with you? Are you the only ones it has reached?

³⁷ Whoever thinks that he speaks for God or that he is spiritually gifted must acknowledge that what I write to you is what the Lord commands. ³⁸ But whoever ignores what I write should be ignored.

³⁹ So, brothers and sisters, desire to speak what God has revealed, and don’t keep anyone from speaking in other languages. ⁴⁰ Everything must be done in a proper and orderly way.

Jesus Came Back to Life

15 Brothers and sisters, I’m making known to you the Good News which I already told you, which you received, and on which your faith is based. ² In addition, you are saved by this Good News if you hold on to the doctrine I taught you, unless you believed it without thinking it over. ³ I passed on to you the most important points of doctrine that I had received:

Christ died to take away our sins as the Scriptures predicted.

⁴ He was placed in a tomb.

He was brought back to life on the third day as the Scriptures predicted.

⁵ He appeared to Cephas.^[h] Next he appeared to the twelve apostles. ⁶ Then he appeared to more than 500 believers at one time. (Most of these people are still living, but some have died.) ⁷ Next he appeared to James. Then he appeared to all the apostles. ⁸ Last of all, he also appeared to me.

I’m like an aborted child ⌞who was given life⌟. ⁹ I’m the least of the apostles. I’m not even fit to be called an apostle because I persecuted God’s church. ¹⁰ But God’s kindness ^[i] made me what I am, and that kindness was not wasted on me. Instead, I worked harder than all the others. It was not I who did it, but God’s kindness was with me. ¹¹ So, whether it was I or someone else, this is the message we brought you, and this is what you believed.

We Will Come Back to Life

¹² If we have told you that Christ has been brought back to life, how can some of you say that coming back from the dead is impossible? ¹³ If the dead can’t be brought back to life, then Christ hasn’t come back to life. ¹⁴ If Christ hasn’t come back to life, our message has no meaning and your faith also has no meaning. ¹⁵ In addition, we are obviously witnesses who lied about God because we testified that he brought Christ back to life. But if it’s true that the dead don’t come back to life, then God didn’t bring Christ back to life. ¹⁶ Certainly, if the dead don’t come back to life, then Christ hasn’t come back to life either. ¹⁷ If Christ hasn’t come back to life, your faith is worthless and sin still has you in its power. ¹⁸ Then those who have died as believers in Christ no longer exist. ¹⁹ If Christ is our hope in this life only, we deserve more pity than any other people.

²⁰ But now Christ has come back from the dead. He is the very first person of those who have died to come back to life. ²¹ Since a man brought death, a man also brought life back from death. ²² As everyone dies because of Adam, so also everyone will be made alive because of Christ. ²³ This will happen to each person in his own turn. Christ is the first, then at his coming, those who belong to him ⌞will be made alive⌟. ²⁴ Then the end will come. Christ will hand over the kingdom to God the Father as he destroys every ruler, authority, and power.

²⁵ Christ must rule until God has put every enemy under his control. ²⁶ The last enemy he will destroy is death. ²⁷ Clearly, God has put everything under Christ’s authority. When God says that everything has been put under Christ’s authority, this clearly excludes God, since God has put everything under Christ’s authority. ²⁸ But when God puts everything under Christ’s authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, since God had put everything under the Son’s authority. Then God will be in control of everything.

²⁹ However, people are baptized because the dead ⌞will come back to life⌟. What will they do? If the dead can’t come back to life, why do people get baptized as if they can ⌞come back to life⌟?

³⁰ Why are we constantly putting ourselves in danger? ³¹ Brothers and sisters, I swear to you on my pride in you which Christ Jesus our Lord has given me: I face death every day. ³² If I have fought with wild animals in Ephesus, what have I gained according to the way people look at things? If the dead are not brought back to life, “Let’s eat and drink because tomorrow we’re going to die!” ³³ Don’t let anyone deceive you. Associating with bad people will ruin decent people. ³⁴ Come back to the right point of view, and stop sinning. Some people don’t know anything about God. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

We Will Have Bodies That Will Not Decay

³⁵ But someone will ask, “How do the dead come back to life? With what kind of body will they come back?”

³⁶ You fool! The seed you plant doesn’t come to life unless it dies first. ³⁷ What you plant, whether it’s wheat or something else, is only a seed. It doesn’t have the form that the plant will have. ³⁸ God gives the plant the form he wants it to have. Each kind of seed grows into its own form. ³⁹ Not all flesh is the same. Humans have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds have another, and fish have still another. ⁴⁰ There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. Heavenly bodies don’t all have the same splendor, neither do earthly bodies. ⁴¹ The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon has another kind of splendor, and the stars have still another kind of splendor. Even one star differs in splendor from another star.

⁴² That is how it will be when the dead come back to life. When the body is planted, it decays. When it comes back to life, it cannot decay. ⁴³ When the body is planted, it doesn’t have any splendor and is weak. When it comes back to life, it has splendor and is strong. ⁴⁴ It is planted as a physical body. It comes back to life as a spiritual body. As there is a physical body, so there is also a spiritual body.

⁴⁵ This is what Scripture says: “The first man, Adam, became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ The spiritual does not come first, but the physical and then the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man was made from the dust of the earth. He came from the earth. The second man came from heaven. ⁴⁸ The people on earth are like the man who was made from the dust of the earth. The people in heaven are like the man who came from heaven. ⁴⁹ As we have worn the likeness of the man who was made from the dust of the earth, we will also wear the likeness of the man who came from heaven. ⁵⁰ Brothers and sisters, this is what I mean: Flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom. What decays cannot inherit what doesn’t decay.

⁵¹ I’m telling you a mystery. Not all of us will die, but we will all be changed. ⁵² It will happen in an instant, in a split second at the sound of the last trumpet. Indeed, that trumpet will sound, and then the dead will come back to life. They will be changed so that they can live forever. ⁵³ This body that decays must be changed into a body that cannot decay. This mortal body must be changed into a body that will live forever. ⁵⁴ When this body that decays is changed into a body that cannot decay, and this mortal body is changed into a body that will live forever, then the teaching of Scripture will come true:

⁵⁶ Sin gives death its sting, and God’s standards give sin its power. ⁵⁷ Thank God that he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ So, then, brothers and sisters, don’t let anyone move you off the foundation ⌞of your faith⌟. Always excel in the work you do for the Lord. You know that the hard work you do for the Lord is not pointless.

The Collection for the People in Jerusalem

16 Now, concerning the money to be collected for God’s people ⌞in Jerusalem⌟: I want you to do as I directed the churches in Galatia. ² Every Sunday each of you should set aside some of your money and save it. Then money won’t have to be collected when I come. ³ When I come, I will give letters of introduction to the people whom you choose. You can send your gift to Jerusalem with them. ⁴ If I think it’s worthwhile for me to go, they can go with me.

Paul’s Plans

⁵ After I go through the province of Macedonia, I’ll visit you. (I will be going through Macedonia.) ⁶ I’ll probably stay with you. I might even spend the winter. Then you can give me your support as I travel, wherever I decide to go. ⁷ Right now all I could do is visit you briefly, but if the Lord lets me, I hope to spend some time with you. ⁸ I will be staying here in Ephesus until Pentecost. ⁹ I have a great opportunity to do effective work here, although there are many people who oppose me.

News about Timothy, Apollos, and Others

¹⁰ If Timothy comes, make sure that he doesn’t have anything to be afraid of while he is with you. He’s doing the Lord’s work as I am, ¹¹ so no one should treat him with contempt. Without quarreling, give him your support for his trip so that he may come to me. I’m expecting him to arrive with the other Christians.

¹² Concerning Apollos, our brother in the Christian faith: I tried hard to get him to visit you with the other Christians. He didn’t want to at this time. However, he will visit you when he has an opportunity.

¹³ Be alert. Be firm in the Christian faith. Be courageous and strong. ¹⁴ Do everything with love.

¹⁵ You know that the family of Stephanas was the first family to be won ⌞for Christ⌟ in Greece. This family has devoted itself to serving God’s people. So I encourage you, brothers and sisters, ¹⁶ to follow the example of people like these and anyone else who shares their labor and hard work. ¹⁷ I am glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus came here. They have made up for your absence. ¹⁸ They have comforted me, and they have comforted you. Therefore, show people like these your appreciation.

Greetings

¹⁹ The churches in the province of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca and the church that meets in their house send their warmest Christian greetings. ²⁰ All the brothers and sisters ⌞here⌟ greet you. Greet each other with a holy kiss. ²¹ I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand.

²² If anyone doesn’t love the Lord, let him be cursed! Our Lord, come!

²³ May the good will ^[j] of the Lord Jesus be with you. ²⁴ Through Christ Jesus my love is with all of you.

Greeting

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

To God’s church in the city of Corinth and to all God’s holy people everywhere in Greece.

² Good will ^[k] and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are yours!

God Comforts Paul and the Corinthians

³ Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Father who is compassionate and the God who gives comfort. ⁴ He comforts us whenever we suffer. That is why whenever other people suffer, we are able to comfort them by using the same comfort we have received from God. ⁵ Because Christ suffered so much for us, we can receive so much comfort from him. ⁶ Besides, if we suffer, it brings you comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, we can effectively comfort you when you endure the same sufferings that we endure. ⁷ We have confidence in you. We know that as you share our sufferings, you also share our comfort.

God Rescued Paul When He Was Suffering

⁸ Brothers and sisters, we don’t want you to be ignorant about the suffering we experienced in the province of Asia. It was so extreme that it was beyond our ability to endure. We even wondered if we could go on living. ⁹ In fact, we still feel as if we’re under a death sentence. But we suffered so that we would stop trusting ourselves and learn to trust God, who brings the dead back to life. ¹⁰ He has rescued us from a terrible death, and he will rescue us in the future. We are confident that he will continue to rescue us, ¹¹ since you are also joining to help us when you pray for us. Then many people will thank God for the favor he will show us because many people prayed for us.

Paul’s Reason for Being Proud

¹² We are proud that our conscience is clear. We are proud of the way that we have lived in this world. We have lived with a God-given holiness ^[l] and sincerity, especially toward you. It was not by human wisdom that we have lived but by God’s kindness.^{[m] 13} We are only writing you what you already knew before you read this. I hope you will understand this as long as you live, ¹⁴ even though you now understand it only partially. We are your reason to be proud, as you will be our reason to be proud on the day of our Lord Jesus.

Why Paul Changed His Plans

¹⁵ Confident of this, I had previously wanted to visit you so that you could benefit twice. ¹⁶ My plans had been to go from the city of Corinth to the province of Macedonia. Then from Macedonia I had planned to return to you again in Corinth and have you support my trip to Judea.

¹⁷ You don’t think that I made these plans lightly, do you? Do you think that when I make plans, I make them in a sinful way? Why would I say that something is true when it isn’t? ¹⁸ You can depend on God. Our message to you isn’t false; it’s true. ¹⁹ God’s Son, Jesus Christ, whom I, Silvanus, and Timothy told you about, was true not false. Because of him our message was always true. ²⁰ Certainly, Christ made God’s many promises come true. For that reason, because of our message, people also honor God by saying, “Amen!”

²¹ God establishes us, together with you, in a relationship with Christ. He has also anointed us. ²² In addition, he has put his seal ⌞of ownership⌟ on us and has given us the Spirit as his guarantee.

²³ I appeal to God as a witness on my behalf, that I stayed away from Corinth because I wanted to spare you. ²⁴ It isn’t that we want to have control over your Christian faith. Rather, we want to work with you so that you will be happy. Certainly, you are firmly established in the Christian faith.

2 I decided not to visit you again while I was distressed. ² After all, if I had made you uncomfortable, how could you have cheered me up when you were uncomfortable?

³ This is the very reason I wrote to you. I didn’t want to visit you and be distressed by those who should make me happy. I’m confident about all of you that whatever makes me happy also makes you happy.

⁴ I was deeply troubled and anguished. In fact, I had tears in my eyes when I wrote to you. I didn’t write to make you uncomfortable but to let you know how much I love you.

Forgive the Person Who Sinned

⁵ If someone caused distress, I’m not the one really affected. To some extent—although I don’t want to emphasize this too much—it has affected all of you. ⁶ The majority of you have imposed a severe enough punishment on that person. ⁷ So now forgive and comfort him. Such distress could overwhelm someone like that if he’s not forgiven and comforted. ⁸ That is why I urge you to assure him that you love him. ⁹ I had also written to you to test you. I wanted to see if you would be obedient in every way.

¹⁰ If you forgive someone, so do I. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did in the presence of Christ for your benefit. ¹¹ I don’t want Satan to outwit us. After all, we are not ignorant about Satan’s scheming.

Paul’s Mission as Christ’s Spokesman

¹² When I went to the city of Troas, the Lord gave me an opportunity to spread the Good News about Christ. ¹³ But I didn’t have any peace of mind, because I couldn’t find Titus, our brother, there. So I said goodbye to the people in Troas and went to the province of Macedonia.

¹⁴ But I thank God, who always leads us in victory because of Christ. Wherever we go, God uses us to make clear what it means to know Christ. It’s like a fragrance that fills the air. ¹⁵ To God we are the aroma of Christ among those who are saved and among those who are dying. ¹⁶ To some people we are a deadly fragrance, while to others we are a life-giving fragrance.

Who is qualified to tell about Christ? ¹⁷ At least we don’t go around selling an impure word of God like many others. The opposite is true. As Christ’s spokesmen and in God’s presence, we speak the pure message that comes from God.

The Ministry That Comes from Christ Is Greater Than Moses’ Ministry

3 Do we have to show you our qualifications again? Do we, like some people, need letters that recommend us to you or letters from you that recommend us to others? ² You’re our letter of recommendation written in our hearts that everyone knows and reads. ³ It’s clear that you are Christ’s letter, written as a result of our ministry. You are a letter written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, a letter written not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

⁴ Christ gives us confidence about you in God’s presence. ⁵ By ourselves we are not qualified in any way to claim that we can do anything. Rather, God makes us qualified. ⁶ He has also qualified us to be ministers of a new promise,^[n] a spiritual promise, not a written one. Clearly, what was written brings death, but the Spirit brings life.

⁷ The ministry that brought death was inscribed on stone. Yet, it came with such glory that the people of Israel couldn’t look at Moses’ face. His face was shining with glory, even though that glory was fading. ⁸ Won’t the ministry that brings the Spirit have even more glory? ⁹ If the ministry that brings punishment has glory, then the ministry that brings God’s approval has an overwhelming glory. ¹⁰ In fact, the ministry that brings punishment lost its glory because of the superior glory of the other ministry. ¹¹ If that former ministry faded away despite its glory, how much more does that ministry which remains continue to be glorious?

¹² Since we have confidence ⌞in the new promise⌟, we speak very boldly. ¹³ We are not like Moses. He kept covering his face with a veil. He didn’t want the people of Israel to see the glory fading away. ¹⁴ However, their minds became closed. In fact, to this day the same veil is still there when they read the Old Testament. It isn’t removed, because only Christ can remove it. ¹⁵ Yet, even today, when they read the books of Moses, a veil covers their minds. ¹⁶ But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

¹⁷ This Lord is the Spirit. Wherever the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ As all of us reflect the Lord’s glory with faces that are not covered with veils, we are being changed into his image with ever-increasing glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Paul Is Never Discouraged

4 We don’t become discouraged, since God has given us this ministry through his mercy. ² Instead, we have refused to use secret and shameful ways. We don’t use tricks, and we don’t distort God’s word. As God watches, we clearly reveal the truth to everyone. This is our ⌞letter of⌟ recommendation.

³ So if the Good News that we tell others is covered with a veil, it is hidden from those who are dying. ⁴ The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. As a result, they don’t see the light of the Good News about Christ’s glory. It is Christ who is God’s image.

⁵ Our message is not about ourselves. It is about Jesus Christ as the Lord. We are your servants for his sake. ⁶ We are his servants because the same God who said that light should shine out of darkness has given us light. For that reason we bring to light the knowledge about God’s glory which shines from Christ’s face.

⁷ Our bodies are made of clay, yet we have the treasure of the Good News in them. This shows that the superior power of this treasure belongs to God and doesn’t come from us. ⁸ In every way we’re troubled, but we aren’t crushed by our troubles. We’re frustrated, but we don’t give up. ⁹ We’re persecuted, but we’re not abandoned. We’re captured, but we’re not killed. ¹⁰ We always carry around the death of Jesus in our bodies so that the life of Jesus is also shown in our bodies. ¹¹ While we are alive, we are constantly handed over to death for Jesus’ sake so that the life of Jesus is also shown in our mortal nature. ¹² Death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

¹³ The following is written, “I believed; therefore, I spoke.” We have that same spirit of faith. We also believe; therefore, we also speak. ¹⁴ We know that the one who brought the Lord Jesus back to life will also bring us back to life through Jesus. He will present us to God together with you.

¹⁵ All this is for your sake so that, as God’s kindness ^[o] overflows in the lives of many people, it will produce even more thanksgiving to the glory of God. ¹⁶ That is why we are not discouraged. Though outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are renewed day by day. ¹⁷ Our suffering is light and temporary and is producing for us an eternal glory that is greater than anything we can imagine. ¹⁸ We don’t look for things that can be seen but for things that can’t be seen. Things that can be seen are only temporary. But things that can’t be seen last forever.

Faith Guides Our Lives

5 We know that if the life we live here on earth is ever taken down like a tent, we still have a building from God. It is an eternal house in heaven that isn’t made by human hands. ² In our present tent-like existence we sigh, since we long to put on the house we will have in heaven. ³ After we have put it on,^[p] we won’t be naked. ⁴ While we are in this tent, we sigh. We feel distressed because we don’t want to take off the tent, but we do want to put on the eternal house. Then ⌞eternal⌟ life will put an end to our mortal existence. ⁵ God has prepared us for this and has given us his Spirit to guarantee it.

⁶ So we are always confident. We know that as long as we are living in these bodies, we are living away from the Lord. ⁷ Indeed, our lives are guided by faith, not by sight. ⁸ We are confident and prefer to live away from this body and to live with the Lord. ⁹ Whether we live in the body or move out of it, our goal is to be pleasing to him. ¹⁰ All of us must appear in front of Christ’s judgment seat. Then all people will receive what they deserve for the good or evil they have done while living in their bodies.

Christ’s Love Guides Us

¹¹ As people who know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. God already knows what we are, and I hope that you also know what we are. ¹² We are not trying to show you our qualifications again, but we are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us. Then you can answer those who are proud of their appearance rather than their character. ¹³ So if we were crazy, it was for God. If we are sane, it is for you. ¹⁴ Clearly, Christ’s love guides us. We are convinced of the fact that one man has died for all people. Therefore, all people have died. ¹⁵ He died for all people so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for the man who died and was brought back to life for them.

¹⁶ So from now on we don’t think of anyone from a human point of view. If we did think of Christ from a human point of view, we don’t anymore. ¹⁷ Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence. ¹⁸ God has done all this. He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships. ¹⁹ In other words, God was using Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn’t hold people’s faults against them, and he has given us this message of restored relationships to tell others. ²⁰ Therefore, we are Christ’s representatives, and through us God is calling you. We beg you on behalf of Christ to become reunited with God. ²¹ God had Christ, who was sinless, take our sin so that we might receive God’s approval through him.

6 Since we are God’s coworkers, we urge you not to let God’s kindness ^[q] be wasted on you. ² God says,

Listen, now is God’s acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!

Our Lives Demonstrate That We Are God’s Servants

³ We don’t give people any opportunity to find fault with how we serve. ⁴ Instead, our lives demonstrate that we are God’s servants. We have endured many things: suffering, distress, anxiety, ⁵ beatings, imprisonments, riots, hard work, sleepless nights, and lack of food. ⁶ ⌞People can see⌟ our purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit’s presence ⌞in our lives⌟, our sincere love, ⁷ truthfulness, and the presence of God’s power. We demonstrate that we are God’s servants ⁸ as we are praised and dishonored, as we are slandered and honored, and as we use what is right to attack what is wrong and to defend the truth.^[r] We are treated as dishonest although we are honest, ⁹ as unknown although we are well-known, as dying although, as you see, we go on living. We are punished, but we are not killed. ¹⁰ People think we are sad although we’re always glad, that we’re beggars although we make many people spiritually rich, that we have nothing although we possess everything.

¹¹ We have been very open in speaking to you Corinthians. We have a place for you in our hearts. ¹² We haven’t cut you off. Your own emotions have cut you off ⌞from us⌟. ¹³ I’m talking to you as I would talk to children. Treat us the same way we’ve treated you. Make a place for us in your hearts too.

Christians and Their Relationships with Unbelievers

¹⁴ Stop forming inappropriate relationships with unbelievers. Can right and wrong be partners? Can light have anything in common with darkness? ¹⁵ Can Christ agree with the devil? Can a believer share life with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ Can God’s temple contain false gods? Clearly, we are the temple of the living God. As God said,

7 Since we have these promises, dear friends, we need to cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit and live a holy life in the fear of God.

Paul Was Comforted by What the Corinthians Did

² Open your hearts to us. We haven’t treated anyone unjustly, ruined anyone, or cheated anyone. ³ I’m not saying this to condemn you. I’ve already told you that you are in our hearts so that we will live and die together. ⁴ I have great confidence in you, and I have a lot of reasons to be proud of you. Even as we suffer, I’m encouraged and feel very happy.

⁵ Ever since we arrived in the province of Macedonia, we’ve had no rest. Instead, we suffer in a number of ways. Outwardly we have conflicts, and inwardly we have fears. ⁶ Yet God, who comforts those who are dejected, comforted us when Titus arrived. ⁷ We were comforted not only by his arrival but also by learning about the comfort he had received while he was with you. He told us how you wanted to see me, how sorry you are for what you’ve done, and how concerned you are about me. This made me even happier.

⁸ If my letter made you uncomfortable, I’m not sorry. But since my letter did make you uncomfortable for a while, I was sorry. ⁹ But I’m happy now, not because I made you uncomfortable, but because the distress I caused you has led you to change the way you think and act. You were distressed in a godly way, so we haven’t done you any harm. ¹⁰ In fact, to be distressed in a godly way causes people to change the way they think and act and leads them to be saved. No one can regret that. But the distress that the world causes brings only death.

¹¹ When you became distressed in a godly way, look at how much devotion it caused you to have. You were ready to clear yourselves of the charges against you. You were disgusted with the wrong that had been done. You were afraid. You wanted to see us. You wanted to show your concern for us. You were ready to punish the wrong that had been done. In every way you have demonstrated that you are people who are innocent in this matter. ¹² So, when I wrote to you, I didn’t write because of the man who did the wrong or the man who was hurt by it. Rather, I wrote because I wanted you to show your devotion to us in God’s sight. ¹³ This is what has comforted us.

In addition to being comforted, we were especially pleased to see how happy Titus was. All of you had put his mind at ease. ¹⁴ I didn’t have to be ashamed of anything I had said to him when I bragged about you. Since everything we told you was true, our bragging to Titus has also proved to be true. ¹⁵ His deepest feelings go out to you even more as he remembers how obedient all of you were, and how you welcomed him with fear and trembling. ¹⁶ I’m pleased that I can be confident about you in every way.

The Collection for Christians in Jerusalem

8 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know how God showed his kindness ^[t] to the churches in the province of Macedonia. ² While they were being severely tested by suffering, their overflowing joy, along with their extreme poverty, has made them even more generous. ³ I assure you that by their own free will they have given all they could, even more than they could afford. ⁴ They made an appeal to us, begging us to let them participate in the ministry of God’s kindness to his holy people ⌞in Jerusalem⌟. ⁵ They did more than we had expected. First, they gave themselves to the Lord and to us, since this was God’s will. ⁶ This led us to urge Titus to finish his work of God’s kindness among you in the same way as he had already started it.

⁷ Indeed, the more your faith, your ability to speak, your knowledge, your dedication, and your love for us increase, the more we want you to participate in this work of God’s kindness.

⁸ I’m not commanding you, but I’m testing how genuine your love is by pointing out the dedication of others. ⁹ You know about the kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was rich, yet for your sake he became poor in order to make you rich through his poverty.

¹⁰ I’m giving you my opinion because it will be helpful to you. Last year you were not only willing ⌞to take a collection⌟ but had already started to do it. ¹¹ So finish what you began to do. Then your willingness will be matched by what you accomplish ¹² with whatever contributions you have. Since you are willing to do this, ⌞remember⌟ that people are accepted if they give what they are able to give. God doesn’t ask for what they don’t have.

¹³ I don’t mean that others should have relief while you have hardship. Rather, it’s a matter of striking a balance. ¹⁴ At the present time, your surplus fills their need so that their surplus may fill your need. In this way things balance out. ¹⁵ This is what Scripture says: “Those who had gathered a lot didn’t have too much, and those who gathered a little didn’t have too little.”

¹⁶ I thank God for making Titus as dedicated to you as I am. ¹⁷ He accepted my request and eagerly went to visit you by his own free will.

¹⁸ With him we have sent our Christian brother whom all the churches praise for the way he tells the Good News. ¹⁹ More than that, the churches elected him to travel with us and bring this gift of God’s kindness. We are administering it in a way that brings glory to the Lord and shows that we are doing it willingly. ²⁰ We don’t want anyone to find fault with the way we are administering this generous gift. ²¹ We intend to do what is right, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of people.

²² We have also sent with them our Christian brother whom we have often tested in many ways and found to be a dedicated worker. We find that he is much more dedicated now than ever because he has so much confidence in you.

²³ If any questions are raised, remember that Titus is my partner and coworker to help you. The other men are representatives of the churches and bring glory to Christ. ²⁴ So give these men a demonstration of your love. Show their congregations that we were right to be proud of you.

The Reason to Give to the Christians in Jerusalem

9 I don’t need to write anything further to you about helping the Christians ⌞in Jerusalem⌟. ² I know how willing you are to help, and I brag about you to the believers in the province of Macedonia. I tell them, “The people of Greece have been ready ⌞to send their collection⌟ since last year,” and your enthusiasm has moved most of them ⌞to act⌟. ³ I’ve sent my coworkers so that when we brag that you’re ready, we can back it up. ⁴ Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me, they might find out that you’re not ready after all. This would embarrass us for feeling so confident as much as it would embarrass you. ⁵ So I thought that I should encourage our coworkers to visit you before I do and make arrangements for this gift that you had already promised to give. Then it will be the blessing it was intended to be, and it won’t be something you’re forced to do.

⁶ Remember this: The farmer who plants a few seeds will have a very small harvest. But the farmer who plants because he has received God’s blessings will receive a harvest of God’s blessings in return. ⁷ Each of you should give whatever you have decided. You shouldn’t be sorry that you gave or feel forced to give, since God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ Besides, God will give you his constantly overflowing kindness.^[u] Then, when you always have everything you need, you can do more and more good things. ⁹ Scripture says,

¹⁰ God gives seed to the farmer and food to those who need to eat. God will also give you seed and multiply it. In your lives he will increase the things you do that have his approval. ¹¹ God will make you rich enough so that you can always be generous. Your generosity will produce thanksgiving to God because of us. ¹² What you do to serve others not only provides for the needs of God’s people, but also produces more and more prayers of thanksgiving to God. ¹³ You will honor God through this genuine act of service because of your commitment to spread the Good News of Christ and because of your generosity in sharing with them and everyone else. ¹⁴ With deep affection they will pray for you because of the extreme kindness that God has shown you. ¹⁵ I thank God for his gift that words cannot describe.

Paul’s Authority to Speak Forcefully

10 I, Paul, make my appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ. I’m the one who is humble when I’m with you but forceful toward you when I’m not with you. ² I beg you that when I am with you I won’t have to deal forcefully with you. I expect I will have to because some people think that we are only guided by human motives. ³ Of course we are human, but we don’t fight like humans. ⁴ The weapons we use in our fight are not made by humans. Rather, they are powerful weapons from God. With them we destroy people’s defenses, that is, their arguments ⁵ and all their intellectual arrogance that oppose the knowledge of God. We take every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ. ⁶ We are ready to punish every act of disobedience when you have become completely obedient.

⁷ Look at the plain facts! If anyone is confident he belongs to Christ, he should take note that we also belong to Christ. ⁸ So, if I brag a little too much about the authority which the Lord gave us, I’m not ashamed. The Lord gave us this authority to help you, not to hurt you.

⁹ I don’t want you to think that I’m trying to frighten you with my letters. ¹⁰ I know that someone is saying that my letters are powerful and strong, but that I’m a weakling and a terrible speaker. ¹¹ The person who is saying those things should take note of this fact: When we are with you we will do the things that we wrote about in our letters when we weren’t with you.

Paul’s Reason for Bragging

¹² We wouldn’t put ourselves in the same class with or compare ourselves to those who are bold enough to make their own recommendations. Certainly, when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves to themselves, they show how foolish they are.

¹³ How can we brag about things that no one can evaluate? Instead, we will only brag about what God has given us to do—coming to ⌞the city of Corinth⌟ where you live. ¹⁴ It’s not as though we hadn’t already been to Corinth. We’re not overstating the facts. The fact is that we were the first to arrive in Corinth with the Good News about Christ. ¹⁵ How can we brag about things done by others that can’t be evaluated?

We have confidence that as your faith grows, you will think enough of us to give us the help we need to carry out our assignment— ¹⁶ spreading the Good News in the regions far beyond you. We won’t brag about things already accomplished by someone else.

¹⁷ “Whoever brags should brag about what the Lord has done.” ¹⁸ It isn’t the person who makes his own recommendation who receives approval, but the person whom the Lord recommends.

Paul Contrasts Himself with False Apostles

11 I want you to put up with a little foolishness from me. I’m sure that you will. ² I’m as protective of you as God is. After all, you’re a virgin whom I promised in marriage to one man—Christ. ³ However, I’m afraid that as the snake deceived Eve by its tricks, so your minds may somehow be lured away from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. ⁴ When someone comes to you telling about another Jesus whom we didn’t tell you about, you’re willing to put up with it. When you receive a spirit that is different from the Spirit you received earlier, you’re also willing to put up with that. When someone tells you good news that is different from the Good News you already accepted, you’re willing to put up with that too.

⁵ I don’t think I’m inferior in any way to your super-apostles. ⁶ Even though I’m not good with words, I know what I’m talking about. Timothy and I have made this clear to you in every possible way.

⁷ Did I commit a sin when I humbled myself by telling you the Good News of God free of charge so that you could become important? ⁸ I robbed other churches by taking pay from them to serve you. ⁹ When I was with you and needed something, I didn’t bother any of you for help. My friends from the province of Macedonia supplied everything I needed. I kept myself from being a financial burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do that.

¹⁰ As surely as I have Christ’s truth, my bragging will not be silenced anywhere in Greece. ¹¹ Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows that I do love you. ¹² But I’ll go on doing what I’m doing. This will take away the opportunity of those people who want to brag because they think they’re like us. ¹³ People who brag like this are false apostles. They are dishonest workers, since they disguise themselves as Christ’s apostles. ¹⁴ And no wonder, even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.