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2 COR INTHIANS 11
page 1053
take your gifts to those who need them, they
will thank God. 12 So two good things will result
from this ministry of giving—the needs of the
believers in Jerusalem* will be met, and they
will joyfully express their thanks to God.
13 As a result of your ministry, they will give
glory to God. For your generosity to them and
to all believers will prove that you are obedient
to the Good News of Christ. 14 And they will pray
for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. 15 Thank
God for this gift* too wonderful for words!
Paul Defends His Authority
Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the
gentleness and kindness of Christ—
though I realize you think I am timid in person
and bold only when I write from far away. 2 Well,
I am begging you now so that when I come I
won’t have to be bold with those who think we
act from human motives.
3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4*We use God’s mighty weapons, not
worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false
arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle
that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to
obey Christ. 6 And after you have become fully
obedient, we will punish everyone who remains
disobedient.
7 Look at the obvious facts.* Those who say
they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do. 8 I may seem
to be boasting too much about the authority
given to us by the Lord. But our authority builds
you up; it doesn’t tear you down. So I will not be
ashamed of using my authority.
9 I’m not trying to frighten you by my letters.
10 For some say, “Paul’s letters are demanding
and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his
speeches are worthless!” 11 Those people should
realize that our actions when we arrive in person will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away.
12 Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that
we are as wonderful as these other men who tell
you how important they are! But they are only
comparing themselves with each other, using
themselves as the standard of measurement.
How ignorant!
13 We will not boast about things done outside
our area of authority. We will boast only about
what has happened within the boundaries of
the work God has given us, which includes our
working with you. 14 We are not reaching beyond
these boundaries when we claim authority over
you, as if we had never visited you. For we were
10
9:12 Greek of God’s holy people. 9:15 Greek his gift.
10:4 English translations divide verses 4 and 5 in various
ways. 10:7 Or You look at things only on the basis of
appearance. 10:17 Jer 9:24. 11:2 Greek a virgin.
the first to travel all the way to Corinth with the
Good News of Christ.
15 Nor do we boast and claim credit for the
work someone else has done. Instead, we hope
that your faith will grow so that the boundaries
of our work among you will be extended. 16 Then
we will be able to go and preach the Good News
in other places far beyond you, where no one
else is working. Then there will be no question
of our boasting about work done in someone
else’s territory. 17 As the Scriptures say, “If you
want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”*
18 When people commend themselves, it
doesn’t count for much. The important thing is
for the Lord to commend them.
Paul and the False Apostles
I hope you will put up with a little more
of my foolishness. Please bear with me.
2 For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of
God himself. I promised you as a pure bride* to
11
• Character
2 C OR I N THI A N S 8:18-24
A certain executive earns a reputation
for being cutthroat in his business practices. In the interest of generating profit,
he has cut ethical corners and stepped
on or over employees. What if one of
his fearful and intimidated colleagues,
in the midst of considering Christianity,
were to discover that this man is also an
active member of a local church? Paul is
reminding us that although our salvation
does not depend upon our reputation,
our reputation can impede the ministry
of the gospel to others. If your neighbors
or work associates discovered you were
a Christian, would it draw them closer to
Christ or put them off?
• Giving
2 C OR I N THI A N S 9:7
What if you knew that someone really
did not want to give you that birthday or
Christmas gift? What if you knew that
she grumbled when she bought it and
was sad to see you get it? You would
probably want to give back the gift. But
if you knew that someone was utterly
delighted to give you a gift, no matter
how small or great, you would receive
it enthusiastically—and would probably
want to give something in return. That’s
how God feels about our gifts to him!