The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

(And not so onely, but is also chosen of the Churches to be a fellowe in our iourney, concerning this grace that is ministred by vs vnto the glorie of the same Lord, and declaration of your prompt minde)

Auoiding this, that no man shoulde blame vs in this aboundance that is ministred by vs,

Prouiding for honest thinges, not onely before the Lord, but also before men.

And we haue sent with them our brother, whom we haue oft times prooued to be diligent in many thinges, but nowe much more diligent, for the great confidence, which I haue in you.

Whether any doe inquire of Titus, he is my fellowe and helper to you ward: or of our brethren, they are messengers of the Churches, and the glorie of Christ.

Wherefore shew toward them, and before the Churches the proofe of your loue, and of the reioycing that we haue of you.

For as touching the ministring to the Saints, it is superfluous for me to write vnto you.

For I knowe your readinesse of minde, whereof I boast my selfe of you vnto them of Macedonia, and say, that Achaia was prepared a yeere agoe, and your zeale hath prouoked many.

Nowe haue I sent the brethren, lest our reioycing ouer you shoulde bee in vaine in this behalfe, that yee (as I haue sayde) be readie:

Lest if they of Macedonia come with me, and finde you vnprepared, we (that wee may not say, you) should be ashamed in this my constant boasting.

Wherefore, I thought it necessarie to exhort the brethren to come before vnto you, and to finish your beneuolence appointed afore, that it might be readie, and come as of beneuolence, and not as of niggardlinesse.

This yet remember, that he which soweth sparingly, shall reape also sparingly, and hee that soweth liberally, shall reape also liberally.

As euery man wisheth in his heart, so let him giue, not grudgingly, or of necessitie: for God loueth a cheerefull giuer.

And God is able to make all grace to abound towarde you, that yee alwayes hauing all sufficiencie in all thinges, may abounde in euery good worke,

(As it is written, He hath sparsed abroad and hath giuen to the poore: his beneuolence remayneth for euer.

Also hee that findeth seede to the sower, will minister likewise bread for foode, and multiplie your seede, and increase the fruites of your beneuolence,)

That on all partes yee may bee made rich vnto all liberalitie, which causeth through vs thankesgiuing vnto God.

For the ministration of this seruice not onely supplieth the necessities of the Saintes, but also aboundantly causeth many to giue thankes to God,

(Which by the experiment of this ministration praise God for your voluntarie submission to the Gospell of Christ, and for your liberall distribution to them, and to all men)

And in their praier for you, to log after you greatly, for the aboundant grace of God in you.

Thankes therefore bee vnto God for his vnspeakeable gift.

Nowe I Paul my selfe beseech you by the meekenes, and gentlenes of Christ, which when I am present among you am base, but am bolde toward you being absent:

And this I require you, that I neede not to be bolde when I am present, with that same confidence, wherewith I thinke to bee bolde against some, which esteeme vs as though wee walked according to the flesh.

Neuerthelesse, though wee walke in the flesh, yet we doe not warre after the flesh.

(For the weapons of our warrefare are not carnall, but mightie through God, to cast downe holdes)

Casting downe the imaginations, and euery high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ,

And hauing ready the vengeance against all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Looke yee on things after the appearance? If any man trust in himselfe that hee is Christes, let him consider this againe of himself, that as he is Christes, euen so are we Christes.

For though I shoulde boast somewhat more of our authoritie, which the Lord hath giuen vs for edification, and not for your destruction, I should haue no shame.

This I say, that I may not seeme as it were to feare you with letters.

For the letters, sayeth hee, are sore and strong, but his bodily presence is weake, and his speache is of no value.

Let such one thinke this, that such as wee are in woorde by letters, when we are absent, such wil we be also in deede, when we are present.

For wee dare not make our selues of the nomber, or to compare our selues to them, which praise themselues: but they vnderstand not that they measure themselues with themselues, and compare themselues with themselues.

But we wil not reioyce of things, which are not within our measure, but according to the measure of the line, whereof God hath distributed vnto vs a measure to attaine euen vnto you.

For we stretche not our selues beyonde our measure, as though wee had not attained vnto you: for euen to you also haue we come in preaching the Gospel of Christ,

Not boasting of things which are without our measure: that is, of other mens labours: and we hope, when your faith shall increase, to bee magnified by you according to our line aboundantly,

And to preache the Gospel in those regions which are beyonde you: not to reioyce in another mans line, that is, in the thinges that are prepared alreadie.

But let him that reioyceth, reioyce in the Lord.

For hee that praiseth himselfe, is not alowed, but he whome the Lord praiseth.

Woulde to God, yee coulde suffer a litle my foolishnes, and in deede, ye suffer me.

For I am ielous ouer you, with godly ielousie: for I haue prepared you for one husband, to present you as a pure virgine to Christ:

But I feare least as the serpent beguiled Eue through his subtiltie, so your mindes shoulde be corrupt from the simplicitie that is in Christ.

For if he that commeth, preacheth another Iesus whome we haue not preached: or if yee receiue another spirite whome ye haue not receiued: either another Gospell, which yee haue not receiued, ye might well haue suffered him.

Verely I suppose that I was not inferior to the very chiefe Apostles.

And though I be rude in speaking, yet I am not so in knowledge, but among you wee haue beene made manifest to the vttermost, in all things.

Haue I committed an offence, because I abased my selfe, that ye might be exalted, and because I preached to you ye Gospell of God freely?

I robbed other Churches, and tooke wages of them to doe you seruice.

And when I was present with you, and had neede, I was not slouthfull to the hinderance of any man: for that which was lacking vnto me, the brethre which came from Macedonia, supplied, and in all thinges I kept and will keepe my selfe, that I should not be grieuous to you.

The trueth of Christ is in me, that this reioycing shall not be shut vp against me in the regions of Achaia.

Wherefore? because I loue you not? God knoweth.

But what I doe, that will I doe: that I may cut away occasion from them which desire occasion, that they might be found like vnto vs in that wherein they reioyce.

For such false apostles are deceitfull workers, and transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ.

And no marueile: for Satan himselfe is transformed into an Angel of light.

Therefore it is no great thing, though his ministers transforme themselues, as though they were the ministers of righteousnes, whose end shall be according to their workes.

I say againe, Let no man thinke that I am foolish, or els take mee euen as a foole, that I also may boast my selfe a litle.

That I speake, I speake it not after the Lord: but as it were foolishly, in this my great boasting.

Seeing that many reioyce after the flesh, I will reioyce also.

For ye suffer fooles gladly, because that yee are wise.

For ye suffer, euen if a man bring you into bondage, if a man deuoure you, if a man take your goods, if a man exalt himselfe, if a man smite you on the face.

I speake as concerning the reproche: as though that we had bene weake: but wherein any man is bold (I speake foolishly) I am bold also.

They are Hebrues, so am I: they are Israelites, so am I: they are the seede of Abraham, so am I:

They are the ministers of Christ (I speake as a foole) I am more: in labours more aboundant: in stripes aboue measure: in prison more plenteously: in death oft.

Of the Iewes fiue times receiued I fourtie stripes saue one.

I was thrise beaten with roddes: I was once stoned: I suffered thrise shipwracke: night and day haue I bene in the deepe sea.

In iourneying I was often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of mine owne nation, in perils among the Gentiles, in perils in the citie, in perils in wildernes, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren,

In wearinesse and painefulnesse, in watching often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in colde and in nakednesse.

Beside the thinges which are outwarde, I am combred dayly, and haue the care of all the Churches.

Who is weake, and I am not weake? who is offended, and I burne not?

If I must needes reioyce, I will reioyce of mine infirmities.

The God, euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, which is blessed for euermore, knoweth that I lie not.

In Damascus the gouernour of the people vnder King Aretas, layde watch in the citie of the Damascens, and would haue caught me.

But at a window was I let downe in a basket through the wall, and escaped his handes.

It is not expedient for me no doubt to reioyce: for I will come to visions and reuelations of the Lord.

I know a man in Christ aboue fourteene yeeres agone, (whether he were in the body, I can not tell, or out of the body, I can not tell: God knoweth) which was taken vp into the thirde heauen.

And I knowe such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I can not tell: God knoweth)

How that he was taken vp into Paradise, and heard words which cannot be spoken, which are not possible for man to vtter.

Of such a man will I reioyce: of my selfe will I not reioyce, except it bee of mine infirmities.

For though I woulde reioyce, I should not be a foole, for I will say the trueth: but I refraine, lest any man should thinke of me aboue that hee seeth in me, or that he heareth of me.

And lest I should be exalted out of measure through the aboundance of reuelations, there was giuen vnto me a pricke in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet mee, because I should not be exalted out of measure.

For this thing I besought the Lord thrise, that it might depart from me.

And he said vnto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect through weakenesse. Very gladly therefore will I reioyce rather in mine infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproches, in necessities, in persecutions, in anguish for Christes sake: for when I am weake, then am I strong.

I was a foole to boast my selfe: yee haue compelled mee: for I ought to haue bene commended of you: for in nothing was I inferiour vnto the very chiefe Apostles, though I bee nothing.

The signes of an Apostle were wrought among you with all patience, with signes, and wonders, and great workes.

For what is it, wherein yee were inferiours vnto other Churches, except that I haue not bene slouthfull to your hinderance? forgiue me this wrong.

Behold, the thirde time I am ready to come vnto you, and yet will I not be slouthfull to your hinderance: for I seeke not yours, but you: for the children ought not to laye vp for the fathers, but the fathers for the children.

And I will most gladly bestow, and will be bestowed for your soules: though the more I loue you, the lesse I am loued.

But bee it that I charged you not: yet for as much as I was craftie, I tooke you with guile.

Did I pill you by any of them whom I sent vnto you?

I haue desired Titus, and with him I haue sent a brother: did Titus pill you of any thing? walked we not in the selfe same spirit? walked we not in the same steppes?

Againe, thinke yee that wee excuse our selues vnto you? we speake before God in Christ. But wee doe all thinges, dearely beloued, for your edifying.

For I feare least when I come, I shall not finde you such as I would: and that I shalbe found vnto you such as ye woulde not, and least there be strife, enuying, wrath, contentions, backebitings, whisperings, swellings and discord.

I feare least when I come againe, my God abase me among you, and I shall bewaile many of them which haue sinned already, and haue not repented of the vncleannesse, and fornication, and wantonnesse which they haue committed.

Lo this is the thirde time that I come vnto you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall euery worde stand

I tolde you before, and tell you before: as though I had bene present the seconde time, so write I nowe being absent to them which heretofore haue sinned and to all others, that if I come againe, I will not spare,

Seeing that ye seeke experience of Christ, that speaketh in mee, which towarde you is not weake, but is mightie in you.

For though hee was crucified concerning his infirmitie, yet liueth hee through the power of God. And wee no doubt are weake in him, but we shall liue with him, through the power of God towarde you.

Proue your selues whether ye are in the faith: examine your selues: knowe yee not your owne selues, howe that Iesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

But I trust that ye shall knowe that wee are not reprobates.

Nowe I pray vnto God that yee doe none euill, not that we should seeme approued, but that ye should doe that which is honest: though we be as reprobates.