The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

for He saith, 'In an acceptable time I did hear thee, and in a day of salvation I did help thee, lo, now [is] a well-accepted time; lo, now, a day of salvation,' —

in nothing giving any cause of offence, that the ministration may be not blamed,

but in everything recommending ourselves as God's ministrants; in much patience, in tribulations, in necessities, in distresses,

in stripes, in imprisonments, in insurrections, in labours, in watchings, in fastings,

in pureness, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned,

in the word of truth, in the power of God, through the armour of the righteousness, on the right and on the left,

through glory and dishonour, through evil report and good report, as leading astray, and true;

as unknown, and recognized; as dying, and lo, we live; as chastened, and not put to death;

as sorrowful, and always rejoicing; as poor, and making many rich; as having nothing, and possessing all things.

Our mouth hath been open unto you, O Corinthians, our heart hath been enlarged!

ye are not straitened in us, and ye are straitened in your [own] bowels,

and [as] a recompense of the same kind, (as to children I say [it],) be ye enlarged — also ye!

Become not yoked with others — unbelievers, for what partaking [is there] to righteousness and lawlessness?

and what fellowship to light with darkness? and what concord to Christ with Belial? or what part to a believer with an unbeliever?

and what agreement to the sanctuary of God with idols? for ye are a sanctuary of the living God, according as God said — 'I will dwell in them, and will walk among [them], and I will be their God, and they shall be My people,

wherefore, come ye forth out of the midst of them, and be separated, saith the Lord, and an unclean thing do not touch, and I — I will receive you,

and I will be to you for a Father, and ye — ye shall be to Me for sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.'

Having, then, these promises, beloved, may we cleanse ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God;

receive us; no one did we wrong; no one did we waste; no one did we defraud;

not to condemn you do I say [it], for I have said before that in our hearts ye are to die with and to live with;

great [is] my freedom of speech unto you, great my glory on your behalf; I have been filled with the comfort, I overabound with the joy on all our tribulation,

for also we, having come to Macedonia, no relaxation hath our flesh had, but on every side we are in tribulation, without [are] fightings, within — fears;

but He who is comforting the cast-down — God — He did comfort us in the presence of Titus;

and not only in his presence, but also in the comfort with which he was comforted over you, declaring to us your longing desire, your lamentation, your zeal for me, so that the more I did rejoice,

because even if I made you sorry in the letter, I do not repent — if even I did repent — for I perceive that the letter, even if for an hour, did make you sorry.

I now do rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry to reformation, for ye were made sorry toward God, that in nothing ye might receive damage from us;

for the sorrow toward God reformation to salvation not to be repented of doth work, and the sorrow of the world doth work death,

for, lo, this same thing — your being made sorry toward God — how much diligence it doth work in you! but defence, but displeasure, but fear, but longing desire, but zeal, but revenge; in every thing ye did approve yourselves to be pure in the matter.

If, then, I also wrote to you — not for his cause who did wrong, nor for his cause who did suffer wrong, but for our diligence in your behalf being manifested unto you before God —

because of this we have been comforted in your comfort, and more abundantly the more did we rejoice in the joy of Titus, that his spirit hath been refreshed from you all;

because if anything to him in your behalf I have boasted, I was not put to shame; but as all things in truth we did speak to you, so also our boasting before Titus became truth,

and his tender affection is more abundantly toward you, remembering the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye did receive him;

I rejoice, therefore, that in everything I have courage in you.

And we make known to you, brethren, the grace of God, that hath been given in the assemblies of Macedonia,

because in much trial of tribulation the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty, did abound to the riches of their liberality;

because, according to [their] power, I testify, and above [their] power, they were willing of themselves,

with much entreaty calling on us to receive the favour and the fellowship of the ministration to the saints,

and not according as we expected, but themselves they did give first to the Lord, and to us, through the will of God,

so that we exhorted Titus, that, according as he did begin before, so also he may finish to you also this favour,

but even as in every thing ye do abound, in faith, and word, and knowledge, and all diligence, and in your love to us, that also in this grace ye may abound;

not according to command do I speak, but because of the diligence of others, and of your love proving the genuineness,

for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that because of you he became poor — being rich, that ye by that poverty may become rich.

and an opinion in this do I give: for this to you [is] expedient, who not only to do, but also to will, did begin before — a year ago,

and now also finish doing [it], that even as [there is] the readiness of the will, so also the finishing, out of that which ye have,

for if the willing mind is present, according to that which any one may have it is well-accepted, not according to that which he hath not;

for not that for others release, and ye pressured, [do I speak,]

but by equality, at the present time your abundance — for their want, that also their abundance may be for your want, that there may be equality,

according as it hath been written, 'He who [did gather] much, had nothing over; and he who [did gather] little, had no lack.'

And thanks to God, who is putting the same diligence for you in the heart of Titus,

because indeed the exhortation he accepted, and being more diligent, of his own accord he went forth unto you,

and we sent with him the brother, whose praise in the good news [is] through all the assemblies,

and not only so, but who was also appointed by vote by the assemblies, our fellow-traveller, with this favour that is ministered by us, unto the glory of the same Lord, and your willing mind;

avoiding this, lest any one may blame us in this abundance that is ministered by us,

providing right things, not only before the Lord, but also before men;

and we sent with them our brother, whom we proved in many things many times being diligent, and now much more diligent, by the great confidence that is toward you,

whether — about Titus — my partner and towards you fellow-worker, whether — our brethren, apostles of assemblies — glory of Christ;

the shewing therefore of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf, to them shew ye, even in the face of the assemblies.

For, indeed, concerning the ministration that [is] for the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you,

for I have known your readiness of mind, which in your behalf I boast of to Macedonians, that Achaia hath been prepared a year ago, and the zeal of you did stir up the more part,

and I sent the brethren, that our boasting on your behalf may not be made vain in this respect; that, according as I said, ye may be ready,

lest if Macedonians may come with me, and find you unprepared, we — we may be put to shame (that we say not — ye) in this same confidence of boasting.

Necessary, therefore, I thought [it] to exhort the brethren, that they may go before to you, and may make up before your formerly announced blessing, that this be ready, as a blessing, and not as covetousness.

And this: He who is sowing sparingly, sparingly also shall reap; and he who is sowing in blessings, in blessings also shall reap;

each one, according as he doth purpose in heart, not out of sorrow or out of necessity, for a cheerful giver doth God love,

and God [is] able all grace to cause to abound to you, that in every thing always all sufficiency having, ye may abound to every good work,

(according as it hath been written, 'He dispersed abroad, he gave to the poor, his righteousness doth remain to the age,')

and may He who is supplying seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

in every thing being enriched to all liberality, which doth work through us thanksgiving to God,

because the ministration of this service not only is supplying the wants of the saints, but is also abounding through many thanksgivings to God,

through the proof of this ministration glorifying God for the subjection of your confession to the good news of the Christ, and [for] the liberality of the fellowship to them and to all,

and by their supplication in your behalf, longing after you because of the exceeding grace of God upon you;

thanks also to God for His unspeakable gift!

And I, Paul, myself, do call upon you — through the meekness and gentleness of the Christ — who in presence, indeed [am] humble among you, and being absent, have courage toward you,

and I beseech [you], that, being present, I may not have courage, with the confidence with which I reckon to be bold against certain reckoning us as walking according to the flesh;

for walking in the flesh, not according to the flesh do we war,

for the weapons of our warfare [are] not fleshly, but powerful to God for bringing down of strongholds,

reasonings bringing down, and every high thing lifted up against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of the Christ,

and being in readiness to avenge every disobedience, whenever your obedience may be fulfilled.

The things in presence do ye see? if any one hath trusted in himself to be Christ's, this let him reckon again from himself, that according as he is Christ's, so also we [are] Christ's;

for even if also anything more abundantly I shall boast concerning our authority, that the Lord gave us for building up, and not for casting you down, I shall not be ashamed;

that I may not seem as if I would terrify you through the letters,

'because the letters indeed — saith one — [are] weighty and strong, and the bodily presence weak, and the speech despicable.'

This one — let him reckon thus: that such as we are in word, through letters, being absent, such also, being present, [we are] in deed.

For we do not make bold to rank or to compare ourselves with certain of those commending themselves, but they, among themselves measuring themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not wise,

and we in regard to the unmeasured things will not boast ourselves, but after the measure of the line that the God of measure did appoint to us — to reach even unto you;

for not as not reaching to you do we stretch ourselves overmuch, for even unto you did we come in the good news of the Christ,

not boasting of the things not measured, in other men's labours, and having hope — your faith increasing — in you to be enlarged, according to our line — into abundance,

in the [places] beyond you to proclaim good news, not in another's line in regard to the things made ready, to boast;

and he who is boasting — in the Lord let him boast;

for not he who is commending himself is approved, but he whom the Lord doth commend.

O that ye were bearing with me a little of the folly, but ye also do bear with me:

for I am zealous for you with zeal of God, for I did betroth you to one husband, a pure virgin, to present to Christ,

and I fear, lest, as the serpent did beguile Eve in his subtilty, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that [is] in the Christ;

for if, indeed, he who is coming doth preach another Jesus whom we did not preach, or another Spirit ye receive which ye did not receive, or other good news which ye did not accept — well were ye bearing [it],

for I reckon that I have been nothing behind the very chiefest apostles,

and even if unlearned in word — yet not in knowledge, but in every thing we were made manifest in all things to you.

The sin did I do — myself humbling that ye might be exalted, because freely the good news of God I did proclaim to you?

other assemblies I did rob, having taken wages, for your ministration;

and being present with you, and having been in want, I was chargeable to no one, for my lack did the brethren supply — having come from Macedonia — and in everything burdenless to you I did keep myself, and will keep.

The truth of Christ is in me, because this boasting shall not be stopped in regard to me in the regions of Achaia;