wherefore? because I do not love you? God hath known!
Hebrew / JewishChristianity
The Bible (Old and New Testaments)
2 Corinthians
and what I do, I also will do, that I may cut off the occasion of those wishing an occasion, that in that which they boast they may be found according as we also;
for those such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ,
and no wonder — for even the Adversary doth transform himself into a messenger of light;
no great thing, then, if also his ministrants do transform themselves as ministrants of righteousness — whose end shall be according to their works.
Again I say, may no one think me to be a fool; and if otherwise, even as a fool receive me, that I also a little may boast.
That which I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting;
since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast:
for gladly do ye bear with the fools — being wise,
for ye bear, if any one is bringing you under bondage, if any one doth devour, if any one doth take away, if any one doth exalt himself, if any one on the face doth smite you;
in reference to dishonour I speak, how that we were weak, and in whatever any one is bold — in foolishness I say [it] — I also am bold.
Hebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I also!
ministrants of Christ are they? — as beside myself I speak — I more; in labours more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths many times;
from Jews five times forty [stripes] save one I did receive;
thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice was I shipwrecked, a night and a day in the deep I have passed;
journeyings many times, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from kindred, perils from nations, perils in city, perils in wilderness, perils in sea, perils among false brethren;
in labouriousness and painfulness, in watchings many times, in hunger and thirst, in fastings many times, in cold and nakedness;
apart from the things without — the crowding upon me that is daily — the care of all the assemblies.
Who is infirm, and I am not infirm? who is stumbled, and I am not fired;
if to boast it behoveth [me], of the things of my infirmity I will boast;
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ — who is blessed to the ages — hath known that I do not lie! —
In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king was watching the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me,
and through a window in a rope basket I was let down, through the wall, and fled out of his hands.
To boast, really, is not profitable for me, for I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
I have known a man in Christ, fourteen years ago — whether in the body I have not known, whether out of the body I have not known, God hath known — such an one being caught away unto the third heaven;
and I have known such a man — whether in the body, whether out of the body, I have not known, God hath known, —
that he was caught away to the paradise, and heard unutterable sayings, that it is not possible for man to speak.
Of such an one I will boast, and of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities,
for if I may wish to boast, I shall not be a fool, for truth I will say; but I forebear, lest any one in regard to me may think anything above what he doth see me, or doth hear anything of me;
and that by the exceeding greatness of the revelations I might not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of the Adversary, that he might buffet me, that I might not be exalted overmuch.
Concerning this thing thrice the Lord did I call upon, that it might depart from me,
and He said to me, 'Sufficient for thee is My grace, for My power in infirmity is perfected;' most gladly, therefore, will I rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of the Christ may rest on me:
wherefore I am well pleased in infirmities, in damages, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses — for Christ; for whenever I am infirm, then I am powerful;
I have become a fool — boasting; ye — ye did compel me; for I ought by you to have been commended, for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles — even if I am nothing.
The signs, indeed, of the apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds,
for what is there in which ye were inferior to the rest of the assemblies, except that I myself was not a burden to you? forgive me this injustice!
Lo, a third time I am ready to come unto you, and I will not be a burden to you, for I seek not yours, but you, for the children ought not for the parents to lay up, but the parents for the children,
and I most gladly will spend and be entirely spent for your souls, even if, more abundantly loving you, less I am loved.
And be it [so], I — I did not burden you, but being crafty, with guile I did take you;
any one of those whom I have sent unto you — by him did I take advantage of you?
I entreated Titus, and did send with [him] the brother; did Titus take advantage of you? in the same spirit did we not walk? — did we not in the same steps?
Again, think ye that to you we are making defence? before God in Christ do we speak; and the all things, beloved, [are] for your up-building,
for I fear lest, having come, not such as I wish I may find you, and I — I may be found by you such as ye do not wish, lest there be strifes, envyings, wraths, revelries, evil-speakings, whisperings, puffings up, insurrections,
lest again having come, my God may humble me in regard to you, and I may bewail many of those having sinned before, and not having reformed concerning the uncleanness, and whoredom, and lasciviousness, that they did practise.
This third time do I come unto you; on the mouth of two witnesses or three shall every saying be established;
I have said before, and I say [it] before, as being present, the second time, and being absent, now, do I write to those having sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare,
since a proof ye seek of the Christ speaking in me, who to you is not infirm, but is powerful in you,
for even if he was crucified from infirmity, yet he doth live from the power of God; for we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him from the power of God toward you.
Your own selves try ye, if ye are in the faith; your own selves prove ye; do ye not know your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you, if ye be not in some respect disapproved of?
and I hope that ye shall know that we — we are not disapproved of;
and I pray before God that ye do no evil, not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do that which is right, and we may be as disapproved;
for we are not able to do anything against the truth, but for the truth;
for we rejoice when we may be infirm, and ye may be powerful; and this also we pray for — your perfection!
because of this, these things — being absent — I write, that being present, I may not treat [any] sharply, according to the authority that the Lord did give me for building up, and not for casting down.
Henceforth, brethren, rejoice; be made perfect, be comforted, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of the love and peace shall be with you;
salute one another in an holy kiss;
salute you do all the saints;
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, [is] with you all! Amen.
Galatians
Paul, an apostle — not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who did raise him out of the dead —
and all the brethren with me, to the assemblies of Galatia:
Grace to you, and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ,
who did give himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of the present evil age, according to the will of God even our Father,
to whom [is] the glory to the ages of the ages. Amen.
I wonder that ye are so quickly removed from Him who did call you in the grace of Christ to another good news;
that is not another, except there be certain who are troubling you, and wishing to pervert the good news of the Christ;
but even if we or a messenger out of heaven may proclaim good news to you different from what we did proclaim to you — anathema let him be!
as we have said before, and now say again, If any one to you may proclaim good news different from what ye did receive — anathema let him be!
for now men do I persuade, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if yet men I did please — Christ's servant I should not be.
And I make known to you, brethren, the good news that were proclaimed by me, that it is not according to man,
for neither did I from man receive it, nor was I taught [it], but through a revelation of Jesus Christ,
for ye did hear of my behaviour once in Judaism, that exceedingly I was persecuting the assembly of God, and wasting it,
and I was advancing in Judaism above many equals in age in mine own race, being more abundantly zealous of my fathers' deliverances,
and when God was well pleased — having separated me from the womb of my mother, and having called [me] through His grace —
to reveal His Son in me, that I might proclaim him good news among the nations, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood,
nor did I go up to Jerusalem unto those who were apostles before me, but I went away to Arabia, and again returned to Damascus,
then, after three years I went up to Jerusalem to enquire about Peter, and remained with him fifteen days,
and other of the apostles I did not see, except James, the brother of the Lord.
And the things that I write to you, lo, before God — I lie not;
then I came to the regions of Syria and of Cilicia,
and was unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea, that [are] in Christ,
and only they were hearing, that 'he who is persecuting us then, doth now proclaim good news — the faith that then he was wasting;'
and they were glorifying God in me.
Then, after fourteen years again I went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, having taken with me also Titus;
and I went up by revelation, and did submit to them the good news that I preach among the nations, and privately to those esteemed, lest in vain I might run or did run;
but not even Titus, who [is] with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised —
and [that] because of the false brethren brought in unawares, who did come in privily to spy out our liberty that we have in Christ Jesus, that us they might bring under bondage,
to whom not even for an hour we gave place by subjection, that the truth of the good news might remain to you.
And from those who were esteemed to be something — whatever they were then, it maketh no difference to me — the face of man God accepteth not, for — to me those esteemed did add nothing,
but, on the contrary, having seen that I have been entrusted with the good news of the uncircumcision, as Peter with [that] of the circumcision,
for He who did work with Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, did work also in me in regard to the nations,
and having known the grace that was given to me, James, and Cephas, and John, who were esteemed to be pillars, a right hand of fellowship they did give to me, and to Barnabas, that we to the nations, and they to the circumcision [may go],
only, of the poor that we should be mindful, which also I was diligent — this very thing — to do.
And when Peter came to Antioch, to the face I stood up against him, because he was blameworthy,
for before the coming of certain from James, with the nations he was eating, and when they came, he was withdrawing and separating himself, fearing those of the circumcision,
and dissemble with him also did the other Jews, so that also Barnabas was carried away by their dissimulation.
But when I saw that they are not walking uprightly to the truth of the good news, I said to Peter before all, 'If thou, being a Jew, in the manner of the nations dost live, and not in the manner of the Jews, how the nations dost thou compel to Judaize?
we by nature Jews, and not sinners of the nations,
having known also that a man is not declared righteous by works of law, if not through the faith of Jesus Christ, also we in Christ Jesus did believe, that we might be declared righteous by the faith of Christ, and not by works of law, wherefore declared righteous by works of law shall be no flesh.'
And if, seeking to be declared righteous in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, [is] then Christ a ministrant of sin? let it not be!
for if the things I threw down, these again I build up, a transgressor I set myself forth;