9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for G.o.d loveth a cheerful giver.
9:8 And G.o.d is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 9:9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
9:10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) 9:11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to G.o.d.
9:12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto G.o.d; 9:13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify G.o.d for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; 9:14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of G.o.d in you.
9:15 Thanks be unto G.o.d for his unspeakable gift.
10:1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: 10:2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through G.o.d to the pulling down of strong holds;) 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of G.o.d, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
10:7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ"s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ"s, even so are we Christ"s.
10:8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed: 10:9 That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.
10:10 For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.
10:11 Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.
10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
10:13 But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which G.o.d hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
10:14 For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ: 10:15 Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men"s labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, 10:16 To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man"s line of things made ready to our hand.
10:17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
10:18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
11:1 Would to G.o.d ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
11:2 For I am jealous over you with G.o.dly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
11:5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
11:6 But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
11:7 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of G.o.d freely? 11:8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
11:9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
11:10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11:11 Wherefore? because I love you not? G.o.d knoweth.
11:12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
11:16 I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.
11:17 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
11:18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
11:19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
11:20 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
11:21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
11:22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 11:26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
11:28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
11:29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? 11:30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
11:31 The G.o.d and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
11:32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: 11:33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: G.o.d knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
12:3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: G.o.d knoweth;) 12:4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
12:5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
12:6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.