Saint Paul at the beginning of this letter defends himself against the charges of inconstancy in the apostolate, of pride, and of selfish motives in his work. After a short appeal for a collection to help the poor in Jerusalem, he again refutes his enemies and vindicates his apostolic authority.
As such, it is presented verbatim in its entirety below with the day’s title, highlighted words and phrases that touch my heart, my soul and/or raised questions in my consciousness.
With gratitude that the Truth of Christ is within each of us!
Paul not inferior to other preachers:
Would to God that you could bear with a little of my foolishness! Nay, do bear with me! For I am jealous for you with a divine jealousy. For I betrothed you to one spouse, that I might present you a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear lest, as the serpent deduced Eve by his guile, so your minds may be corrupted and fall from a single devotion to Christ.
For if he comes to preach another Christ whom we did not preach, or if you receive another Spirit whom you have not received, or another gospel which you did not accept, you might well bear with him.
For I regard myself as nowise inferior to the great apostles. Even though I be rude in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; but in every way we have made ourselves clear to you.
He preached gratuitously:
Or did I do wrong when I humbled myself that you might be exalted, preaching to you the gospel of God free of charge? I stripped other churches, taking pay for them so as to minister to you.
And when I was with you and in want, I was a burden to no one; for the brethren from Macedonia supplied my needs. Thus in all things I have kept myself from being a burden to you, and so I intend to keep myself.
For they are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light. It is no great thing, then, if his ministers disguise themselves as ministers of justice. But their end will be according to their works.
His ministry of labor and suffering:
I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But if so, then regard me as such, that I also may boast a little.
What I am saying in this confidence of boasting, I am not speaking according to the Lord, but as it were in foolishness.
Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. For you gladly put up with fools, because you are wise yourselves!
For you suffer it if a man enslaves you, if a man devours you, if a man takes from you, if a man is arrogant, if a man slaps your face!
I speak to my own shame, as though we had been weak. But wherein any man is bold—I am speaking foolishly—I also am bold.
Are they Hebrews? So am I! Are they Israelites? So am I! Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I? Are they ministers of Christ?
I—to speak as a fool—am more: in many more labors, in prisons frequently, in lashes above measure, often exposed to death. From the Jews five times I received forty lashes less one. Thrice I was scourged, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was adrift on the sea; in journeyings often, in perils from floods, in perils from robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles; in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren; in labor and hardships, in many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I am not inflamed?
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weaknesses.
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forevermore, knows that I do not lie.
In Damascus the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me, but I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped his hands.
His revelations:
If I must boast—it is not indeed expedient to do so—but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up in the third heaven.
And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—that he was caught up into paradise and heard secret words that man may not repeat.
Of such a man I will not boast; but of myself I will glory in nothing save in my infirmities.
For if I do wish to boast, I shall not be foolish; for I shall be speaking the truth. But I forbear, lest any man should reckon me beyond what he sees in me or hears from me.
His infirmities:
Concerning this I thrice besought the Lord that it might leave me. And he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for thee, for strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Gladly therefore I will glory in my infirmities, that the strength of Christ may dwell in me. Wherefore I am satisfied, for Christ’s sake, with infirmities, with insults, with hardships, with persecutions, with distresses. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
He has been forced to boast:
I have become foolish! You have forced me. For I ought to have been commended by you, since in no way have I fallen short of the most eminent apostles, even though I am nothing.
Indeed, the signs of the apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in miracles and wonders and deeds of power. For in what have you been less favored that the other churches—unless in this, that I was no burden to you? Pardon me this wrong!
On his third visit he will be no burden:
Behold, this is the third time that I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children should not save up for the parents, but the parents for the children. But I will most gladly spend and be spent myself for your souls, even though, loving you more, I be loved less.
His disciples acted like Paul:
Paul is not defending himself:
Are you thinking all this time that we are defending ourselves before you?
We speak before God in Christ; but in all things, beloved, for your own edification. For I fear lest perhaps when I come I may not find you as I should wish, and lest I may be found by you not as you would wish—lest perhaps there be found among you contentions, envyings, animosities, dissensions, detractions, gossiping, arrogance, disorders—lest when I come again God should humiliate me before you, and I should mourn over many who sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness and immorality and licentiousness that they practised.
He warns them of his severe judgment:
Behold, this is the third time that I am coming to you: ‘On the word of two or three witnesses every word shall be confirmed.”
I have already warned, when present, and now in my absence I warn again those who sinned before, and all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare.
Do you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me, who is not weak in your regard, nay, is powerful in you?
For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God.
Yes, we also are weak in him, yet we shall live with him through the power of God in your regard.
He asks them to prove themselves:
Reprobate—a depraved, unprincipled, or wicked person; a person rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation.
But we pray that God that you may do no evil at all, not wishing ourselves to appear approved, but that you may do what is good, and we ourselves pass as reprobate.
For we can do nothing against the truth. And so we rejoice when we are weak but you are strong. This we also pray for, your perfecting.
Then he will not have to act:
Wherefore I write these things while absent, that when present I may not act more severely, according to the power that the Lord has given me for upbuilding, and not for destruction.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, brethren, rejoice, be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, be at peace; and the God of peace and love will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints send you greetings.
Blessing:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the charity of God, and the fellowship on the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
Day 166: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; By the Truth of Christ which is in Me!
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Second Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, Chapters 11-13 (END).
Bible Notes:
Saint Paul at the beginning of this letter defends himself against the charges of inconstancy in the apostolate, of pride, and of selfish motives in his work. After a short appeal for a collection to help the poor in Jerusalem, he again refutes his enemies and vindicates his apostolic authority.
2 Corinthians Chapter 11: Paul not inferior to other preachers; He preached gratuitously; His ministry of labor and suffering.
Paul not inferior to other preachers:
Would to God that you could bear with a little of my foolishness! Nay, do bear with me! For I am jealous for you with a divine jealousy. For I betrothed you to one spouse, that I might present you a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear lest, as the serpent deduced Eve by his guile, so your minds may be corrupted and fall from a single devotion to Christ.
For if he comes to preach another Christ whom we did not preach, or if you receive another Spirit whom you have not received, or another gospel which you did not accept, you might well bear with him.
For I regard myself as nowise inferior to the great apostles. Even though I be rude in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; but in every way we have made ourselves clear to you.
He preached gratuitously:
Or did I do wrong when I humbled myself that you might be exalted, preaching to you the gospel of God free of charge? I stripped other churches, taking pay for them so as to minister to you.
And when I was with you and in want, I was a burden to no one; for the brethren from Macedonia supplied my needs. Thus in all things I have kept myself from being a burden to you, and so I intend to keep myself.
By the truth of Christ which is in me, this boast shall not be taken from me in the districts of Achaia. Why so? Because I do not love you? God knows I do. But what I do I will go on doing, that I may deprive them of the occasion who are seeking an occasion to boast that they are doing the same as we do.
For they are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light. It is no great thing, then, if his ministers disguise themselves as ministers of justice. But their end will be according to their works.
His ministry of labor and suffering:
I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But if so, then regard me as such, that I also may boast a little.
What I am saying in this confidence of boasting, I am not speaking according to the Lord, but as it were in foolishness.
Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. For you gladly put up with fools, because you are wise yourselves!
For you suffer it if a man enslaves you, if a man devours you, if a man takes from you, if a man is arrogant, if a man slaps your face!
I speak to my own shame, as though we had been weak. But wherein any man is bold—I am speaking foolishly—I also am bold.
Are they Hebrews? So am I! Are they Israelites? So am I! Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I? Are they ministers of Christ?
I—to speak as a fool—am more: in many more labors, in prisons frequently, in lashes above measure, often exposed to death. From the Jews five times I received forty lashes less one. Thrice I was scourged, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was adrift on the sea; in journeyings often, in perils from floods, in perils from robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles; in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren; in labor and hardships, in many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Besides these outer things, there is my daily pressing anxiety, the care of all the churches!
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I am not inflamed?
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weaknesses.
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forevermore, knows that I do not lie.
In Damascus the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me, but I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped his hands.
2 Corinthians Chapter 12: His revelations; His infirmities; He has been forced to boast; On his third visit he will be no burden; His disciples acted like Paul; Paul is not defending himself.
His revelations:
If I must boast—it is not indeed expedient to do so—but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up in the third heaven.
And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—that he was caught up into paradise and heard secret words that man may not repeat.
Of such a man I will not boast; but of myself I will glory in nothing save in my infirmities.
For if I do wish to boast, I shall not be foolish; for I shall be speaking the truth. But I forbear, lest any man should reckon me beyond what he sees in me or hears from me.
His infirmities:
And lest the greatness of the revelations should puff me up, there was given me a thorn for the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet me.
Concerning this I thrice besought the Lord that it might leave me. And he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for thee, for strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Gladly therefore I will glory in my infirmities, that the strength of Christ may dwell in me. Wherefore I am satisfied, for Christ’s sake, with infirmities, with insults, with hardships, with persecutions, with distresses. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
He has been forced to boast:
I have become foolish! You have forced me. For I ought to have been commended by you, since in no way have I fallen short of the most eminent apostles, even though I am nothing.
Indeed, the signs of the apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in miracles and wonders and deeds of power. For in what have you been less favored that the other churches—unless in this, that I was no burden to you? Pardon me this wrong!
On his third visit he will be no burden:
Behold, this is the third time that I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children should not save up for the parents, but the parents for the children. But I will most gladly spend and be spent myself for your souls, even though, loving you more, I be loved less.
His disciples acted like Paul:
But be it so: I was no burden to you, but, being crafty, I caught you by guile. Did I take advantage of you through any of these whom I sent to you? I urged Titus to go, and I sent our brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Have we not walked in the same spirit, have we not walked in the same steps?
Paul is not defending himself:
Are you thinking all this time that we are defending ourselves before you?
We speak before God in Christ; but in all things, beloved, for your own edification. For I fear lest perhaps when I come I may not find you as I should wish, and lest I may be found by you not as you would wish—lest perhaps there be found among you contentions, envyings, animosities, dissensions, detractions, gossiping, arrogance, disorders—lest when I come again God should humiliate me before you, and I should mourn over many who sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness and immorality and licentiousness that they practiced.
2 Corinthians Chapter 13: He warns them of his severe judgment; He asks them to prove themselves; Then he will not have to act; Conclusion; Blessing.
He warns them of his severe judgment:
Behold, this is the third time that I am coming to you: ‘On the word of two or three witnesses every word shall be confirmed.”
I have already warned, when present, and now in my absence I warn again those who sinned before, and all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare.
Do you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me, who is not weak in your regard, nay, is powerful in you?
For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God.
Yes, we also are weak in him, yet we shall live with him through the power of God in your regard.
He asks them to prove themselves:
Put your own selves to test, whether you are in faith; prove yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Christ Jesus is in you? Unless perhaps you are reprobate! But I hope that you will come to know that we are not reprobate.
Reprobate—a depraved, unprincipled, or wicked person; a person rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation.
But we pray that God that you may do no evil at all, not wishing ourselves to appear approved, but that you may do what is good, and we ourselves pass as reprobate.
For we can do nothing against the truth. And so we rejoice when we are weak but you are strong. This we also pray for, your perfecting.
Then he will not have to act:
Wherefore I write these things while absent, that when present I may not act more severely, according to the power that the Lord has given me for upbuilding, and not for destruction.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, brethren, rejoice, be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, be at peace; and the God of peace and love will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints send you greetings.
Blessing:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the charity of God, and the fellowship on the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
Special Section in Bible: First Corinthians; Chapter 13:
Note: Here “Charity” is the love of God above—all things and love of neighbor for God.
If I should speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have charity, I have become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.
And if I have prophecy and know all the mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, yet do not have charity, I am nothing.
And if I distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, yet do not have—charity, it profits me nothing.
Charity is patient; is kind; charity does not envy, is not pretentious, is not puffed up, is not ambitious, is not self-seeking, is not provoked; thinks no evil, Does not rejoice over wickedness, but rejoices with the truth; Bears with all things, believes with all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Charity never fails, whereas prophecies will disappear, and tongues will cease, and knowledge will be destroyed.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part; But when that which is perfect has come, that which is imperfect will be done away with.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have—become a man, I have put away the things of a child.
We see now through a mirror in an obscure manner. But then face-to-face—.
Now I know in part, but then I shall know even as I have been known.
So there abide—faith, hope, and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Note: Here “Charity” is the love of God above—all things and love of neighbor for God.
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