6The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. 9As it is written,
“He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousnessb endures forever.”
10He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.c 11You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; 12for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. 13Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, 14while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. 15Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
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a Other ancient authorities add of boasting
b Or benevolence
c Or benevolence
9.2 Eagerness. See 8.11. Macedonia. See 1.16. Achaia. See 1.1. Some believe that ch. 9 was originally part of a separate letter addressed to other Christians in Achaia (e.g., at Cenchreae; see Rom 16.1).
9.3 Brothers. See 8.16–23; 9.5.
9.5 Bountiful gift and voluntary gift are both translations of the same Greek word (eulogia); the word appears twice again in an expression translated bountifully in v. 6.
9.6 Sows…reap bountifully, an idea widespread in antiquity (see, e.g., Prov 11.24).
9.7 Not under compulsion. See 8.3; also Deut 15.10; Philem 14. God loves a cheerful giver virtually quotes the Septuagint of Prov 22.8.
9.8 Paul’s attitude here toward possessions is positive: wealth is a gift, a financial blessing from God, provided that it leads to generosity (9.11); cf. 1 Tim 6.10. Good work. See Eph 2.10; Col 1.10; 2 Thess 2.17; 2 Tim 3.17; Titus 2.14.
9.9 Ps 112.9.
9.10 Seed…food. See Isa 55.10. Harvest of your righteousness, a phrase drawn from the Septuagint of Hos 10.12.
9.12 Rendering (Greek diakonia), translated ministry in 8.4; 9.1, 13. Ministry, here the standard term (leitourgia) for an act of public service that private citizens performed at their own expense (see Rom 15.27).
2 Corinthians 10
Paul Defends His Ministry
1I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!—2I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think we are acting according to human standards.a 3Indeed, we live as human beings,b but we do not wage war according to human standards;c 4for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human,d but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments 5and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. 6We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.
7Look at what is before your eyes. If you are confident that you belong to Christ, remind yourself of this, that just as you belong to Christ, so also do we. 8Now, even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. 9I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten you with my letters. 10For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” 11Let such people understand that what we say by letter when absent, we will also do when present.
12We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another, and compare themselves with one another, they do not show good sense. 13We, however, will not boast beyond limits, but will keep within the field that God has assigned to us, to reach out even as far as you. 14For we were not overstepping our limits when we reached you; we were the first to come all the way to you with the good newse of Christ. 15We do not boast beyond limits, that is, in the labors of others; but our hope is that, as your faith increases, our sphere of action among you may be greatly enlarged, 16so that we may proclaim the good newsf in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in someone else’s sphere of action. 17“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18For it is not those who commend themselves that are approved, but those whom the Lord commends.
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a Gk according to the flesh
b Gk in the flesh
c Gk according to the flesh
d Gk fleshly
e Or the gospel
f Or the gospel
10.1–13.13 Paul’s struggle with Satan’s ministers and his appeal to the Corinthians. (For the literary issues involving these chapters, see Introduction.)
10.1–18 Paul’s defense against criticism and attack on his critics.
10.1 Appeal (see also 2.8; 5.20; 6.1; also ask in 10.2) indicates that the ultimate goal of chs. 10–13 is exhortation. Meekness of Christ. See Mt 11.29. Gentleness as a quality stands in contrast to pugnacity (1 Tim 3.3). Humble when face to face. See v. 10.
10.2 On the charge of acting according to human standards, see 1.12, 17.
10.3 Wage war. The campaign is described in three successive stages: the demolishing of fortifications (vv. 4–5), the taking of captives (v. 5), and the punishing of resistance (v. 6).
10.4–5 Weapons, Paul’s humble manner of life (v. 1), in which God’s “divine power” is manifested (see also 4.7). Paul depicts the strongholds (defenses) of his opponents in terms typically used to describe the Stoic sage, who used reason (arguments, thought) as a defense.
10.6 Paul probably means that he will deal with the disobedience of his opponents once the Corinthians recognize his authority and give full obedience to his instructions (see 2.9).
10.7 Paul’s critics probably claimed to belong to Christ.
10.8 Boast. See 1.12; another charge by Paul’s critics is reflected here. For building…down. See v. 4; 12.19; 13.10; also Jer 1.10; 24.6.
10.10 They say, lit. “he says,” which some identify with the individual to whom Paul refers in 2.5; 7.12. He continues by quoting here a charge made against him.
10.12 It was a standard laudatory technique to compare and classify someone with people of superior worth and to measure that person’s achievements against those of others. For Paul’s ironic use of the device, see 11.22–23.
10.13–16 Paul had strong views on the limits of his mission field; see Rom 15.17–21.
10.17 Jer 9.23–24, quoted also in 1 Cor 1.31.
10.18 Commend themselves. See v. 12.
2 Corinthians 11
Paul and the False Apostles
1I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! 2I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by its cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and purea devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough. 5I think that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6I may be untrained in speech, but not in knowledge; certainly in every way and in all things we have made this evident to you.
7Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed God’s good newsb to you free of charge? 8I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9And when I was with you and was in need, I did not bur
den anyone, for my needs were supplied by the friendsc who came from Macedonia. So I refrained and will continue to refrain from burdening you in any way. 10As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12And what I do I will also continue to do, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in what they boast about. 13For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds.
Paul’s Sufferings as an Apostle
16I repeat, let no one think that I am a fool; but if you do, then accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17What I am saying in regard to this boastful confidence, I am saying not with the Lord’s authority, but as a fool; 18since many boast according to human standards,d I will also boast. 19For you gladly put up with fools, being wise yourselves! 20For you put up with it when someone makes slaves of you, or preys upon you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or gives you a slap in the face. 21To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!
But whatever anyone dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23Are they ministers of Christ? I am talking like a madman—I am a better one: with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless floggings, and often near death. 24Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters;e 27in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold and naked. 28And, besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I am not indignant?
30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus (blessed be he forever!) knows that I do not lie. 32In Damascus, the governorf under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order tog seize me, 33but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall,h and escaped from his hands.
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a Other ancient authorities lack and pure
b Gk the gospel of God
c Gk brothers
d Gk according to the flesh
e Gk brothers
f Gk ethnarch
g Other ancient authorities read and wanted to
h Gk through the wall
11.1–12.10 A heavily ironic “fool’s” speech; see 11.16–17, 19, 21; 12.11.
11.1–15 Paul’s opponents as Satan’s agents.
11.2–3 Paul as father (1 Cor 4.14–15) of the bride (i.e., the church) is responsible for safeguarding her purity between the time of the betrothal and the marriage at the Second Coming of Christ; see Mt 9.15; 25.1–13; Eph 5.26–32; Rev 19.7–9; 21.2, 9.
11.3 Deceived. See Gen 3.13; 1 Tim 2.14. Paul is probably thinking of the Jewish legend that Eve was sexually seduced by Satan (the serpent), who appeared to her disguised as an angel (see v. 14).
11.4 Unfortunately, Paul never discusses the different gospel of his opponents, and their identity is much debated. Some consider them Judaizers; others, Gnostics; still others, Hellenistic Jewish propagandists.
11.5 Super-apostles (see 12.11), probably a sarcastic reference to his opponents, but perhaps the Jerusalem apostles.
11.6 Untrained in speech. See 10.10.
11.7–11 Paul was criticized for refusing to accept support from the Corinthians; for his practice of supporting himself, see 1 Cor 9; 1 Thess 2.9; 2 Thess 3.7–9.
11.7 Humbling myself, by his voluntary manual labor, which he regarded as a demonstration of his love for his converts (v. 11; 12.15).
11.14 Angel. See note on 11.3.
11.16–12.10 Paul boastfully compares himself to his opponents in regard to both credentials and hardships (see 4.8–9; 6.4–10).
11.17–18 In what follows, Paul does not speak in Christ (2.17; 12.19) or with the Lord’s authority (lit. “according to the Lord”), for his boasting is according to human standards.
11.20 The list of afflictions has the dual purpose of castigating Paul’s opponents by describing their abusive acts and of shaming the Corinthians by means of mock praise (see 6.4; cf. 1 Cor 4.8).
11.22 Like Paul, his opponents are Jewish Christians, proud both that they are Hebrews (ethnic heritage) and that they are Israelites (religious heritage); see Rom 9.4; 11.1; Phil 3.5.
11.23–27 Few details are known about the hardships Paul mentions in this list.
11.23 Imprisonments. See Acts 16.22–40 for one of Paul’s prior incarcerations; for later instances, see Acts 24.27; 28.16.
11.23–25 Paul specifies two types of floggings, or beatings (see 6.5), a Roman one with rods (see Acts 16.22–23) and a Jewish one with lashes (see Deut 25.3).
11.25 Stoning. See Acts 14.19. Shipwrecked. For a later instance, see Acts 27.9–44.
11.26 False brothers and sisters would include the false apostles (v. 13).
11.32 Damascus, the Syrian city connected with Paul’s conversion (Acts 9; Gal 1.17). King Aretas (IV), the ruler of the Arab kingdom of Nabatea from 9 BCE until his death (ca. 40 CE). The identity of the governor is unknown.
11.33 Let down in a basket. See Acts 9.23–25, where the plot is attributed to the Jews.
2 Corinthians 12
Paul’s Visions and Revelations
1It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. 3And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows—4was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. 5On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, 7even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keepa me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated.b 8Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, 9but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for powerc is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul’s Concern for the Corinthian Church
11I have been a fool! You forced me to it. Indeed you should have been the ones commending me, for I am not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. 12The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, signs and wonders and mighty works. 13How have you been worse off than the other churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!
14Here I am, ready to come to you this third time. And I will not be a burden, because I do not want what is yours but you; for children ought not to lay up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15I will most gladly spend and be spent for you. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16Let it be assumed that I did not burden you. Nevertheless (you say) since I was crafty, I t
ook you in by deceit. 17Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? 18I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves with the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?
19Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves before you? We are speaking in Christ before God. Everything we do, beloved, is for the sake of building you up. 20For I fear that when I come, I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish; I fear that there may perhaps be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. 21I fear that when I come again, my God may humble me before you, and that I may have to mourn over many who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness that they have practiced.
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a Other ancient authorities read To keep
b Other ancient authorities lack to keep me from being too elated
c Other ancient authorities read my power
12.1–10 A continuation of the fool’s speech, in which Paul presents himself in both ecstasy (vv. 1–7a) and agony (vv. 7b–10).
12.1 Visions and revelations. See 1 Cor 9.1; 15.8; Gal 1.12; 2.1–2.
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