Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today we finish the second epistle
of St. Paul to the Corinthians, chapters 8 through
13. Chapter 8 Moreover, brethren, we make known
to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches
of Macedonia, that in a great trial of affliction
the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty
abounded in the riches of their liberality. For
I bear witness that according to their ability,
yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely
willing, imploring us with much urgency that
we would receive the gift and the fellowship
of the ministering to the saints, and not only
as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves
to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.
So we urged Titus that as he had begun, so he
would also complete this grace in you as well.
But as you abound in everything, in faith, in
speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in
your love for us, see that you abound in this
grace also. I speak not by commandment, but I
am testing the sincerity of your love by the
diligence of others. For you know the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich,
yet for your sakes he became poor, that you,
through his poverty, might become rich. And in
this I give advice. It is to your advantage not
only to be doing what you began and were desiring
to do a year ago, but now you also must complete
the doing of it, that as there was a readiness
to desire it, so there also may be a completion
out of what you have. For if there is first a
willing mind, it is accepted according to what
one has, and not according to what he does not
have. For I do not mean that others should be
eased and you burdened, but by an equality, that
now at this time your abundance may supply their
lack, that their abundance also may supply your
lack, that there may be equality. As it is written,
He who gathered much had left nothing over, and
he who gathered little had no lack. But thanks
be to God who puts the same earnest care for
you into the heart of Titus. For he not only
accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent,
he went to you of his own accord. And we have
sent with him the brother whose praise is in
the gospel throughout all the churches, and not
only that, but who was also chosen by the churches
to travel with us with this gift, which is administered
by us to the glory of the Lord himself, and to
show your ready mind. Avoiding this, that anyone
should blame us in this lavish gift which is
administered by us, providing honorable things,
not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in
the sight of men. And we have sent with them
our brother, whom we have often proved diligent
in many things, but now much more diligent, because
of the great confidence which we have in you.
If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner
and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren
are inquired about, they are messengers of the
churches, the glory of Christ. Therefore, show
to them and before the churches the proof of
your love and of our boasting on your behalf.
Chapter 9 Now concerning the ministering to the
saints, it is superfluous for me to write to
you, for I know your willingness, about which
I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achia
was ready a year ago. and your zeal has stirred
up the majority. Yet I have sent the brethren,
lest our boasting of you should be in vain in
this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready.
Lest if some Macedonians come with me and find
you unprepared, we, not to mention you, should
be ashamed of this confident boasting. Therefore
I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren
to go to you ahead of time. and prepare your
generous gift beforehand, which you had previously
promised, that it may be ready as a matter of
generosity and not as a grudging obligation.
But this I say, he who sows sparingly will also
reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will
also reap bountifully. So let each one give as
he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of
necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. And
God is able to make all grace abound toward you,
that you, always having all sufficiency in all
things, may have an abundance for every good
work. As it is written, He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor, His righteousness endures
forever. Now may He who supplies seed to the
sower and bread for food, supply and multiply
the seed you have sown and increase the fruits
of your righteousness, while you are enriched
in everything for all liberality. which causes
thanksgiving through us to God. For the administration
of this service not only supplies the needs of
the saints, but also is abounding through many
thanksgivings to God. While through the proof
of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience
of your confession to the gospel of Christ and
for your liberal sharing with them and all men,
and by their prayer for you, who long for you
because of the exceeding grace of God in you.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.
Chapter 10 Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with
you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ,
who in presence am lowly among you, but being
absent am bold toward you. But I beg you that
when I am present I may not be bold with that
confidence by which I intend to be bold against
some, who think of us as if we walked according
to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh,
we do not war according to the flesh. For the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty
in God for pulling down strongholds, casting
down arguments and every high thing that exalts
itself against the knowledge of God, bringing
every thought into captivity to the obedience
of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience
when your obedience is fulfilled. Do you look
at things according to the outward appearance?
If anyone is convinced in himself that he is
Christ's, let him again consider this in himself,
that just as he is Christ's, even so we are Christ's.
For even if I should boast somewhat more about
our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification
and not for your destruction, I shall not be
ashamed, lest I seem to terrify you by letters.
For his letters, they say, are weighty and powerful,
but his bodily presence is weak and his speech
contemptible. let such a person consider this
that what we are in word by letters when we are
absent such we will also be indeed when we are
present for we do not class ourselves or compare
ourselves with those who commend themselves but
they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing
themselves among themselves are not wise we however
will not boast beyond measure but within the
limits of the sphere which God appointed us,
a sphere which especially includes you. For we
are not overextending ourselves, as though our
authority did not extend to you. For it was to
you that we came with the gospel of Christ, not
boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in
other men's labors, but having hope that as your
faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged
by you in our sphere. to preach the gospel in
the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another
man's sphere of accomplishment. But he who glories,
let him glory in the Lord. For not he who commends
himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.
that I may present you as a chaste virgin to
Christ. But I fear lest somehow, as the serpent
deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds
may be corrupted from the simplicity that is
in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another
Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive
a different spirit which you have not received,
or a different gospel which you have not accepted,
you may well put up with it. For I consider that
I am not at all inferior to the most eminent
apostles, even though I am untrained in speech,
yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly
manifested among you in all things. Did I commit
sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted,
because I preached the gospel of God to you free
of charge? I robbed other churches, taking wages
from them to minister to you. And when I was
present with you and in need, I was a burden
to no one. For what I lacked, the brethren who
came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything
I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and
so I will keep myself. As the truth of Christ
is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting
in the regions of Achia. Why? Because I do not
love you? God knows. But what I do, I will also
continue to do. that I may cut off the opportunity
from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded
just as we are in the things of which they boast.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
And no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself
into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great
thing if his ministers also transform themselves
into ministers of righteousness, whose end will
be according to their works. I say again, let
no one think me a fool, if otherwise at least
receive me as a fool, that I may also boast a
little. What I speak, I speak not according to
the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence
of boasting. Seeing that many boast according
to the flesh, I also will boast. For you put
up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are
wise. For you put up with it if one brings you
into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes
from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes
you on the face. To our shame I say that we were
too weak for that. But in whatever anyone is
bold, I speak foolishly, I am bold also. Are
they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So
am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.
Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool.
I am more. In labors, more abundant. In stripes,
above measure. In prisons, more frequently. In
deaths, often. From the Jews, five times I received
40 stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten
with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was
shipwrecked. A night and a day. I have been in
the deep, in journeys often, in perils of waters,
in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen,
in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city,
in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the
sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness
and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and
thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness,
besides the other things what comes upon me daily.
My deep concern for all the churches. Who is
weak and I am not weak. Who is made to stumble
and I do not burn with indignation. If I must
boast, I will boast in the things which concern
my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that
I am not lying. In Damascus, the governor, under
Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the
Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest
me. But I was let down in a basket through a
window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.
Chapter 12 It is doubtless not profitable for
me to boast. 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 whether out of the body I do not know, God
knows. Such a one was caught up to the third
heaven. And I know such a man, whether in the
body or out of the body I do not know, God knows.
how he was caught up into paradise, and heard
inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for
a man to utter. Of such a one I will boast, yet
of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.
For though I might desire to boast, I will not
be a fool, for I will speak the truth. But I
refrain, lest anyone should think of me above
what he sees me to be, or hears from me. And
lest I should be exalted above measure by the
abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the
flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to
buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning
this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times
that it might depart from me. And he said to
me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength
is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, most
gladly, I will rather boast in my infirmities
that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore
I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches,
in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for
Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am
strong. I have become a fool in boasting. You
have compelled me. For I ought to have been commanded
by you. For in nothing was I behind the most
eminent apostles, though I am nothing. Truly
the signs of an apostle were accomplished among
you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders
and mighty deeds. For what is it in which you
were inferior to other churches, except that
I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me
this wrong. Now for the third time I am ready
to come to you, and I will not be burdensome
to you. For I do not seek yours, but you. For
the children ought not to lay up for the parents,
but the parents for the children. And I will
very gladly spend and be spent for your souls.
Though the more abundantly I love you, the less
I am loved. But be that as it may, I did not
burden you. Nevertheless, being crafty, I caught
you by cunning. Did I take advantage of you by
any of those whom I sent to you? I urged Titus
and sent our brother with him. Did Titus take
advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same
spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps? Again,
do you think that we excuse ourselves to you?
We speak before God in Christ, but we do all
things, beloved, for your edification. For I
fear, lest when I come, I shall not find you
such as I wish, and that I shall be found by
you such as you do not wish. Lest there be contentions,
jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions,
bag -bitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults.
Lest when I come again, my God will humble me
among you, and I shall mourn for many who have
sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness,
fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.
Chapter 13 This will be the third time I am coming
to you. By the mouth of two or three witnesses
every word shall be established. I have told
you before and foretell as if I were present
the second time, and now being absent I write
to those who have sinned before, and to all the
rest, that if I come again I will not spare,
since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in
me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in
you. For though he was crucified in weakness,
yet he lives by the power of God. For we also
are weak in him, but we shall live with him by
the power of God toward you. Examine yourselves
as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.
Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ
is in you? Unless indeed you are disqualified.
But I trust that you will know that we are not
disqualified. Now I pray to God that you do no
evil. not that we should appear approved, but
that you should do what is honorable, though
we may seem disqualified. For we can do nothing
against the truth, but for the truth. For we
are glad when we are weak and you are strong.
And this also we pray, that you may be made complete.
Therefore I write these things being absent,
lest being present I should use sharpness, according
to the authority which the Lord has given me
for edification and not for destruction. Finally,
brethren, Farewell. Become complete. Be of good
comfort. Be of one mind. Live in peace. And the
God of love and peace will be with you. Greet
one another with a holy kiss. All the saints
greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God and the communion of the
Holy Spirit be with you all. Ameen. I hope you
enjoyed today's reading as much as I did. And
I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow to
continue on our journey. God bless you and have
a great day.