Study Desk

So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong or the one who was harmed, but rather that your earnestness on our behalf would be made clear to you in the sight of God.

Indeed, I was not embarrassed by anything I had boasted to him about you. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus has proved to be true as well.

So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

Now finish the work, so that you may complete it just as eagerly as you began, according to your means.

At the present time, your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. Then there will be equality.

And we are sending along with them our brother, whose earnestness has been proven many times and in many ways, and now even more so by his great confidence in you.

Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we-to say nothing of you-would be ashamed of having been so confident.

So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you beforehand and make arrangements for the bountiful gift you had promised. This way, your gift will be prepared generously and not begrudgingly.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. Then we will not be boasting in the work already done in another man's territory.

And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have refrained from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.

I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

For you gladly tolerate fools, since you are so wise.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.

Even if I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me,

or with these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.

I already warned you the second time I was with you. So now in my absence, I warn those who sinned earlier and everyone else: If I return, I will not spare anyone,