Study Desk

Great, is my freedom of speech towards you, great, is my boasting in behalf of you: I am filled with the encouragement, I am greatly superabounding with the joy, in all our tribulation.

Now, am I rejoicing, - not that ye were grieved, but that ye were grieved unto repentance; for ye were grieved according to God, in order that, in nothing, should ye receive damage from us.

I rejoice that, in everything, I am of good courage respecting you.

For I know your forwardness of mind - of which, in your behalf, I am boasting unto Macedonians, that, Achaia, hath been prepared for a year past, - and, your zeal, hath stirred up the greater number of them.

Moreover, I, Paul, myself, exhort you, through the meekness and considerateness of the Christ, - I who, to look upon, indeed, am lowly toward you, but, absent, am bold towards you; -

For I am jealous over you with a jealousy, of God; for I myself betrothed you unto one husband, to present, a chaste virgin, unto the Christ, -

But, what I am doing, I also will do, - that I may cut off the occasion of them who are wishing an occasion, that, wherein they are boasting themselves, they may be found even as also, we.

What I am saying, not according to the Lord, am I saying, but as in foolishness, - in this my boastful confidence!

By way of disparagement, am I speaking, - as though, we, had been weak! whereas, in whatsoever anyone dareth, in foolishness I speak, I also, dare: -

Ministers of Christ, are they? As one deranged I am talking, I, above measure! - in toils, superabundantly, in prisons, superabundantly, in stripes, to excess, in deaths, oft, -

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and, I, am not burning?

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus, knoweth - He who is blessed unto the ages - that I am not speaking falsely:

Wherefore, I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in necessities, in persecutions, and straits, in behalf of Christ; for, as soon as I am weak, then, am powerful.

I have become foolish, - ye, compelled me: - I, in fact, ought, by you, to have been commended; for, not a whit, have I come behind the exceeding overmuch apostles, - even if I am nothing:

Lo! this third time, I am holding myself, in readiness, to come unto you, and I will not allow myself to be a burden; for I seek not yours, but you; - for, the children, ought not to lay up, for the parents, but the parents for the children; -

And, I, most gladly, will spend, and be fully spent, for your souls: - If I, exceedingly, love you, am I, the less, loved?

This third time, am I coming unto you: - at the mouth of two witnesses, or three, shall every matter be established.

For this cause, these things, while absent, am I writing, that I may not, when present, deal sharply - according to the authority which, the Lord, hath given me, for building up and not for pulling down.

For am I, even now, persuading, men, or God? Or am I seeking to please, men? If I had been still pleasing, men, Christ's servant, had I not been!

Now, as touching the things which I am writing to you, lo! before God, I am not guilty of falsehood: -