Study Desk

and if Christ was not raised, your faith is meer illusion, your sins are not yet forgiven.

for I do not design to see you in my passage thither, yet I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permit.

I call God to witness, and may I die if it is not true, that the reason of my not coming yet to Corinth, was to avoid using any severity towards you.

I am press'd on every side, yet not crush'd; perplexed, but not in despair;

for which cause I am not discouraged, but tho' my body decays, yet my mind is daily renewed.

Wherefore, henceforth I have no regard to any man for his external appearance: for tho' I formerly look'd for worldly grandeur in the Messiah, yet now I see things in another light.

as unknown, and yet celebrated; as dying, and yet I am alive; as chastised, but not slain;

I use indeed great freedom of speech toward you, yet I greatly glory upon your account: I am filled with comfort, and my joy is still superiour to all my affliction.

yet have I sent the brethren, that my character of you may not appear to be groundless, with respect to that part wherein I said, ye would be ready:

I don't assume to myself the credit of other men's labours in another province, but hope, that when your faith is increased, the bounds now prescribed will be enlarged by you yet farther;

I say it again, let no man think me vain; but if they do, yet as such, bear with me, that I too may applaud my self a little.

yet I fear when I do come I shall not find you such as I would, and that you will find me such as you least desire: I am afraid there are among you debates, envyings, animosities, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, arrogance, tumults:

and I am afraid, God will humble me when I come again among you, and I shall bewail many who have formerly sinned, and have not yet repented of their impurity, their fornication, and dissoluteness.

for tho' he was crucified with the appearance of weakness, yet he lives by the power of God; tho' we are afflicted upon his account, we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in him, and not by the works of the law, by which there is no justification.

yet you did not despise me for the trial which attended my person, nor treated me with scorn; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

as for me, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why am I yet persecuted? for then there would not be so much objection to the doctrine of the cross.

no man was ever yet averse to his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, as the Lord doth the church:

for I am not yet secure of the prize, I have not yet finish'd my course: but I press to obtain the reward, which Jesus Christ invited me to.

for tho' I am absent in person, yet I am present with you in my mind, and am glad to perceive the regularily of your affairs, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.