Study Desk

As for this, three times have I besought the Lord to rid me of him;

but His reply has been, "My grace suffices for you, for power matures in weakness." Most gladly therefore will I boast of my infirmities rather than complain of them--in order that Christ's power may overshadow me.

In fact I take pleasure in infirmities, in the bearing of insults, in distress, in persecutions, in grievous difficulties--for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

It is foolish of me to write all this, but you have compelled me to do so. Why, you ought to have been my vindicators; for in no respect have I been inferior to these superlatively great Apostles, even though in myself I am nothing.

See, I am now for the third time prepared to visit you, but I will not be a dead weight to you. I desire not your money, but yourselves; for children ought not to put by for their parents, but parents for their children.

And as for me, most gladly will I spend all I have and be utterly spent for your salvation.

For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may not find you to be what I desire, and that you may find me to be what you do not desire; that perhaps there may be contention, jealousy, bitter feeling, party spirit, ill-natured talk, backbiting, undue eulogy, unrest;

For though it is true that He was crucified through weakness, yet He now lives through the power of God. We also are weak, sharing His weakness, but with Him we shall be full of life to deal with you through the power of God.

For we have no power against the truth, but only for the furtherance of the truth;

and it is a joy to us when we are powerless, but you are strong. This we also pray for--the perfecting of your characters.

For this reason I write thus while absent, that when present I may not have to act severely in the exercise of the authority which the Lord has given me for building up, and not for pulling down.

who gave Himself to suffer for our sins in order to rescue us from the present wicked age in accordance with the will of our God and Father.

For other "Good News" there is none; but there are some persons who are troubling you, and are seeking to distort the Good News concerning Christ.

For is it man's favour or God's that I aspire to? Or am I seeking to please men? If I were still a man-pleaser, I should not be Christ's bondservant.

For I must tell you, brethren, that the Good News which was proclaimed by me is not such as man approves of.

For, in fact, it was not from man that I received or learnt it, but by a revelation from Jesus Christ.

For you have heard of my early career in Judaism--how I furiously persecuted the Church of God, and made havoc of it;

Then, three years later, I went up to Jerusalem to inquire for Peter, and I spent a fortnight with him.

But not for an hour did we give way and submit to them; in order that the Good News might continue with you in its integrity.

for He who had been at work within Peter with a view to his Apostleship to the Jews had also been at work within me with a view to my Apostleship to the Gentiles--