2 Corinthians 11:16

I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.

But from those who were reputed to be important—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God doesn’t show partiality to man—they, I say, who were respected imparted nothing to me,

Let our people also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they may not be unfruitful.

We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You have honor, but we have dishonor.

But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?

For if a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

Now I don’t desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, and was hindered so far, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.

For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. Or if we are of sober mind, it is for you.

I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.

For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we didn’t preach, or if you receive a different spirit, which you didn’t receive, or a different “good news”, which you didn’t accept, you put up with that well enough.

For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them.

Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the surface of the earth.

Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.”

He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh; he will reward him.

“Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you,” says Yahweh of Armies, “neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit, and produces, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.”

“In this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples.

You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

I coveted no one’s silver, gold, or clothing.

When therefore I have accomplished this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will go on by way of you to Spain.

I give a judgment in this: for this is expedient for you who were the first to start a year ago, not only to do, but also to be willing.

I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brothers that they would go before to you and arrange ahead of time the generous gift that you promised before, that the same might be ready as a matter of generosity, and not of greediness.

Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet in whatever way anyone is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no man may think more of me than that which he sees in me or hears from me.

Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it.

For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception.

For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness),

For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward, not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain;

Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly;

She said to her mistress, “I wish that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would heal him of his leprosy.”

If it isn’t so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?”

I hold fast to my righteousness, and will not let it go. My heart will not reproach me so long as I live.

The merciful man does good to his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

Many men claim to be men of unfailing love, but who can find a faithful man?

It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor.

Give her of the fruit of her hands! Let her works praise her in the gates!

They shall call its nobles to the kingdom, but none shall be there; and all its princes shall be nothing.

Misery is mine! Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard: There is no cluster of grapes to eat. My soul desires to eat the early fig.

Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him here to me.”

Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.’ ”

Jesus answered them, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you don’t know where I came from, or where I am going.

When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.

He brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God.

But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked crime, you Jews, it would be reasonable that I should bear with you;

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God,

Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might produce fruit to God.

I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit

For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn’t know God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe.

Who then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed, and each as the Lord gave to him?

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.

whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are yours,

But she is happier if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I also have God’s Spirit.

Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

I speak as to wise men. Judge what I say.

What am I saying then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing.

But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.

But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not “Yes and no.”

And I wrote this very thing to you, so that, when I came, I wouldn’t have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy would be shared by all of you.

to the one a stench from death to death, to the other a sweet aroma from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but speak as giving you occasion of boasting on our behalf, that you may have something to answer those who boast in appearance, and not in heart.

Open your hearts to us. We wronged no one. We corrupted no one. We took advantage of no one.

Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that even as he is Christ’s, so we also are Christ’s.

Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast.

For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forever more, knows that I don’t lie.

It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. For I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, a thorn in the flesh was given to me: a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively.

I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for I am in no way inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing.

Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you in all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty works.

But when Peter came to Antioch, I resisted him to his face, because he stood condemned.

To me, the very least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account.

You are witnesses with God how holy, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber.

Woe to them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in Korah’s rebellion.

Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;