2 Corinthians 11:21

Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.

For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another.

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are profitable. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things build up.

Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Good News—not in wisdom of words, so that the cross of Christ wouldn’t be made void.

But to the rest I—not the Lord—say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her.

For even if I boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down, I will not be ashamed,

For, “His letters”, they say, “are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised.”

But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Don’t look on his face, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for I don’t see as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.”

Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.

What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

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.

Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,

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

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.

I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little.

For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing.

nor seeking glory from men (neither from you nor from others), when we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ.

This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”

So the assemblies throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace, and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

Now I beg you, brothers, through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world that he might put to shame the things that are strong.

I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

For if a man sees you who have knowledge sitting in an idol’s temple, won’t his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols?

Let no one seek his own, but each one his neighbor’s good.

What is it then, brothers? When you come together, each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has another language, or has an interpretation. Let all things be done to build each other up.

But I call God for a witness to my soul, that I didn’t come to Corinth to spare you.

For if in anything I have boasted to him on your behalf, I was not disappointed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth.

Therefore show the proof of your love to them before the assemblies, and of our boasting on your behalf.

lest by any means, if anyone from Macedonia comes there with me and finds you unprepared, we (to say nothing of you) would be disappointed in this confident boasting.

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

But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.

That which I speak, I don’t speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

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.

This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage,

but you know that because of weakness in the flesh I preached the Good News to you the first time.

Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also aren’t tempted.

Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the assembly,

The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle toward all, able to teach, patient,

For we have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.

Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.

“ ‘You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind; but you shall fear your God. I am Yahweh.

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

You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.

In your majesty ride on victoriously on behalf of truth, humility, and righteousness. Let your right hand display awesome deeds.

but he will judge the poor with righteousness, and decide with equity for the humble of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.

Strengthen the weak hands, and make the feeble knees firm.

He will say, “Build up, build up, prepare the way! Remove the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.”

Because they ministered to them before their idols, and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel. Therefore I have lifted up my hand against them,” says the Lord Yahweh, “and they will bear their iniquity.

He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.

See that you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done.

“Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored as healthy as the other.

“That servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’

But Jesus answered, “Let me at least do this”—and he touched his ear, and healed him.

Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance;

Isaiah is very bold and says, “I was found by those who didn’t seek me. I was revealed to those who didn’t ask for me.”

Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

I have therefore my boasting in Christ Jesus in things pertaining to God.

I always thank my God concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus;

But be careful that by no means does this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to the weak.

Thus, sinning against the brothers, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

Conscience, I say, not your own, but the other’s conscience. For why is my liberty judged by another conscience?

Great is my boldness of speech toward you. Great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I overflow with joy in all our affliction.

Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not deal sharply when present, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for tearing down.

And the rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,

I know how to be humbled, and I also know how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need.

But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children.

For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn’t it even you, before our Lord Jesus at his coming?

Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more.

Therefore though I have all boldness in Christ to command you that which is appropriate,

yet for love’s sake I rather beg, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.

promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him.