2 Corinthians 5:13

For God’s Kingdom is not in word, but in power.

But to each one of us, the grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

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

If anyone speaks, let it be as it were the very words of God. If anyone serves, let it be as of the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ.

which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

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

For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane! Why do you listen to him?”

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made to grieve, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you.

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,

For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God,

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,

Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility, to subject yourselves to one another; for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

“Yahweh has made you priest in the place of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in Yahweh’s house, for every man who is crazy, and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in the stocks and in shackles.

The best of them is like a brier. The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even your visitation, has come; now is the time of their confusion.

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

having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us: if prophecy, let’s prophesy according to the proportion of our faith;

But I write the more boldly to you in part, as reminding you, because of the grace that was given to me by God,

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

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?

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.

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

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

I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?

to which he called you through our Good News, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and sober in prayer.

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;

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

Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

What will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

They are vanity, a work of delusion. In the time of their visitation they will perish.

Your prophets have seen false and foolish visions for you. They have not uncovered your iniquity, to reverse your captivity, but have seen for you false revelations and causes of banishment.

The Lord Yahweh says, “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

When his friends heard it, they went out to seize him; for they said, “He is insane.”

His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him.

through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations for his name’s sake;

My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

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.

For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired.

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

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.

For to this end I also wrote, that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things.

For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory,

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 you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, those who were reputed to be pillars, gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision.

Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.

that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death,

He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things.

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

Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober, and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ—

Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

As Yahweh’s ark came into David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out through the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart.

So Gehazi followed after Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?”

He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”

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.

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.

instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age;

When Jehu came out to the servants of his lord, and one said to him, “Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?” He said to them, “You know the man and how he talks.”

As the ark of Yahweh’s covenant came to David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.

Yes, truth is lacking; and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Yahweh saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.

The days of visitation have come. The days of reckoning have come. Israel will consider the prophet to be a fool, and the man who is inspired to be insane, because of the abundance of your sins, and because your hostility is great.

For I say through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.

So although I wrote to you, I wrote not for his cause that did the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered the wrong, but that your earnest care for us might be revealed in you in the sight of God.

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,

and that our Good News came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake.

Therefore I endure all things for the chosen ones’ sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

that older men should be temperate, sensible, sober minded, sound in faith, in love, and in perseverance: