2 Corinthians 9-10

New King James Version

Administering the Gift

9 Now concerning ^(A)the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; ² for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a ^(B)year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. ^3 (C)Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; ⁴ lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this ^[a]confident boasting. ⁵ Therefore I thought it necessary to ^[b]exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a ^[c]grudging obligation.

The Cheerful Giver

^6 (D)But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows ^[d]bountifully will also reap ^[e]bountifully. ⁷ So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, ^(E)not grudgingly or of ^[f]necessity; for ^(F)God loves a cheerful giver. ^8 (G)And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

¹⁰ Now ^[g]may He who ^(I)supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, ^[h]supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your ^(J)righteousness, ¹¹ while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, ^(K)which causes thanksgiving through us to God. ¹² For the administration of this service not only ^(L)supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, ¹³ while, through the proof of this ministry, they ^(M)glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal ^(N)sharing with them and all men, ¹⁴ and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding ^(O)grace of God in you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God ^(P)for His indescribable gift!

The Spiritual War

10 Now ^(Q)I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—^(R)who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. ² But I beg you ^(S)that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ^4 (T)For the weapons ^(U)of our warfare are not ^[i]carnal but ^(V)mighty in God ^(W)for pulling down strongholds, ^5 (X)casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ^6 (Y)and being ready to punish all disobedience when ^(Z)your obedience is fulfilled.

Reality of Paul’s Authority

^7 (AA)Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? ^(AB)If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even ^[j]so ^(AC)we are Christ’s. ⁸ For even if I should boast somewhat more ^(AD)about our authority, which the Lord gave ^[k]us for ^[l]edification and not for your destruction, ^(AE)I shall not be ashamed— ⁹ lest I seem to terrify you by letters. ¹⁰ “For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but ^(AF)his bodily presence is weak, and his ^(AG)speech contemptible.” ¹¹ Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.

Limits of Paul’s Authority

^12 (AH)For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. ^13 (AI)We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), ^(AJ)for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; ¹⁵ not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, ^(AK)in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, ¹⁶ to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment.

¹⁷ But ^(AL)“he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” ¹⁸ For ^(AM)not he who commends himself is approved, but ^(AN)whom the Lord commends.