² But I beg you ^(A)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.

^10 (A)Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the ^(B)authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.

^2 (A)I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent ^[a]I write to those ^(B)who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again ^(C)I will not spare—

Walking in the Spirit

¹⁶ I say then: ^(A)Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For ^(B)the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, ^(C)so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸ But ^(D)if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

¹⁹ Now ^(E)the works of the flesh are evident, which are: ^[a]adultery, ^[b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, ^[c]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that ^(F)those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²² But ^(G)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(H)love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, ^(I)goodness, ^(J)faithfulness, ^23 [d]gentleness, self-control. ^(K)Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s ^(L)have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ^25 (M)If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

^2 (A)in which you once walked according to the ^[a]course of this world, according to ^(B)the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in ^(C)the sons of disobedience, ^3 (D)among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in ^(E)the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and ^(F)were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

¹³ For what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, except that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong!

Love for the Church

^14 (A)Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for ^(B)I do not seek yours, but you. ^(C)For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. ¹⁵ And I will very gladly spend and be spent ^(D)for your souls; though ^(E)the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

¹⁶ But be that as it may, ^(F)I did not burden you. Nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you by cunning! ¹⁷ Did I take advantage of you by any of those whom I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus, and sent our ^(G)brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?

^19 (H)Again, ^[a]do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? ^(I)We speak before God in Christ. ^(J)But we do all things, beloved, for your edification. ²⁰ For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that ^(K)I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults;

^18 (A)Now some are ^[a]puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. ^19 (B)But I will come to you shortly, ^(C)if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. ²⁰ For ^(D)the kingdom of God is not in word but in ^(E)power. ²¹ What do you want? ^(F)Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?

⁹ And when I was present with you, and in need, ^(A)I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked ^(B)the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. ^10 (C)As the truth of Christ is in me, ^(D)no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ Why? ^(E)Because I do not love you? God knows!

¹² But what I do, I will also continue to do, ^(F)that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. ¹³ For such ^(G)are false apostles, ^(H)deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

⁵ For ^(A)those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, ^(B)the things of the Spirit.