expedient for you, who were the first to make a beapostles. ginning a year ago, not only to do, but also to will.

• Gr.

"But now complete the doing also; that as there was the readiness to will, so there may be the completion also out of your ability. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according as a man hath, not according as he hath not. 13 For I say not this, that others may be eased, and ye distressed: but by equality; your abundance being a supply at this present time for their want, that their abundance also may become a supply for your want; that there may be equality: as it is written, He that gathered much had nothing over; and he that gathered little had no lack.

16 But thanks be to God, which putteth the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. "For indeed he accepted our exhortation; but being himself very earnest, he went forth unto you of his own accord. And we have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the gospel is spread through all the churches; and not only so, but who was also appointed by the churches to travel with us in the matter of this grace, which is ministered by us to the glory of the Lord, and to shew our readiness: avoiding this, that any man should blame us in the matter of this bounty which is ministered by us: "for we take thought for things honourable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. 22And we have sent with them our Lrother, whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence which he hath in you. 25Whethye there er any inquire about Titus, he is my partner and my fellow-worker to you-ward; or our brethren, they are the "messengers of the churches, they are the glory of Christ. Shew ye therefore unto them

Or, Shero

pre in the

on your

beha t

unt them.

in the face of the churches the proof of your love, and of our glorying on your behalf.

IX.

a Or, emulation of you

more part.

For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: for I know your readiness, of which I glory on your behalf to them of Macedonia, that Achaia hath been prepared for a year past; and "your zeal hath stirred up 'very many of them. But I have sent Gr. the the brethren, that our glorying on your behalf may not be made void in this respect; that, even as I said, ye may be prepared: lest by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be put to shame in this confidence. I thought it necessary Gr. therefore to intreat the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your aforepromised 'bounty, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not of extor

tion.

blessing.

ousness

6 But this I say, He that soweth sparingly shall dor,covet reap also sparingly; and he that soweth 'bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound unto you; that ye, having always all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto every good Gr. with work as it is written,

He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the

poor;

His righteousness abideth for ever.

And he that supplieth seed to the sower and bread for food, shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness: "ye being enriched in everything unto all

blessings

Gr.

of sorrow.

• Gr. sin

gleness

• Or. reason.

Or. Poye

Look face?

liberality, which worketh through us thanksgiving to God. For the ministration of this service not only filleth up the measure of the wants of the saints, but aboundeth also through many thanksgivings unto God; "seeing that through the proving of you by this ministration they glorify God for the obedience of your confession unto the gospel of Christ, and for the "liberality of your contribution unto them and unto all; "while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, long after you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you. 15Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

X.

.

Now I Paul myself intreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you: yea, I beseech you, that I may not when present shew courage with the confidence wherewith I count to be bold against some, which count of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds); casting down 'imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be fulfilled. Ye look at the things that are before your face. If any man trusteth in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ's, so also are we. For though I should glory somewhat abundantly concerning our authority (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down), I

70

a Gr.

ourselves

to judge

with.

uring

shall not be put to shame: 'that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. For, His to judge letters, they say, are weighty and strong; but his among, or bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no ourselves account. "Let such a one reckon this, that, what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present. 12 For we are not bold "to number or compare ourselves with certain of them that commend themselves: but they Or, limit themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, Greas and comparing themselves with themselves, are rod. without understanding. But we will not glory beyond our measure, but according to the measure of the 'province which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even unto you. For we stretch not ourselves overmuch, as though we reached not Orere unto you for we 'came even as far as unto you in to come the gospel of Christ: "not glorying beyond our measure, that is, in other men's labours; but having hope that, as your faith groweth, we shall be magnified in you according to our "province unto further abundance, so as to preach the gospel even dOr, but unto the parts beyond you, and not to glory in an- do bear other's 'province in regard of things ready to our hand. But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

18

16.

the first

indeed ye

with me.

• Gr. a

of God.

Would that ye could bear with me in a sy little foolishness: "nay indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted Gr. from the simplicity and the purity that is toward

thoughts.

a Or,

eminent

Christ.

For if he that cometh preacheth another those pre- Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive a apostles different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different. gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with him. For I reckon that I am not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. But though I be rude in speech, yet am I not in knowledge; nay, in every thing we have made it manifest among all men to you-ward. Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God for nought? I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you; and when I was present with you and was in want, I was not a burden on any man; for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my want; and in every thing I kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself. "As the truth. of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this glorying in the regions of Achaia. "Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth. But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off 'occasion from them which desire an occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. "And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Gr the

16 I say again, Let no man think me foolish; but if ye do, yet as foolish receive me, that I also may glory a little. That which I speak, I speak not after as in foolishness, in this confidence Seeing that many glory after the

casion the Lord, but

of them.

of glorying.

13