Signs of an Apostle

¹¹ I have become ^(A)a fool ^[a]in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for ^(B)in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though ^(C)I am nothing. ^12 (D)Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and ^(E)wonders and mighty ^(F)deeds. 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 (G)Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for ^(H)I do not seek yours, but you. ^(I)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 ^(J)for your souls; though ^(K)the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

¹⁶ But be that as it may, ^(L)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 ^(M)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 (N)Again, ^[b]do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? ^(O)We speak before God in Christ. ^(P)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 ^(Q)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; ²¹ lest, when I come again, my God ^(R)will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many ^(S)who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, ^(T)fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.

Coming with Authority

13 This will be ^(U)the third time I am coming to you. ^(V)“By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” ^2 (W)I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent ^[c]I write to those ^(X)who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again ^(Y)I will not spare— ³ since you seek a proof of Christ ^(Z)speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty ^(AA)in you. ^4 (AB)For though He was crucified in weakness, yet ^(AC)He lives by the power of God. For ^(AD)we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

⁵ Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, ^(AE)that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you ^[d]are ^(AF)disqualified. ⁶ But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

Paul Prefers Gentleness

⁷ Now ^[e]I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though ^(AG)we may seem disqualified. ⁸ For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. ⁹ For we are glad ^(AH)when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, ^(AI)that you may be made complete. ^10 (AJ)Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the ^(AK)authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.