Chapter 216

8:20. Avoiding this, lest any man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us.

8:21. For we forecast what may be good, not only before God but also before men.

8:22. And we have sent with them our brother also, whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent: with much confidence in you,

8:23. Either for Titus, who is my companion and fellow labourer towards you, or our brethren, the apostles of the churches, the glory of Christ.

8:24. Wherefore shew ye to them, in the sight of the churches, the evidence of your charity and of our boasting on your behalf.

2 Corinthians Chapter 9

A further exhortation to almsgiving. The fruits of it.

9:1. For concerning the ministry that is done towards the saints, it is superfluous for me to write unto you.

9:2. For I know your forward mind: for which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia also is ready from the year past. And your emulation hath provoked very many.

9:3. Now I have sent the brethren, that the thing which we boast of concerning you be not made void in this behalf, that (as I have said) you may be ready:

9:4. Lest, when the Macedonians shall come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to say ye) should be ashamed in this matter.

9:5. Therefore I thought it necessary to desire the brethren that they would go to you before and prepare this blessing before promised, to be ready, so as a blessing, not as covetousness.

9:6. Now this I say: He who soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly: and he who soweth in blessings shall also reap blessings.

9:7. Every one as he hath determined in his heart, not with sadness or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

9:8. And God is able to make all grace abound in you: that ye always, having all sufficiently in all things, may abound to every good work,

9:9. As it is written: He hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor: his justice remaineth for ever.

9:10. And he that ministereth seed to the sower will both give you bread to eat and will multiply your seed and increase the growth of the fruits of your justice:

9:11. That being enriched in all things, you may abound unto all simplicity which worketh through us thanksgiving to God.

9:12. Because the administration of this office doth not only supply the want of the saints, but aboundeth also by many thanksgivings in the Lord.

9:13. By the proof of this ministry, glorifying God for the obedience of your confession unto the gospel of Christ and for the simplicity of your communicating unto them and unto all.

9:14. And in their praying for you, being desirous of you, because of the excellent grace of God in you.

9:15. Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

2 Corinthians Chapter 10

To stop the calumny and boasting of false apostles, he set forth the power of his apostleship.

10:1. Now I Paul, myself beseech you, by the mildness and modesty of Christ: who in presence indeed am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

10:2. But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence wherewith I am thought to be bold, against some who reckon us as if we walked according to the flesh.

10:3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.

10:4. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty to God, unto the pulling down of fortifications, destroying counsels,

10:5. And every height that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God: and bringing into captivity every understanding unto the obedience of Christ:

10:6. And having in readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be fulfilled.

10:7. See the things that are according to outward appearance. If any man trust to himself, that he is Christ's let him think this again with himself, that as he is Christ's, so are we also.

10:8. For if also I should boast somewhat more of our power, which the Lord hath given us unto edification and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed.

10:9. But that I may not be thought as it were to terrify you by epistles,

10:10. (For his epistles indeed, say they, are weighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible):

10:11. Let such a one think this, that such as we are in word by epistles when absent, such also we will be indeed when present.

10:12. For we dare not match or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but we measure ourselves by ourselves and compare ourselves with ourselves.

10:13. But we will not glory beyond our measure: but according to the measure of the rule which God hath measured to us, a measure to reach even unto you.

10:14. For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as if we reached not unto you. For we are come as far as to you in the Gospel of Christ.

10:15. Not glorying beyond measure in other men's labours: but having hope of your increasing faith, to be magnified in you according to our rule abundantly.

10:16. Yea, unto those places that are beyond you to preach the gospel: not to glory in another man's rule, in those things that are made ready to our hand.

10:17. But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

10:18. For not he who commendeth himself is approved: but he, whom God commendeth.

2 Corinthians Chapter 11

He is forced to commend himself and his labours, lest the Corinthians should be imposed upon by the false apostles.

11:1. Would to God you could bear with some little of my folly! But do bear with me.

My folly... So he calls his reciting his own praises, which, commonly speaking is looked upon as a piece of folly and vanity; though the apostle was constrained to do it, for the good of the souls committed to his charge.

11:2. For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God. For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

11:3. But I fear lest, as the serpent seduced Eve by his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted and fall from the simplicity that is in Christ.

11:4. For if he that cometh preacheth another Christ, whom we have not preached; or if you receive another Spirit, whom you have not received; or another gospel, which you have not received: you might well bear with him.

11:5. For I suppose that I have done nothing less than the great apostles.

11:6. For although I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge: but in all things we have been made manifest to you.

11:7. Or did I commit a fault, humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached unto you the Gospel of God freely?

11:8. I have taken from other churches, receiving wages of them for your ministry.

11:9. And, when I was present with you and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was wanting to me, the brethren supplied who came from Macedonia. And in all things I have kept myself from being burthensome to you: and so I will keep myself.

11:10. The truth of Christ is in me, that this glorying shall not be broken off in me in the regions of Achaia.

11:11. Wherefore? Because I love you not? God knoweth it.

11:12. But what I do, that I will do: that I may cut off the occasion from them that desire occasion: that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

11:13. For such false apostles are deceitful workmen, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

11:14. And no wonder: for Satan himself transformeth himself into an angel of light.

11:15. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers be transformed as the ministers of justice, whose end shall be according to their works.

11:16. I say again (Let no man think me to be foolish: otherwise take me as one foolish, that I also may glory a little):

11:17. That which I speak, I speak not according to God: but as it were in foolishness, in this matter of glorying.

11:18. Seeing that many glory according to the flesh, I will glory also.

11:19. For you gladly suffer the foolish: whereas yourselves are wise.

11:20. For you suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take from you, if a man be lifted up, if a man strike you on the face.

11:21. I seek according to dishonour, as if we had been weak in this part. Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly), I dare also.

11:22. They are Hebrews: so am I. They are Israelites: so am I. They are the seed of Abraham: so am I.

11:23. They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as one less wise): I am more; in many more labours, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often.

11:24. Of the Jews five times did I receive forty stripes save one.

11:25. Thrice was I beaten with rods: once I was stoned: thrice I suffered shipwreck: a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea.

11:26. In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren:

11:27. In labour and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness:

11:28. Besides those things which are without: my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches.

My daily instance... The labours that come in, and press upon me every day.

11:29. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I am not on fire?

11:30. If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my infirmity.

11:31. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I lie not.

11:32. At Damascus, the governor of the nation under Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes, to apprehend me.

11:33. And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall: and so escaped his hands.

2 Corinthians Chapter 12

His raptures and revelations, His being buffeted by Satan. His fear for the Corinthians.

12:1. If I must glory (it is not expedient indeed) but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

12:2. I know a man in Christ: above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth), such a one caught up to the third heaven.

12:3. And I know such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth):

12:4. That he was caught up into paradise and heard secret words which it is not granted to man to utter.

12:5. For such an one I will glory: but for myself I will glory nothing but in my infirmities.

12:6. For though I should have a mind to glory, I shall not be foolish: for I will say the truth. But I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth in me, or any thing he heareth from me.

12:7. And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me.

12:8. For which thing, thrice I besought the Lord that it might depart from me.

12:9. And he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee: for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Power is made perfect... The strength and power of God more perfectly shines forth in our weakness and infirmity; as the more weak we are of ourselves, the more illustrious is his grace in supporting us, and giving us the victory under all trials and conflicts.

12:10. For which cause I please myself in my infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ. For when I am weak, then am I powerful.

12:11. I am become foolish. You have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended by you. For I have no way come short of them that are above measure apostles, although I be nothing.

12:12. Yet the signs of my apostleship have been wrought on you, in all patience, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.

12:13. For what is there that you have had less than the other churches but that I myself was not burthensome to you? Pardon me this injury.

12:14. Behold now the third time I am ready to come to you and I will not be burthensome unto you. For I seek not the things that are yours, but you. For neither ought the children to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

12:15. But I most gladly will spend and be spent myself for your souls: although loving you more, I be loved less.

12:16. But be it so: I did not burthen you: but being crafty, I caught you by guile.

12:17. Did I overreach you by any of them whom I sent to you?

12:18. I desired Titus: and I sent with him a brother. Did Titus overreach you? Did we not walk with the same spirit? Did we not in the same steps?

12:19. Of old, think you that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ: but all things, my dearly beloved, for your edification.

12:20. For I fear lest perhaps, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found by you such as you would not. Lest perhaps contentions, envyings, animosities, dissensions, detractions, whisperings, swellings, seditions, be among you.

12:21. Lest again, when I come, God humble me among you: and I mourn many of them that sinned before and have not done penance for the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness that they have committed.

2 Corinthians Chapter 13

He threatens the impenitent, to provoke them to penance.

13:1. Behold, this is the third time I am coming to you: In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word stand.

13:2. I have told before and foretell, as present and now absent, to them that sinned before and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare.

13:3. Do you seek a proof of Christ that speaketh in me, who towards you is not weak, but is mighty in you?

13:4. For although he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him: but we shall live with him by the power of God towards you.

13:5. Try your own selves if you be in the faith: prove ye yourselves. Know you not your own selves, that Christ Jesus is in you, unless perhaps you be reprobates?

13:6. But I trust that you shall know that we are not reprobates.

13:7. Now we pray God that you may do no evil, not that we may appear approved, but that you may do that which is good and that we may be as reprobates.

Reprobates... that is, without proof, by having no occasion of shewing our power in punishing you.

13:8. For we can do nothing against the truth: but for the truth.

13:9. For we rejoice that we are weak and you are strong. This also we pray for, your perfection.

13:10. Therefore I write these things, being absent, that, being present, I may not deal more severely, according to the power which the Lord hath given me unto edification and not unto destruction.

13:11. For the rest, brethren, rejoice, be perfect, take exhortation, be of one mind, have peace. And the God of grace and of love shall be with you.

13:12. Salute one another with a holy kiss. All the saints salute you.

13:13. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the charity of God and the communication of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.

THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE GALATIANS

The Galatians, soon after St. Paul had preached the Gospel to them, were seduced by some false teachers, who had been Jews and who were for obliging all Christians, even those who had been Gentiles, to observe circumcision and the other ceremonies of the Mosaical law. In this Epistle, he refutes the pernicious doctrine of those teachers and also their calumny against his mission and apostleship. The subject matter of this Epistle is much the same as that to the Romans. It was written at Ephesus, about twenty-three years after our Lord's Ascension.

Galatians Chapter 1

He blames the Galatians for suffering themselves to be imposed upon by new teachers. The apostle's calling.

1:1. Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead:

1:2. And all the brethren who are with me: to the churches of Galatia.

1:3. Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

1:4. Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present wicked world, according to the will of God and our Father:

1:5. To whom is glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1:6. I wonder that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel.

1:7. Which is not another: only there are some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

1:8. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema.

1:9. As we said before, so now I say again: If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema.

1:10. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

1:11. For I give you to understand, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.

1:12. For neither did I receive it of man: nor did I learn it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1:13. For you have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion: how that, beyond measure, I persecuted the church of God and wasted it.

1:14. And I made progress in the Jew's religion above many of my equals in my own nation, being more abundantly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

1:15. But when it pleased him who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace,

1:16. To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles: immediately I condescended not to flesh and blood.

1:17. Neither went I to Jerusalem, to the apostles who were before me: but I went into Arabia, and again I returned to Damascus.

1:18. Then, after three years, I went to Jerusalem to see Peter: and I tarried with him fifteen days.

1:19. But other of the apostles I saw none, saving James the brother of the Lord.

1:20. Now the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I lie not.

1:21. Afterwards, I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

1:22. And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea, which were in Christ:

1:23. But they had heard only: He, who persecuted us in times past doth now preach the faith which once he impugned.

1:24. And they glorified God in me.

Galatians Chapter 2

The apostle's preaching was approved of by the other apostles. The Gentiles were not to be constrained to the observance of the law.

2:1. Then, after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.

2:2. And I went up according to revelation and communicated to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles: but apart to them who seemed to be some thing: lest perhaps I should run or had run in vain.

2:3. But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Gentile, was compelled to be circumcised.

2:4. But because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privately to spy our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into servitude.

2:5. To whom we yielded not by subjection: no, not for an hour: that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

2:6. But of them who seemed to be some thing, (what they were some time it is nothing to me, God accepteth not the person of man): for to me they that seemed to be some thing added nothing.

2:7. But contrariwise, when they had seen that to me was committed the gospel of the uncircumcision, as to Peter was that of the circumcision.

The gospel of the uncircumcision... The preaching of the gospel to the uncircumcised, that is, to the Gentiles. St. Paul was called in an extraordinary manner to be the apostle of the Gentiles; St. Peter, besides his general commission over the whole flock, (John 21. 15, etc.,) had a peculiar charge of the people of the circumscision, that is, of the Jews.

2:8. (For he who wrought in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision wrought in me also among the Gentiles.)

2:9. And when they had known the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship: that we should go unto the Gentiles, and they unto the circumcision:

2:10. Only that we should be mindful of the poor: which same thing also I was careful to do.

2:11. But when Cephas was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

I withstood, etc... The fault that is here noted in the conduct of St. Peter, was only a certain imprudence, in withdrawing himself from the table of the Gentiles, for fear of giving offence to the Jewish converts; but this, in such circumstances, when his so doing might be of ill consequence to the Gentiles, who might be induced thereby to think themselves obliged to conform to the Jewish way of living, to the prejudice of their Christian liberty. Neither was St. Paul's reprehending him any argument against his supremacy; for in such cases an inferior may, and sometimes ought, with respect, to admonish his superior.

2:12. For before that some came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them who were of the circumcision.

2:13. And to his dissimulation the rest of the Jews consented: so that Barnabas also was led by them into that dissimulation.

2:14. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly unto the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all: If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of the Gentiles and not as the Jews do, how dost thou compel the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

2:15. We by nature are Jews: and not of the Gentiles, sinners.

2:16. But knowing that man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, we also believe in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

2:17. But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ then the minister of sin? God forbid!

2:18. For if I build up again the things which I have destroyed, I make myself a prevaricator.

2:19. For I, through the law, am dead to the law, that I may live to God; with Christ I am nailed to the cross.

2:20. And I live, now not I: but Christ liveth in me. And that I live now in the flesh: I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and delivered himself for me.

2:21. I cast not away the grace of God. For if justice be by the law, then Christ died in vain.

Galatians Chapter 3

The Spirit, and the blessing promised to Abraham cometh not by the law, but by faith.

3:1. O senseless Galatians, who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth: before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been set forth, crucified among you?

3:2. This only would I learn of you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?

3:3. Are you so foolish that, whereas you began in the Spirit, you would now be made perfect by the flesh?

3:4. Have you suffered so great things in vain? If it be yet in vain.

3:5. He therefore who giveth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you: doth he do it by the works of the law or by the hearing of the faith?

3:6. As it is written: Abraham believed God: and it was reputed to him unto justice.

3:7. Know ye, therefore, that they who are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

3:8. And the scripture, foreseeing that God justifieth the Gentiles by faith, told unto Abraham before: In thee shall all nations be blessed.

3:9. Therefore, they that are of faith shall be blessed with faithful Abraham.

3:10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: Cursed is every one that abideth, not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.