Daily Bible Reading
Day 93
Today's reading: 2 Corinthians 10-11
Look for the promises in God’s word. As you read and find them, write them in your journal along with the scripture reference.
2 Corinthians 10
Paul’s Authority from the Lord
1. Now I, Paul, appeal to you personally by the meekness and gentleness of Christ (I who am meek when present among you, but am full of courage toward you when away!) –
2. now I ask that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence that (I expect) I will dare to use against some who consider us to be behaving according to human standards.
3. For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards,
4. for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments
5. and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.
6. We are also ready to punish every act of disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
7. You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should reflect on this again: Just as he himself belongs to Christ, so too do we.
8. For if I boast somewhat more about our authority that the Lord gave us for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of doing so.
9. I do not want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters,
10. because some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is weak and his speech is of no account.”
11. Let such a person consider this: What we say by letters when we are absent, we also are in actions when we are present.
Paul’s Mission
12. For we would not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.
13. But we will not boast beyond certain limits, but will confine our boasting according to the limits of the work to which God has appointed us, that reaches even as far as you.
14. For we were not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach as far as you, because we were the first to reach as far as you with the gospel about Christ.
15. Nor do we boast beyond certain limits in the work done by others, but we hope that as your faith continues to grow, our work may be greatly expanded among you according to our limits,
16. so that we may preach the gospel in the regions that lie beyond you, and not boast of work already done in another person’s area.
17. But the one who boasts must boast in the Lord.
18. For it is not the person who commends himself who is approved, but the person the Lord commends.
2 Corinthians 11
Paul and His Opponents
1. I wish that you would be patient with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you are being patient with me!
2. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
3. But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
4. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus different from the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough!
5. For I consider myself not at all inferior to those “super-apostles.”
6. And even if I am unskilled in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way.
7. Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you could be exalted, because I proclaimed the gospel of God to you free of charge?
8. I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so that I could serve you!
9. When I was with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.
10. As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.
11. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12. And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals in the things they boast about.
13. For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
14. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
15. Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.
Paul’s Sufferings for Christ
16. I say again, let no one think that I am a fool. But if you do, then at least accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.
17. What I am saying with this boastful confidence I do not say the way the Lord would. Instead it is, as it were, foolishness.
18. Since many are boasting according to human standards, I too will boast.
19. For since you are so wise, you put up with fools gladly.
20. For you put up with it if someone makes slaves of you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone behaves arrogantly toward you, if someone strikes you in the face.
21. (To my disgrace I must say that we were too weak for that!) But whatever anyone else dares to boast about (I am speaking foolishly), I also dare to boast about the same thing.
22. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
23. Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so: with much greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with more severe beatings, facing death many times.
24. Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one.
25. Three times I was beaten with a rod. Once I received a stoning. Three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent adrift in the open sea.
26. I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers,
27. in hard work and toil, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing.
28. Apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxious concern for all the churches.
29. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with indignation?
30. If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show my weakness.
31. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying.
32. In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to arrest me,
33. but I was let down in a rope-basket through a window in the city wall, and escaped his hands.