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45 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
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\s5
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\c 12
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\p
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\v 1 I must boast, but nothing is gained by it. But I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.
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\v 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago who—whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know, God knows—was caught up into the third heaven.
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\v 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body, or out of the body, I do not know, God knows—
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\v 4 was caught up into paradise and heard things too sacred for anyone to say.
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\v 5 On behalf of such a person I will boast. But on behalf of myself I will not boast, except about my weaknesses.
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\v 6 If I wanted to boast, I would not be foolish, for I would be speaking the truth. But I will keep from boasting, so that no one will think more of me than what is seen in me or heard from me.
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\v 7 I will also keep from boasting because of the extraordinary kind of those revelations. Therefore, so I would not be puffed up with pride, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger from Satan to harass me, so I would not become too proud.
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\v 8 Three times I begged the Lord about this, for him to take it away from me.
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\v 9 And he said to me, "My grace is enough for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." So I would much rather boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ might reside on me.
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\v 10 Therefore I am content for Christ's sake, in weaknesses, in insults, in troubles, in persecutions, in distressing situations. For whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
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\v 11 I have become a fool! You forced me to this, for I should have been praised by you. For I was not at all inferior to the so-called super-apostles, even though I am nothing.
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\v 12 The true signs of an apostle were performed among you with complete patience, signs and wonders and mighty deeds.
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\v 13 For how were you less important than the rest of the churches, except that I was not a burden to you? Forgive me for this wrong!
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\v 14 See! I am ready to come to you a third time. I will not be a burden to you, for I do not want what is yours. I want you. For children should not save up for the parents. Instead, the parents should save up for the children.
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\v 15 I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?
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\v 16 But as it is, I did not burden you. But, since I am so crafty, I am the one who caught you by deceit.
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\v 17 Did I take advantage of you by anyone I sent to you?
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\v 18 I urged Titus to go to you, and I sent the other brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same way? Did we not walk in the same steps?
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\v 19 Do you think all of this time we have been defending ourselves to you? In the sight of God, we have in Christ been saying everything for your strengthening.
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\v 20 For I fear that when I come I may not find you as I wish. I fear that you might not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be arguments, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, gossip, pride, and disorder.
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\v 21 I fear that when I come back, my God might humble me before you. I fear that I might be grieved by many of those who have sinned before now, and who did not repent of the impurity and sexual immorality and lustful indulgence that they practiced.
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