Chapter 5
for more information or to volunteer please visit librivox reading by simon wainwright second epistle of paul to the corinthians king james version chapter nine first chapter in section five for as touching the ministering to the saints it is superfluous for me to write to you for i know the forwardness of your mind for which i boast of you to them of macedonia that achaea was ready a year ago and your zeal hath provoked very many yet have i sent the brethren lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf that as i said ye may be ready lest haply if they of macedonia come with me and find you unprepared we that we say not ye
should be ashamed in this same confident boasting therefore i thought it necessary to exhort the brethren that they would go before unto you and make up beforehand your bounty whereof ye had noticed before that the same night be ready as a matter of bounty and not as of covetousness but this i say he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully every man according as he purposeth in his heart so let him give not grudgingly or of necessity for god loveth a cheerful giver and god is able to make all grace abound toward you that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work
as it is written he hath dispersed abroad he hath given to the poor his righteousness remaineth forever now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food and multiply your seed sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness which causeth through us thanksgiving to god for the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto god whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify god for your professed subjection unto the gospel of christ and for your liberal distribution unto them and unto all men
and by their prayer for you which long after you for the exceeding grace of god in you thanks be unto god for his unspeakable gift chapter ten now i paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of christ who in presence am base among you but being absent and bold toward you but i beseech you that i may not be bold when i am present with that confidence wherewith i think to be bold against some which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh for though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through god to the pulling down of strongholds casting down imaginations in every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of god and bringing into captivity every thought
to the obedience of christ and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled do ye look on things after the outward appearance if any man trusts to himself that he is christ tis let him of himself think this again that as he is christ is even so we are christ is for though i should boast somewhat more of our authority which the lord hath given us for edification and not for your destruction i should not be ashamed that i may not seem as if i would terrify you by letters for his letters say they are weighty and powerful but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible let such in one think this that such as we are in word by letters when we are absent such will we be also indeed when we are present
for we dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise but we will not boast of things without our measure but according to the measure of the rule which god hath distributed to us a measure to reach even unto you for we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure as though we reached not unto you for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of christ not boasting of things without our measure that is of other men's labours but having hope when your faith is increased that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you and not to boast in another man's line of things made 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 end of chapter ten second chapter in section five reading by simon wainwright
