Chapter 7
CHAPTERS XII AND XIII OF SECOND CORINTHIANS. THIS IS A LIBRAVOX RECORDING. ALL LIBRAVOX RECORDINGS ARE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO VOLUNTEER, PLEASE VISIT LIBRAVOX.ORG. RECORDING BY SIMON WANERITE.
THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS. KING JAMES VERSION. CHAPTER XII. FIRST CHAPTER IN SECTION SEVEN. IT IS NOT EXPEDIENT FOR ME, DOUBTLESS, TO GLORY.
I WILL COME TO VISIONS AND REVELATIONS OF THE LORD. I KNEW A MAN IN CHRIST ABOVE FORTEEN YEARS AGO. WHETHER IN THE BODY I CANNOT TELL, OR WHETHER OUT OF THE BODY I CANNOT TELL. GOD KNOWETH. SUCH AN ONE.
CAUGHT UP TO THE THIRD HEAVEN. AND I KNEW SUCH A MAN, WHETHER IN THE BODY OR OUT OF THE BODY, I CANNOT TELL. GOD KNOWETH. HOW THAT HE WAS CAUGHT UP INTO PARADISE, AND HEARD UNSPEAKABLE WORDS, WHICH IT IS NOT LAWFUL FOR A MAN TO UTTER. OF SUCH AN ONE WILL I GLORY, BUT IN MYSELF I WILL NOT GLORY, BUT IN MY INFIRMITIES.
FOR THO I WOULD DESIRE TO GLORY, I SHALL NOT BE A FOOL, FOR I WILL SAY THE TRUTH. BUT NOW I FORBEAR, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD THINK OF ME ABOVE THAT WHICH HE SEETH ME TO BE, OR THAT HE HEARETH OF ME. AND LEST I SHOULD BE EXALTED ABOVE MEASURE THROUGH THE ABUNDANCE OF THE REVELATIONS, THERE WAS GIVEN TO ME A THORN IN THE FLESH. THE MESSENGER OF SATAN TO BUFFET ME, LEST I SHOULD BE EXALTED ABOVE MEASURE. FOR THIS THING I BESOUGHT THE LORD THRICE, THAT IT MIGHT DEPART FROM ME.
AND HE SAID UNTO ME, MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEE, FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS. MOST GLADLY, THEREFORE, WILL I RATHER GLORY IN MY INFIRMITIES, THAT THE POWER OF CHRIST MAY REST UPON ME. THEREFORE I TAKE PLEASURE IN INFIRMITIES, IN REPROACHES, IN NECESSITIES, IN PERSECUTIONS, IN DISTRESSES FOR CHRIST'S SAKE. FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN AM I STRONG. I AM BECOME A FOOL IN GLORYING, YE HAVE COMPELLED ME, FOR I OUGHT TO HAVE BEEN COMMENDED OF YOU,
FOR IN NOTHING AM I BEHIND THE VERY CHIEFEST APOSTLES, THOUGH I BE NOTHING. TRULY THE SIGNS OF AN APOSTLE WERE WROT AMONG YOU IN ALL PATIENCE, IN SIGNS AND WONDERS, AND MIGHTY DEEDS. FOR WHAT IS IT WHEREIN YE WERE INFERIOR TO OTHER CHURCHES, EXCEPT IT BE THAT I MYSELF WAS NOT BURDENSOME TO YOU? FORGIVE ME THIS WRONG. BEHOLD, THE THIRD TIME I AM READY TO COME TO YOU, I WILL NOT BE BURDENSOME TO YOU, FOR I SEEK NOT YOURS, BUT YOU,
FOR THE CHILDREN OUGHT NOT TO LAY UP FOR THE PARENTS, BUT THE PARENTS FOR THE CHILDREN. AND I WILL VERY GLADLY SPEND AND BE SPENT FOR YOU, THOUGH THE MORE ABUNDANTLY I LOVE YOU, THE LESS I BE LOVED. BUT, BE IT SO, I DID NOT BURDEN YOU, NEVERTHELESS, BEING CRAFTY, I CAUGHT YOU WITH GUILLE. DID I MAKE A GAIN OF YOU BY ANY OF THEM WHOM I SENT UNTO YOU? I DESIRED TITUS, AND WITH HIM I SENT A BROTHER.
DID TITUS MAKE A GAIN OF YOU? WALKED WE NOT IN THE SAME SPIRIT? WALKED WE NOT IN THE SAME STEPS? AGAIN, THINK YE, THAT WE EXCUSE OURSELVES UNTO YOU? WE SPEAK BEFORE GOD IN CHRIST.
BUT WE DO ALL THINGS, DEARLY BELOVED, FOR YOUR EDIFYING. FOR I FEAR LEST, WHEN I COME, I SHALL NOT FIND YOU SUCH AS I WOULD, AND THAT I SHALL BE FOUND UNTO YOU SUCH AS YE WOULD NOT, LEST THERE BE DEBATES, ENVYINGS, WRATHES, STRIFES, BACKBITINGS, WHISPERINGS, SWELLINGS, TUMULTS. AND LEST, WHEN I COME AGAIN, MY GOD WILL HUMBLE ME AMONG YOU, AND THAT I SHALL BEWAL MANY WHICH HAVE SINNED ALREADY, AND HAVE NOT REPENTED OF THE UNCLEANNESS AND FORNICATION AND LASCIVIUSHNESS WHICH THEY HAVE COMMITTED.
CHAPTER XIII THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I AM COMING TO YOU. IN THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES SHALL EVERY WORD BE ESTABLISHED. I TOLD YOU BEFORE AND FORETELL YOU, AS IF I WERE PRESENT THE SECOND TIME, AND BEING ABSENT, NOW I WRITE TO THEM WHICH HERETOFOR HAVE SINNED, AND TO ALL OTHER, THAT IF I COME AGAIN, I WILL NOT SPARE.
SINCE YE SEEK A PROOF OF CHRIST SPEAKING IN ME, WHICH, TO YOU WORD, IS NOT WEAK, BUT IS MIGHTY IN YOU, FOR THOUGH HE WAS CRUCIFIED THROUGH WEAKNESS, YET HE LIVED BY THE POWER OF GOD. FOR WE ALSO ARE WEAK IN HIM, BUT WE SHALL LIVE WITH HIM BY THE POWER OF GOD TOWARD YOU. EXAMINE YOURSELVES, WHETHER YE BE IN THE FAITH, PROVE YOUR OWN SELVES. KNOW YE NOT THAT YOUR OWN SELVES, HOW THAT JESUS CHRIST IS IN YOU, EXCEPT YE BE REPROBATES.
BUT I TRUST THAT YE SHALL KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT REPROBATES. NOW I PRAY TO GOD THAT YE DO NO EVIL, NOT THAT WE SHOULD APPEAR APPROVED, BUT THAT WE SHOULD DO THAT WHICH IS HONEST, THOUGH WE BE AS REPROBATES. FOR WE CAN DO NOTHING AGAINST THE TRUTH, BUT FOR THE TRUTH. FOR WE ARE GLAD WHEN WE ARE WEAK AND YE ARE STRONG.
AND THIS ALSO WE WISH, EVEN YOUR PERFECTION. THEREFORE I WRITE THESE THINGS, BEING ABSENT, LEST, BEING PRESENT, I SHOULD USE SHARPNESS, ACCORDING TO THE POWER WHICH THE LORD HATH GIVEN ME, TO EDIFICATION AND NOT TO DESTRUCTION. FINALLY, BRETHREN, FAIREL. BE PERFECT.
BE OF A GOOD COMFORT. BE OF ONE MIND. LIVE IN PEACE. AND THE GOD OF LOVE AND PEACE SHALL BE WITH YOU. GREET ONE ANOTHER WITH AN HOLY KISS.
ALL THE SAINTS SALUTE YOU. THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THE LOVE OF GOD AND THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY GHOST BE WITH YOU ALL. Amen. End of chapter 13.
Second chapter. End of chapter 7. Recording by Simon Wainwright. End of the second epistle of Paul to the Corinthians. King James Version.
Ensign King James Version.
