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2 Corinthians 11:7-12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
2 Corinthians 11:7-12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
7 [a]Did I make a mistake when I humbled myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge?(A) 8 I plundered other churches by accepting from them in order to minister to you. 9 And when I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.(B) 10 By the truth of Christ in me, this boast of mine shall not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.(C) 11 [b]And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!(D)
12 And what I do I will continue to do, in order to end this pretext of those who seek a pretext for being regarded as we are in the mission of which they boast.
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- 11:7–10 Abruptly Paul passes to another reason for complaints: his practice of preaching without remuneration (cf. 1 Cor 9:3–18). He deftly defends his practice by situating it from the start within the pattern of Christ’s own self-humiliation (cf. 2 Cor 10:1) and reduces objections to absurdity by rhetorical questions (cf. 2 Cor 12:13).
- 11:11–12 Paul rejects lack of affection as his motive (possibly imputed to him by his opponents) and states his real motive, a desire to emphasize the disparity between himself and the others (cf. 2 Cor 11:19–21). The topic of his gratuitous service will be taken up once more in 2 Cor 12:13–18. 1 Cor 9:15–18 gives a different but complementary explanation of his motivation.
2 Corinthians 11:7-12
New International Version
2 Corinthians 11:7-12
New International Version
7 Was it a sin(A) for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God(B) to you free of charge?(C) 8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them(D) so as to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed.(E) I have kept myself from being a burden to you(F) in any way, and will continue to do so. 10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me,(G) nobody in the regions of Achaia(H) will stop this boasting(I) of mine. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows(J) I do!(K)
12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.
2 Corinthians 11:7-12
King James Version
2 Corinthians 11:7-12
King James Version
7 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
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2 Corinthians 12:13-18
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
2 Corinthians 12:13-18
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
13 [a]In what way were you less privileged than the rest of the churches, except that on my part I did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!(A)
14 Now I am ready to come to you this third time. And I will not be a burden, for I want not what is yours, but you. Children ought not to save for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 I will most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your sakes. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16 But granted that I myself did not burden you, yet I was crafty and got the better of you by deceit.(B) 17 Did I take advantage of you through any of those I sent to you? 18 I urged Titus to go and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? And in the same steps?(C)
Final Warnings and Appeals.[b]
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- 12:13–18 Paul insists on his intention to continue refusing support from the community (cf. 2 Cor 11:8–12). In defending his practice and his motivation, he once more protests his love (cf. 2 Cor 11:11) and rejects the suggestion of secret self-enrichment. He has recourse here again to language applied to his opponents earlier: “cunning” (2 Cor 11:3), “deceit” (2 Cor 11:13), “got the better of you” (see note on 2 Cor 11:20), “take advantage” (2 Cor 2:11).
- 12:19–13:10 This concludes the development begun in 2 Cor 10. In the chiastic arrangement of the material (see note on 2 Cor 10:1–13:10), this final part corresponds to the opening; there are important similarities of content between the two sections as well.
2 Corinthians 12:13-18
New International Version
2 Corinthians 12:13-18
New International Version
13 How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you?(A) Forgive me this wrong!(B)
14 Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,(C) and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents,(D) but parents for their children.(E) 15 So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.(F) If I love you more,(G) will you love me less? 16 Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you.(H) Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! 17 Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? 18 I urged(I) Titus(J) to go to you and I sent our brother(K) with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?
2 Corinthians 12:13-18
King James Version
2 Corinthians 12:13-18
King James Version
13 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.
14 Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and 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.
15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.
16 But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.
17 Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?
18 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?
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2 Thessalonians 3:6-12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
2 Thessalonians 3:6-12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Neglect of Work. 6 We instruct you, brothers, in the name of [our] Lord Jesus Christ, to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us.[a] 7 For you know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, 8 nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you.(A) 9 Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us.(B) 10 In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.(C) 11 We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others.(D) 12 Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food.
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- 3:6 Some members of the community, probably because they regarded the parousia as imminent or the new age of the Lord to be already here (2 Thes 2:2), had apparently ceased to work for a living. The disciplinary problem they posed could be rooted in distorted thinking about Paul’s own teaching (cf. 1 Thes 2:16; 3:3–4; 5:4–5) or, more likely, in a forged letter (2 Thes 2:2) and the type of teaching dealt with in 2 Thes 2:1–15. The apostle’s own moral teaching, reflected in his selfless labors for others, was rooted in a deep doctrinal concern for the gospel message (cf. 1 Thes 2:3–10).
2 Thessalonians 3:6-12
New International Version
2 Thessalonians 3:6-12
New International Version
Warning Against Idleness
6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,(A) we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from(B) every believer who is idle and disruptive(C) and does not live according to the teaching[a] you received from us.(D) 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.(E) We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked(F) night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help,(G) but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.(H) 10 For even when we were with you,(I) we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work(J) shall not eat.”
11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.(K) 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ(L) to settle down and earn the food they eat.(M)
Footnotes
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Or tradition
2 Thessalonians 3:6-12
King James Version
2 Thessalonians 3:6-12
King James Version
6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
8 Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
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New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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