Letters to the Churches

And he said vnto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect through weakenesse. Very gladly therefore will I reioyce rather in mine infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproches, in necessities, in persecutions, in anguish for Christes sake: for when I am weake, then am I strong.

I was a foole to boast my selfe: yee haue compelled mee: for I ought to haue bene commended of you: for in nothing was I inferiour vnto the very chiefe Apostles, though I bee nothing.

The signes of an Apostle were wrought among you with all patience, with signes, and wonders, and great workes.

For what is it, wherein yee were inferiours vnto other Churches, except that I haue not bene slouthfull to your hinderance? forgiue me this wrong.

Behold, the thirde time I am ready to come vnto you, and yet will I not be slouthfull to your hinderance: for I seeke not yours, but you: for the children ought not to laye vp for the fathers, but the fathers for the children.

And I will most gladly bestow, and will be bestowed for your soules: though the more I loue you, the lesse I am loued.

But bee it that I charged you not: yet for as much as I was craftie, I tooke you with guile.

Did I pill you by any of them whom I sent vnto you?

I haue desired Titus, and with him I haue sent a brother: did Titus pill you of any thing? walked we not in the selfe same spirit? walked we not in the same steppes?

Againe, thinke yee that wee excuse our selues vnto you? we speake before God in Christ. But wee doe all thinges, dearely beloued, for your edifying.

For I feare least when I come, I shall not finde you such as I would: and that I shalbe found vnto you such as ye woulde not, and least there be strife, enuying, wrath, contentions, backebitings, whisperings, swellings and discord.

I feare least when I come againe, my God abase me among you, and I shall bewaile many of them which haue sinned already, and haue not repented of the vncleannesse, and fornication, and wantonnesse which they haue committed.

Lo this is the thirde time that I come vnto you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall euery worde stand

I tolde you before, and tell you before: as though I had bene present the seconde time, so write I nowe being absent to them which heretofore haue sinned and to all others, that if I come againe, I will not spare,

Seeing that ye seeke experience of Christ, that speaketh in mee, which towarde you is not weake, but is mightie in you.

For though hee was crucified concerning his infirmitie, yet liueth hee through the power of God. And wee no doubt are weake in him, but we shall liue with him, through the power of God towarde you.

Proue your selues whether ye are in the faith: examine your selues: knowe yee not your owne selues, howe that Iesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

But I trust that ye shall knowe that wee are not reprobates.

Nowe I pray vnto God that yee doe none euill, not that we should seeme approued, but that ye should doe that which is honest: though we be as reprobates.

For wee can not doe any thing against the trueth, but for the trueth.

For we are glad when wee are weake, and that ye are strong: this also we wish for, euen your perfection.

Therefore write I these thinges being absent, least when I am present, I should vse sharpenesse, according to the power which the Lord hath giuen mee, to edification, and not to destruction.

Finally brethren, fare ye well: be perfect: be of good comfort: be of one minde: liue in peace, and the God of loue and peace shalbe with you.

Greete one another with an holy kisse. All the Saintes salute you.