Coming with Authority

13 This will be ^(A)the third time I am coming to you. ^(B)“By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” ^2 (C)I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent ^[a]I write to those ^(D)who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again ^(E)I will not spare— ³ since you seek a proof of Christ ^(F)speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty ^(G)in you. ^4 (H)For though He was crucified in weakness, yet ^(I)He lives by the power of God. For ^(J)we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

⁵ Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, ^(K)that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you ^[b]are ^(L)disqualified. ⁶ But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

Paul Prefers Gentleness

⁷ Now ^[c]I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though ^(M)we may seem disqualified. ⁸ For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. ⁹ For we are glad ^(N)when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, ^(O)that you may be made complete. ^10 (P)Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the ^(Q)authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.

Greetings and Benediction

¹¹ Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. ^(R)Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love ^(S)and peace will be with you.

^12 (T)Greet one another with a holy kiss.

¹³ All the saints greet you.

^14 (U)The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and ^(V)the ^[d]communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.