But what I am doing
also I will (continue to) do,
so that I may cut off the opportunity
of those who want an opportunity
that they might be found
– in what they boast about –
to be as we are.

For such are false apostles
deceitful workers
disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

And no wonder!
For Satan disguises himself
as an angel of light.

Therefore it is no great thing
if his servants also disguise themselves
as servants of righteousness.

(Their) end will be according to their works.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy,
For your mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen

Or did I ‘commit a sin’ humbling myself,
so that you might be exalted? –
because I preached the gospel of God, gratis?
I plundered other churches
taking support (from them)
for ministry to you,
and being with you,
and being in need
I was not a burden on anyone –
the brothers who came from Macedonia
supplied my needs,
and
in every way
I have kept and will keep myself
from being a burden to you.
As the truth of Christ is in me:
this boasting of mine will be not silenced
in the regions of Achaia.

Why? because I do not love you? God knows (I do).

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy,
For your mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen

I wish you to be patient with me in a little bit of foolishness,
indeed be patient with me!
For I am jealous with a jealousy (like) God’s
For I gave you in marriage to one husband-
to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
But I fear that
as the snake deceived Eve
with his cunning,
your minds may be lead astray
from a sincere and pure devotion
that is to Christ.

For if one come who preaches another Christ
whom we did not preach
or you receive another Spirit
which you had not received
or another gospel
which you had not accepted,
– you bear it well enough

For I reckon (myself)
in no way inferior
to those super apostles

So if (I am) an amateur in speaking
(I am) not in knowledge,
but in all ways
we have made that clear
in everything
to you.

O Lord Jesus Christ,
stay beside me to defend me,
within me to guide me,
before me to lead me,
and above me to bless me,
that with you and in you,
I may live, and move and have my being,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

(unknown)

Look at what is in front of you:
If anyone has confidence
in themselves
to be (especially) Christ’s
Let them reckon again
– For themselves, that
as they themselves are Christ’s
So also are we.

For even if I boast too much
About our authority
which the Lord gave
-For building up
-And not for your tearing down
I will not be ashamed.

I don’t want appear to frighten you
Through my letters
For on the one hand
(my) letters
– someone will say
Are weighty and strong
But on the other hand
– (my) bodily presence is weak
And (my) speech amounts to nothing.

Let such a person reckon this:
What we are in word in letters in absence
Such a person (we will be) in works, present.

Take from us,
O God, all pride and vanity,
all boasting and self-assertion,
and give us the true courage that shows itself in gentleness,
the true wisdom that shows itself in simplicity,
and the true power that shows itself in modesty.

Charles Kingsley

So I, Paul, myself, appeal to you
By the meekness and gentleness
Shown by Christ –
who ‘to your face’ is timid toward you
but when am away haughty toward you.

But I beg you

– me being present-
I may not have to act with bold confidence
By which
I may reckon
I may dare to act
upon certain people who reckon us
To be walking according to the flesh
For
In the flesh
(while) we are walking,
Not according to the flesh
are we waging war.

For the weapons of our warfare
are not of the flesh
but are powerful for God(‘s cause)
for the destruction of strongholds:
demolishing arguments
and every proud thing raised up against the knowledge of God
and taking every scheme captive
to obey Christ
and we stand ready to punish every disobedience
whenever your obedience is complete

O thou, who art the light of the minds that know thee,
the life of the souls that love thee,
and the strength of the wills that serve thee;
help us so to know thee that we may truly love thee;
so to love thee that we may fully serve thee,
whom to serve is perfect freedom.
Amen

Because the carrying out (ministry)
of this service
is not only supplying the needs
of the saints,
but also overflows
with many thanksgivings
to God.
Because of the evidence of this ministry
(people will ) glorify God
because of your obedient confession
of the gospel of Christ
and (your) generosity of the sharing
with them and with
all.
And as they pray for you
they will long for you
because of the surpassing grace of God on you.
Thanks (Grace) to God, for his indescribable gift.

Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.

A nd this –
the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly
and the one who sows generously will also reap generously.
Each person – as they have decided in their heart,
not from reluctance or from compulsion
for God loves a cheerful giver.¹
God can make all grace abound to you
so that always in every way
having everything necessary
you may abound in every good work.
As it is written:
He scattered, he gave to the needy
his righteousness remains for ever²

Now the one who supplies
the seed to the sower
and bread for food³
will also supply and increase your (store of) seed
and enlarge the harvest from your righteousness⁴
-in every way being enriched for all generosity
which produces
through us
thanksgiving to God.

1. Proverbs 28:8a ↩︎
2. Psalm 112:9 ↩︎
3. Isaiah 55:10 ↩︎
4. Hosea 10:12 ↩︎

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art –
Thou my best thought, by day or by night;
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

For about the ministry
to the saints
it is unnecessary for me to write to you all.
For I know your eagerness
(such that) I boast about you to the Macedonians
that Archaia has been ready
since last year
and your zeal has stirred up most of them
I have sent the brothers,
so that our boasting about you
might not prove to be empty
in this matter
so that just as I said
you would be ready
Lest somehow
– (any) Macedonians might come with me
and find you unprepared –
we would be put to shame
not to mention you
in that situation.
So I considered it necessary to urge the brothers
to go before (me) to you
and to prepare in advance your promised generous-gift
so that this (generous-gift) will be ready
as a gift
and not as a grudging obligation.

Be thou a bright flame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me
Be thou a smooth path below me
Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me
Today – tonight -forever
Amen.

St Columba

But thanks be (grace) to God
who gave the same earnestness
for you (as I have)
into Titus’s heart:
for he received our appeal
more earnestly
and he is coming
by his own choice
to you.
I have sent along with him the brother
whose praise
in respect of the gospel
(is) in all the churches
And not only (this)
but also (he has been) appointed
throughout all the churches
as our travelling companion
with this grace (gift)
which is administered by us
– for the glory of the Lord
– and (to show) our eagerness (to help)
We have put in this precaution
lest anyone find fault
in this generous amount
administered by us.
For we have in mind (what is) good (i.e. honest),
not only before the Lord
but also before people.
We have sent along with them
our brother
who we have tested
often in many situations
to be earnest
and now even more earnest
because of his great confidence in you.
As for Titus,
(he is) my partner and fellow worker with you,
as for
our brothers
(they are ) messengers of the churches,
(to the?) glory of Christ.
Therefore show them proof
of your love
and of our boasting about you
before the churches.

O Love, O God who created me, in your love recreate me.
O Love, who redeemed me,
fill up in me whatever part of your love
has fallen into neglect within me.
O Love, O God, who first loved me,
grant that with my whole heart,
and with my whole soul,
and with my whole strength,
I may love you.

Gertrude the Great