2 Corinthians 11:12

11:12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals ¹  in the things they boast about.

2 Corinthians 11:21-23

11:21 (To my disgrace ²  I must say that we were too weak for that!) ³  But whatever anyone else dares to boast about ⁴  (I am speaking foolishly), I also dare to boast about the same thing. ⁵  11:22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 11:23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so: with much greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with more severe beatings, facing death many times.

2 Corinthians 10:12-18

Paul’s Mission

10:12 For we would not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. ⁶  10:13 But we will not boast beyond certain limits, ⁷  but will confine our boasting ⁸  according to the limits of the work to which God has appointed us, ⁹  that reaches even as far as you. 10:14 For we were not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach as far as you, because we were the first to reach as far as you with the gospel about Christ. ¹⁰  10:15 Nor do we boast beyond certain limits ¹¹  in the work ¹²  done by others, but we hope ¹³  that as your faith continues to grow, our work may be greatly expanded ¹⁴  among you according to our limits, ¹⁵  10:16 so that we may preach the gospel in the regions that lie beyond you, and not boast of work already done in another person’s area. 10:17 But the one who boasts must boast in the Lord. ¹⁶  10:18 For it is not the person who commends himself who is approved, but the person the Lord commends.

Jeremiah 9:23-24

9:23 ¹⁷ The Lord says,

“Wise people should not boast that they are wise.

Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. ¹⁸ 

Rich people should not boast that they are rich. ¹⁹ 

9:24 If people want to boast, they should boast about this:

They should boast that they understand and know me.

They should boast that they know and understand

that I, the Lord, act out of faithfulness, fairness, and justice in the earth

and that I desire people to do these things,” ²⁰ 

says the Lord.

Jeremiah 9:1

9:1 (8:23) ²¹  I wish that my head were a well full of water ²² 

and my eyes were a fountain full of tears!

If they were, I could cry day and night

for those of my dear people ²³  who have been killed.

Colossians 4:10

4:10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him).

Colossians 4:1

4:1 Masters, treat your slaves with justice and fairness, because you know that you also have a master in heaven.

Colossians 1:24

1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my physical body – for the sake of his body, the church – what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ.

[11:12]  ¹ tn Grk “an opportunity, so that they may be found just like us.”

[11:21]  ² tn Or “my shame.”

[11:21]  ³ sn It seems best, in context, to see the statement we were too weak for that as a parenthetical and ironic comment by Paul on his physical condition (weakness or sickness) while he was with the Corinthians (cf. 2 Cor 12:7-10; Gal 4:15).

[11:21]  ⁴ tn The words “to boast about” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, and this phrase serves as the direct object of the preceding verb.

[11:21]  ⁵ tn Grk “I also dare”; the words “to boast about the same thing” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, and this phrase serves as the direct object of the preceding verb.

[10:12]  ⁶ tn Or “they are unintelligent.”

[10:13]  ⁷ tn Or “boast excessively.” The phrase εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα (ei" ta ametra) is an idiom; literally it means “into that which is not measured,” that is, a point on a scale that goes beyond what might be expected (L&N 78.27).

[10:13]  ⁸ tn The words “will confine our boasting” are not in the Greek text, but the reference to boasting must be repeated from the previous clause to clarify for the modern reader what is being limited.

[10:13]  ⁹ tn Grk “according to the measure of the rule which God has apportioned to us as a measure”; for the translation used in the text see L&N 37.100.

[10:14]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “with the gospel of Christ,” but since Χριστοῦ (Cristou) is clearly an objective genitive here, it is better to translate “with the gospel about Christ.”

[10:15]  ¹¹ tn Or “boast excessively.” The phrase εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα (ei" ta ametra) is an idiom; literally it means “into that which is not measured,” that is, a point on a scale that goes beyond what might be expected (L&N 78.27).

[10:15]  ¹² tn Or “in the labors.”

[10:15]  ¹³ tn Grk “but we have the hope.”

[10:15]  ¹⁴ tn Or “greatly enlarged.”

[10:15]  ¹⁵ tn That is, Paul’s work might be greatly expanded within the area of activity assigned to him by God.

[10:17]  ¹⁶ tn The traditional translation (“let the one who boasts boast in the Lord”) can be understood as merely permissive by the English reader, but the Greek verb καυχάσθω (kaucasqw) is a third person imperative.

[9:23]  ¹⁷ sn It is not always clear why verses were placed in their present position in the editorial process of collecting Jeremiah’s sermons and the words the Lord spoke to him (see Jer 36:4, 32 for reference to two of these collections). Here it is probable that vv. 23-26 were added as a further answer to the question raised in v. 12.

[9:23]  ¹⁸ tn Or “Strong people should not brag that they are strong.”

[9:23]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “…in their wisdom…in their power…in their riches.”

[9:24]  ²⁰ tn Or “fairness and justice, because these things give me pleasure.” Verse 24 reads in Hebrew, “But let the one who brags brag in this: understanding and knowing me that I, the Lord, do faithfulness, justice, and righteousness in the earth for/that I delight in these.” It is uncertain whether the Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) before the clause “I delight in these things” is parallel to the כִּי introducing the clause “that I, the Lord, act…” or causal giving the grounds for the Lord acting the way he does. In the light of the contrasts in the passage and the emphasis that Jeremiah has placed on obedience to the covenant and ethical conduct in conjunction with real allegiance to the Lord not mere lip service, it is probable that the clauses are parallel. For the use of כִּי to introduce clauses of further definition after a direct object as here see GKC 365 §117.h and see BDB 393 s.v. יָדַע Qal.1.a. For parallels to the idea of Yahweh requiring these characteristics in people see Hos 6:6, Mic 6:8.

[9:1]  ²¹ sn Beginning with 9:1, the verse numbers through 9:26 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 9:1 ET = 8:23 HT, 9:2 ET = 9:1 HT, 9:3 ET = 9:2 HT, etc., through 9:26 ET = 9:25 HT. Beginning with 10:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.

[9:1]  ²² tn Heb “I wish that my head were water.”

[9:1]  ²³ tn Heb “daughter of my people.” For the translation given here see 4:11 and the note on the phrase “dear people” there.