Monday, August 31, 2026

^12:10Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, and in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. ¹¹I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for I am in no way inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing. ¹²Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you in all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty works. ¹³For what is there in which you were made inferior to the rest of the assemblies, unless it is that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong! ¹⁴Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I seek not your possessions, but you. For the children ought not to save up for the parents, but the parents for the children. ¹⁵I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less? ¹⁶Even so, I myself didn’t burden you. But you might say that being crafty, I caught you with deception. ¹⁷Did I take advantage of you by anyone of those whom I have sent to you? ¹⁸I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Didn’t we walk in the same spirit? Didn’t we walk in the same steps? ¹⁹Again, do you think that we are excusing ourselves to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying.

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^4:10When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. ¹¹He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables, ¹²that ‘seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’” ¹³He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables? ¹⁴The farmer sows the word. ¹⁵The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. ¹⁶These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy. ¹⁷They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble. ¹⁸Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word, ¹⁹and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²⁰Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.” ²¹He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand? ²²For there is nothing hidden except that it should be made known, neither was anything made secret but that it should come to light. ²³If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.”

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