Books

2 Corinthians 11

Amplified Bible, 2015 (AMP)

Back to Bible

Switch Version:

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

¹ If a brother or sister is without [adequate] clothing and lacks [enough] food for each day,

² and one of you says to them, "Go in peace [with my blessing], [keep] warm and feed yourselves," but he does not give them the necessities for the body, what good does that do?

³ So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective].

⁴ But someone may say, "You [claim to] have faith and I have [good] works; show me your [alleged] faith without the works [if you can], and I will show you my faith by my works [that is, by what I do]."

⁵ You believe that[7] God is one; you do well [to believe that]. The demons also believe [that], and shudder and bristle [in awe-filled terror—they have seen His wrath]!

⁶ But are you willing to recognize, you foolish [spiritually shallow] person, that faith without [good] works is useless?

⁷ Was our father Abraham not [shown to be] justified by works [of obedience which expressed his faith] when he offered Isaac his son on the altar [as a sacrifice to God]?

⁸ You see that [his] faith was working together with his works, and as a result of the works, his faith was completed [reaching its maturity when he expressed his faith through obedience].

⁹ And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and this [faith] was credited to him [by God] as righteousness and as conformity to His will," and he was called the friend of God.

¹⁰ You see that a man (believer) is justified by works and not by faith alone [that is, by acts of obedience a born-again believer reveals his faith].

¹¹ In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works too, when she received the [Hebrew][8] spies as guests and protected them, and sent them away [to escape] by a different route?

¹² For just as the [human] body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works [of obedience] is also dead.

¹³ Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will[1] be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly].

¹⁴ For we all stumble and sin in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says [never saying the wrong thing], he is a perfect man [fully developed in character, without serious flaws], able to bridle his whole body and rein in his entire nature [taming his human faults and weaknesses].

¹⁵ Now if we put bits into the horses' mouths to make them obey us, we guide their whole body as well.

¹⁶ And look at the ships. Even though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the helmsman determines.

¹⁷ In the same sense, the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See [by comparison] how great a forest is set on fire by a small spark!

¹⁸ And the tongue is [in a sense] a fire, the very world of injustice and unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which contaminates the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life [the cycle of man's existence], and is itself set on fire by[2] hell (Gehenna).

¹⁹ For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.

²⁰ But no one can tame the human tongue; it is a restless evil [undisciplined, unstable], full of deadly poison.

²¹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God.

²² Out of the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. These things, my brothers, should not be this way [for we have a moral obligation to speak in a manner that reflects our fear of God and profound respect for His precepts].

²³ Does a spring send out from the same opening both[3] fresh and bitter water?

²⁴ Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce[4] fresh.

²⁵ Who among you is wise and intelligent? Let him by his good conduct show his [good] deeds with the gentleness and humility of true wisdom.

²⁶ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant, and [as a result] be in defiance of the truth.

²⁷ This [superficial] wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly (secular), natural (unspiritual), even demonic.

²⁸ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder [unrest, rebellion] and every evil thing and morally degrading practice.

²⁹ But the wisdom from above is first pure [morally and spiritually undefiled], then peace-loving [courteous, considerate], gentle, reasonable [and willing to listen], full of compassion and good fruits. It is unwavering, without [self-righteous] hypocrisy [and self-serving guile].

³⁰ And the seed whose fruit is righteousness (spiritual maturity) is sown in peace by those who make peace [by actively encouraging goodwill between individuals].

³¹ What leads to [the unending][1] quarrels and conflicts among you? Do they not come from your [hedonistic] desires that wage war in your [bodily] members [fighting for control over you]?

³² You are jealous and covet [what others have] and[2] your lust goes unfulfilled; so you[3] murder. You are envious and cannot obtain [the object of your envy]; so you fight and battle. You do not have because you do not ask [it of God].

³³ You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask[4] with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires.

#	AMP
1	If a brother or sister is without [adequate] clothing and lacks [enough] food for each day,
2	and one of you says to them, "Go in peace [with my blessing], [keep] warm and feed yourselves," but he does not give them the necessities for the body, what good does that do?
3	So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective].
4	But someone may say, "You [claim to] have faith and I have [good] works; show me your [alleged] faith without the works [if you can], and I will show you my faith by my works [that is, by what I do]."
5	You believe that[7] God is one; you do well [to believe that]. The demons also believe [that], and shudder and bristle [in awe-filled terror—they have seen His wrath]!
6	But are you willing to recognize, you foolish [spiritually shallow] person, that faith without [good] works is useless?
7	Was our father Abraham not [shown to be] justified by works [of obedience which expressed his faith] when he offered Isaac his son on the altar [as a sacrifice to God]?
8	You see that [his] faith was working together with his works, and as a result of the works, his faith was completed [reaching its maturity when he expressed his faith through obedience].
9	And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and this [faith] was credited to him [by God] as righteousness and as conformity to His will," and he was called the friend of God.
10	You see that a man (believer) is justified by works and not by faith alone [that is, by acts of obedience a born-again believer reveals his faith].
11	In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works too, when she received the [Hebrew][8] spies as guests and protected them, and sent them away [to escape] by a different route?
12	For just as the [human] body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works [of obedience] is also dead.
13	Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will[1] be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly].
14	For we all stumble and sin in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says [never saying the wrong thing], he is a perfect man [fully developed in character, without serious flaws], able to bridle his whole body and rein in his entire nature [taming his human faults and weaknesses].
15	Now if we put bits into the horses' mouths to make them obey us, we guide their whole body as well.
16	And look at the ships. Even though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the helmsman determines.
17	In the same sense, the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See [by comparison] how great a forest is set on fire by a small spark!
18	And the tongue is [in a sense] a fire, the very world of injustice and unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which contaminates the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life [the cycle of man's existence], and is itself set on fire by[2] hell (Gehenna).
19	For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.
20	But no one can tame the human tongue; it is a restless evil [undisciplined, unstable], full of deadly poison.
21	With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God.
22	Out of the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. These things, my brothers, should not be this way [for we have a moral obligation to speak in a manner that reflects our fear of God and profound respect for His precepts].
23	Does a spring send out from the same opening both[3] fresh and bitter water?
24	Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce[4] fresh.
25	Who among you is wise and intelligent? Let him by his good conduct show his [good] deeds with the gentleness and humility of true wisdom.
26	But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant, and [as a result] be in defiance of the truth.
27	This [superficial] wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly (secular), natural (unspiritual), even demonic.
28	For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder [unrest, rebellion] and every evil thing and morally degrading practice.
29	But the wisdom from above is first pure [morally and spiritually undefiled], then peace-loving [courteous, considerate], gentle, reasonable [and willing to listen], full of compassion and good fruits. It is unwavering, without [self-righteous] hypocrisy [and self-serving guile].
30	And the seed whose fruit is righteousness (spiritual maturity) is sown in peace by those who make peace [by actively encouraging goodwill between individuals].
31	What leads to [the unending][1] quarrels and conflicts among you? Do they not come from your [hedonistic] desires that wage war in your [bodily] members [fighting for control over you]?
32	You are jealous and covet [what others have] and[2] your lust goes unfulfilled; so you[3] murder. You are envious and cannot obtain [the object of your envy]; so you fight and battle. You do not have because you do not ask [it of God].
33	You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask[4] with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires.

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Holy Bible

2 Corinthians 11

Select Commentary