For we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning our affliction which befel us in Asia, that we were exceedingly pressed above our strength, so that we despaired even of life:

but we had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we might not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead:

For this is our rejoicing, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and pious sincerity, not with carnal wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and especially towards you.

But the faithful God, He knows, that our word to you was not yes and no.

For Jesus Christ the Son of God, who was preached among you by us, even by me, and Silvanus, and Timothy, was not yea and nay,

But I call God to witness on my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth:

not that we are lords over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

But I determined with myself, not to come to you again in grief:

And I wrote this to you, that when I come I may not have grief from those of whom I ought to receive joy, being persuaded concerning all of you, that my joy is the joy of you all.

For through much affliction and distress of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not that ye might be grieved, but that ye might know the love with which I abound towards you.

And if any one hath caused grief, it hath grieved me only as to part of you, (that I may not overcharge you

And to whom ye forgive any thing, I also forgive it: for if I have forgiven any thing, I forgave it him, to whom I did forgive it, for your sakes, in the person of Christ; that we might not be foiled by Satan:

for we are not ignorant of his devices.

yet I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother there; but taking my leave of them, I went away into Macedonia.

For we are not like many who adulterate the word of God: but as with sincerity, but as from God, and in the sight of God, we speak concerning Christ.

Do we begin again to recommend ourselves? or do we need, as some do, recommendatory epistles to you, or letters of recommendation from you?

being manifest that ye are the epistle of Christ, through our ministration, written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God; not on tables of stone, but on tables of the heart of flesh.

not that we can of ourselves reckon upon any thing as from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.

Who hath also fitted us to be ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.

Now if the ministration of death which was in writing, and engraven on stones, was so glorious that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly on the face of Moses, because of the lustre of his countenance, which was to be taken away:

shall not the ministration of the Spirit be more glorious?

since what was then made glorious was not in comparison glorious, because of the glory that surpasseth it.

and do not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face, intimating that the children of Israel could not look to the end of that which was to be abolished; but their minds were blinded:

Therefore having received this ministry, as we have obtained mercy, we are not disheartened:

but have rejected shameful disguises, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth, recommending ourselves to every man's conscience, in the sight of God.

among whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, doth not shine unto them:

for we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for the sake of Jesus.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power might be evidently of God, and not of us:

being afflicted on every side, but not oppressed; perplexed, but not in despair;

persecuted, but not forsaken;

cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be manifested in our body.

For which cause we are not disheartened: but though our outward man decayeth, yet the inward man is renewed daily.

For our short and light affliction is working out for us an infinite and eternal weight of glory, as we aim not at the things which are visible, but invisible:

For we know that if our earthly house, which is but as a tent, were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

yet we shall not be found naked.

For we who are in this tabernacle do groan, being burthened; wherefore we desire, not to be wholly unclothed, but to put on immortality, that the mortal part may be swallowed up in life.

(for we walk by faith, not by sight,) we are confident, I say,

Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men: but if not, we are manifest unto God, and I hope we are also manifested to your consciences:

for we are not again recommending ourselves to you, but giving you an occasion of glorying on our account; that ye may have somewhat to answer those who glory in appearance, and not in heart.

to declare, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing to them their trespasses, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

And we co-operating with Him do also exhort you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain:

We give no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:

as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, but not put to death;

ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.

Be not unsuitably connected with infidels: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? or what communion hath light with darkness?

I speak not this to condemn you: for I said before that ye are so much in our hearts that we could live and die with you.

and not only by his coming, but especially by the consolation wherewith he was comforted on your account, acquainting us with your earnest desire towards us, your grief, and your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced greatly.

For though I grieved you by my letter, I do not repent, though I did repent; for I perceive that that epistle grieved you, though it was but for a little while.

However, now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance; for ye were grieved after a godly manner, so that ye received no damage from us.

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Wherefore if I wrote in such a manner to you, it was not merely on his account who had done the wrong, nor for his sake who had been injured; but that our care for you in the sight of God might be manifested among you.

and because if I boasted of any thing to him concerning you, I was not ashamed; but as we have spoken all things to you in truth, so likewise our boasting of you to Titus was truth.

And this they did not merely as we hoped, but first gave themselves unto the Lord, and to us by the will of God.

I speak not by way of command, but to prove the sincerity of your love also, by means of the forwardness of others.

And herein I give my opinion: for this is to your advantage, who not only began to act, but also to be forward to it above a year ago.

For if there be first a willing mind, any me is accepted according to what he hath, not according to what he hath not.

For I do not mean that others should have relief, and you be burdened:

but by an equality, that your abundance may at this time be a supply to their want; and their abundance may be the like to your want, if need be: that there may be an equality:

for he not only complied with the exhortation, but being more forward he went to you of his own accord.

(and not only so, but he was also chosen by the churches to accompany us with this grace, which is administered by us for the glory of the same Lord, and to shew your readiness of mind:)

looking to things that are right not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

And we have sent with them another brother of ours, whom we have often proved diligent in many things, and now I doubt not much more on account of his great confidence in you.

But I have sent the brethren, that our boasting of you might not become vain in this respect, but that ye might be ready, as I had said:

least if the Macedonians should come with me, and find you unprepared, we should be ashamed (not to say you also) in this confident boasting.

Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go first to you, and before our coming to collect your bounty beforementioned, that it may be ready, as of munificence, and not of force.

Let every one give as he chuses in his own heart; not with reluctance, or constraint: for God loveth a chearful giver.

For the ministration of this service not only supplieth the wants of the saints, but aboundeth also, through many thanksgivings, to the glory of God.

but being absent am bold towards you, yea I intreat you, that I may not be bold, when I am present, with that confidence, wherewith I think to proceed against some, who censure us as walking after the flesh.

For though we are in the flesh, we do not carry on our war according to the flesh:

(for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the demolishing of bulwarks:)

For though I should boast yet more of our authority, (which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction) I should not be ashamed:

that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters;

For we presume not to number, or compare ourselves with some who recommend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are void of understanding.

But we will not glory of things beyond our bounds, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath given to us, a measure to come even unto you.

For we do not stretch ourselves beyond measure, as though we were not commissioned to come unto you; for we have reached even to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ.

Not boasting of things beyond our limits in other men's labors; but having hope that, when your faith is increased, we shall be abundantly enlarged by you according to our line,

to preach the gospel in places beyond you; and not to boast in another's province of things ready prepared for us.

For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but he whom the Lord commendeth.

For if he, that cometh to you, preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached; or if ye receive another Spirit which ye have not received, or another gospel which ye have not embraced, ye might indeed bear with him.

For I think I was not inferior to the very chiefest apostles: and if I am unskilled in speech,

yet not in knowledge ---but we have been fully manifested among you in all things.

As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast shall not be taken from me in the regions of Achaia.

Wherefore? because I love you not?

What I speak I speak not as from the Lord, but as in weakness, in this confidence of boasting.

Thrice I have been beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I have been shipwrecked, and was a night and a day on the deep:

Who is infirm, and I am not infirm also? who is offended, and I am not inflamed?

And the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I lye not.

To boast indeed does not become me: but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not, God knoweth) such a one caught up to the third heaven.

I know not, God knoweth) that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unutterable words, which it is not permitted unto man to speak.

Of such a one I will boast; but of myself I will not boast, unless in my infirmities.

For though I should incline to boast, I shall not be a fool; for I should speak truth. But I forbear least any one should think of me above what he seeth me to be, or heareth from me.

For what is it that ye were inferior in to the rest of the churches, unless it be that I myself was not burdensome to you?--- Forgive me this injury.

Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not your substance, but your selves. For children are not expected to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

Be it so, that I did not burden you myself, yet, may some say, being crafty I over-reached you by subtilty.

I desired Titus to come to you, and with him I sent a brother: did Titus make a gain of you? did we not walk in the same spirit? did we not tread in the same steps?

For I am afraid least when I come, I should not find you such as I could wish, and I should be found to you such as ye would not: least there should be contentions, emulations, animosities, strifes, thwartings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: and least,

when I come again, my God should humble me among you, and I should be grieved for many of those who have sinned heretofore, and have not repented of the impurity, and fornication, and lewdness which they have practised.

I said before, and I again tell you beforehand, as if I were present the second time; and being absent I now write to those who have sinned heretofore, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare:

since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but is powerful among you.