PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy my brother, to the church of God which is in Corinth, with all the saints that are in all Achaia:

May grace and peace be granted to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Father of compassionate feelings and the God of all comfort, be praised.

Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

For as the sufferings of Christ are abundant in my case, so my comfort is also abundant through Christ.

Hence my hope for you is well-founded, since I know that as you share the sufferings you share the comfort also.

For it is our desire that you may not be without knowledge of our trouble which came on us in Asia, that the weight of it was very great, more than our power, so that it seemed that we had no hope even of life:

but we ourselves in ourselves the sentence of the death have had, that we may not be trusting on ourselves, but on God, who is raising the dead,

he rescued me from so terrible a death, he rescues still, and I rely upon him for the hope that he will continue to rescue me.

Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

My proud boast is the testimony of my conscience that holiness and godly sincerity, not worldly cunning but the grace of God, have marked my conduct in the outside world and in particular my relations with you.

For in our letters we say no other things to you, but those which you are reading, and to which you give agreement, and, it is my hope, will go on doing so to the end:

as you have partly understood the meaning of my life, namely that I am your source of pride (as you are mine) on the Day of our Lord Jesus.

And with this confidence, I was wanting to come to you previously, in order that you may have a second proof of my goodwill,

And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judaea.

When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay?

By the good faith of God, my word to you was not 'yes and no';

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.

For [no matter] how many promises God has made, in Christ [the answer] is "yes" [i.e., Christ has fulfilled all of God's promises to mankind]. Also, through Christ, the "amen" [Note: This word is always translated elsewhere as "May it be so"] can be said by us in order to honor God.

And it is God who confirms me along with you in Christ, who consecrated me,

who stamped me with his seal and gave me the Spirit as a pledge in my heart.

Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.

But I made up my mind not to grieve you with another painful visit.

For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?

And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

For out of much tribulation and distress of heart I wrote to you, with many tears; not that ye may be grieved, but that ye may know the love which I have very abundantly towards you.

But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.

so that, on the contrary, it is rather for you to forgive and to comfort, lest by over abundant sorrow such a one may be swallowed up;

For which cause my desire is that you will make your love to him clear by your acts.

For this was my purpose in writing, to see if you would stand the test, whether you are obedient and committed to following my instruction in all things.

Now whomever you forgive [for doing] anything [wrong], I will forgive also. For indeed, whatever I have forgiven, if I have [actually] forgiven anything, has been for your sakes in the sight of Christ. [Note: Paul seems to be saying "Since my forgiveness depends on your forgiveness of the man, I am not sure of my forgiveness because I am not sure of yours"].

that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,

I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.

Wherever I go, thank God, he makes my life a constant pageant of triumph in Christ, diffusing the perfume of his knowledge everywhere by me.

for God is pleased to accept my christian labours, in favour both of those who are in a saving, and of those who are in a ruinous state:

by the one my preaching is taken as a deadly poison, to the other it is a reviving potion. and who is so sufficient for such a commission?

Do I begin again to commend my self? or need I, as some others, commendatory letters to you, or from you?

Why, you are my certificate yourselves, written on my heart, recognized and read by all men;

You show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by me, written not in ink, but in the Spirit of the living God, and not on tablets of stone, but on the human heart.

Such is the confidence I possess through Christ in my service of God.

It is not that I am personally qualified to form any judgment by myself; my qualifications come from God,

and he has further qualified me to be the minister of a new covenant ??a covenant not of written law but of spirit; for the written law kills but the Spirit makes alive.

Such being my hope then, I am quite frank and open ??13 not like Moses, who used to hang a veil over his face to keep the children of Israel from gazing at the last rays of a fading glory.

and whenever they may turn unto the Lord, the vail is taken away.

Hence, as I hold this ministry by God's mercy to me, I never lose heart in it;

I have renounced the hidden things of shame, not spending my life in craftiness, nor adulterating the word of God; but setting forth the truth openly, I strive to commend myself to every man's conscience as in the sight of God.

Even if my gospel is veiled, it is only veiled in the case of the perishing;

In whom, the god of this age, hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, to the end they may not discern the radiance e of the glad-message of the glory of the Christ - who is the image of God.

For God, who said [Gen. 1:3], "Light will shine out of darkness," has [also] shone in our hearts to provide [us with] the light of the knowledge of God's splendor [as it shines] on the face of Christ. [Note: This allusion to "splendor shining on Christ's face" may be a continuation of the analogy used in 3:13].

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed ??10 wherever I go, I am being killed in the body as Jesus was, so that the life of Jesus may come out in my body:

always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body.

For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus'sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

So physical death is [actively] at work in us, but [spiritual] life [is actively at work] in you.

But having the same spirit of faith, as it is said in the Writings, The words of my mouth came from the faith in my heart; in the same way, our words are the outcome of our faith;

sure that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise me too with Jesus and set me at your side in his presence.

For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound unto the glory of God.

Hence I never lose heart; though my outward man decays, my inner man is renewed day after day.

For this slight, momentary trouble is piling up for me an eternal blessedness beyond all comparison,

because I keep my eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen. For what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.

For we have known that if our earthly house of the tabernacle may be thrown down, a building from God we have, an house not made with hands -- age-during -- in the heavens,

It makes me sigh indeed, this yearning to be under the cover of my heavenly habitation,

so that by putting it on we will not be found naked.

For indeed we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not for that we would be unclothed, but that we would be clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up of life.

I am prepared for this change by God, who has given me the Spirit as its pledge and instalment.

Come what may, then, I am confident; I know that while I reside in the body I am away from the Lord

(for I have to lead my life in faith, without seeing him):

Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Having in mind, then, the fear of the Lord, we put these things before men, but God sees our hearts; and it is my hope that we may seem right in your eyes.

For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.

For if I was out of my senses, as they say, it was between God and me; and if I am in my right mind, it is for your good.

For Christ's love for us motivates us, because we have concluded that, [since] one person [i.e., Christ] died for all people, so then all people have died. [Note: This may mean simply that Christ died for all people, who were dead in their sins].

and for all he died, that those living, no more to themselves may live, but to him who died for them, and was raised again.

It is all the doing of the God who has reconciled me to himself through Christ and has permitted me to be a minister of his reconciliation.

For in Christ God reconciled the world to himself instead of counting men's trespasses against them; and he entrusted me with the message of his reconciliation.

So I am an envoy for Christ, God appealing by me, as it were ??be reconciled to God, I entreat you on behalf of Christ.

for him who did not know sin, in our behalf He did make sin, that we may become the righteousness of God in him.

And being also co-laborers we exhort you not to receive the grace of God in vain,??2 for he says, In an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation I helped you; behold, now is an acceptable time, behold, now is a day of salvation,??3 giving no offense in any thing, that the ministry may not be blamed,

for God said [Isa. 49:8], "I listened to you at the right time [i.e., when you needed my favor], and I helped you on the day of your salvation." Look, now is the right time [to accept God's favor]; now is the day of salvation.

in nothing giving any cause of offence, that the ministration may be not blamed,

On the contrary, as a servant of God I try in every way to commend myself to them, through my great endurance in troubles, difficulties, hardships,

through my purity of life, my knowledge, my patience, my kindness, my holiness of spirit, my genuine love,

the truth of my teaching, and the power of God; with the weapons of uprightness for the right hand and the left,

O Corinthians, I am keeping nothing back from you; my heart is wide open for you.

Ye have not a narrow place in my heart, but ye have a narrow place for me in yours.

Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Having, then, these promises, beloved, may we cleanse ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God;

Make a place for me in your hearts; I have wronged no one, ruined no one, taken advantage of no one.

Unto condemnation, I am not saying this , for I have before said - In our hearts, are ye, to the end we may die together and live together.

Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

For I got no relief from the strain of things, even when I reached Macedonia; it was trouble at every turn, wrangling all round me, fears in my own mind.

But the God who comforts the dejected comforted me by the arrival of Titus.

And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.

For though I made you sorry with my epistle, I do not regret it: though I did regret it (for I see that that epistle made you sorry, though but for a season),

now I rejoice, not because you grieved, but because you grieved unto repentance: for you grieved toward God, in order that you may receive damage by us in nothing.

For your pain came from God, and so you took no harm from me. For the pain which is from God works repentance leading to salvation, a repentance never to be regretted. But the world's pain works death.