In fact, we felt that we had received a death sentence so we would not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

For this is what we boast about: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world with pure motives and godly sincerity, without earthly wisdom but with God's grace especially toward you.

For God's Son, Jesus the Messiah, who was preached among you by us by me, Silvanus, and Timothy was not "Yes" and "No." But with him it is always "Yes."

It is not that we are trying to rule over your faith, but rather to work with you for your joy, because you have been standing firm in the faith.

After all, if I were to grieve you, who should make me happy but the person I am making sad?

I wrote to you out of great sorrow and anguish of heart along with many tears not to make you sad but to let you know how much love I have for you.

But if anyone has caused grief, he didn't cause me any grief. To some extent I don't want to emphasize this too much it has affected all of you.

but my spirit could not find any relief, because I couldn't find Titus, my brother. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

But thanks be to God! He always leads us triumphantly by the Messiah and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of knowing him.

You are demonstrating that you are the Messiah's letter, produced by our service, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

who has also qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, which is not written but spiritual, because the written text brings death, but the Spirit gives life.

But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

For we do not preach ourselves, but rather Jesus the Messiah as Lord, and ourselves as merely your servants for Jesus' sake.

But we have this treasure in clay jars to show that its extraordinary power comes from God and not from us.

In every way we're troubled but not crushed, frustrated but not in despair,

persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.

And so death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

because we do not look for things that can be seen but for things that cannot be seen. For things that can be seen are temporary, but things that cannot be seen are eternal.

For in this one we sigh, since we long to put on our heavenly dwelling.

Of course, if we do put it on, we will not be found without a body.

So while we are still in this tent, we sigh under our burdens, because we do not want to put it off but to put it on, so that our dying bodies may be swallowed up by life.

We are not recommending ourselves to you again but are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so that you can answer those who are proud of outward things rather than inward character.

He died for all people, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for the one who died and rose for them.

We do not put an obstacle in anyone's way. Otherwise, fault may be found with our ministry.

We have not cut you off, but you have cut off your own feelings toward us.

and not only by his arrival but also by the comfort he had received from you. He told us about your longing for me, your sorrow, and your eagerness to take my side, and this made me even happier.

Now I am happy, not because you had such sorrow, but because your sorrow led you to repent. For you were sorry in a godly way, and so you were not hurt by us in any way.

For having sorrow in a godly way results in repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regrets. But the sorrow of the world produces death.

I am not commanding you but testing the genuineness of your love by the enthusiasm of others.

I am giving you my opinion on this matter because it will be helpful to you. Last year you were not only willing to do something, but had already started to do it.

But thanks be to God, who placed in the heart of Titus the same dedication to you that I have.

We intend to do what is right, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of people.

Now I myself, Paul, plead with you with the gentleness and kindness of the Messiah I who am humble when I am face to face with you but forceful toward you when I am away!

Of course, we are living in the world, but we do not wage war in a world-like way.

For someone is saying, "His letters are impressive and forceful, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible."

We would not dare put ourselves in the same class with, or compare ourselves to, those who recommend themselves. Whenever they measure themselves by their own standards or compare themselves among themselves, they show how foolish they are.

It is not the person who commends himself who is approved, but the person whom the Lord commends.

But I will go on doing what I'm doing in order to deny an opportunity to those people who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in the work they are boasting about.

I will say it again: No one should think that I am a fool. But if you do, then treat me like a fool so that I can also boast a little.

When I talk as a confident boaster, I am not talking with the Lord's authority but like a fool.

I am ashamed to admit it, but we have been too weak for that. Whatever anyone else dares to claim I am talking like a fool I can claim it, too.

Are they the Messiah's servants? I am insane to talk like this, but I am a far better one! I have been involved in far greater efforts, far more imprisonments, countless beatings, and have faced death more than once.

In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas put guards around the city of Damascus to catch me,

but I was let down in a basket through an opening in the wall and escaped from him.

I know a man who belongs to the Messiah. Fourteen years ago whether in his body or outside of his body, I do not know, but God knows that man was snatched away to the third heaven.

I know that this man whether in his body or outside of his body, I do not know, but God knows

I will boast about this man, but as for myself I will boast only about my weaknesses.

However, if I did want to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I am not going to do it in order to keep anyone from thinking more of me than what he sees and hears about me.

but he has told me, "My grace is all you need, because my power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most happily boast about my weaknesses, so that the Messiah's power may rest on me.

Now I'm ready to visit you for a third time, and I will not bother you for help. I do not want your things, but rather you yourselves. Children should not have to support their parents, but parents their children.

since you want proof that the Messiah is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you but is making his power felt among you.

Though he was crucified in weakness, he lives by God's power. We are weak with him, but by God's power we will live for you.

We pray to God that you will not do anything wrong not to show that we have not failed the test, but so that you may do what is right, even if we seem to have failed.

For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.