And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

When I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or do I make my plans in a fleshly manner so that in the same breath I say, "Yes, Yes" and "No, No"?

But as surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No.

For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by usby me and Silvanus and Timothywas not Yes and No, but in him it has always been Yes.

Now it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us;

For I wrote you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.

in order that Satan might gain no advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

Now when I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord,

I still had no rest in my mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took my leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

who has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was,

For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Now he who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

Therefore we are always of good courage; and we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a fleshly point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a fleshly point of view, we regard him thus no longer.

Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

For he says, "At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation." Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.

Now in a fair exchangeI speak as to my childrenopen wide your hearts also.

Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.

Make room for us in your hearts; we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one.

For even when we came into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turnconflicts on the outside and fears within.

now I rejoice, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance; for you became sorrowful as God intended, so that you suffered no loss through us.

For godly sorrow produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly sorrow produces death.

Now, brethren, we want you to know about the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia,

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich.

And in this matter I give my advice: it is best for you now to complete what a year ago you began not only to do but to desire.

Now finish the work, so that your readiness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

As it is written, "He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack."

We intend that no one should blame us about this liberal gift which we are administering,

And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many matters, but who is now more diligent than ever because of his great confidence in you.

Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the offering for the saints,

for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up most of them.

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will multiply the harvest of your righteousness.

For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is weak, and his speech of no account."

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

I repeat, let no one think me foolish; but even if you do, receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows.

And I know that this manwhether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows

Though if I should boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.

I warned those who sinned in the past and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present the second time, that if I come again I will not spare them

Now we pray to God that you may not do wrong, not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, even though we may seem to have failed.