For we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning our affliction which befell us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

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

For our glorifying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

But as God is faithful, our word toward you is not yea and nay.

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

Not that we have lordship over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for in faith ye stand fast.

But I determined this for myself, that I would not come again to you with sorrow.

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be made sorry, but that ye might know the love that I have more abundantly unto you.

But if any hath caused sorrow, he hath caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I press not too heavily) to you all.

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

I had no relief for my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went forth into Macedonia.

For we are not as the many, corrupting the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in Christ.

Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? or need we, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or from you?

being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables that are hearts of flesh.

not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;

who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

But if the ministration of death, written, and engraven on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which glory was passing away:

how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory?

For verily that which hath been made glorious hath not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasseth.

and are not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look stedfastly on the end of that which was passing away:

but their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth, it not being revealed to them that it is done away in Christ.

Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not:

but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them .

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus'sake.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves;

we are pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair;

pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed;

Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.

while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.

if so be that being clothed we shall 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.

(for we walk by faith, not by sight);

We are not again commending ourselves unto you, but'speak as giving you occasion of glorying on our behalf, that ye may have wherewith to answer them that glory in appearance, and not in heart.

to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

And working together with him we entreat also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain

giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our ministration be not blamed;

as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own affections.

Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness?

I say it not to condemn you : for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die together and live together.

and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort wherewith he was comforted in you, while he told us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced yet 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),

I now rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto repentance; for ye were made sorry after a godly sort, that ye might suffer loss by us in nothing.

So although I wrote unto you, I wrote not for his cause that did the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered the wrong, but that your earnest care for us might be made manifest unto you in the sight of God.

For if in anything I have gloried to him on your behalf, I was not put to shame; but as we spake all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth.

and this , not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.

I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.

And herein I give my judgment: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to make a beginning a year ago, not only to do, but also to will.

For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according as a man hath, not according as he hath not.

For I say not this that others may be eased and ye distressed;

and not only so, but who was also appointed by the churches to travel with us in the matter of this grace, which is ministered by us to the glory of the Lord, and to show our readiness:

for we take thought for things honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

But I have sent the brethren, that our glorying on your behalf may not be made void in this respect; that, even as I said, ye may be prepared:

lest by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be put to shame in this confidence.

I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your aforepromised bounty, that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty, and not of extortion.

Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

For the ministration of this service not only filleth up the measure of the wants of the saints, but aboundeth also through many thanksgivings unto God;

yea, I beseech you, that I may not when present show courage with the confidence wherewith I count to be bold against some, who count of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh

(for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds),

For though I should glory somewhat abundantly concerning our authority (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down), I shall not be put to shame:

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

For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with certain of them that commend themselves: but they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

But we will not glory beyond our measure, but according to the measure of the province which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even unto you.

For we stretch not ourselves overmuch, as though we reached not unto you: for we came even as far as unto you in the gospel of Christ:

not glorying beyond our measure, that is, in other men's labors; but having hope that, as your faith groweth, we shall be magnified in you according to our province unto further abundance,

so as to preach the gospel even unto the parts beyond you, and not to glory in another's province in regard of things ready to our hand.

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

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with him .

For I reckon that I am not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

But though I be rude in speech, yet am I not in knowledge; nay, in every way have we made this manifest unto you in all things.

and when I was present with you and was in want, I was not a burden on any man; for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my want; and in everything I kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and'so will I keep myself .

Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.

That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying.

Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep;

Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not?

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for evermore knoweth that I lie not.

I must needs glory, though it is not expedient; but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

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

And I know such a man (whether in the body, or apart from the body, I know not; God knoweth),

how that he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

On behalf of such a one will I glory: but on mine own behalf I will not glory, save in my weaknesses.

For if I should desire to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I shall speak the truth: but I forbear, lest any man should account of me above that which he seeth me to be , or heareth from me.

And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch.

For what is there wherein ye were made inferior to the rest of the churches, except it be that I myself was not a burden to you? forgive me this wrong.

Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be a burden to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

But be it so, I did not myself burden you; but, being crafty, I caught you with guile.

I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?

For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would, and should myself be found of you such as ye would not; lest by any means there should be'strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults;

lest again when I come my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore, and repented not of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they committed.

I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, to them that have sinned heretofore, and to all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare;

seeing that ye seek a proof of Christ that speaketh in me; who to you-ward is not weak, but is powerful in you:

Try your own selves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your own selves. Or know ye not as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed ye be reprobate.

But I hope that ye shall know that we are not reprobate.

Now we pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do that which is honorable, though we be as reprobate.

For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not when present deal sharply, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for casting down.

seeing that through the proving of you by this ministration they glorify God for the obedience of your confession unto the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution unto them and unto all;