From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia.

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

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

He delivered us from so great a risk of death, and he will deliver us. We have set our hope on him that he will deliver us yet again,

For our reason for confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives and sincerity which are from God -- not by human wisdom but by the grace of God -- we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more toward you.

For we do not write you anything other than what you can read and also understand. But I hope that you will understand completely

And I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came I would not have sadness from those who ought to make me rejoice, since I am confident in you all that my joy would be yours.

But if anyone has caused sadness, he has not saddened me alone, but to some extent (not to exaggerate) he has saddened all of you as well.

so that now instead you should rather forgive and comfort him. This will keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive grief to the point of despair.

how much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be?

And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

We do so because we know that the one who raised up Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus and will bring us with you into his presence.

For all these things are for your sake, so that the grace that is including more and more people may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God.

For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison

if indeed, after we have put on our heavenly house, we will not be found naked.

For we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.

Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people, but we are well known to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too.

For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died.

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

And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet -- see! -- we continue to live; as those who are scourged and yet not executed;

And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, "I will live in them and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

Therefore "come out from their midst, and be separate," says the Lord, "and touch no unclean thing, and I will welcome you,

and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters," says the All-Powerful Lord.

I have great confidence in you; I take great pride on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in the midst of all our suffering.

For even when we came into Macedonia, our body had no rest at all, but we were troubled in every way -- struggles from the outside, fears from within.

Therefore we have been encouraged. And in addition to our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus, because all of you have refreshed his spirit.

For if I have boasted to him about anything concerning you, I have not been embarrassed by you, but just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus about you has proved true as well.

And his affection for you is much greater when he remembers the obedience of you all, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.

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

But as you excel in everything -- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you -- make sure that you excel in this act of kindness too.

At the present time, your abundance will meet their need, so that one day their abundance may also meet your need, and thus there may be equality,

And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in spreading the gospel.

My point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.

And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work.

Now God who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow.

You will be enriched in every way so that you may be generous on every occasion, which is producing through us thanksgiving to God,

Through the evidence of this service they will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession in the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your sharing with them and with everyone.

now I ask that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence that (I expect) I will dare to use against some who consider us to be behaving according to human standards.

For if I boast somewhat more about our authority that the Lord gave us for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of doing so.

But we will not boast beyond certain limits, but will confine our boasting according to the limits of the work to which God has appointed us, that reaches even as far as you.

For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus different from the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough!

For I consider myself not at all inferior to those "super-apostles."

When I was with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.

As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals in the things they boast about.

Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.

Since many are boasting according to human standards, I too will boast.

Apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxious concern for all the churches.