Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the purpose of God, and Timothy the brother, to the church of God which is in Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:

Who gives us comfort in all our troubles, so that we may be able to give comfort to others who are in trouble, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

But if we are troubled, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which takes effect through your quiet undergoing of the same troubles which we undergo:

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:

Even as you have been ready, in part, to say that we are your glory, in the same way that you are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

For he is the Yes to all the undertakings of God: and by him all the words of God are made certain and put into effect, to the glory of God through us.

Not that we have authority over your faith, but we are helpers of your joy: for it is faith which is your support.

So that Satan may not get the better of us: for we are not without knowledge of his designs.

For we are a sweet perfume of Christ to God in those who are getting salvation and in those who are going to destruction;

For we are not like the great number who make use of the word of God for profit: but our words are true, as from God, being said as before God in Christ.

You yourselves are our letter, whose writing is in our heart, open for every man's reading and knowledge;

For you are clearly a letter of Christ, the fruit of our work, recorded not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in stone, but in hearts of flesh.

And are not like Moses, who put a veil on his face, so that the children of Israel might not see clearly to the end of the present order of things:

But we all, with unveiled face giving back as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord who is the Spirit.

For this reason, because we have been made servants of this new order, through the mercy given to us, we are strong:

But if our good news is veiled, it is veiled from those who are on the way to destruction:

Troubles are round us on every side, but we are not shut in; things are hard for us, but we see a way out of them;

We are cruelly attacked, but not without hope; we are made low, but we are not without help;

For, while living, we are still being given up to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be seen in our flesh, though it is under the power of death.

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;

Because we are certain that he who made the Lord Jesus come back from the dead, will do the same for us, and will give us a place in his glory with you.

While our minds are not on the things which are seen, but on the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are for a time; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

For we are conscious that if this our tent of flesh is taken down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in heaven.

For in this we are crying in weariness, greatly desiring to be clothed with our house from heaven:

For truly, we who are in this tent do give out cries of weariness, for the weight of care which is on us; not because we are desiring to be free from the body, but so that we may have our new body, and death may be overcome by life.

So, then, we are ever without fear, and though conscious that while we are in the body we are away from the Lord,

(For we are walking by faith, not by seeing,)

We are without fear, desiring to be free from the body, and to be with the Lord.

We are not again requesting your approval, but we are giving you the chance of taking pride in us, so that you may be able to give an answer to those whose glory is in seeming, and not in the heart.

For if we are foolish, it is to God; or if we are serious, it is for you.

For it is the love of Christ which is moving us; because we are of the opinion that if one was put to death for all, then all have undergone death;

But all things are of God, who has made us at peace with himself through Christ, and has given to us the work of making peace;

So we are the representatives of Christ, as if God was making a request to you through us: we make our request to you, in the name of Christ, be at peace with God.

But in everything making it clear that we are the servants of God, in quiet strength, in troubles, in need, in sorrow,

It is not our feelings to you which are narrow, but yours to us.

And what agreement has the house of God with images? for we are a house of the living God; even as God has said, I will be living among them, and walking with them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.

It is not with the purpose of judging you that I say this: for I have said before that you are in our hearts for life and death together.

My words to you are without fear, I am full of pride on account of you: I have great comfort and joy in all our troubles.

For you see what care was produced in you by this very sorrow of yours before God, what clearing of yourselves, what wrath against sin, what fear, what desire, what serious purpose, what punishment. In everything you have made it clear that you are free from sin in this business.

And that as you are full of every good thing, of faith, of the word, of knowledge, of a ready mind, and of love to us, so you may be full of this grace in the same way.

Then make the doing of it complete; so that as you had a ready mind, you may give effect to it as you are able.

But so that things may be equal; that from those things of which you have more than enough at the present time their need may be helped, and that if you are in any need they may be a help to you in the same way, making things equal.

If any question comes up about Titus, he is my brother-worker, working with me for you; or about the others, they are the representatives of the churches to the glory of Christ.

Make clear then to them, as representatives of the churches, the quality of your love, and that the things which we have said about you are true.

For fear that, if any from Macedonia come with me, and you are not ready, we (not to say, you) might be put to shame in this thing.

For when, through this work of giving, they see what you are, they give glory to God for the way in which you have given yourselves to the good news of Christ, and for the wealth of your giving to them and to all;

For though we may be living in the flesh, we are not fighting after the way of the flesh

(For the arms with which we are fighting are not those of the flesh, but are strong before God for the destruction of high places);

Being ready to give punishment to whatever is against his authority, after you have made it clear that you are completely under his control.

Give attention to the things which are before you. If any man seems to himself to be Christ's, let him keep in mind that we are as much Christ's as he is.

For his letters, they say, have weight and are strong; but in body he is feeble, and his way of talking has little force.

Let those who say this keep in mind that, what we are in word by letters when we are away, so will we be in act when we are present.

For we will not make comparison of ourselves with some of those who say good things about themselves: but these, measuring themselves by themselves, and making comparison of themselves with themselves, are not wise.

For we have no need to make ourselves seem more than we are, as if our authority did not come as far as to you: for we came even as far as you with the good news of Christ:

So that we may be able to go on and take the good news to countries still farther away than you are, and not take credit for another man's work in making things ready to our hand.

For if anyone comes preaching another Jesus from the one whose preachers we are, or if you have got a different spirit, or a different sort of good news from those which came to you, how well you put up with these things.

But what I do, that I will go on doing, so that I may give no chance to those who are looking for one; so that, in the cause of their pride, they may be seen to be the same as we are.

For such men are false Apostles, workers of deceit, making themselves seem like Apostles of Christ.

Seeing that there are those who take credit to themselves after the flesh, I will do the same.

Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they of Israel? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking foolishly) I am more so; I have had more experience of hard work, of prisons, of blows more than measure, of death.

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise for ever, is witness that the things which I say are true.

It may seem to you that all this time we have been attempting to put ourselves in the right; but we are saying these things before God in Christ. For all things, dear brothers, are for your profit.

Seeing that you are looking for a sign of Christ giving out his word in me; who is not feeble in relation to you, but is strong in you:

For he was feeble in that he was put to death on the cross, but he is living by the power of God. And we are feeble in him, but we will be living with him through the power of God in relation to you.

Make a test of yourselves, if you are in the faith; make certain of yourselves. Or are you not conscious in yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you, if you are truly Christ's?

But it is my hope that you will have no doubt that we are truly Christ's.

Because we are able to do nothing against what is true, but only for it.

For we are glad when we are feeble and you are strong: and this is our prayer, even that you may be made complete.