Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the divine appointment, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God, which is at Corinth, with all the christians throughout Achaia: favour,

and peace be to you from God our father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God, and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies, and the God of all consolation:

who comforteth me in all my tribulations, that I may be able to comfort them who are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith I myself am comforted of God.

but whether I am afflicted, it is for your consolation and relief, which is effected by your perseverance, patiently enduring the same sufferings which I also undergo: or whether I am comforted, it is for your consolation and relief.

being assisted by your prayers for me, so that thanks may be returned by many, for the gracious deliverance procur'd me by their prayers.

for this is to me matter of glorying, the testimony of my conscience, that without artifice, and with religious sincerity, not by worldly wisdom, but by God's favourable assistance I have behaved my self towards all men, but more particularly to you.

In reality, we writ nothing to you, but what you may perceive by the reading, and I trust you ever will perceive.

as some of you have already own'd, that I am matter of joy to you, as you will be to me in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ:

not to call upon you as I pass into Macedonia, but in my return from thence, to be conducted by you toward Judea.

for all the promises of God do center in him, and are verifyed by him to the glory of God by our preaching.

not that I would arbitrarily prescribe what you should believe, but rather encourage you to go on: for 'tis by faith you have stood.

But I purposed in my self, I would not be the occasion of any uneasiness to you when I come again.

the punishment, which was inflicted by the community, is sufficient on this occasion.

so that now you ought rather to forgive, and comfort him, for fear he should be overwhelm'd by an excess of sorrow.

When an opportunity was given me by the Lord to preach the gospel of Christ, upon my arrival at Troas,

but thanks be to God, who maketh me triumph, thro' Christ, and spreads his healing doctrine by me, in eevery place:

by the one my preaching is taken as a deadly poison, to the other it is a reviving potion. and who is so sufficient for such a commission?

you are my epistle, your conversion being writ in. my heart, known and read by all men:

which shows you to be the epistle of Christ, written by my ministration, not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God; not on tables of stone, but on living tables of the heart.

It is by Christ that I have this confidence in God.

not that I am sufficient of myself to effect any thing by the strength of my own reason: but my sufficiency is from God.

who also hath enabled me to be a minister of the new covenant, not of the literal sense, but of the spiritual meaning: it is the letter that denounces death, but the spirit gives life.

shall not the ministration of the spirit be more glorious?

for if the ministration of condemnation was illustrious, the ministration of righteousness will be much more glorious.

if that which was only temporary was glorious, much more shall that which is permanent be glorious.

besides, their minds were greatly prejudiced: for that very veil would still have obstructed the understanding of the old testament, unless it had been taken away by Christ.

but when their mind shall turn to the Lord, that veil too shall be taken away.

Therefore, having by the divine favour such a ministry, I exert myself:

renouncing all secret dishonesty, and void of all artifice, I deliver the word of God unadulterated, and recommend my self by urging the truth home to every man's conscience, as in the presence of God.

but if our gospel be obscure, it is so only to those who are lost:

but this treasure is lodg'd in such earthen vessels as we are, that the exceeding efficacy of it may appear to be from God, and not from us.

always bearing about in my body the marks of sufferings like those of Jesus, so that Jesus might be plainly prov'd to be alive by the sufferings of my body.

for as long as I live I shall be exposed to death for the sake of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest by the preservation of our mortal life.

Having by the same spirit the same faith as David had when he said, "I believed, and therefore have I spoken:" I also believe, and therefore I speak;

knowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise up me also by Jesus, and shall present me with you:

for all things are for your sakes, that the grace which was conferr'd upon many, might by the gratitude of so many, redound to the glory of God.

for the light affliction, which I at present suffer, will be infinitely over-ballanced by an eternal weight of glory;

For I know, that if my body, which is but a tent for my sojourning upon earth, were dissolved, I have what is not fram'd by human art, but by the divine architect, a mansion eternal in the heavens.

tho' should I be divested of this body, I shall not even then be destitute of one.

we that are in this tabernacle do groan under the burden of it: not that we desire to be divested of it, but we desire to have our celestial body, that this mortal state may vanish into immortality.

(for I regulate my conduct by my future expectations, not by visible enjoyments:

) in this assurance, I say, I think it best to be quit of this body, and be present with the Lord.

wherefore I studiously endeavour, whether staying in it, or departing out of it, to be acceptable to him.

Shall I then, who know this terrible judgment of the Lord, endeavour to appease men? as for God, I am approved by him, and I trust also you are convinced of my being so approved.

to this I am urg'd by the love I bear to Christ, persuaded as I am, that if one died for all, then were all in a dying state: and that he died for all,

therefore, if any man be a christian, he is in a new creation: the old state of things is chang'd to one entirely new.

Now this is all owing to God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath made us the ministers of this reconciliation;

for it is God that has reconciled the world to himself, by Jesus Christ, by not imputing their sins to them; and hath committed to us the gospel of reconciliation.

we then are ambassadors for Christ, and 'tis God who makes you the offers by us: we pray you in the name of Christ, to make your peace with God.

for he hath made him who knew no sin to be a sin-offering for us, that we might be justified by God thro' him.

Invested then with such a commission, I beseech you let not the offers of divine favour be made to you in vain.

as for us, we give no occasion of offence, that our ministry may not be blamed:

but in all things I approve myself as the minister of God, by great constancy in afflictions, in torments, in distresses, from stripes,

I approve myself, by chastity, by knowledge, by meekness, by kindness, by sanctity of mind, by undisguised benevolence,

by the preaching of truth, by the power of God, by the arms of justice, both offensive and defensive.

O Corinthians, my heart is so full, my tongue cannot be silent:

I address myself to you as a parent, be not you wanting in the returns of filial respect to me.

and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God has said, "I will dwell with, and walk among them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

wherefore come out from among them, be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

nevertheless, God who comforteth those that are cast down, gave me comfort by the arrival of Titus: not barely by his presence,

but by the consolation I received from you by him, when he acquainted me with your earnest desire to see me, with your concern, and your zeal for me; which greatly increas'd my joy.

'tis observable, even this religious sorrow which you had, what solicitude has it not wrought in you, what apologies, what indignation, what fear, what desire, what zeal, yea, what revenge! so that by your whole conduct, ye have shown your selves to be clear from guilt in this matter.

for you are sensible of the beneficence of our Lord Jesus Christ; powerful as he was, for your sake he became poor, that you through his poverty might be made rich.

my meaning is not, that you should be distress'd to relieve others, I only recommend an equality;

that as your present sufficiency supplies their wants, their sufficiency may supply your occasions another way: and thus there will be an equality.

But thanks be to God, who disposed Titus to be so industrious for you.

with whom I have sent one of the brethren, who is not only distinguish'd among all the churches, by his preaching the gospel,

but was chosen by the churches to accompany me with this collection; which service I undertook for the sake of Christ, and to encourage your generous design.

this I did, to prevent any suspicion that might be rais'd from my having the management of so great a sum:

yet have I sent the brethren, that my character of you may not appear to be groundless, with respect to that part wherein I said, ye would be ready:

for if the Macedonians should come with me, and find you unprepared, how shall I, not to say you, be ashamed for having had so little ground to boast of you?

I thought it therefore necessary to counsel the brethren to go before, and settle the management of the contribution by this previous notice, that it might have such dispatch, as shows a bountiful, and not a niggardly temper.

so that being enriched in every thing, you may be continually beneficent to the glory of God by our thanksgiving.

for the execution of this charitable office, does not only supply the necessities of the converts, but by the thanksgivings of many redounds also to the glory of God.

having this proof of you by such a supply, they will glorify God for your profess'd subjection to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution to them as well as others;

and you will have the advantage of their earnest prayers, for the exceeding favour God has bestowed upon them by you:

thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

I who am a person of a mean presence, when among you, but exert myself upon your account, when absent; I Paul intreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, not to let me exert that authority,

when I am present, which I think to exercise against some, who censure me, as if I was actuated by worldly views.

Do ye judge of things by the outward appearance? if any man is confident in himself, that he is Christ's, let him from himself conclude too, that as he is Christ's, even so are we.

for though I should more than ever magnify my authority, which the Lord hath given us for your improvement, and not for your ruin, I should have no reason to be ashamed;

but that I may not seem as if I would strike a terror in you by letters:

I will not boast of any thing done without my province, but confine myself within that line by which God has mark'd out my bounds, and in which you are included.

I don't assume to myself the credit of other men's labours in another province, but hope, that when your faith is increased, the bounds now prescribed will be enlarged by you yet farther;

but I fear lest by some means or other, as Eve was beguiled by the subtilly of the serpent, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is due to Christ.

If I have degraded myself for your advantage by preaching the holy gospel to you gratis, is that such a trespass?

by taking wages of other churches, I may have injured them, to do you service.

but this I do, and shall do, to make them drop their hire, who are so bent upon hire: and then indeed they will be as they pretend to be, like me.

therefore it is not strange if his agents are so disguised as to appear like ministers of the gospel; but their end shall be answerable to their actions.

as if I was inferior to them. but whatever they pretend to, (I must be so vain) I pretend to the like.

If I must be compell'd to glory, I will glory on the account of my sufferings.

but thro' a window I was let down in a basket by the wall, and so escap'd.

I might glory in being the man; but I will not glory in any thing relating to myself, unless it be my sufferings.

and lest I should be exalted above measure by the extraordinary revelations I have had, I was afflicted in my person, so that the messenger of satan insulted me; concerning which,

but he said to me, "my favour is sufficient for thee: for my strength is shown to be perfect by thy weakness." with pleasure therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may be seen to dwell in me.

Am I become vain? 'tis you have forc'd me to it: for I ought to have been commended by you: since I am not inferior to the chiefest of the apostles, tho' in myself I am nothing.

the marks indeed of an apostle I have shown among you by my extreme patience, by signs, and prodigies, and miracles.

for in what were ye inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? an injury I hope you will easily forgive.