PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy the brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia.

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

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

who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those in every affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God,

but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we might not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead,

But as God is faithful, our word to you was not yes and no.

For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was preached among you by us, by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not yes and no, but was yes in him;

for all the promises of God, the yes in him, and the Amen in him, are for glory to God by us.

And he that establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God,

But I call God to witness on my soul, that to spare you I have not yet come to Corinth.

But thanks be to God, who always triumphs over us in Christ and reveals the odor of his knowledge by us in every place;

for we are a sweet odor of Christ to God, in the saved and in the lost,

For we are not as many, who adulterate the word of God, [for gain]; but as of sincerity, but as of God, we speak before God in Christ.

for you are manifestly an epistle of Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of hearts of flesh.

And we have such confidence through Jesus Christ in God;

not that we are sufficient of ourselves to reason out any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God,

but have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but commending ourselves by the manifestation of the truth to every conscience of men before God.

in whom the god of this life has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God, may not shine.

For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us,

For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace may abound through the thanksgiving of many to the glory of God.

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle was destroyed, we have an edifice from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

And he that has made us for this is God, who has given us the pledge of the Spirit.

For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, that each one may receive through the body for what he has done, whether it is good or evil.

Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord we persuade men, but are made manifest to God; and I hope also to be made manifest in your consciences.

For if we are beside ourselves it is for God; and if we are sober it is for you.

And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and given us the ministry of the reconciliation,

to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to them their offenses, and has given to us the word of reconciliation.

We are embassadors therefore for Christ, as though God besought you by us; we pray you, for Christ, be reconciled to God.

For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become God's righteousness in him.

And being also co-laborers we exhort you not to receive the grace of God in vain,??2 for he says, In an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation I helped you; behold, now is an acceptable time, behold, now is a day of salvation,??3 giving no offense in any thing, that the ministry may not be blamed,

but in every thing commending ourselves as ministers of God, in great patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

in the word of truth, in the power of God; with the arms of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

with honor and dishonor, with evil report and good report; as deceivers and true,

and what agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God; as God said, I will dwell in them, and I will walk in them, and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people.

Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us purify ourselves from every defilement of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

but God who comforts the humble comforted us by the coming of Titus;

If therefore I wrote to you, it was not on account of him that did the wrong, nor on account of him that suffered wrong, but that our diligence in your behalf might be manifest before God.

AND I make known to you, brothers, the grace of God given to the churches of Macedonia,

and not as we hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God,

But thanks be to God, who put this care for you into the heart of Titus,

Let each one contribute as he chooses in his heart, not with regret or from necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make every favor abound to you, that having always every sufficiency in every thing you may abound in every good work;

that you may be enriched in every thing for all liberality, which produces through us thanksgiving to God.

For the performance of this service not only supplies the need of the saints, but also abounds with the thanksgivings of many to God;

[they] glorifying God on account of the proof of this ministry for your professed subjection to the gospel of Christ and the liberality of the contribution to them and to all,

and by their prayer for you, greatly longing for you on account of the abounding grace of God upon you.

Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

for the arms of our warfare are not of flesh, but mighty with God to the pulling down of strongholds,

destroying [false] reasonings and every height which is exalted against the knowledge of God, and subjecting every thought to the obedience of Christ,

But we will not boast of things not measured, but according to the measure of the rule which God has given us, to come even to you.

Have I done wrong to humble myself that you might be exalted, that I preached the gospel of God to you gratuitously?

Why? Because I love you not? God knows.

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I lie not.

I know a man, in Christ above fourteen years, whether in the body I know not, or out of the body I know not, God knows,??uch a one caught up to the third heaven.

I know even such a man,??hether in the body or out of the body I know not, God knows,??4 that he was caught up to paradise, and heard unutterable words, which it is not lawful for man to speak.

Do you again think that we are defending ourselves? We speak in Christ before God; all these things, beloved, are for your edification.

lest when I come again my God shall humble me before you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned, and not changed their minds, in respect to impurity and fornication and lewdness which they have committed.

for though he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by the power of God; and we also are weak in him, but live with him by the power of God in you.

We wish to God that you may do no evil, not that we may appear approved, but that you may do good though we should be as reprobates.

Finally, brothers, rejoice, be perfect, be of good comfort, be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.