Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother:

To God’s church at Corinth, with all the saints who are throughout Achaia.

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

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

He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and He will deliver us. We have put our hope in Him that He will deliver us again

Now we are writing nothing to you other than what you can read and also understand. I hope you will understand completely—

For if I cause you pain, then who will cheer me other than the one being hurt by me?

I wrote this very thing so that when I came I wouldn’t have pain from those who ought to give me joy, because I am confident about all of you that my joy will also be yours.

If anyone has caused pain, he has caused pain not so much to me but to some degree—not to exaggerate—to all of you.

how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?

For if what was fading away was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.

We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.

We know that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and present us with you.

Indeed, everything is for your benefit, so that grace, extended through more and more people, may cause thanksgiving to increase to God’s glory.

since, when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.

So, we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.

For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.

Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we seek to persuade people. We are completely open before God, and I hope we are completely open to your consciences as well.

For Christ’s love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, then all died.

And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised.

We give no opportunity for stumbling to anyone, so that the ministry will not be blamed.

And what agreement does God’s sanctuary have with idols? For we are the sanctuary of the living God, as God said:

I will dwell among them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be My people.

Therefore, come out from among them
and be separate, says the Lord;
do not touch any unclean thing,
and I will welcome you.

I will be a Father to you,
and you will be sons and daughters to Me,
says the Lord Almighty.

I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I am overcome with joy in all our afflictions.

For even if I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it—even though I did regret it since I saw that the letter grieved you, yet only for a little while.

For this reason we have been comforted.

In addition to our comfort, we rejoiced even more over the joy Titus had, because his spirit was refreshed by all of you.

And his affection toward you is even greater as he remembers the obedience of all of you, and how you received him with fear and trembling.

and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves especially to the Lord, then to us by God’s will.

Now as you excel in everything—faith, speech, knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love for us—excel also in this grace.

But now finish the task as well, that just as there was eagerness to desire it, so there may also be a completion from what you have.

Therefore I considered it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance the generous gift you promised, so that it will be ready as a gift and not as an extortion.

Remember this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.

Now the One who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.

They will glorify God for your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with others through the proof provided by this service.

And they will have deep affection for you in their prayers on your behalf because of the surpassing grace of God in you.

I beg you that when I am present I will not need to be bold with the confidence by which I plan to challenge certain people who think we are behaving in an unspiritual way.

Such a person should consider this: What we are in the words of our letters when absent, we will be in actions when present.

We, however, will not boast beyond measure but according to the measure of the area of ministry that God has assigned to us, which reaches even to you.

We are not bragging beyond measure about other people’s labors. But we have the hope that as your faith increases, our area of ministry will be greatly enlarged,

When I was present with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have kept myself, and will keep myself, from burdening you in any way.

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

But I will continue to do what I am doing, in order to deny the opportunity of those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as our equals in what they boast about.

So it is no great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their destiny will be according to their works.

Since many boast in an unspiritual way, I will also boast.

Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my care for all the churches.