For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so through Christ our comfort also overflows.

If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is experienced in your endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer.

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

For we don’t want you to be unaware, brothers, of our affliction that took place in Asia: we were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life.

while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.

For this is our confidence: The testimony of our conscience is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with God-given sincerity and purity, not by fleshly wisdom but by God’s grace.

as you have partially understood us—that we are your reason for pride, as you are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—did not become “Yes and no”; on the contrary, a final “Yes” has come in Him.

For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in Him. Therefore, the “Amen” is also spoken through Him by us for God’s glory.

I do not mean that we have control of your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because you stand by faith.

>

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

For I wrote to you with many tears out of an extremely troubled and anguished heart—not that you should be hurt, but that you should know the abundant love I have for you.

The punishment inflicted by the majority is sufficient for that person.

I wrote for this purpose: to test your character to see if you are obedient in everything.

If you forgive anyone, I do too. For what I have forgiven—if I have forgiven anything—it is for you in the presence of Christ.

I have done this so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.

When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, the Lord opened a door for me.

I had no rest in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus, but I said good-bye to them and left for Macedonia.

For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. And who is competent for this?

For we are not like the many who market God’s message for profit. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.

He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life.

For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness overflows with even more glory.

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

but their minds were closed. For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant, the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ.

For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves because of Jesus.

For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.

For we who live are always given over to death because of Jesus, so that Jesus’ life may also be revealed in our mortal flesh.

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

For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.

So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

For we know that if our temporary, earthly dwelling is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands.

And the One who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.

For we walk by faith, not by sight,

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.

We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in the outward appearance rather than in the heart.

For if we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we have a sound mind, it is for you.

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.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”

He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

For He says:

I heard you in an acceptable time,
and I helped you in the day of salvation.

Look, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.

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

Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

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, dear friends, since we have such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, completing our sanctification in the fear of God.

I don’t say this to condemn you, for I have already said that you are in our hearts, to live together and to die together.

and not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort he received from you. He told us about your deep longing, your sorrow, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

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.

Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us.

For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death.

For consider how much diligence this very thing—this grieving as God wills—has produced in you: what a desire to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what deep longing, what zeal, what justice! In every way you showed yourselves to be pure in this matter.

So even though I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong, or because of the one who was wronged, but in order that your diligence for us might be made plain to you in the sight of God.

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.

For if I have made any boast to him about you, I have not been embarrassed; but as I have spoken everything to you in truth, so our boasting to Titus has also turned out to be the truth.

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.

they begged us insistently for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints,

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

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich.

Now I am giving an opinion on this because it is profitable for you, who a year ago began not only to do something but also to desire it.

For if the eagerness is there, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

It is not that there may be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality—

at the present time your surplus is available for their need, so their abundance may also become available for our need, so there may be equality.

Thanks be to God who put the same concern for you into the heart of Titus.

For he accepted our urging and, being very diligent, went out to you by his own choice.

We have sent with him the brother who is praised throughout the churches for his gospel ministry.

And not only that, but he was also appointed by the churches to accompany us with this gift that is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.

For we are making provision for what is right, not only before the Lord but also before men.

As for Titus, he is my partner and coworker serving you; as for our brothers, they are the messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.

Now concerning the ministry to the saints, it is unnecessary for me to write to you.

For I know your eagerness, and I brag about you to the Macedonians: “Achaia has been prepared since last year,” and your zeal has stirred up most of them.

For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we, not to mention you, would be embarrassed in that situation.

Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.

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.

For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many acts of thanksgiving to God.

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.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.

For though we live in the body, we do not wage war in an unspiritual way,

since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments

For if I boast some more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I am not ashamed.

For it is said, “His letters are weighty and powerful, but his physical presence is weak, and his public speaking is despicable.”

For we don’t dare classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves, they lack understanding.

For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we had not reached you, since we have come to you with the gospel of Christ.

For it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but the one the Lord commends.

For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, because I have promised you in marriage to one husband—to present a pure virgin to Christ.

But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a complete and pure devotion to Christ.

For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you had not received, or a different gospel, which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly!

Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

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.

For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools!

Are they servants of Christ?
I’m talking like a madman—I’m a better one:
with far more labors,
many more imprisonments,
far worse beatings, near death many times.

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

For if I want to boast, I will not be a fool, because I will be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me,

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.

So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.