And if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation, wrought by a patient endurance the same sufferings which we also suffer, and our hope for you is strong; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort and salvation,

For we wish you not to be ignorant, brothers, of our affliction which befell us in Asia, that we were exceedingly oppressed beyond our power, so that we despaired even of life;

you also striving together for us in prayer, that thanks may be rendered for us by many persons for the gift bestowed on us by many.

For this is our rejoicing; the testimony of our conscience that in purity and godly sincerity, not with a carnal wisdom, but with a divine grace, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and most abundantly towards you.

For we do not write to you of other things, but of what you read and acknowledge; and I hope you will also acknowledge to the end,

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.

Not that we are lords of your faith, but co-laborers of your joy; for you stand firm by the faith.

for if I grieve you, who is he that gladdens me, but he that is grieved by me?

And I wrote the same to you that coming I might not have sorrow for those in whom I ought to have joy, having trusted in you all that my joy is the joy of you all.

For I wrote to you in much affliction and distress of mind with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have abundantly for you.

Sufficient for such a one is this rebuke by many;

for I wrote for this purpose, that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things.

But whom you favor I also will favor; for what favor I have shown, if I have shown any favor, has been for your sakes, in the presence of Christ,

that we may not be circumvented by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

But when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ, and a door was opened to me by the Lord,

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

in one an odor of death to death, and in the other an odor of life to life. And who is sufficient for these things?

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.

who also has made us able ministers of the new covenant, not of the writing but of the spirit; for the writing kills, but the spirit makes alive.

For if the ministry of condemnation was a glory, much more will the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.

For that which was made glorious was not glorious in this respect, on account of the surpassing glory.

For if that which has passed away was with glory, much more will that which continues be in glory.

but their minds were blinded. For to this day in reading the old covenant the same vail remains, not taken away because it is taken away in Christ;

For we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

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.

For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

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

For the light affliction which is for a moment, works out for us more abundantly an eternal weight of glory,

while we look 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 those which are unseen are eternal.

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.

For in this we also groan, earnestly desiring to put on our dwelling which is from heaven,

For being in this tabernacle we groan, being burdened, because we do not wish to put it off, but to put on [the other], that the mortal may be swallowed up by life.

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 we do not again commend ourselves to you, but give you occasion to glory on our account, that you may have something for those that glory in appearance and not in heart.

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

For the love of Christ constrains us, judging this, that if one died for all then were all dead;

and he died for all, that those who live should no more live for themselves but for him that died for them and rose again.

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,

Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers; for what participation has righteousness with wickedness? or what communion has light with darkness?

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.

I say this not to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts both to die and live together.

For when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were distressed on every hand; without were conflicts, within fears;

and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted on your account, telling us of your great desire, your deep sorrow, your zeal for me, so that I rather rejoiced.

For if I even grieved you by the epistle, I do not repent, though I did repent; for because I see that the epistle grieved you but for a time,

now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you grieved to a change of mind; for you were grieved in a godly manner, to suffer injury from us in nothing.

For godly sorrow produces a change of mind to salvation not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

For behold, this same thing, that you grieved in a godly manner, how great diligence it produced in you, what a defense, what indignation, what fear, what desire, what zeal, what a punishment! In every thing you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

On this account we were comforted. And in addition to our comfort, we rejoiced more abundantly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all;

for if I had boasted of you to him I was not ashamed, but as we said all things to you in truth, so also the boasting of you to Titus was truth.

And his affection is more abundant for you, remembering the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him.

For according to their ability, I testify, and beyond their ability, of their own accord,

But as you abound in every thing, in faith, and speech, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love for us, [we desire] that you may abound in this grace also.

for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sakes he became poor, though rich, that you by his poverty might be rich.

And in this case I give an opinion; for this is expedient for you, who began before to act in this matter and to act willingly a year ago.

For if there is a willing mind, a man is acceptable according to what he has, and not according to what he has not.

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

for he received the exhortation, and being extremely diligent went to you of his own accord.

and not only so, but he has also been chosen by the churches as our travelling companion in this charity ministered by us for the glory of the same Lord and our promptitude,

for we provide things honorable not only before the Lord, but also before men.

If [any one inquires] respecting Titus, he is my companion and co-laborer for you; if our brothers, they are apostles of churches and the glory of Christ.

For concerning the service for the saints it is superfluous for me to write to you;

for I know your readiness, of which I boasted in your behalf to the Macedonians that Achaia was ready a year ago, and your zeal has excited many.

I thought it necessary, therefore, to exhort the brothers to go to you before, and to make ready your free gift before announced, that it may be ready as a free gift and not as an exaction.

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

And may he that supplies seed to the sower and bread for eating multiply your grain, and increase the products of your righteousness;

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 though we walk in the flesh we do not war according to the flesh,

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

For if I should even boast some of our authority which the Lord gave for your edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed.

For the epistles, say they, are weighty and powerful, but the bodily presence is weak and speech contemptible.

For we dare not judge or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves; but they, measuring themselves with themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not wise.

For we do not stretch ourselves out too far, as if we had not come to you, for we came even to you with the gospel of Christ;

for not he that commends himself is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.

For I am zealous for you with a godly zeal, for I joined you, a chaste virgin, to one husband, to present to Christ;

but I fear lest as the serpent deceived Eve with his craftiness, so also your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity which is in Christ.

For if he that comes preaches another Jesus whom we did not preach, or you receive another spirit which you did not receive, or another gospel which you did not receive, you might well bear it;

for I judge that I am not behind the chief of the apostles.

and when I was with you and was in want, I was burdensome to no one; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied beforehand my need; and in every thing I kept myself without being burdensome to you, and will keep myself so.

For such false apostles, deceitful laborers, transform themselves into apostles of Christ.

And no wonder; for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

for you endure it if any one reduces you to servitude, if any one devours you, if any one takes from you, if any one exalts himself against you, if any one beats you in the face.

It is not expedient therefore for me to boast [of these things]; for I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

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.

For if I shall wish to boast I shall not be foolish, for I will tell the truth. But I forbear, lest any one should think of me beyond what he sees or hears of me.

For this I besought the Lord thrice that it might leave me.

And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you; for power is perfected in weakness.

Most gladly, therefore, will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Wherefore I am well pleased with infirmities, with injuries, with necessities, with persecutions, with distresses for Christ; for when I am weak, then am I strong.

I have become foolish; you compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing am I behind the chief of the apostles, though I also am nothing.

For what is there in which you were inferior to the rest of the churches, except that I was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong.