If we meet with trouble, it is for the sake of your consolation and salvation; and, if we find consolation, it is for the sake of the consolation that you will experience when you are called to endure the very sufferings that we ourselves are enduring;

And our hope for you remains unshaken. We know that, as you are sharing our sufferings, you will also share our consolation.

And from so imminent a death God delivered us, and will deliver us again; for in him we have placed our hopes of future deliverance, while you, also, help us by your prayers.

And then many lips will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in answer to many prayers.

Indeed, our main ground for satisfaction is this--Our conscience tells us that our conduct in the world, and still more in our relations with you, was marked by a purity of motive and a sincerity that were inspired by God, and was based, not on worldly policy, but on the help of God.

For, many as were the promises of God, in Christ is the 'Yes' that fulfils them. Therefore, through Christ again, let the 'Amen' rise, through us, to the glory of God.

But, as my life shall answer for it, I call God to witness that it was to spare you that I deferred my visit to Corinth.

I do not mean that we are to dictate to you with regard to your faith; on the contrary, we work with you for your true happiness; indeed, it is through your faith that you are standing firm.

For my own sake, as well, I decided not to pay you another painful visit.

So I wrote as I did, for fear that, if I had come, I should have been pained by those who ought to have made me glad; for I felt sure that it was true of you all that my joy was in every case yours also.

I wrote to you in sore trouble and distress of heart and with many tears, not to give you pain, but to let you see how intense a love I have for you.

When you forgive a man anything, I forgive him, too. Indeed, for my part, whatever I have forgiven (if I have had to forgive anything), I have forgiven for your sakes, in the presence of Christ,

So as to prevent Satan from taking advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

When I went to the district round Troas to tell the Good News of the Christ, even though there was an opening for serving the Master,

For we are the fragrance of Christ ascending to God--both among those who are in the path of Salvation and among those who are in the path to Ruin.

Our fitness comes from God, who himself made us fit to be ministers of a New Covenant, of which the substance is, not a written Law, but a Spirit. For the written Law means Death, but the Spirit gives Life.

For, if there was a glory in the religion that involved condemnation, far greater is the glory of the religion that confers righteousness!

And, if that which was to pass away was attended with glory, far more will that which is to endure be surrounded with glory!

But their minds were slow to learn. Indeed, to this very day, at the public reading of the Old Covenant, the same veil remains unlifted; only for those who are in union with Christ does it pass away.

Men whose minds have been blinded by the God of this Age, unbelievers as they are, so that the light from the Good News of the glory of the Christ, who is the very incarnation of God, should not shine for them.

(For it is not ourselves that we proclaim, but Christ Jesus, as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.)

Indeed, we who still live are continually being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the Life also of Jesus may be exhibited in our mortal nature.

For we know that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with him, and will bring us, with you, into his presence.

For all this is for your sakes, that the loving-kindness of God, spreading from heart to heart, may cause yet more hearts to overflow with thanksgiving, to his glory.

The light burden of our momentary trouble is preparing for us, in measure transcending thought, a weight of imperishable glory;

We, all the while, gazing not on what is seen, but on what is unseen; for what is seen is transient, but what is unseen is imperishable.

For we know that if our tent--that earthly body which is now our home--is taken down, we have a house of God's building, a home not made by hands, imperishable, in Heaven.

For we who are in this 'tent' sigh under our burden, unwilling to take it off, yet wishing to put our heavenly body over it, so that all that is mortal may be absorbed in Life.

And he who has prepared us for this change is God, who has also given us his Spirit as a pledge.

For we guide our lives by faith, and not by what we see.

For at the Bar of the Christ we must all appear in our true characters, that each may reap the results of the life which he has lived in the body, in accordance with his actions--whether good or worthless.

Therefore, because we know the fear inspired by the Lord, it is true that we are trying to win men, but our motives are plain to God; and I hope that in your inmost hearts they are plain to you also.

We are not "commending ourselves" again to you, but rather are giving you cause for pride in us, so that you may have an answer ready for those who pride themselves on appearances and not on character.

For, if we were "beside ourselves," it was in God's service! If we are not in our senses, it is in yours!

It is the love of the Christ which compels us, when we reflect that, as one died for all, therefore all died;

And that he died for all, so that the living should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose for them.

For ourselves, then, from this time forward, we refuse to regard any one from the world's standpoint. Even if we once thought of Christ from the standpoint of the world, yet now we do so no longer.

For he says--'At the time for acceptance I listened to thee, And on the day of deliverance I helped thee.' Now is the time for acceptance! Now is the day of deliverance!

There is room there for you, yet there is not room, in your love, for us.

Do not enter into inconsistent relations with those who reject the Faith. For what partnership can there be between righteousness and lawlessness? or what has light to do with darkness?

With these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that pollutes either body or spirit, and, in deepest reverence for God, aim at perfect holiness.

Make room for us in your hearts. In no instance have we ever wronged, or harmed, or taken advantage of, any one.

And it is not only by his arrival that we are encouraged, but also by the encouragement which he received from you; for he tells us of your strong affection, your penitence, and your zeal on my behalf--so that I am happier still.

For, though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Even if I were inclined to regret it--for I see that my letter did cause you sorrow though only for a time--

I am glad now; not because of the sorrow it caused you, but because your sorrow brought you to repentance. For it was God's will that you should feel sorrow, in order that you should not suffer loss in any way at our hands.

For, when sorrow is in accordance with God's will, it results in a repentance leading to Salvation, and which will never be regretted. The sure result of the sorrow that the world knows is Death.

For see what results that other sorrow--sorrow in accordance with God's will--has had in your case. What earnestness it produced! what explanations! what strong feeling! what alarm! what longing! what eagerness! what readiness to punish! You have proved yourselves altogether free from guilt in that matter.

So, then, even though I did write to you, it was not for the sake of the wrong-doer, or of the man who was wronged, but to make you conscious, in the sight of God, of your own earnest care for us. And it is this that has encouraged us.

In addition to the encouragement that this gave us, we were made far happier still by the happiness of Titus for his heart has been cheered by you all.

And his affection for you is all the greater, as he remembers the deference that you all showed him, and recalls how you received him with anxious care.

And with many an appeal to us for permission, they showed their love, and contributed their share towards the fund for their fellow-Christians.

And this led us to urge upon Titus that, as he had started the work for you, he should also see to the completion of this expression of your love.

For you do not forget the loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ--how that for your sakes, although he was rich, he became poor, so that you also might become rich through his poverty.

I am only making suggestions on this matter; for this is the best course for you, since you were a year before others, not only in taking action, but also in showing your readiness to do so.

For, where there is willingness, a man's gift is valued by its comparison with what he has, and not with what he has not.

For our object is not to give relief to others and bring distress on you, but, by equalizing matters, to secure that,

I thank God for inspiring Titus with the same keen interest in your welfare that I have;

For Titus has responded to my appeals and, in his great earnestness, is starting to go to you of his own accord.

For we are trying to make arrangements which shall be right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.

If I must say anything about Titus, he is my intimate companion, and he shares my work for you; if it is our Brothers, they are delegates of the Churches, an honor to Christ.

Show them, therefore--so that the Churches may see it-- the proof of your affection, and the ground for our boasting to them about you.

With reference, indeed, to the Fund for your fellow-Christians, it is quite superfluous for me to say anything to you.

I know, of course, your willingness to help, and I am always boasting of it to the Macedonians. I tell them that you in Greece have been ready for a year past; and it was really your zeal that stimulated most of them.

So my reason for sending our Brothers is to prevent what we said about you from proving, in this particular matter, an empty boast, and to enable you to be as well prepared as I have been saying that you are.

Therefore I think it necessary to urge the Brothers to go to you in advance, and to complete the arrangements for the gift, which you have already promised, so that it may be ready, as a gift, before I come, and not look as if it were being given under pressure.

Let every one give as he has determined before hand, not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves 'a cheerful giver.'

(As Scripture says--'He scattered broadcast, he gave to the poor; His righteousness continues for ever.'

And he who supplies 'seed to the sower, and bread for eating,' will supply you with seed, and cause it to increase, and will multiply 'the fruits of your righteousness').

For the rendering of a public service such as this, not only relieves the needs of your fellow-Christians, but also results in the offering to God of many a thanksgiving.

Through the evidence afforded by the service thus rendered, you cause men to praise God for your fidelity to your profession of faith in the Good News of the Christ, as well as for the liberality of your contributions for them and for all others.

And they also, in their prayers for you, express their longing to see you, because of the surpassing love of God displayed toward you.

All thanks to God for his inestimable gift!

For, though we live an earthly life, we do not wage an earthly war.

The weapons for our warfare are not earthly, but, under God, are powerful enough to pull down strongholds.

You look at the outward appearance of things! Let any one, who is confident that he belongs to Christ, reflect, for himself, again upon the fact--that we belong to Christ no less than he does.

Even if I boast extravagantly about our authority--which the Lord gave us for building up your faith and not for overthrowing it--still I have no reason to be ashamed.

For people say "His letters are impressive and vigorous, but his personal appearance is insignificant and his speaking contemptible."

We, however, will not give way to unlimited boasting, but will confine ourselves to the limits of the sphere to which God limited us, when he permitted us to come as far as Corinth.

For it is not the case, as it would be if we were not in the habit of coming to you, that we are exceeding our bounds! Why, we were the very first to reach you with the Good News of the Christ!

For it is not the man who commends himself that stands the test, but the man who is commended by the Lord.

I am jealous over you with the jealousy of God. For I betrothed you to one husband, that I might present you to the Christ a pure bride.

Yet I fear that it may turn out that, just as the Serpent by his craftiness deceived Eve, so your minds may have lost the loyalty and purity due from you to the Christ.

For, if some new-comer is proclaiming a Jesus other than him whom we proclaimed, or if you are receiving a Spirit different from the Spirit which you received, or a Good News different from that which you welcomed, then you are marvelously tolerant!

And, when I was with you in need, I did not become a burden to any of you; for our Brothers, on coming from Macedonia, supplied my needs. I kept myself, and will keep myself from being an expense to you in any way.

As surely as I know anything of the Truth of Christ, this boast, as far as I am concerned, shall not be stopped in any part of Greece.

What I am doing now I shall continue to do, that I may cut away the ground from under those who are wishing for some ground for attacking me, so that as regards the thing of which they boast they may appear in their true characters, just as we do.

And no wonder; for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of Light.

For all your cleverness, you tolerate fools willingly enough!

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus--he who is for ever blessed--knows that I am speaking the truth.

Yet if I choose to boast, I shall not be a fool; for I shall be speaking no more than the truth. But I refrain, lest any one should credit me with more than he can see in me or hear from me, and because of the marvelous character of the revelations.

It was for this reason, and to prevent my thinking too highly of myself, that a thorn was sent to pierce my flesh--an instrument of Satan to discipline me--so that I should not think too highly of myself.

But his reply has been-- 'My help is enough for you; for my strength attains its perfection in the midst of weakness.' Most gladly, then, will I boast all the more of my weaknesses, so that the strength of the Christ may overshadow me.

That is why I delight in weakness, ill-treatment, hardship, persecution, and difficulties, when borne for Christ. For, when I am weak, then it is that I am strong!

I have been "playing the fool!" It is you who drove me to it. For it is you who ought to have been commending me! Although I am nobody, in no respect did I prove inferior to the most eminent Apostles.

In what respect, I ask, were you treated worse than the other Churches, unless it was that, for my part, I refused to become a burden to you? Forgive me the wrong I thus did you!

Remember, this is the third time that I have made every preparation to come to see you, and I shall refuse to be a burden to you; I want, not your money, but you. It is not the duty of children to put by for their parents, but of parents to put by for their children.

For my part, I will most gladly spend, and be spent, for your welfare. Can it be that the more intensely I love you the less I am to be loved?

For I am afraid that perhaps, when I come, I may find that you are not what I want you to be, and, on the other hand, that you may find that I am what you do not want me to be. I am afraid that I may find quarreling, jealousy, ill-feeling, rivalry, slandering, back-biting, self-assertion, and disorder.

For the third time I am coming to see you. 'By the word of two or three witnesses each statement shall be established.'

I have said it, and I say it again before I come, just as if I were with you on my second visit, though for the moment absent, I say to those who have been long sinning, as well as to all others--that if I come again, I shall spare no one.