who has delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver; in whom we confide that he will also yet deliver;

You at the same time helping together by your prayer for us; so that for what has been given to us through a number of persons, praise may go up to God for us from all of them.

For our glory is in this, in the knowledge which we have that our way of life in the world, and most of all in relation to you, has been holy and true in the eyes of God; not in the wisdom of the flesh, but in the grace of God.

But as surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No.

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, he who has been preached by us among you (by me and Silvanus and Timotheus), did not become yea and nay, but yea is in him.

For [no matter] how many promises God has made, in Christ [the answer] is "yes" [i.e., Christ has fulfilled all of God's promises to mankind]. Also, through Christ, the "amen" [Note: This word is always translated elsewhere as "May it be so"] can be said by us in order to honor God.

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

who also has sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

For if I make you sorry, who then is he who makes me glad, but the same who has been made sorry by me?

But if any one has grieved, he has grieved, not me, but in part (that I may not overcharge you) all of you.

Sufficient to such a one is this rebuke which has been inflicted by the many;

If you forgive anyone anything, I too forgive [that one]; and what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of [and with the approval of] Christ,

who has also made us competent, as ministers of the new covenant; not of letter, but of spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit quickens.

For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.

Indeed, what had glory [the Law], in this case no longer has glory because of the glory that surpasses it [the gospel].

For if what was made ineffective came with glory, how much more has what remains come in glory!

and not as Moses put a vail on his face, that the children of Israel might not see to the end of that which has passed away;

But their minds were closed. For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read. It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away.

Therefore, being engaged in this service and being mindful of the mercy which has been shown us, we are not cowards.

If, however, the meaning of our Good News has been veiled, the veil has been on the hearts of those who are on the way to perdition,

in whom the god of this world has blinded the thoughts of the unbelieving, so that the radiancy of the glad tidings of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine forth for them.

Because it is the God who spoke that out of darkness light should shine who has shone in our hearts for the shining forth of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But since we have the same spirit of faith as that shown in what has been written, "I believed; therefore I spoke," we also believe, therefore we also speak.

knowing that he who has raised the Lord Jesus shall raise us also with Jesus, and shall present us with you.

For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace, which has multiplied because of the thankfulness of the many, may abound for the glory of God.

For we know that if this poor tent, our earthly house, is taken down, we have in Heaven a building which God has provided, a house not built by human hands, but eternal.

Now he that has wrought us for this very thing is God, who also has given to us the earnest of the Spirit.

For we must all be manifested before the judgment-seat of the Christ, that each may receive the things done in the body, according to those he has done, whether it be good or evil.

For if we have been beside ourselves, it has been for God's glory; or if we are now in our right senses, it is in order to be of service to you.

for I am controlled by the love of Christ, convinced that as One has died for all, then all have died,

and he died for all, that they who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who died for them and has been raised.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].

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

That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

Him who knew not sin he has made sin for us, that we might become God's righteousness in him.

For he says, "I have listened to you at a welcome time, And helped you on a day of deliverance!" Now the welcome time has come! This is the day of deliverance!

We have spoken openly to you, Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide.

Don't be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial (Satan)? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

and what agreement of God's temple with idols? for ye are the living God's temple; according as God has said, I will dwell among them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be to me a people.

Therefore: "'Come out of company with them, and separate from them,' the Lord has said, 'And stop touching what is unclean; then I will welcome you,

Let your hearts be open to us: we have done no man wrong, no man has been damaged by us, we have made no profit out of any man,

But God, who encourages the downcast, has encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.

For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not regret, though I did regret: for I perceive that the same epistle has made you sorry, though it were but for a time.

For [you can look back and] see what an earnestness and authentic concern this godly sorrow has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves [against charges that you tolerate sin], what indignation [at sin], what fear [of offending God], what longing [for righteousness and justice], what passion [to do what is right], what readiness to punish [those who sin and those who tolerate sin]! At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in the 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.

For this reason we have been encouraged. And we the rather rejoiced in our encouragement more abundantly by reason of the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

Because if I boasted to him anything about you, I have not been put to shame; but as we have spoken to you all things in truth, so also our boasting to Titus has been the truth;

And he has great affection for you when he remembers how obedient all of you were [i.e., obedient to his or Paul's instructions to the church], and how you welcomed him with fear and trembling [i.e., with a respectful, submissive spirit].

Now, brothers and sisters, we want to tell you about the grace of God which has been evident in the churches of Macedonia [awakening in them a longing to contribute];

that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty has abounded to the riches of their free-hearted liberality.

This has led me to ask Titus to complete the arrangements for the same gracious contribution among yourselves, as it was he who started it.

For if the readiness be there, a man is accepted according to what he may have, not according to what he has not.

As it has been written:

The person who gathered much
did not have too much,
and the person who gathered little
did not have too little.

But thanks [be] to God, who has put in the heart of Titus the same devotion {on your behalf},

For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord.

And we have sent at the same time with him the brother whose praise in the gospel [has become known] throughout all the churches.

and not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in regard to this gracious offering which we are administering for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our eagerness [as believers to help one another].

And so that no man might be able to say anything against us in the business of this giving which has been put into our hands:

For the business has been so ordered by us as to have the approval, not only of the Lord, but of men.

And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved to be of diligent zeal in many things, and now more diligently zealous through the great confidence he has as to you.

For I know your readiness, which I boast of as respects you to Macedonians, that Achaia is prepared since a year ago, and the zeal reported of you has stimulated the mass of the brethren.

Therefore, I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go before to you, and make ready beforehand your bounty, which has been so much talked of before, that this might be ready as a bounty, and not as a gift extorted from you.

Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift].

But God is able to make all grace abound unto you; in order that, always having all sufficiency in every thing, you may abound unto every good work: as has been written,

according as it is written, He has scattered abroad, he has given to the poor, his righteousness remains for ever.

And in their prayers on your behalf they long for you because of the extraordinary grace God has shown to you.

Praise be to God for what he has given, which words have no power to say.

and I am fully prepared to punish every act of disobedience, when once your submission has been put beyond question.

Do ye look at what concerns appearance? If any one has confidence in himself that he is of Christ, let him think this again in himself, that even as he is of Christ, so also are we.

For and if I should boast even somewhat more abundantly of our authority, which the Lord has given to us for building up and not for your overthrowing, I shall not be put to shame;

For they say "His letters are authoritative and forcible, but his personal presence is unimpressive, and as for eloquence, he has none."

Now we will not boast out of measure, but according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure has apportioned to us, to reach to you also.

so that we may proclaim the good news to the regions beyond you, not boasting about what has already been done in someone else’s area of ministry.

But whoever has a desire for glory, let his glory be in the Lord.

if my language is inelegant, my knowledge is not contemptible; but has been fully display'd among you on all occasions.

Are they ministers of Christ? So am I. I am talking like a man that has gone crazy -- as such I am superior! -- serving Him with labors greater by far, with far more imprisonments, with floggings vastly worse, and often at the point of death.

I have to keep on boasting. There is no good to be gotten from it, but I will go on to visions and revelations which the Lord has given me.

was snatched away to Paradise and heard things that cannot be expressed in words, things that no human being has a right even to mention.

For if I had a desire to take credit to myself, it would not be foolish, for I would be saying what is true: but I will not, for fear that I might seem to any man more than he sees me to be, or has word from me that I am.

And judging by the stupendous grandeur of the revelations--therefore lest I should be over-elated there has been sent to me, like the agony of impalement, Satan's angel dealing blow after blow, lest I should be over-elated.

He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.

I called for Titus, and sent with a brother. Has Titus taken advantage of you? walked we not in the same spirit? not in the same steps??

since you demand a proof of my mission from Christ, who with regard to you has shown no want of power among you.

for if indeed he has been crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power; for indeed we are weak in him, but we shall live with him by God's power towards you,)

On this account I write these things being absent, that being present I may not use severity according to the authority which the Lord has given me for building up, and not for overthrowing.