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.

Now he who makes our faith strong together with you, in Christ, and has given us of his grace, is God;

And it is he who has put his stamp on us, even the Spirit, as the sign in our hearts of the coming glory.

But if anyone has been a cause of sorrow, he has been so, not to me only, but in some measure to all of you (I say this that I may not be over-hard on you).

Who has made us able to be servants of a new agreement; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter gives death, but the Spirit gives life.

Because the god of this world has made blind the minds of those who have not faith, so that the light of the good news of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, might not be shining on them.

Seeing that it is God who said, Let light be shining out of the dark, who has put in our hearts the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Now he who has made us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a witness of what is to come.

But all things are of God, who has made us at peace with himself through Christ, and has given to us the work of making peace;

And what agreement is there between Christ and the Evil One? or what part has one who has faith with one who has not?

And what agreement has the house of God with images? for we are a house of the living God; even as God has said, I will be living among them, and walking with them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.

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,

And now we give you news, brothers, about the grace of God which has been given to the churches of Macedonia;

For if there is a ready mind, a man will have God's approval in the measure of what he has, and not of what he has not.

And with him we have sent a brother whose praise in the good news has gone through all the churches;

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, whose ready spirit has been made clear to us at times and in ways without number, but it is now all the more so because of the certain faith which he has in you.

For I have before made clear to those of Macedonia my pride in your ready mind, saying to them that Achaia has been ready for a year back; and a great number have been moved to do the same by your example.

As it is said in the Writings, He has sent out far and wide, he has given to the poor; his righteousness is for ever.

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

For his letters, they say, have weight and are strong; but in body he is feeble, and his way of talking has little force.

We will not give glory to ourselves in over-great measure, but after the measure of the rule which God has given us, a measure which comes even to you.

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

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.

For this cause I am writing these things while I am away, so that there may be need for me, when I am present, to make use of sharp measures, by the authority which the Lord has given me for building up and not for destruction.