For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our distress which came upon us in Asia, that it was exceedingly heavy upon us beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;

For our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and the sincerity which is of God, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.

as also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your glorying, as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

not that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy. For in respect to faith ye stand firm.

And I wrote about this very matter, that I might not on my coming have sorrow from those who ought to gladden me, having confidence in all of you, that my joy is the joy of you all.

For out of much distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that ye should be made sorrowful, but that ye might know the exceeding love which I have for you.

But to whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also; for what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes I forgave it in the person of Christ,

And such confidence as this have we through Christ toward God;

but have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not of us;

For we know that, if our earthly tenthabitation be destroyed, we have a building provided by God, a house not made with hands, everlasting, in the heavens.

since, indeed, when we have put off our present garment, we shall not be found naked.

We have courage, therefore, always, and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord;

for we walk by faith, not by sight; but we have courage,

Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men; but to God we have been made manifest, and I hope have been made manifest in your consciences also.

For we are not again commending ourselves to you, but giving you occasion to glory on our behalf; that ye may have somewhat to answer those who glory in outward appearance, and not in heart.

So that we henceforth know no one according to the flesh; and if we have even known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we no longer know him.

Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Ye have not a narrow place in my heart, but ye have a narrow place for me in yours.

Receive us into your hearts; we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have defrauded no one.

I am not saying this to condemn you; for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die with you and to live with you.

Therefore we have been comforted; but in our comfort we rejoiced still more on account of the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all;

for if in anything I have boasted to him of you, I am not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting, which we made before Titus, was found to be truth;

I rejoice that in every thing I have confidence in you.

Now therefore perform the doing of it, that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise in the gospel is throughout all the churches;

And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have often in many things proved to be zealous, but now much more zealous through the great confidence which he hath in you.

Display to them, therefore, before the churches, the proof of your love, and of what we have boasted on your behalf.

thrice I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have spent in the deep;

I have become a fool; it is ye that compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the very foremost apostles, though I am nothing.

Did I make gain of you by any of those whom I have sent to you?

Have ye been thinking this long time that we are defending ourselves to you? It is before God in Christ that we are speaking; but all things, beloved, for your edification.

and lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many of those who have sinned already, and did not repent of the uncleanness, and fornication, and lasciviousness, which they committed.

I said before, and now say beforehand, as when present the second time, so also absent now, to those who have sinned before, and to all the others, that if I come again, I will not spare;

For we have no power against the truth, but for the truth.