I planned to leave you in order to go to Macedonia, and then come back to you from Macedonia, and let you send me on to Judea.

I wrote to you out of great sorrow and anguish of heart along with many tears not to make you sad but to let you know how much love I have for you.

In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe to keep them from seeing the light of the glorious gospel of the Messiah, who is the image of God.

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus the Messiah.

This light, temporary nature of our suffering is producing for us an everlasting weight of glory, far beyond any comparison,

Stop becoming unevenly yoked with unbelievers. What partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? What fellowship can light have with darkness?

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let's cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit by becoming mature in our holy fear of God.

Now I am happy, not because you had such sorrow, but because your sorrow led you to repent. For you were sorry in a godly way, and so you were not hurt by us in any way.

In spite of their terrible ordeal of suffering, their abundant joy and deep poverty have led them to be abundantly generous.

And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

but I was let down in a basket through an opening in the wall and escaped from him.

I must boast, although it does not do any good. Let's talk about visions and revelations from the Lord.