Therefore when I was planning to do this, I did not do so without thinking about what I was doing, did I? Or do I make my plans according to mere human standards so that I would be saying both "Yes, yes" and "No, no" at the same time?

For if I make you sad, who would be left to make me glad but the one I caused to be sad?

And I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came I would not have sadness from those who ought to make me rejoice, since I am confident in you all that my joy would be yours.

For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not to make you sad, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you.

But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place.

So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him.

Make room for us in your hearts; we have wronged no one, we have ruined no one, we have exploited no one.

Now we make known to you, brothers and sisters, the grace of God given to the churches of Macedonia,

But as you excel in everything -- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you -- make sure that you excel in this act of kindness too.

And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work.

and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.

For you put up with it if someone makes slaves of you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone behaves arrogantly toward you, if someone strikes you in the face.