yea, we ourselves had within ourselves the sentence of death, that we might not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead;

And in this confidence it was my purpose to come to you before, that ye might receive a second benefit;

For if I make you sorrowful, who is there to make me glad but he that is made sorrowful by me?

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.

For to this end also I wrote, that I might know by putting it to the proof, whether ye are obedient in all things.

that Satan might not gain an advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

For even that which was made glorious hath ceased to be glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory by which it is exceeded.

and do not as Moses did, who put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel might not steadfastly look on the end of that which was to be done away.

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.

For we must all be made manifest before the judgmentseat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in his body, according to what he did, whether good or bad.

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.

Him, who knew not sin, he made sin for us, that we might become Gods righteousness in him.

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorrowful, but that your sorrow produced repentance. For the sorrow which ye felt had respect to God, that ye might in nothing receive injury from me.

Although, then, I wrote to you, it was not on account of him that did the wrong, nor of him who suffered wrong; but that your earnestness for us might be made manifest to you in the sight of God.

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;

so that we urged Titus, that, as he had already made a beginning, so he would also finish among you this bounty also.

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

but to make an equality; at the present season your abundance meeting their deficiency, that their abundance may at another time meet your deficiency; that there may be equality;

I thought it necessary therefore to exhort the brethren to go before to you, and make up beforehand your bounty, which was already announced, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not of covetousness.

so that we may preach the gospel in the regions beyond you; not boasting, in anothers line, of things made ready to our hand.

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye did not receive, or another gospel, which ye did not accept, well might ye bear with it.

Did I commit an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God without charge?

And that I might not be too much lifted up by the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet me, that I might not be too much lifted up.

In respect to this I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me;

and he said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the strength of Christ may abide upon me.