For we would not have you ignorant, brethren, of the tribulation which came to us in Asia, that above measure we have been burdened beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life:

For our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with carnal wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and peculiarly towards you.

But as sure as God is true, our word to you was not yea and nay.

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us??y me and Silvanus and Timotheus??as not yea and nay, but there was yea in him;

But I appeal to God as a witness unto my soul, that to spare you I have not yet come to Corinth:

not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow-helpers of your joy; for by faith ye stand.

BUT I prescribed to myself this rule, not to come again to you with sorrow.

And I have written unto you for this very purpose, that I might not, when I come to you, have sorrow from those in whom I ought to rejoice, having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears, not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly towards you.

Now if any person hath given cause for grief, he hath not grieved me [merely], but partly all of you; that I may add no farther burden.

that no advantage be gained over us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

I had no test in my spirit on my not finding there Titus my brother: so taking my leave of them I went forth unto Macedonia.

For we are not as the many, adulterating the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in Christ.

DO we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some, commendatory letters to you, or commendatory letters from you?

because ye are manifestly seen to be the letter of Christ, of which we have been the secretaries, written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tables of stone, but on the fleshly tables of the heart.

not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account any thing of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.

Who hath made us also able ministers of the new testament, not of the letter but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

For if the ministry of death in letters graven on stone, was attended with glory, so that the children of Israel could not keep their eyes fixed upon the countenance of Moses, because of the glory of his countenance, though [soon] evanescent;

how much more will not the ministry of the Spirit be attended with glory?

And [act] not as Moses who spread a veil over his face, in order that the children of Israel might not look stedfastly to the end of that which should be abolished.

THEREFORE having this ministry, as we have obtained mercy, we faint not;

but have renounced all shameful secret practices, not conducting ourselves with artifice, nor deceitfully disguising the word of God, but by clear manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience as in the presence of God.

among whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dart its bright beams upon them.

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the transcendent excellence of the power might be of God, and not of us.

We are afflicted on every side, yet not reduced to extremities; under difficulties, yet not in despair;

persecuted, yet not abandoned; cast down, but not destroyed;

whilst we direct our aim not to the things which are seen, but to the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things that are not seen are eternal.

FOR we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle should be taken down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

that so invested, we may not be found naked.

For we which are in this tabernacle, groan, being burdened; wherein we desire not to be unclothed, but clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up of life.

(for we walk by faith, not by sight.)

For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion of glorying on our behalf, that ye may have an answer for those who glory in countenance, and not in heart.

and he died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them, and rose again.

namely, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing to them their offences: and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation.

WE then as labourers with him, exhort you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain:

Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:

as unknown, though well known; as dying, and lo! we live; as chastened, yet not given over to death;

Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.

Be not unequally yoked with infidels; for what participation hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what fellowship [is there] between light and darkness?

"Wherefore go forth from the midst of them, and be ye separated, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean; and I will receive you,

I speak not for your condemnation, for I have already said, that ye are in our hearts to die and live together.

and not by his coming only, but also by the consolation wherewith he had been comforted among you, declaring to us your fervent desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced the more.

For if I grieved you by a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that this letter made you sorry, though but for a season.

Now I rejoice, not that ye have been made sorrowful, but that ye have sorrowed unto repentance; for ye have been made sorry in a godly manner, that ye might receive damage from us in nothing.

And indeed though I wrote unto you, I did it not [merely] for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause who had suffered the injury, but that our diligent attention for you might be more abundantly manifested to you in the presence of God.

For if I have boasted of you to him in any thing, I am not ashamed; but as we have spoken all things to you in truth, so our boasting of you to Titus hath been found truth.

And not [merely] as we hoped, but gave themselves first to the Lord, and to us according to the will of God.

I speak not by commandment, but because of the forwardness of others, and to prove the genuineness of your love.

And in this I give my opinion: for this is expedient for you, who have before begun not only to do, but also to be willing a year ago.

For if there is first a ready mind, a man is acceptable according to what he hath, and not according to what he hath not.

For I mean not that there should be ease for others and a burden on you;

and not only so, but who was chosen by the churches as my fellow-traveller with this charity, ministered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and [to shew] your ready mind.

providing what is fair, not only before the Lord, but also before men.

But I have sent the brethren, that our glorying in you might not be vain in this matter; that as I have said, ye may be prepared.

Lest haply if the Macedonians come with me, and find you unprepared, we (not to say, you) may be confounded in this confidence of boasting. I

have thought it necessary therefore to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and prepare before your promised bounty, that it may be ready as a matter of bounty, and not as [extorted] of covetousness.

Let every man, as he hath purposed in heart, give, not with reluctance or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.

For the ministration of this [charitable] service not only abundantly supplies the deficiencies of the saints, but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God;

But I pray, that when I am present I may not be bold with the confidence with which I purpose to act resolutely against some who think of us, as if we walked after the flesh.

For though we walk in the flesh, we war not after the flesh:

for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the casting down the strong holds [of corruption];

Yea, and if I should boast somewhat more highly of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for your edification, and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed;

that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

For we will not presume to put ourselves on the level, or compare ourselves with some who vaunt themselves; but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, have no understanding.

But we will not glory in things beyond our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath marked out for us?? measure that hath reached even unto you.

For we stretch not our pretensions beyond bounds, as though we reached not unto you; for we have advanced even unto you in the gospel of Christ:

not boasting ourselves unmeasurably in other men's labours; but having hope that when your faith is increased, we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule for more abundant usefulness,

to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to arrogate glory in another man's line for things already prepared.

For not he who commendeth himself is approved, but he whom the Lord commendeth.

For if he indeed that cometh preach another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not embraced, ye might well bear with him.

For though I may be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but on every occasion we have been made manifest in all things among you.

Wherefore? Because I love you not? God knoweth.

What I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as it were in folly in this confidence of boasting.

Thrice I have been scourged with rods, once I have been stoned, thrice I have suffered shipwreck, a whole night and day I have passed in the deep;

Who is feeble, and am I not feeble? Who is offended, and am I not on fire?

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

IT is not expedient doubtless for me to boast. I will yet come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body I know not, or whether out of the body I know not: God knoweth;) such a one was caught up unto the third heavens.

And I knew such a man, (whether in the body or out of the body I know not: God knoweth,)

that he was caught up into paradise, and heard ineffable words, which it is not permitted to man to speak.

Of such a one will I boast; but in myself will I not boast, save in my infirmities.

For though I should be disposed to boast, I shall not be a fool; for I shall speak truth: but I desist, lest any man think of me above what he seeth me to be, or what he heareth of me.

And that I might not be lifted up above measure by the transcendent greatness of the revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, the angel Satan, to buffet me, that I might not be lifted up above measure.

For what is there wherein ye have been inferior to the other churches, except that I have not been burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong.

Lo! I hold myself ready the third time to come unto you, and I will not burden you; for I seek not yours but you: for the children ought not to lay up treasure for their parents, but the parents for the children.

But admit it, I was not burdensome to you: but being crafty, I caught you with guile.

I entreated Titus [to go to you], and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make any advantage of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?

For I am afraid that when I come I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found of you such as ye would not: lest haply there be contentions, jealousies, animosities, quarrels, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:

and lest when I come to you again, my God should bow me down, and I should lament over many who have sinned before, and have not repented of the impurities, and whoredom, and lasciviousness which they have committed.

I have told you before, and I repeat it, as when I was present the second time, and now absent, I write to those who have sinned already, and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare you:

since ye demand a proof that Christ speaketh in me, who to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.

Examine yourselves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your ownselves: know ye not your ownselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobate?

But I hope that ye shall know that we are not reprobate.

Now I pray unto God that ye do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you may do that which is laudable, though we should be as reprobates.

For this cause, though absent, I have written these things, that when I am present I may not use severity, according to the power which the Lord hath given me for edification, and not for destruction.