For we do not desire to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life.

Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead,

For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God we conducted ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.

But as God is faithful, our word toward you is not "Yes and no."

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not "Yes and no," but in him is "Yes."

But I call God for a witness to my soul, that I did not come to Corinth to spare you.

Not that we have lordship over your faith, but are fellow workers with you for your joy. For you stand firm in faith.

But I determined this for myself, that I would not come to you again in sorrow.

And I wrote this very thing, so that, when I came, I would not have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy would be shared by all of you.

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made sorry, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you.

But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I not press too heavily) to you all.

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

I had no relief for my spirit, because I did not find Titus, my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went out into Macedonia.

For we are not, like so many, peddling the word of God. But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.

Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? We do not need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you, do we?

being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.

not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;

who also made us sufficient as servants of a New Covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which was passing away:

For truly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.

and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face, that the children of Israel would not look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away.

Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we do not faint.

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

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

But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.

We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair;

pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed;

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is wearing away, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.

since, after we have put it on, we will not be found naked.

For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened; not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

for we walk by faith, not by sight.

For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but speak as giving you occasion of boasting on our behalf, that you may have something to answer those who boast in appearance, and not in heart.

namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Working together, we entreat also that you not receive the grace of God in vain,

We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed,

as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and not killed;

You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections.

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

I say this not to condemn you, for I have said before, that you are in our hearts to die together and live together.

and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, while he told us of your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced still more.

For though I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. For I see that my letter made you sorry, though just for a while.

I now rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that you were made sorry to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly way, that you might suffer loss by us in nothing.

So although I wrote to you, I wrote not for his cause that did the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered the wrong, but that your earnest care for us might be revealed in you in the sight of God.

For if in anything I have boasted to him on your behalf, I was not disappointed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth.

This was not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.

I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.

I give a judgment in this: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to start a year ago, not only to do, but also to be willing.

For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you do not have.

For this is not that others may be eased and you distressed,

Not only so, but who was also appointed by the churches to travel with us in this grace, which is served by us to the glory of the Lord himself, and to show our readiness.

Having regard for honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

But I have sent the brothers that our boasting on your behalf may not be in vain in this respect, that, just as I said, you may be prepared,

I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brothers that they would go before to you, and arrange ahead of time the generous gift that you promised before, that the same might be ready as a matter of generosity, and not of greediness.

Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.

For this service of giving that you perform not only makes up for lack among the saints, but abounds also through many thanksgivings to God;

But I implore you that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence with which I intend on showing against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh;

for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty in God for the tearing down of strongholds,

For though I should boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down) I will not be disappointed,

that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters.

For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but within the boundaries with which God appointed to us, which reach even to you.

For we do not stretch ourselves too much, as though we did not reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Christ,

not boasting beyond proper limits in other men's labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,

so as to proclaim the Good News even to the parts beyond you, not to boast in what someone else has already done.

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

For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not proclaim, or if you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a different "good news", which you did not accept, you put up with that well enough.

For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.

Even though I am unskilled in speech, I am not unskilled in knowledge. But in every way we have made this known to you in all things.

When I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so.

Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.

That which I speak, I do not speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep.

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forevermore, knows that I do not lie.

It is necessary to boast, though it is not profitable. But I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I do not know, or whether out of the body, I do not know; God knows), such a one caught up into the third heaven.

I know such a man (whether in the body, or apart from the body, I do not know; God knows),

how he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.

For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no man may think more of me than that which he sees in me, or hears from me.

By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively.

For what is there in which you were made inferior to the rest of the churches, unless it is that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong.

Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I seek not what is yours, but you. For the children ought not to save up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

But be it so, I did not myself burden you. But, being crafty, I caught you with deception.

I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Did not we walk in the same spirit? Did not we walk in the same steps?

For I am afraid that by any means, when I come, I might find you not the way I want to, and that I might be found by you as you do not desire; that by any means there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, riots;

that again when I come my God would humble me before you, and I would mourn for many of those who have sinned before now, and not repented of the uncleanness and sexual immorality and lustfulness which they committed.

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

seeing that you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me; who toward you is not weak, but is powerful in you.

Test your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or do you not know as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you??unless indeed you are disqualified.

But I hope that you will know that we are not disqualified.

Now we pray to God that you do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that you may do that which is honorable, though we are as reprobate.

For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not deal sharply when present, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for tearing down.