For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our distress which came upon us in Asia, that it was exceedingly heavy upon us beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;

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

For our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and the sincerity which is of God, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.

But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yea and nay.

For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us, by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not found yea and nay, but in him hath been found yea.

not that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy. For in respect to faith ye stand firm.

But I determined this with myself, that my next visit to you should not be in sorrow.

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.

But if any one hath caused grief, he hath caused it not to me alone, but in a measure, not to be too severe on him, to all of you.

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

I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went forth into Macedonia.

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

Are we beginning again to recommend ourselves? Or do we need, like some others, letters of recommendation to you, or letters of recommendation from you?

since ye are manifestly shown to be a letter of Christ by means of our service, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tablets of stone, but on fleshly tablets of the heart.

not that we are able of ourselves to think anything, as from ourselves; but our ability is from God;

who also gave us ability to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.

But if the ministration of death, engraven in letters on stones, was so glorious, that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses by reason of the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away,

shall not the ministration of the Spirit be much more glorious?

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.

But their understandings were blinded; for until this day, when the old covenant is read, the same veil remaineth, since it is not unveiled to them that it is done away in Christ;

Therefore, having this ministry through the mercy we received, we are not fainthearted;

but have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God.

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus sake.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not of us;

being troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair;

persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

For which cause we are not fainthearted; but though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are but for a time; but the things which are not seen are ever lasting.

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.

since, indeed, when we have put off our present garment, we shall not be found naked.

For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened; inasmuch as we do not desire to be unclothed, but to be clothed upon, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.

for we walk by faith, not by sight; but we have courage,

For we are not again commending ourselves to you, but giving you occasion to glory on our behalf; that ye may have somewhat to answer those who glory in outward appearance, and not in heart.

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

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

As fellowworkers, then, with him, we also exhort you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain;

giving no occasion for stumbling in anything, that the ministry may not be blamed;

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

Ye have not a narrow place in my heart, but ye have a narrow place for me in yours.

Be not strangely yoked with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? Or what communion hath light with darkness?

"Wherefore come out from the midst of them, and be separated, saith the Lord, and touch not anything unclean;" "and I will receive you,

I am not saying this to condemn you; for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die with you and to live with you.

and not by his coming only, but by the comfort with which he was comforted in regard to you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal in my behalf; so that I rejoiced the more.

For though I caused you sorrow with the letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it; for I perceive that that letter caused you sorrow, though it was but for a short time.

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;

and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God;

I speak not by way of command, but by reason of the earnestness of others, and to prove the genuineness of your love.

And I only give an opinion in this matter. For this is expedient for you, who began before others, not only to do, but also to be willing, a year ago.

For if there be first the willing mind, it is accepted according to what a man hath, not according to what he hath not.

For it is not that others may be eased, and you burdened,

and not that only, but who was also appointed by the churches as our fellowtraveler in the matter of this bounty, which is administered by us to the honor of the Lord himself, and of our ready mind;

for we take forethought for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

But I sent the brethren, that our boasting of you should not prove unfounded in this respect; that, as I said, ye may be prepared;

lest, should the Macedonians come with me, and find you unprepared, we (not to say ye) should be put to shame in respect to this confidence.

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.

Each one, as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.

for the ministration of this service not only supplieth the wants of the saints, but also overfloweth through many thanksgivings to God;

but I entreat you, that I may not when I am present be bold with that confidence wherewith I think of being bold towards some, who think of us as walking according to the flesh.

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

(for the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds,)

For even if I should boast still more highly of our authority, which the Lord gave us for building you up, and not pulling you down, I should not be put to shame;

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

For we do not venture to reckon ourselves among, or compare ourselves with, some of those who commend themselves; but they, measuring themselves among themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not wise.

But we will not boast of things that are without our measure, but according to the measure of the line which God allotted us,a measure to reach even to you.

For we do not stretch ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not to you; (for as far as even to you did we come, in the gospel of Christ;)

not boasting of things that are without measure, in other mens labors, but having hope, when your faith is increased, that our line will through you be still further extended,

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

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.

And though I am rude in speech, yet I am not in knowledge; but this did we in every respect manifest to you in all things.

As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting shall not be stopped in regard to me in the regions of Achaia.

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 was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have spent in the deep;

Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is in danger of stumbling, and I do not burn?

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I am not lying.

It is indeed not expedient for me to boast; I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago,whether in the body, I know not, or whether out of the body, I know not; God knoweth,such a one caught up even to the third heaven.

And I know such a man, whether in the body, or without the body, I know not; God knoweth,

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

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

For if I should desire to boast, I should not be a fool; for I should say the truth; but I forbear, lest any one should think of me above what he seeth me to be, or what he heareth from me.

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.

For what is there in which ye were at disadvantage when compared with other churches, except that I myself was not a charge to you? Forgive me this wrong.

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

But be it so; I at least was not a charge to you; but yet, being crafty, I caught you with guile.

I urged Titus to go to you, and with him I sent the brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?

For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and lest I too shall be found by you such as ye would not; lest there be wranglings, envying, wraths, rivalries, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults;

and lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many of those who have sinned already, and did not repent of the uncleanness, and fornication, and lasciviousness, which they committed.

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

since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who towards you is not weak, but is mighty among you.

Try yourselves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, that Christ Jesus is in you, unless ye are unapproved?

But I trust that ye shall know, that we are not unapproved.

Now we pray to God that ye do no evil; not in order that we may appear approved, but that ye may do what is good, though we be as unapproved.

For this cause I write these things while absent, that when present I may not use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord gave me for edification, and not for destruction.