Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints that are in the whole of Achaia:

who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

For as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, even so our comfort also aboundeth through Christ.

But whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which worketh in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer:

and our hope for you is stedfast; knowing that, as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also are ye of the comfort.

For we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning our affliction which befell us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

who delivered us out of so great a death, and will deliver: on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;

ye also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift bestowed upon us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf.

For our glorifying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

as also ye did acknowledge us in part, that we are your glorying, even as ye also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.

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

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

For how many soever be the promises of God, in him is the yea: wherefore also through him is the Amen, unto the glory of God through us.

Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God;

who also sealed us, and gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

For if I make you sorry, who then is he that maketh me glad but he that is made sorry by me?

And I wrote this very thing, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the many;

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

But thanks be unto God, who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest through us the savor of his knowledge in every place.

to the one a savor from death unto death; to the other a savor from life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

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

Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? or need we, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or from you?

being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables 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 ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

For if that which passeth away was with glory, much more that which remaineth is in glory.

Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,

and are not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look stedfastly on the end of that which was passing away:

but their minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remaineth, it not being revealed to them that it is done away in Christ.

But unto this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart.

But whensoever it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.