Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

For our boast is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with holiness and godly sincerity, not in worldly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and still more toward you.

For we write you nothing but what you can read and understand; and I hope you will understand fully,

But as surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No.

For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by usby me and Silvanus and Timothywas not Yes and No, but in him it has always been Yes.

he has put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

But I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.

Not that we lord it over your faith; but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith.

For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained?

For I wrote you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

But if any one has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measurenot to put it too severelyto all of you.

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

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

You show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of carnal hearts.

Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves; but our competence is from God,

who has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at the end of the radiance that was fading away.

But their minds were hardened; for to this day, when they read the old covenant, the same veil remains unlifted, because only in Christ is it removed.

But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

But we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

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

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;

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

So then death is at work in us, but life in you.

while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are unseen are eternal.

For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed, but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men; but what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.

We are not again commending ourselves to you, but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you may have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart.

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.

But as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, distresses,

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

For even when we came into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turnconflicts on the outside and fears within.

But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

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

now I rejoice, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance; for you became sorrowful as God intended, so that you suffered no loss through us.

For godly sorrow produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly sorrow produces death.

So although I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong, nor on account of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your zeal for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God.

For if I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting before Titus has proved true.

And they did not do as we expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

But as you excel in everythingin faith, in utterance, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in your love for ussee that you excel in this work of grace also.

I am not speaking this as a command, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.

And in this matter I give my advice: it is best for you now to complete what a year ago you began not only to do but to desire.

but at the present time your abundance should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be equality.

But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord.

and not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work which we are carrying on, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will.

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

And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many matters, but who is now more diligent than ever because of his great confidence in you.

But I am sending the brethren so that our boasting about you may not prove vain in this case, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be;

So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren to go on to you before me, and arrange in advance for this gift you have promised, so that it may be ready not as an exaction but as a willing gift.

For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.

I, Paul, myself urge you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold to you when I am away!

For the weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds.

For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I shall not be put to shame.

For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is weak, and his speech of no account."

For we do not dare to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.

But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has apportioned to us, a field that reaches even to you.

We do not go beyond limits by boasting in other men's labors, but our hope is that as your faith grows, our sphere among you may be greatly enlarged,

But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

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

I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me.

But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

But even if I am unskilled in speech, I am not in knowledge; in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

I repeat, let no one think me foolish; but even if you do, receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

What I am saying I am not saying as the Lord would, but as a fool, in this confidence of boasting.

For you put up with fools gladly, being so wise yourselves!

For you put up with anyone if he makes slaves of you, or preys upon you, or takes advantage of you, or exalts himself, or strikes you in the face.

To my shame, I must say that we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast aboutI am speaking as a foolI also dare to boast about.

but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped his hands.

I must go on boasting, though there is nothing to be gained by it; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

And I know that this manwhether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows

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

Though if I should boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.

Here for 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 children ought not to lay up for their parents, but parents for their children.

But be that as it may, I did not burden you myself. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery!

since you desire proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful in you.

For he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God for you.

Now we pray to God that you may not do wrong, not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, even though we may seem to have failed.

For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.