Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother:

To God’s church at Corinth, with all the saints who are throughout Achaia.

He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so through Christ our comfort also overflows.

And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the comfort.

For we don’t want you to be unaware, brothers, of our affliction that took place in Asia: we were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life.

Indeed, we personally had a death sentence within ourselves, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.

while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.

For this is our confidence: The testimony of our conscience is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with God-given sincerity and purity, not by fleshly wisdom but by God’s grace.

I planned with this confidence to come to you first, so you could have a double benefit,

So when I planned this, was I irresponsible? Or what I plan, do I plan in a purely human way so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” simultaneously?

For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in Him. Therefore, the “Amen” is also spoken through Him by us for God’s glory.

I wrote this very thing so that when I came I wouldn’t have pain from those who ought to give me joy, because I am confident about all of you that my joy will also be yours.

As a result, you should instead forgive and comfort him. Otherwise, this one may be overwhelmed by excessive grief.

I wrote for this purpose: to test your character to see if you are obedient in everything.

I have done this so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.

For we are not like the many who market God’s message for profit. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.

It is clear that you are Christ’s letter, produced by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God—not on stone tablets but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.

Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory, so that the Israelites were not able to look directly at Moses’ face because of the glory from his face—a fading glory—

We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites could not stare at the end of what was fading away,

Instead, we have renounced shameful secret things, not walking in deceit or distorting God’s message, but commending ourselves to every person’s conscience in God’s sight by an open display of the truth.

In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.

Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.

We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

For we who live are always given over to death because of Jesus, so that Jesus’ life may also be revealed in our mortal flesh.

So death works in us, but life in you.

Indeed, everything is for your benefit, so that grace, extended through more and more people, may cause thanksgiving to increase to God’s glory.

So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life.

For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.

We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in the outward appearance rather than in the heart.

For Christ’s love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, then all died.

And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”

He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Working together with Him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive God’s grace in vain.”

We give no opportunity for stumbling to anyone, so that the ministry will not be blamed.

But as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything:

by great endurance, by afflictions,
by hardship, by difficulties,

And what agreement does God’s sanctuary have with idols? For we are the sanctuary of the living God, as God said:

I will dwell among them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be My people.

I don’t say this to condemn you, for I have already said that you are in our hearts, to live together and to die together.

and not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort he received from you. He told us about your deep longing, your sorrow, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

For even if I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it—even though I did regret it since I saw that the letter grieved you, yet only for a little while.

Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us.

So even though I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong, or because of the one who was wronged, but in order that your diligence for us might be made plain to you in the sight of God.

For if I have made any boast to him about you, I have not been embarrassed; but as I have spoken everything to you in truth, so our boasting to Titus has also turned out to be the truth.

and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves especially to the Lord, then to us by God’s will.

So we urged Titus that just as he had begun, so he should also complete this grace to you.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich.

But now finish the task as well, that just as there was eagerness to desire it, so there may also be a completion from what you have.

at the present time your surplus is available for their need, so their abundance may also become available for our need, so there may be equality.

We are taking this precaution so no one can criticize us about this large sum administered by us.

But I sent the brothers so our boasting about you in the matter would not prove empty, and so you would be prepared just as I said.

Therefore I considered it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance the generous gift you promised, so that it will be ready as a gift and not as an extortion.

And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.

Look at what is obvious. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself of this: Just as he belongs to Christ, so do we.

We are not bragging beyond measure about other people’s labors. But we have the hope that as your faith increases, our area of ministry will be greatly enlarged,

so that we may proclaim the good news to the regions beyond you, not boasting about what has already been done in someone else’s area of ministry.

So the one who boasts must boast in the Lord.

Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

So it is no great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their destiny will be according to their works.

I repeat: No one should consider me a fool. But if you do, at least accept me as a fool, so I too may boast a little.

What I say in this matter of boasting, I don’t speak as the Lord would, but foolishly.

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

I say this to our shame: We have been weak.

But in whatever anyone dares to boast—I am talking foolishly—I also dare:

Are they Hebrews? So am I.
Are they Israelites? So am I.
Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.

Three times I was beaten with rods by the Romans.
Once I was stoned by my enemies.
Three times I was shipwrecked.
I have spent a night and a day
in the open sea.

On frequent journeys, I faced
dangers from rivers,
dangers from robbers,
dangers from my own people,
dangers from the Gentiles,
dangers in the city,
dangers in the open country,
dangers on the sea,
and dangers among false brothers;

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

For if I want to boast, I will not be a fool, because I will be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me,

especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself.

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.

So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So in what way were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I personally did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

I gave a warning when I was present the second time, and now I give a warning while I am absent to those who sinned before and to all the rest: If I come again, I will not be lenient,

In fact, He was crucified in weakness, but He lives by God’s power. For we also are weak in Him, yet toward you we will live with Him by God’s power.

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless you fail the test.