Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Timothy the brother, to the congregation of God that is at Corinth, with all the sanctified who are in the whole of Achaia.

But whether we are oppressed, it is for your encouragement and salvation, which works by endurance from the same sufferings that we also experience (and our hope for you is steadfast), or we are encouraged, it is for your encourage

knowing that, as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also of the encouragement.

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about our affliction that happened to us in Asia, because we were extraordinarily weighed down, above strength, so as for us to despair even to be alive.

But we ourselves have had the sentence of death in ourselves, so that we should not be trusting in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.

Who rescued us out of so great a death, and does rescue, in whom we have hoped that he will also still rescue.

And of you who help together by supplication for us (a gift for us from many persons, because of many), so that there may be gratitude about you.

For our pride is this (the testimony from our conscience), that we behave in the world in the simplicity and purity of God, not by fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, and especially toward you.

And in this confidence I intended to come to you earlier, so that ye might have a second benefit,

Therefore intending this, did I accordingly employ anything in lightness? Or what I decide, do I decide according to flesh, so that it would be with me the yes, yes and the no, no?

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

And I wrote this same thing to you, so that when I came, I would not have sadness from whom I ought to rejoice, having been confident toward you all, because my joy is of all of you.

For out of much stress and dismay of heart, through many tears, I wrote to you, not that ye would be grieved, but that ye might know the love that I have so much more for you.

But if any man has caused sadness, he has not caused me sadness, but in part (that I may not bear down) you all.

so that instead, for you rather to forgive and encourage, lest perhaps such a man would be swallowed up with too much sorrow.

For I also wrote for this, so that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things.

so that we may not be exploited by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his methods.

being seen that ye are a letter of Christ, administered by us, written not in ink, but in the Spirit of the living God, not in stony tablets, but in fleshly tablets, in hearts.

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

But if the administration of death in writings engraved on stones occurred in glory, so that the sons of Israel could not gaze upon the face of Moses because of the fading glory of his countenance,

For also that which has been glorified, has not been glorified in this regard, because of the glory that transcends.

For if that which is abolished was through glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the excellence of the power may be of God and not from us,

Always carrying around in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, so that also the life of Jesus may be made visible in our body.

For we who live are always given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that also the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.

And having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we also believe, and therefore we speak,

knowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up through Jesus, and will present us with you.

For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace, which has multiplied because of the thankfulness of the many, may abound for the glory of God.

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

For also those who are in the tent groan, being burdened, not in that we want to undress, but to clothe ourselves, so that the mortal may be swallowed up by the life.

Therefore always being confident, and knowing that while at home in the body we are absent from the Lord,

For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of the Christ, so that each man may receive back about the things that he did through the body, whether good or bad.

For we are not commending ourselves again to you, but giving you an opportunity of boasting about us, so that ye may have for those who boast in appearance and not in heart.

For the love of Christ holds us together, having judge this, that if one died for all, then all died.

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

So that henceforth we know no man according to flesh, and even if we have known Christ according to flesh, yet now we know him no longer.

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

For the man who knew no sin was made sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

giving not one cause of stumbling in anything, so that the ministry may not be criticized,

I speak not for condemnation, for I have said before that ye are in our hearts to die together and to live together.

And not only by his presence, but also by the encouragement with which he was encouraged by you, reporting to us your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced the more.

Because even though I grieved you in the letter, I am not remorseful (even though I was remorseful), for I perceive that that letter grieved you, even though for an hour.

Now I rejoice, not that ye were grieved, but that ye were grieved for repentance. For ye were grieved toward God, so that ye might suffer loss from us in nothing.

I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything.

And, brothers, we declare to you the grace of God that has been given in the congregations of Macedonia,

that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy, even from the depth of their poverty, abounded for the wealth of their generosity,

so that according to their ability, I testify, and beyond their ability, willingly,

for us to urge Titus that, as he earlier began this kindness, so he would even finish it for you also.

But as ye abound in everything, in faith, and word, and knowledge, and all diligence, and in your love to us, be that ye may also abound in this kindness.

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich he became poor for your sakes, so that by that man's poverty ye might become rich.

And now also finish the doing, so that just as was the willingness of the intending, so also to finish from the having.

For it is not, so that ease is for others and stress for you, but out of parity your abundance at the present time is for the need of those men.

So that the abundance of those men may also happen for your need, so that there may become equity,

For I know your willingness, which I boast about you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was prepared from a year ago. And your zeal provoked the majority.

But I sent the brothers so that our boast about you would not be empty in this regard. So that, as I said, ye may be prepared,

if somehow Macedonians should come with me and find you unprepared, we (that we might not say, ye) would be embarrassed in this confidence of boast.

Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brothers that they would go ahead to you, and arrange in advance your gift that was earlier announced, for this to be ready this way as a gift and not as an exaction.

And God is able to abound all grace for you, so that always in everything having all sufficiency, ye may abound for every good work,

Do ye look at things according to appearance. If any man has convinced himself to be of Christ, let him consider this again of himself, that, as he is of Christ, so also are we of Christ.

so that I would not seem as if to terrify you by the letters.

Let such a man think this, that such kind we are in word by letters when absent, we are also such kind when present in the work.

But we will not boast in things immeasurable, but according to the measure of the standard that God apportioned to us, of a measure to reach even as far as you.

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

O that ye tolerated a little of my foolishness, but tolerate me too.

For indeed if a man who comes, preaches another Jesus whom we did not preach, or ye receive another spirit that ye did not receive, or another good-news that ye did not accept, ye well tolerated it.

Or did I commit a sin lowering myself so that ye might be lifted up, because I preached to you the good-news of God freely?

The truth of Christ is in me that this pride in me will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

But what I do, I also will do, so that I may cut off the opportunity of those who desire an opportunity, that in what they boast, they might appear just as we also.

I say again, let not any man think me to be foolish, but if otherwise--even if as foolish--accept me, so that I also may boast some a little.

I speak as from shame, that we were so weak. Yet in whatever any man may be bold in foolishness, I say I too am bold.

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

that he was caught up into the paradise, and heard inexpressible sayings that are not permitted for a man to utter.

And so that I might not be over exalted by the extraordinariness of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, an agent of Satan so that he would buffet me, so that I would not be over exalted.

I besought the Lord thrice about this, that it might depart from me.

And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my power is made fully perfect in weakness. More gladly therefore I will boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of the Christ may reside in me.

For what is there which ye were inferior to the other congregations? Except that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong.

Again, do ye think that we are making defense to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edification.

lest having come again my God will make me low toward you, and I will bewail many of those who have sinned previously, and who did not repent from the trash and fornication and licentiousness that they committed.

I have told you before, and I say in advance, as present the second time, and now absent, I write to those who have previously sinned, and to all the others, that if I come to it again, I will not spare,

Examine yourselves whether ye are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or know ye not yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless ye are test-failing something.

But I hope that ye will know that we are not test-failing.

Now I pray to God, to do you nothing harmful, not that we would appear test-passing, but that ye would do right, even like we might be test-failing.

Because of this I write these things while absent, so that I may not act harshly when present, according to the authority that the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.