who ever comforts me in all my troubles, so that I may be continually able to comfort those who are in any trouble by the comfort with which God is ever comforting me.

My hope for you is firm; for I know that as you are comrades in my sufferings, so also are you comrades in my comfort.

Now, brothers, I want you to know about the troubles which befell me in Asia; how I was burdened altogether beyond my strength, so that I renounced all hope even of life itself.

Indeed, I had in myself, and still have, the sentence of death, in order that I might not rely on myself, but on God who raises the dead to life.

He delivered me from such a death, and will deliver me. On him I have set my hopes that he will continue to deliver me,

while all of you also are helping me by your prayers; so that from many lips thanksgiving may rise on my behalf for the blessings vouchsafed to me through the intercessions of many.

For this is my proud boast, the testimony of my conscience, that it was in holiness and with pure motives before God, not in worldly wisdom, but in the grace of God, that I have conducted myself in the world, and above all in my relations with you.

as some indeed did recognize in part at last, that I am your cause of boasting, just as you will be mine on the Day of Jesus our Lord.

And in this confidence I intended to visit you, before going elsewhere, that you might have a pleasure twice over.

In purposing this did I display "caprice"? Or what I purpose do I purpose in a worldly way, so that it may mean either "Yes, yes," or "No, no"?

For Jesus Christ, Son of God, who was proclaimed among you by us, that is, by Silvanus and Timothy and me, was not wavering between "Yes" and "No," but in him is the everlasting "Yes."

But for my part I call God to witness, as my soul shall answer for it, that it was to spare you that I came not to Corinth

(not that I am attempting to lord it over your faith, but rather to work with you for your happiness); for your faith is stedfast.

I decided that I would not visit you again in grief;

And for this very reason I wrote you, that I might not come only to be grieved by those who ought to give me joy; and because I trusted in you all, that my joy is the joy of all of you.

so that now you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest he should be overwhelmed by the excess of his grief.

For this very purpose also I wrote you (before), that I might test you, to see if you were obedient in every respect.

for your sakes, that I may not be overreached by Satan, for I am not ignorant of his devices.

Since all can see that you are a letter of Christ transcribed by men, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts as tablets.

Not that I am sufficient in myself to reach any conclusion in my own wisdom; but my sufficiency is from God.

If, however, the administration of death, written with letters and engraved on stones, began in glory, so that the children of Israel could not gaze steadily on the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face?? glory even then fading??8 how much more shall the ministry of the Spirit abide in glory?

Indeed that which once was glorious has lost its glory, because of the glory which surpasses it.

For if that which was fading came in glory, far more will that which ever abides be glorious.

Nay, their minds were made dull; for to this very day, at the public reading of the Old Testament, the same veil rests thereon, because it is not revealed to them that in Christ the veil is taken away.

But even if my gospel, too, is "veiled," it is among those who are on the way to perish that it is "veiled."

Among them the god of this age has blinded the understanding of the unbelieving so that the sunshine of the gospel of God, should not dawn upon them.

It is not myself that I proclaim, but Christ Jesus as Master, and myself that I proclaim, and myself your slave for Jesus' sake.

For God who said, "Out of darkness light shall shine," is he who has shone in my heart, that the sunrise of the knowledge of God may shine forth in the face of Christ.

But I hold this treasure in an earthen vessel, in order that the surpassing greatness of the power may be from God, and not from myself.

Wherever I go, I am always carrying about in my body the dying of Jesus, in order that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in this body of mine.

For, alive though I am, I am always given over to death for the sake of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may shine forth in my dying flesh.

For I know that He who raised from the dead the Lord Jesus, will raise me also with Jesus, and set me at your side in his presence.

For everything is for your sakes, so that more abundant grace, because of the thanksgiving of many voices, might overflow to the glory of God.

For in this tent I am groaning, earnestly longing to be under the cover of my heavenly habitation; if so be that being so covered,

For in this tent of mine I am groaning in deep trouble; not that I wish to be unclothed, but to be clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up in life.

Therefore I am always of good courage, because I well know that while I am at home in the body, I am in banishment from the Lord,

For we must all be made manifest, in our true characters, before the Judgment-seat of Christ; so that each one may receive according to that which he has done in his body, whether good or evil.

I am not "commending myself to you again," but I am giving you an occasion of boasting on my behalf, so that you may have an answer ready for those who boast in externals, and not in the heart.

For the love of Christ overmasters me; because I thus judge that if One has died for all, then all have died;

and that he died for all in order that the living may live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again for them.

how that God was in Christ reconciling a world to himself, not reckoning to men their trespasses; and that to me he has entrusted the message of that reconciliation.

Him who knew no sin, in our behalf he has made to be sin; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

I am giving no one a cause of stumbling in order that my ministry may not be discredited;

and not alone by his coming, but also by the comfort you had been to him. For he told me of your eager longing, of your penitence, and of your zeal on my behalf, so that I was happier still.

Even if I caused you pain by my letter, I do not regret; though I did regret it when I saw that my letter had caused you pain, even for a time.

I rejoice that I have complete confidence in you.

For I can testify that according to their ability, and even beyond their ability, of their own free will, too, they have given help.

With the result that I have been begging Titus that, as he had been the one to begin the work with you, so he should complete among you this grace also.

Now then, as you excel in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and all zeal and in your love to me, see to it that you excel in this grace also.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, how though he was rich, for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.

And I will give you my opinion in this matter; for this offering is fitting in your case, considering that you made a beginning before others, not only in the willingness to do something but also in actually doing something a year ago.

So now complete the doing of it also, in order that just as there was the readiness to will, so there may be the accomplishment according to your means.

But thanks be to God who has inspired in the heart of Titus the same zeal on your behalf that I have.

And I am sending with him that brother whose fame in the service of the gospel is spread through all the churches.

More than that, he is the one chosen by the churches to accompany me on my journey, in administering this gift of yours for the Lord's glory. And this has my full consent,

because I am on my guard in this, that no one should blame me, in respect to this bounty which I am administering.

As for Titus, remember that he is a partner of mine, and is also my associate in labors for you. As for the other brothers, remember that they are delegates from the churches, men in whom Christ is glorified.

for I know how ready you are, and am always boasting about you to the Macedonians, telling them that Greece has been ready for a year past; and your zeal has been a spur to the majority of them.

Nevertheless I am sending the brothers in order that my boast about you may not prove vain in this instance; so that, as I kept saying, you may be prepared.

So I have thought that I must ask these brothers to visit you beforehand, and get your promised contribution ready in advance. I want it to be given of your bounty, not extorted from your covetousness.

But let each give according to the purpose of his heart; not grudgingly of under compulsion. It is a cheerful giver that God loves.

And God is able to give you an overflowing measure of every grace, so that all your wants of every kind may be supplied at all times, and you may give of your abundance to every good work;

You yourselves will be enriched with all good things, that you may give ungrudgingly; and your gifts, of which I am the agent, will make men give thanks to God.

Moreover, in their prayers for you they will be longing after you, because of the exceeding grace of God that is resting upon you.

Now I Paul, myself, appeal to you by the humble-heartedness and selflessness of Christ??aul who "in your presence is humble, but bold enough when he is absent"??2 I beseech you, and I say, do not make me show my boldness, when I come in the boldness with which I think I shall show my courage against some who think that I am walking on the low level of the flesh.

For I pull down imaginations and every crag that lifts itself against the knowledge of God. And I carry every thought away into captivity and subjection to Christ;

Look these facts in the face. If any man is fully persuaded as regards himself that he belongs to Christ, let him consider again with himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also am I.

Let such a man assure himself that my actions, when I am present, will be just like my words in my letters when I am absent.

I am not "boasting beyond measure in the labors of others," but it is my hope that, as your faith goes on increasing among yourselves, by the enlargement of my appointed limits,

Would that you could put up with a little "folly" from me! Nay, do bear with me.

I have a divine jealousy on your behalf; for I betrothed you to one only husband, even to Christ, that I might present you to him, a chaste virgin.

For I reckon that I am in no respect behind your superapostolic apostles.

Is it a sin, forsooth, that I humbled myself that you might be exalted, in preaching the gospel to you free of cost?

I am doing and will continue to do this in order to cut away the ground from under those who wish some cause for slander; and that the ground of their boasting may appear as does mine.

I say again, let no one think me a fool. Or, if you must, at least bear with me as a fool, that I, too, may do a little boasting.

I say that I was weak, and yet for whatever reason any one is bold (I speak in mere folly) I too am bold.

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am telling the truth.

It was for this reason, lest I should be over-elated, that there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I should be over-elated.

Concerning this, three times over I supplicated the Lord that it might leave me;

but he has answered me. "My grace is sufficient for you; it is in weakness that my power is perfected."

Most gladly therefore will I boast rather of my weakness, that over me like a tent may be pitched the power of Christ. That is why I rejoice in weakness, in ill-treatment, in troubles, in persecutions and calamities for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.

In what respect, then, were you inferior to the other churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

But though it be granted that I was not a burden to you, yet, you say, this was my cunning with which I caught you by a trick.

Do you think that all this time I am defending myself to you? It is before the presence of God that I am speaking in Christ; and all, beloved, for your upbuilding.

For I dread that perhaps, when I come, I may not find you to be such as I wish, and that I may be found by you such as you do not wish; I dread lest there should be quarrels, jealousy, tempers, party spirit, slandering, gossip, arrogance, tumults;

Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith; put your own selves to the proof. Or do you not know, your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you fail to abide the proof?

But I hope you will find that I abide the proof.

And my prayer to God is that you may do no evil; not in order that I may appear approved, but that you may do what is noble, though I should seem unable to abide the proof.

For this reason I am writing thus while absent, so that when I come, I may not have to deal sharply, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for pulling down.