For as the Messiah's sufferings overflow into us, so also our comfort overflows through the Messiah.

If we suffer, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are suffering.

Our hope for you is unshaken, because we know that as you share our sufferings, you also share our comfort.

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about the suffering we experienced in Asia. We were so crushed beyond our ability to endure that we even despaired of living.

as you also help us by your prayers for us. Then many people will thank God on our behalf because of the favor shown us through the prayers of many.

For this is what we boast about: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world with pure motives and godly sincerity, without earthly wisdom but with God's grace especially toward you.

For what we are writing you is nothing more than what you can read and also understand. I hope you will understand completely,

For God's Son, Jesus the Messiah, who was preached among you by us by me, Silvanus, and Timothy was not "Yes" and "No." But with him it is always "Yes."

For all God's promises are "Yes" in him. And so through him we can say "Amen," to the glory of God.

It is not that we are trying to rule over your faith, but rather to work with you for your joy, because you have been standing firm in the faith.

This is the very reason I wrote you, so that when I did come I might not be made sad by those who should have made me happy. For I had confidence that all of you would share the joy that I have.

I wrote to you out of great sorrow and anguish of heart along with many tears not to make you sad but to let you know how much love I have for you.

This punishment by the majority is severe enough for such a man.

When you forgive someone, I do, too. Indeed, what I have forgiven if there was anything to forgive I did in the presence of the Messiah for your benefit,

When I went to Troas on behalf of the gospel of the Messiah, the Lord opened a door for me,

To some people we are a deadly fragrance, while to others we are a living fragrance. Who is qualified for this?

For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, then the ministry of justification has an overwhelming glory.

For if that which fades away came through glory, how much more does that which is permanent have glory?

However, their minds were hardened, for to this day the same veil is still there when they read the old covenant. Only in union with the Messiah is that veil removed.

For we do not preach ourselves, but rather Jesus the Messiah as Lord, and ourselves as merely your servants for Jesus' sake.

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus the Messiah.

While we are alive, we are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be clearly shown in our mortal bodies.

All this is for your sake so that, as his grace spreads, more and more people will give thanks and glorify God.

This light, temporary nature of our suffering is producing for us an everlasting weight of glory, far beyond any comparison,

because we do not look for things that can be seen but for things that cannot be seen. For things that can be seen are temporary, but things that cannot be seen are eternal.

For in this one we sigh, since we long to put on our heavenly dwelling.

God has prepared us for this and has given us his Spirit as a guarantee.

For we live by faith, not by sight.

For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of the Messiah, so that each of us may receive what he deserves for what he has done in his body, whether good or worthless.

Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade people. We ourselves are perfectly known to God. I hope we are also really known to your consciences.

So if we were crazy, it was for God; if we are sane, it is for you.

The love of the Messiah controls us, for we are convinced of this: that one person died for all people; therefore, all people have died.

He died for all people, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for the one who died and rose for them.

for through the Messiah, God was reconciling the world to himself by not counting their sins against them. He has committed his message of reconciliation to us.

God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that God's righteousness would be produced in us.

For he says, "At the right time I heard you, and on a day of salvation I helped you." Listen, now is really the "right time"! Now is the "day of salvation"!

What agreement can a temple of God make with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said: "I will live and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people."

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let's cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit by becoming mature in our holy fear of God.

Make room for us in your hearts! We have not treated anyone unjustly, harmed anyone, or cheated anyone.

For even when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest. We suffered in a number of ways. Outwardly there were conflicts, inwardly there were fears.

and not only by his arrival but also by the comfort he had received from you. He told us about your longing for me, your sorrow, and your eagerness to take my side, and this made me even happier.

If I made you sad with my letter, I do not regret it, although I did regret it then. I see that the letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while.

Now I am happy, not because you had such sorrow, but because your sorrow led you to repent. For you were sorry in a godly way, and so you were not hurt by us in any way.

For having sorrow in a godly way results in repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regrets. But the sorrow of the world produces death.

For if I have been doing some boasting about you to him, I have never been ashamed of it. Moreover, since everything we told you was true, our boasting to Titus has also proved to be true.

His affection for you is even greater as he remembers how obedient all of you were and how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.

I can testify that by their own free will they have given to the utmost of their ability, yes, even beyond their ability.

They begged us earnestly for the privilege of participating in this ministry to the saints.

Indeed, the more your faith, speech, knowledge, enthusiasm, and love for us increase, the more we want you to be rich in this work of kindness.

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

For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you do not have.

At the present time, your surplus fills their need, so that their surplus may fill your need. In this way things are fair.

He welcomed my request and eagerly went to visit you by his own free will.

With him we have sent the brother who is praised in all the churches for spreading the gospel.

More than that, he has also been selected by the churches to travel with us while we are administering this work of kindness for the glory of the Lord and as evidence of our eagerness to help.

As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker on your behalf. Our brothers, emissaries from the churches, are bringing glory to the Messiah.

For I know how willing you are, and I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year, and your enthusiasm has stimulated most of them.

Therefore, I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to visit you ahead of me, to make arrangements in advance for this gift you promised, and to have it ready as something given generously and not forced.

Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work.

And so in their prayers for you they will long for you because of God's exceptional grace that was shown to you.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

For the weapons of our warfare are not those of the world. Instead, they have the power of God to demolish fortresses. We tear down arguments

For someone is saying, "His letters are impressive and forceful, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible."

For it is not as though we were overstepping our limits when we came to you. We were the first to reach you with the gospel of the Messiah.

Then we can preach the gospel in the regions far beyond you without boasting about things already accomplished by someone else.

For if someone comes along and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or should you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you are all too willing to listen.

Did I commit a sin when I humbled myself by proclaiming to you the gospel of God free of charge, so that you could be exalted?

I am ashamed to admit it, but we have been too weak for that. Whatever anyone else dares to claim I am talking like a fool I can claim it, too.

Are they the Messiah's servants? I am insane to talk like this, but I am a far better one! I have been involved in far greater efforts, far more imprisonments, countless beatings, and have faced death more than once.

Three times I was beaten with a stick, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, and I drifted on the sea for a day and a night.

I will boast about this man, but as for myself I will boast only about my weaknesses.

That is why I take such pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for the Messiah's sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong.

I have become a fool. You forced me to be one. Really, I should have been commended by you, for I am not in any way inferior to your "super-apostles," even if I am nothing.

How were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I did not bother you for help? Forgive me for this wrong!

Now I'm ready to visit you for a third time, and I will not bother you for help. I do not want your things, but rather you yourselves. Children should not have to support their parents, but parents their children.

I will be very glad to spend my money and myself for you. Do you love me less because I love you so much?

Though he was crucified in weakness, he lives by God's power. We are weak with him, but by God's power we will live for you.

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

We are glad when we are weak and you are strong. That is what we are praying for your maturity.

For this reason I am writing this while I am away from you: When I come I do not want to be severe in using the authority the Lord gave me to build you up and not to tear you down.