If I am in trouble, it is to bring you comfort and salvation, and if I am comforted, it is for the sake of the comfort which you experience when you steadfastly endure such sufferings as I also have to bear.

When I thus wise was minded: Did I use lightness? Or think I carnally those things which I think, that with me should be "yea, yea," and "nay, nay?"

for to all the promises of God he supplies the "Yes" that confirms them. That is why we utter the "Amen" through him, when we give glory to God.

But I purposed in my self, I would not be the occasion of any uneasiness to you when I come again.

This is the very thing I wrote you, that when I did come I might not be made sad by the very people who ought to make me glad, for I had confidence in you all that my gladness would be gladness to you all.

For I was in great trouble and distress of mind when I wrote you, and I shed many tears as I did it, yet it was not to hurt your feelings, but to make you realize the extraordinary affection I have for you.

When you forgive a man, I forgive him too. For anything I had to forgive has been forgiven on your account, and as in the very presence of Christ,

When I was come to Troas for Christ's gospel's sake - and a great door was opened unto me of the Lord -

since that which distinguished the first had no glory, when compared to that of the other, which far excell'd it.

But their minds were blinded. For until this day remaineth the same covering, untaken away, in the old testament when they read it - which in Christ is put away:

But even unto this day, when Moses is read the veil hangeth before their hearts.

Nevertheless when they turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.

Having by the same spirit the same faith as David had when he said, "I believed, and therefore have I spoken:" I also believe, and therefore I speak;

since, when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.

It is the love of the Christ which compels us, when we reflect that, as one died for all, therefore all died;

So there is a new creation when any man is in Christ. The old life has passed away, behold, the new is come.

for God said [Isa. 49:8], "I listened to you at the right time [i.e., when you needed my favor], and I helped you on the day of your salvation." Look, now is the right time [to accept God's favor]; now is the day of salvation.

in honor or dishonor, in praise or blame; considered an imposter, when I am true,

obscure, when I am well known, at the point of death, yet here I am alive, punished, but not dead yet,

pained, when I am always glad, poor, when I make many others rich, penniless, when really I own everything.

What agreement can thee be between a temple of God and idols? And we are a temple of the Living God. That is what God meant when he said--'I will dwell among them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

For when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side: Outward was fighting, inward was fear.

And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.

For even if I did hurt your feelings with that letter, I cannot regret it; even if I did regret it, when I saw that the letter had hurt your feelings perhaps for a while,

For ye sorrowed godly: so that in nothing were ye hurt by us. For godly sorrow causeth repentance, unto salvation not to be repented of: when worldly sorrow causeth death.

And now is his inward affection more abundant toward you, when he remembereth the obedience of every one of you: how with fear and trembling ye received him.

I give you my opinion in this matter: this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to take action [to help the believers in Jerusalem], but also [the first] to desire to do it.

for what a man gives with a ready mind, according to his abilities, is well received; but not when he goes beyond his circumstances.

So, I thought it necessary to urge the brothers [See verse 3] to visit you ahead of time and arrange beforehand for your previously promised generous gift. Then it will be ready [when I arrive] as a generously given gift and not as something given grudgingly.

For when, through this work of giving, they see what you are, they give glory to God for the way in which you have given yourselves to the good news of Christ, and for the wealth of your giving to them and to all;

And when they see the outstanding [evidence of] God's favor in you, they will pray for you with deep affection [or, "will long to see you"].

I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and softness of Christ, which when I am present among you, am of no reputation, but am bold toward you being absent.

I beseech you that I need not to be bold when I am present - with that same confidence, wherewith I am supposed to be bold - against some which repute us as though we walked carnally.

When we pull down, calculations, and every height that uplifteth itself against the knowledge of God, and when we bring into captivity every thought unto the obedience of the Christ,

and are ready to take vengeance on all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Let him that is such, think on this wise: that as we are in words by letters when we are absent, such are we in deeds when we are present.

I do not indeed venture to class or compare myself with certain individuals who approve of themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they do not show good sense.

We, however, will not give way to unlimited boasting, but will confine ourselves to the limits of the sphere to which God limited us, when he permitted us to come as far as Corinth.

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.

and we boast not ourselves out of measure in other men's labors. Yea, and we hope, when your faith is increased among you, to be magnified according to our measure more largely;

For a man is proved worthy, not by his self-commendation, but when he is commended by the Lord.

For when somebody comes along and preaches another Jesus than the one I preached, or you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough!

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 spoiled other churches, taking wages of them, to serve you: and when I was present with you and wanted, I was chargeable to no man.

And when I was present with you and had need, I was grievous to no man. For that which was lacking unto me, the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I kept myself that I should not be grievous to you: and so will I keep myself.

Christ knows that it is true when I say that I will not be stopped from boasting of this anywhere in Greece.

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them who desire occasion; that when they glory, they may be found even as we.

When I boast in this reckless way, I do not say what I am saying for the Lord, but as a fool would talk.

For ye bear with fools easily when you are wise yourselves.

You tolerate a man even when he enslaves you, when he plunders you, when he gets you into his power, when he puts on airs of superiority, when he strikes you in the face!

When I was at Damascus, the governor under King Aretas had the city gates watched in order to catch me,

Therefore have I delectation in infirmities, in rebukes, in need, in persecutions, in anguish, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.

I have been making a fool of myself, but you forced me to do it, when you ought to have been expressing your approval of me. For I am not a bit inferior to your superfine apostles, even if I am nobody!

The signs that mark a true apostle were most patiently shown when I was among you, in signs, wonders, and marvels.

For what is there in which ye were at disadvantage when compared with other churches, except that I myself was not a charge to you? Forgive me this wrong.

Are you thinking all this time that I am defending myself to you? It is in the very presence of God and as one who is in union with Christ that I am speaking. And it is all for building you up, beloved, for I am apprehensive that, somehow or other, when I come I shall find you not as I want to find you, and that you may find me not as you want to find me.

For I fear, lest it come to pass, that when I come I shall not find you such as I would: and I shall be found unto you such as I would not. I fear lest there be found among you debate, envying, wrath, strife, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, and discord.

I fear lest when I come again, God bring me low among you, and I be constrained to bewail many of them which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness, and fornication, and wantonness which they have committed.

I told you before, and tell you before, and as I said when I was present with you the second time, so write I now, being absent, to them which in time past have sinned, and to all others: that if I come again, I will not spare;

For He was weak when He was crucified [i.e., by assuming a human body capable of suffering and death], but [now] He lives by God's power. For we too are weak, [along] with Him [i.e., each of us experiences the frailties of a human body], but by [this same] power from God, we will live with Him to serve you. [Note: The various translations differ widely on how to properly translate this difficult verse].

We are glad when we are weak, and ye strong. This also we wish for, even that ye were perfect.

Therefore write I these things being absent, lest when I am present I should use sharpness according to the power which the Lord hath given me, to edify, and not to destroy.