Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God, and Timotheus the brother, to the assembly of God that is in Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and God of all consolation; who comforteth us in all our affliction,

He comforts me in all my trouble, so that I can comfort people who are in any trouble with the comfort with which I myself am comforted by God.

Why, I felt in my heart that the end must be death. That was to keep me from relying on myself instead of on God, who can even raise the dead.

and which delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver - on whom we trust, that yet hereafter he will deliver us,

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.

The Son of God, Christ Jesus, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus, Timothy, and I, you have not found wavering between "Yes" and "No." With him it has always been "Yes,"

But it is God who guarantees us and you to Christ; he has anointed us

Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

not that we rule [like dictators] over your faith, but rather we work with you for [the increase of] your joy; for in your faith you stand firm [in your strong conviction that Jesus of Nazareth—the Messiah—is the Son of God, through whom we obtain eternal salvation].

For if I make you sorry: who is it that should make me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?

And I wrote this same epistle unto you, lest if I came, I should take heaviness of them, of whom I ought to rejoice. Certainly this confidence have I in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

As to him who has been, and now is, causing pain, it is not I whom he has pained, but all of you??t least some of you (not to overstate the case).

The man to whom I refer has been sufficiently punished by the penalty inflicted by the majority of you;

To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also. And verily if I forgive anything, to whom I forgave it for your sakes forgave I it, in the room of Christ,

and to God are thanks, who at all times is leading us in triumph in the Christ, and the fragrance of His knowledge He is manifesting through us in every place,

Yes, I am the fragrance of Christ to God, diffused among those who are being saved, and those who are perishing alike;

to the one part are we the savor of death unto death; and unto the other part are we the savor of life unto life. And who is mete unto these things?

Now who is qualified for such a task? I am, for I am not a peddler of God's message, like the most of them, but like a man of sincerity, like a man that is sent from God and living in His presence, in union with Christ I speak His message.

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or are we like some who need letters of commendation to you, or from you?

Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Such being my hope then, I am quite frank and open ??13 not like Moses, who used to hang a veil over his face to keep the children of Israel from gazing at the last rays of a fading glory.

not like Moses, who used to wear a veil over his face, to keep the Israelites from gazing at the fading of the splendor from it.

But their minds were slow to learn. Indeed, to this very day, at the public reading of the Old Covenant, the same veil remains unlifted; only for those who are in union with Christ does it pass away.

And, the Lord, is, the Spirit: now, where the Spirit of one who is Lord is, there is freedom!

And all of us, reflecting the splendor of the Lord in our unveiled faces, are being changed into likeness to him, from one degree of splendor to another, for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

If the meaning of my preaching of the good news is veiled at all, it is so only in the case of those who are on the way to destruction.

in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest should shine unto them the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, which is the image of God.

For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in my heart, to give me the light of the knowledge of God's glory, that is on the face of Christ.

for always are we who are living delivered up to death because of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our dying flesh,

In the same spirit of faith as his who said, "I believed, and so I spoke," I too believe, and so I speak,

sure that he who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will raise me also like Jesus, and bring me side by side with you into his presence.

For we go through all things on account of you, because the greater the number to whom the grace is given, the greater is the praise to the glory of God.

For I who am still in my tent sigh with anxiety, because I do not want to be stripped of it, but to put on the other over it, so that what is only mortal may be absorbed in life.

It is God himself who has prepared me for this change, and he has given me the Spirit as his guaranty.

Shall I then, who know this terrible judgment of the Lord, endeavour to appease men? as for God, I am approved by him, and I trust also you are convinced of my being so approved.

I am not trying to recommend myself to you again. I am giving you cause to be proud of me, to use in answering men who pride themselves on external advantages and not on sincerity of heart.

For Christ's love for us motivates us, because we have concluded that, [since] one person [i.e., Christ] died for all people, so then all people have died. [Note: This may mean simply that Christ died for all people, who were dead in their sins].

and he died for all that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again.

All this comes from God, who through Christ has reconciled me to himself, and has commissioned me to proclaim this reconciliation??19 how God through Christ reconciled the world to himself, refusing to count men's offenses against them, and intrusted me with the message of reconciliation.

we then are ambassadors for Christ, and 'tis God who makes you the offers by us: we pray you in the name of Christ, to make your peace with God.

He made him who knew nothing of sin to be sin, for our sake, so that through union with him we might become God's uprightness.

As workers together with God we urge you also, who have received God's unearned favor, do not allow it to be for nothing,

as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet -- see! -- we continue to live; as those who are scourged and yet not executed;

Do not keep company with those who have not faith: for what is there in common between righteousness and evil, or between light and dark?

And what agreement is there between Christ and the Evil One? or what part has one who has faith with one who has not?

And what compact has the Temple of God with idols? For *we* are the Temple of the ever-living God; as God has said, "I will dwell among them, and walk about among them; and will be their God, and it is they who shall be My people."

Receive me as one who has wronged no man, who has corrupted no man, who has defrauded no man.

But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted me by the coming of Titus,

So, even though I wrote to you, it wasn't because of the man who did the wrong or because of the man who was hurt. Instead, I wrote to you so that your devotion to us might be made perfectly clear to you before God.

who tho' labouring under great trial of affliction, and extreme poverty, have notwithstanding with exceeding cheerfulness contributed very liberally: being forward of themselves to the utmost of their power,

This has led me to ask Titus to complete the arrangements for the same gracious contribution among yourselves, as it was he who started it.

And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.

but to equalize the burden, and in the present situation to have your plenty make up for what they need, so that some day their plenty may make up for what you need, and so things may be made equal??15 as the Scripture says, "The man who got much did not have too much, and the man who got little did not have too little."

just as the Scripture says, "The man who gathered much did not have too much, and the man who gathered little did not have too little."

But thanks be to God, who kindles in the heart of Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have;

I am sending with him his brother, who is famous in all the churches for his work in spreading the good news.

And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:

We have sent with them a brother of ours, whom we have oft times proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent. The great confidence which I have in you

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.

Now it is unnecessary for me to write you about this service to God's holy people [in Jerusalem, who were in need].

Remember this: The man who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and the man who sows generously will reap generously.

Everyone must give what he has made up his mind to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion; God loves a man who is glad to give.

He who supplies the sower with seed and so with bread to eat will supply you with seed, and multiply it and enlarge the harvest of your uprightness.

Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, who causes through us thanksgiving to God.

Of many who, through the proof of this ministry, are glorifying God for your acknowledged submission unto the glad-message of the Christ, and for the liberality of the fellowship, unto them, and unto all, -

And in their prayer for you, who long after you because of the transcendent grace of God towards you.

I appeal to you personally, by the gentleness and forbearance of Christ??he Paul who is so humble when face to face with you, but so bold in dealing with you when he is far away!

I beg you not to make me take as bold an attitude when I come, as I count on taking toward some people who suspect me of acting from worldly motives.

I am prepared to court-martial anyone who remains insubordinate, once your submission is complete.

You look at the outward appearance of things! Let any one, who is confident that he belongs to Christ, reflect, for himself, again upon the fact--that we belong to Christ no less than he does.

Let those who say this keep in mind that, what we are in word by letters when we are away, so will we be in act 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.

But we will not boast ourselves with respect to regions not measured to us; but according to the measure of the line which God, who measures, has appointed for us to reach even to you.

It is no strain for me to do this, as it might be for people who had never got so far, for I was the first to come all the way to you with the good news of the Christ.

But let the man who boasts, boast about the Lord.

For he that praiseth himself, is not allowed: but he whom the Lord praiseth.

For if he that cometh to you preach another Jesus than him whom we preached, or if ye receive another spirit than that which ye have received, either another gospel than that ye have received; ye might right well have been content.

For I reckon that in nothing I am behind those who are in surpassing degree apostles.

When I was with you and needed something, I did not bother any of you, because our brothers who came from Macedonia supplied everything I needed. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.

And I shall go on doing as I do, so as to cut the ground from under those who want to make out that in their boasted apostleship they work on the same terms that I do.

Such people are false apostles, dishonest workers who are masquerading as apostles of the Messiah.

Seeing that there are those who take credit to themselves after the flesh, I will do the same.

For you who are so wise yourselves are glad to listen to fools!

You tolerate anyone who makes you his slaves, devours what you have, takes what is yours, orders you around, or slaps your face!

Who is sick: and I am not sick? Who is hurt in the faith: and my heart burneth not?

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

[When I was] in Damascus [Note: Paul here refers to his conversion. See Acts 9:1ff], the governor [who served] under King Aretas, was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to capture me,

I know a man in union with Christ fourteen years ago -- whether in the body or out of it, I do not know, but God knows -- who was caught up to the third heaven.

who was caught up into Paradise, and heard unutterable words which no human being is permitted to utter.

I have made a fool of myself, but you have forced me to do it, for I am the man who ought to have been constantly approved by you. For I am not a single bit inferior to your surpassingly superior apostles, though really I am "nobody."

Granting that I have not been a burden to you, was I a clever schemer who trapped you by some trick?

Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?

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 am afraid I may perhaps come and find you are not what I could wish, while you may find I am not what you could wish; I am afraid of finding quarrels, jealousy, temper, rivalry, slanders, gossiping, arrogance, and disorder ??21 afraid that when I come back to you, my God may humiliate me before you, and I may have to mourn for many who sinned some time ago and yet have never repented of the impurity, the sexual vice, and the sensuality which they have practised.

and that when I come back my God may humiliate me before you, and I may have to mourn over some of those who formerly have committed shocking sins, and have not repented for them -- their impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality, which once they practiced.

I have already warned those who formerly committed shocking sins, and all the rest, and though so far away I warn them now, as I did on my second visit, that if I come back I will not spare them,

since a proof ye seek of the Christ speaking in me, who to you is not infirm, but is powerful in you,

Finally, brethren, be joyful, secure perfection of character, take courage, be of one mind, live in peace. And then God who gives love and peace will be with you.