From: Paul, an apostle of the Messiah Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother. To: God's church in Corinth, and to all the holy people throughout Achaia.

He has rescued us from a terrible death, and he will continue to rescue us. Yes, he is the one on whom we have set our hope, and he will rescue us again,

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

So forgive and comfort him, or else he will drown in his excessive grief.

will not the Spirit's ministry have even more glory?

We know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us to God together with you.

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

Of course, if we do put it on, we will not be found without a body.

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."

Therefore, "Get away from them and separate yourselves from them," declares the Lord, "and don't touch anything unclean. Then I will welcome you.

I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters," declares the Lord Almighty.

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

We did not expect that! They gave themselves to the Lord first and then to us, since this was God's will.

I am giving you my opinion on this matter because it will be helpful to you. Last year you were not only willing to do something, but had already started to do it.

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

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

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.

Now he who supplies seed to the farmer and bread to eat will also supply you with seed and multiply it and enlarge the harvest that results from your righteousness.

In every way you will grow richer and become even more generous, and this will cause others to give thanks to God because of us,

Because your service in giving proves your love, you will be glorifying God as you obey what your confession of the Messiah's gospel demands, since you are generous in sharing with them and with everyone else.

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

I beg you that when I come I will not need to be courageous by daring to oppose some people who think that we are living according to the flesh.

Once your obedience is complete, we will be ready to reprimand every type of disobedience.

So if I boast a little too much about our authority, which the Lord gave us to build you up and not to tear you down, I will not be ashamed of it.

Someone like this should take note of the following: What we say by letter when we are absent is what we will do when present!

We will not boast about what cannot be evaluated. Instead, we will stay within the field that God assigned us, so as to reach even you.

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.

As surely as the truth of the Messiah is in me, my boasting will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.

But I will go on doing what I'm doing in order to deny an opportunity to those people who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in the work they are boasting about.

So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their doom will match their deeds!

I will say it again: No one should think that I am a fool. But if you do, then treat me like a fool so that I can also boast a little.

Since many people boast in a fleshly way, I will do it, too.

You are wise, so you will gladly be tolerant of fools.

If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show how weak I am.

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

but he has told me, "My grace is all you need, because my power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most happily boast about my weaknesses, so that the Messiah's power may rest on me.

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?

I am afraid that I may come and somehow find you not as I want to find you, and that you may find me not as you want to find me. Perhaps there will be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly conduct.

This will be the third time I am coming to you. "Every accusation must be verified by two or three witnesses."

I have already warned those who sinned previously and all the rest. Although I am absent now, I am warning them as I did on my second visit: If I come back, I will not spare you,

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.

I hope you will realize that we haven't failed our test.

We pray to God that you will not do anything wrong not to show that we have not failed the test, but so that you may do what is right, even if we seem to have failed.

Finally, brothers, goodbye. Keep on growing to maturity. Keep listening to my appeals. Continue agreeing with each other and living in peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.