Paul, by God's will an apostle of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is at Corinth, and all God's people all over Greece;

My hopes for you are unshaken. For I know that just as surely as you share my sufferings, just so surely you will share my comfort.

So deadly was the peril from which he saved me, as he will save me again! It is on him that I have set my hope that he will save me again.

You must help me by your prayers, so that many will give thanks to God on my behalf for the blessing granted me in answer to many prayers.

For what I am writing to you is only what you can read and understand, and I hope that you will understand it fully,

as some of you have come to understand me, and that you will understand that you have a right to be proud of me, as I have of you, on the Day of our Lord Jesus.

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 I know that if this earthly tent that I live in is taken down, God will provide me a building in heaven to live in, not built by human hands but eternal.

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

Therefore, "Come out from them, And separate from them, says the Lord, And touch nothing that is unclean. Then I will welcome you,

I will become a father to you, And you shall become my sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty."

I do not mean this as a reflection upon you, for as I said before, you will always have a place in my heart whether I live or die.

They did far more than I hoped, for first in obedience to God's will, they gave themselves to the Lord, and to me.

But I will tell you what I think about it. For this is the best way to deal with you, for you were the first not only to do anything about this, but to want to do anything, and that was last year.

But I send the brothers so that our pride in you may not have a fall in this matter, but you may be all ready as I have told them you will;

for if some people from Macedonia come with me, and find that you are not ready, it will humiliate me??o say nothing of you??or having expressed such confidence.

So I have thought it necessary to ask these brothers to go on to you ahead of me, to arrange in advance for this gift you have promised, so as to have it ready, like an expression of your good will, not of your avarice.

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

God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance so that you will always have enough for every situation, and ample means for every good enterprise:

as the Scripture says, "He scatters his gifts to the poor; His uprightness will never be forgotten."

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.

You will grow rich in every way, so that through me you can show perfect liberality that will make men thank God for it.

then they will long for you and pray for you, because of the extraordinary favor God has shown you.

For suppose I do boast a little too much of my authority??hich the Lord gave me to build you up, not to pull you down?? will not have to blush for it.

Such people had better understand that when I arrive and take action I will do just as I say I will in my letters when I am far away.

But my boasting will not be extravagant, nor exceed the limits God has allowed me, which reach all the way to you.

But I am afraid that just as the serpent by his cunning deceived Eve, your thoughts will be led astray from their single-hearted fidelity to Christ.

So it is nothing strange if his servants also masquerade as servants of uprightness. But their doom will fit their actions.

Since many are so human as to boast, I will do it also.

To my shame I must admit that I was too weak for that sort of thing. But whatever anyone else dares to boast of?? am playing the part of a fool?? will dare to boast of too.

If there must be boasting, I will boast of the things that show my weakness!

I have to boast. There is nothing to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations given me by the Lord.

On this man's account I am ready to boast, but about myself I will boast only of my weaknesses.

Though if I do choose to boast, I will not be such a fool, for I will only be telling the truth. But I will refrain from it, for I do not want anyone to be influenced by the wonderful character of these revelations to think more of me than is justified by my words or conduct.

And I will be glad to spend all I have and all I am for your sake. Are you going to love me the less for loving you so intensely?

This will be my third visit to you. Any charge must be sustained by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

Those who have kept on in their old sins and all the rest I have warned, and I warn them now while I am still away, as I did on my second visit, that if I come back I will spare nobody??3 since you demand proof that Christ really speaks through me. He is not weak in dealing with you. On the contrary, right among you he exhibits his power.

Even if he was crucified through weakness, by the power of God he is alive. For we are weak as he was, but you will find that by the power of God we will be alive as he is.

I hope you will see that I do not fail to stand it.

Now brothers, goodbye! Be what you ought to be, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace, and God the source of love and peace will be with you.