FOE I do not wish to see you now in passing; for I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permit.

As it respects Apollos my brother, I urged him much to go to you with the brethren, yet he was not at all inclined to go now; but he will go when he has a suitable time.

If any one loves not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. The Lord comes.

For we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning our affliction which came upon us in Asia, that we were exceedingly oppressed, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life.

But we have in ourselves the sentence of death, that we may not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead;

For the ground of our rejoicing is this: the testimony of our conscience that we have lived in the world more abundantly, indeed, for you in sincerity and godly purity, not in carnal wisdom, but in the grace of God.

But God is true; for our preaching to you was not yes and no:

for the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me and Sylvanus and Timothy, was not yes and no, but in him was yes.

But I call on God as a witness against my soul, that wishing to spare you, I did not go to Corinth;

not that we are lords over your faith, but fellow- workers for your joy: for by faith you stand.

But I determined this in myself, that with sorrow I would not again come to you:

And I wrote to you this very thing, that, on coming to you, I might not have sorrow from those from whom I ought to receive joy; because I have confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

For out of much affliction and distress of heart, I wrote to you with many tears: not that you might be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have more abundantly for you.

But if any one has caused grief, he has grieved, not me only, but, in some measure not to speak harshly all of you.

lest an advantage should be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

I had no rest in. my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but I took leave of them, and went into Macedonia.

For we do not, as the many, adulterate the word of God; but, as from sincerity, but, as from God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some do, letters of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

you are well known to be a letter of Christ, written by us as his ministers, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

not that we are able, of ourselves, to devise any thing, as from ourselves; but our ability is from God,

who has made us able ministers of the new covenant, not of letter, but. of spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit makes alive.

For if the ministering of death, by means of a covenant that was written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the sons of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses, on ac count of the glory of his face, which glory was to come to an end:

how shall not the ministering of the spirit be more glorious?

and do not as Moses did, who put a vail over his face, so that the sons of Israel could not steadily look to the end of that which was to come to an end.

But their minds were blinded: for till this day, in the reading of the old covenant, the same vail remains not taken away, which vail is removed in Christ.

Wherefore, having this ministry, inasmuch as we have received mercy, we faint not;

but we have renounced the secret works of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor adulterating the word of God; but, by the manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

whose unbelieving minds the god of this age has darkened, so that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine to them.

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants, for Jesus sake.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be God's and not our own.

We are pressed on all sides, yet not restrained; perplexed, but not in despair;

persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

For this reason we faint not: but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day. by day.

For our present light affliction works out for us an eternal fullness of glory, excelling all excellence, ls while we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen: for the things seen are temporal; but the things not seen are eternal.

For we know that if our earthly house, which is but a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

since, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.

For we who are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened, not because we wish to be unclothed, but clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

for we walk by faith, not by sight:

We do not again commend ourselves to you, but give you an occasion to boast of us, that you may be able to answer those who glory in appearance, and not in heart.

that is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to him self, not charging their offenses to them, and he has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

As co-workers with him, we beseech you, that you receive not the grace of God in vain:

for we put no stumbling-block in any man's way, in order that this ministry may not be blamed;

as unknown, yet well-known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and yet not put to death;

you are not straitened in us, but you are straitened in your own affections.

Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? What communion has light with darkness?

For this reason, come out from among them, and separate yourselves, says the Lord, and touch not an unclean person, and I will receive you;

I do not say this to condemn you; for I have said before, that you are in our hearts, so that we could die with you, and live with you.

and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you when he told us of your strong affection, your grief, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced the more.

For although I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. For I see that the same letter gave you sorrow, though but for a short time.

Now I rejoice not that you were made sorry, but that you sorrowed in order to repentance. For you sorrowed in a way acceptable to God, that you might in nothing receive injury from us.

For godly sorrow works repentance not to be regretted, which leads to salvation: but the sorrow of the world works death.

Therefore, though I wrote to you, it was not on account of him who did the wrong, nor on account of him who received the wrong; but that our diligent care for you, in the sight of God, might be made manifest to you.

For if I boasted of you to him, in any respect, I am not made ashamed; but as I have spoken all things to you in truth, so also has our boasting to Titus been found to be truth:

and they did this, not only as we had hoped, but they gave them selves first to the Lord, and then to us, through the will of God;

I do not speak this as a commandment, but on account of the zeal of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

And I give my judgment in this matter; for this is profitable for you, who began not only to do, but to show a willing mind, a year ago.

For if there is a readiness of mind, one is accepted according to what he has, not according to what he has not.

For I do not intend that there shall be relief to others, and affliction to you; but that, according to equality, your abundance, at the present time, may supply their wants;

as it is written: He that gathered much had nothing over; and he that gathered little did not lack.

for we provide what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

But I have sent the brethren, that our boasting of you in this respect may not be in vain; that you may be ready, as I said:

lest, possibly, should the Macedonians come with me, and find you unprepared, we (not to say you) might be made ashamed by this same confident boasting.

Therefore, I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go before to you, and make ready beforehand your bounty, which has been so much talked of before, that this might be ready as a bounty, and not as a gift extorted from you.

Let each one give, as he purposes in his heart; not with grief, nor from necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.

because the administration of this service not only supplies the wants of the saints, but also abounds in many thanksgivings to God;

I, indeed, beseech you, that I may not, when present, be bold with that confidence with which I think I shall be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,

(for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty, through God, for the overthrowing of strongholds,)

For though I should boast even, somewhat more abundantly of our authority, which the Lord has given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I would not be ashamed:

that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

For we do not presume to rank or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves: but they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with them selves, have no understanding.

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.

For we do not stretch ourselves too far, as if we did not come to you: for even as far as to you, have we already come in the gospel of the Christ,

not boasting ourselves in the labors of others in regions not measured off to us, but having hope that, when your faith is increased, we shall be magnified among you abundantly, according to our line,

so as to preach the gospel in regions beyond you, and not to boast in regions made ready under another man's line.

for he that commends himself is not approved; but he whom the Lord commends.

For if he that comes should preach another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or, if you receive another Spirit, which you did not receive, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you would well bear with him.

But if I am unpolished in my style of speech, yet I am not so in knowledge. But we have been fully manifested among you in all things.

I robbed other churches, taking wages to do you service: and when I was present with you, and wanted, I was not a burden to any one;

As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting shall not be silenced, in my case, in the regions of Achaia.

Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.

What I say, I say not according to the Lord, but as in folly, in this same confidence of boasting.

three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three- times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I spent in the deep.

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I am not incensed?

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knows that I do not lie.

To boast is not suitable for me; I will come to visions and revelations from the Lord. -

I knew a man in Christ fourteen years ago; that such a one (whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not: God knows;) was caught away to the third heaven.

I also know that such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not: God knows,)

was caught away to Paradise, and heard words not to be spoken, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Of such a one I will boast; but of myself I will not boast, unless in my infirmities.

For though I should choose to boast, I would not be void of understanding: for I will speak the truth. But I forbear, lest any one should think of me more than what he sees me to be, or what he hears of me.

And, lest I should be too much exalted by the excellence of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I might not be too much exalted.

For what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, unless in this that I did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong.

Behold, I am ready the third time to come to you, and I will not burden you: for I seek not yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up treasure for the parents, but the parents for the children.

Be it so, indeed; I did not burden you; but being crafty, I caught you by deceit.

I exhorted Titus, and with him sent the brother. Did Titus overreach you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?

For I fear, lest when I come I shall find you not, such as I wish, and I shall be found by you not such as you wish: lest there shall be contentions, envies, excitements, strife, evil speaking, whisperings, party spirit, disorderly conduct:

lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn over many of those who have already sinned, and have not repented of the uncleanness and lewdness and wantonness which they have committed.

I have foretold, and now the second time, as if I was present, though being absent, I foretell to those who have sinned, and to all others, that, if I come again, I will not spare;

since you seek a proof of Christ's speaking in me, who toward you is not weak, but who is mighty in you: