But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

I am Christ's fragrance upwafted unto God, among those who are being saved and those who are perishing;

by the one my preaching is taken as a deadly poison, to the other it is a reviving potion. and who is so sufficient for such a commission?

For we are not like many, [acting like merchants] peddling God’s word [shortchanging and adulterating God’s message]; but from pure [uncompromised] motives, as [commissioned and sent] from God, we speak [His message] in Christ in the sight of God.

Do you say that this is self-recommendation once more? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you?

You yourselves are our letter, whose writing is in our heart, open for every man's reading and knowledge;

being manifested to be Christ's epistle ministered by us, written, not with ink, but the Spirit of the living God; not on stone tables, but on fleshy tables of the heart.

[We say this] because we have such confidence in God through [our relationship with] Christ.

It is not that we are [so] competent as to consider anything [we do] as coming from ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

He has also made us competent as ministers of a New Agreement [i.e., between Himself and mankind]. It is not [an agreement] based [merely] on a written document [i.e., such as the law of Moses], but on the Holy Spirit, for the written document brings [spiritual] death [See Rom. 8:2], but the Holy Spirit brings [never ending] life.

But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:

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

For if the ministration of condemnation was so glorious, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory:

For on account of its surpassing splendor, what was once so splendid has now no splendor at all.

So since I have such a hope, I speak with great frankness,

and not according as Moses put a veil on his own face, so that the children of Israel should not fix their eyes on the end of that annulled.

But the minds of the Israelites became dull for, to this very day, the same veil remains on them [i.e., figuratively] when the Old Agreement [Scriptures] are read. It is not being revealed to them that the Old Agreement is being abolished by Christ [i.e., by His death on the cross. See Col. 2:14].

But whenever a person [i.e., the Jews] turn to the Lord, the veil is removed [i.e., so they can understand the meaning of God's promises to them through Christ].

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord's Spirit is, there is freedom.

As all of us reflect the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, we are becoming more like him with ever-increasing glory by the Lord's Spirit.

So, having obtained this ministry through [God's] mercy, we do not become discouraged.

But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

So if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are dying.

in whom the god of this world has blinded the thoughts of the unbelieving, so that the radiancy of the glad tidings of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine forth for them.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give us the Light of the knowledge of the glory and majesty of God [clearly revealed] in the face of Christ.

Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.

Troubles are round us on every side, but we are not shut in; things are hard for us, but we see a way out of them;

persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed ??10 wherever I go, I am being killed in the body as Jesus was, so that the life of Jesus may come out in my body:

always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown in our body.

For we who live are always given over to death because of Jesus, so that Jesus’ life may also be revealed in our mortal flesh.

So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

Now since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with this Scripture: "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak.

We do so because we know that the one who raised up Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus and will bring us with you into his presence.

For all [these] things are for your sake, so that as [God’s remarkable, undeserved] grace reaches to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of [our great] God.

That's why we are not discouraged. No, even if outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are being renewed each and every day.

For our insignificant troubles [here on earth], which last only a short time, are producing for us an immeasurable, never ending [counter-] weight of splendor [i.e., in heaven. See Rom. 8:18].

So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

For we know that if our tent--that earthly body which is now our home--is taken down, we have a house of God's building, a home not made by hands, imperishable, in Heaven.

For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our [immortal, eternal] celestial dwelling,

If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

For while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened [often weighed down, oppressed], not that we want to be unclothed [separated by death from the body], but to be clothed, so that what is mortal [the body] will be swallowed up by life [after the resurrection].

So then, being always filled with good courage and confident hope, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—

for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]—

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

So whether we are at home or away from home, our goal is to be pleasing to him.

For we [believers will be called to account and] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities].

So, because I know the fear of God, I "persuade men." What I am is manifest to God, and I hope manifest also to your conscience.

We are not commending ourselves to you again, but are giving you an occasion to be [rightfully] proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in [outward] appearances [the virtues they pretend to have] rather than what is [actually] in heart.

If we are out of our mind [just unstable fanatics as some critics say], it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit.

For Christ’s love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, then all died.

and He died for all, so that all those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and was raised for their sake.

Wherefore we henceforth know no man after the flesh: even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.

So if any one be in Christ, there is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold all things have become new:

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 are to tell how God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not charging men's transgressions to their account, and that He has entrusted to us the Message of this reconciliation.

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Him who knew not sin he has made sin for us, that we might become God's righteousness in him.

Working together with Him, we strongly urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain [by turning away from sound doctrine and His merciful kindness].

(For he says, I have given ear to you at a good time, and I have been your helper in a day of salvation: see, now is the good time; now is the day of salvation):

we put no obstruction in anyone’s path, so that the ministry will not be discredited,

but in everything commending ourselves as God's ministers, in much endurance, in afflictions, in necessities, in straits,

in honour and disgrace, under infamy, and in repute: look'd upon as an impostor, while I say what is true;

as obscure persons, and yet are well known; as on the point of death, and yet, strange to tell, we live; as under God's discipline, and yet we are not deprived of life;

O Corinthians, my heart is so full, my tongue cannot be silent:

and as a recompense of the same kind, (as to children I say it,) be ye enlarged -- also ye!

Set yourselves therefore at large, and bear not a stranger's yoke with the unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What company hath light with darkness?

and what agreement of God's temple with idols? for ye are the living God's temple; according as God has said, I will dwell among them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be to me a people.

“So come out from among unbelievers and be separate,” says the Lord,
“And do not touch what is unclean;
And I will graciously receive you and welcome you [with favor],

Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us purify ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in God's fear.

I say it not to condemn you : for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die together and live together.

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 though I made you sorry with my epistle, I do not regret it: though I did regret it (for I see that that epistle made you sorry, though but for a season),

yet I am glad now, not because you were hurt and made sorry, but because your sorrow led to repentance [and you turned back to God]; for you felt a grief such as God meant you to feel, so that you might not suffer loss in anything on our account.

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.

For you see what care was produced in you by this very sorrow of yours before God, what clearing of yourselves, what wrath against sin, what fear, what desire, what serious purpose, what punishment. In everything you have made it clear that you are free from sin in this business.

So although I wrote unto you, I wrote not for his cause that did the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered the wrong, but that your earnest care for us might be made manifest unto you in the sight of God.

For this reason we feel comforted; and--in addition to this our comfort--we have been filled with all the deeper joy at Titus's joy, because his spirit has been set at rest by you all.

For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth.

And he has great affection for you when he remembers how obedient all of you were [i.e., obedient to his or Paul's instructions to the church], and how you welcomed him with fear and trembling [i.e., with a respectful, submissive spirit].

It gives me great joy to see you answering to my good opinion of you in every way.

We want you to know, brothers, about God's grace that was given to the churches of Macedonia.

For I testify, they gave according to their means and beyond their means. They did so voluntarily,

With earnest entreaty they begged from us the favour of being allowed to share in the service now being rendered to God's people.

And not according as we hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, and to us by God's will.

Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.

Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

I am not saying this by way of command, but to test by the standard of other men's earnestness the genuineness of your love also.

For you are recognizing [more clearly] the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [His astonishing kindness, His generosity, His gracious favor], that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich (abundantly blessed).

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.

Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

For if there is a ready mind, a man will have God's approval in the measure of what he has, and not of what he has not.

For I say not this that others may be eased and ye distressed;

but on the principle of equality; in the present time your abundance for their lack, that their abundance may be for your lack, so that there should be equality.

But thanks be to God, who disposed Titus to be so industrious for you.

For Titus not only accepted our appeal, but was so very interested in you that he has gone to visit you of his own accord.

And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise in the gospel is through all the churches: (And not only so,

and not only so, but who was also appointed by the churches to travel with us in the matter of this grace, which is ministered by us to the glory of the Lord, and to show our readiness:

We are taking this precaution so no one can criticize us about this large sum administered by us.

For we seek not only God's approval of our integrity, but man's also.

And we have sent with them our brother, whose ready spirit has been made clear to us at times and in ways without number, but it is now all the more so because of the certain faith which he has in you.