For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was bestowed on me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man.

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

When all things have been subjected to him, then the Son will also himself be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all.

I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Do not be deceived. "Evil companionships corrupt good morals."

That which you sow, you do not sow the body that will be, but a bare grain, maybe of wheat, or of some other kind.

Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord's work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

On the first day of the week, let each one of you save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come.

But with you it may be that I will stay, or even winter, that you may send me on my journey wherever I go.

Watch. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

Let all that you do be done in love.

that you also be in subjection to such, and to everyone who helps in the work and labors.

This greeting is by me, Paul, with my own hand.

If any man does not love the Lord, let him be accursed. Come, Lord.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;

who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

you also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift bestowed on us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf.

and by you to pass into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and to be sent forward by you on my journey to Judea.

When I therefore was thus determined, did I show fickleness? Or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be the "Yes, yes" and the "No, no?"

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not "Yes and no," but in him is "Yes."

For if I make you sorry, then who will make me glad but he who is made sorry by me?

And I wrote this very thing, so that, when I came, I would not have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy would be shared by all of you.

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made sorry, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you.

Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the many;

so that on the contrary you should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his excessive sorrow.

that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and reveals through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place.

You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;

being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.

won't service of the Spirit be with much more glory?

For truly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.

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

But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.

always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is wearing away, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

For truly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,

since, after we have put it on, we will not be found naked.

For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened; not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

for we walk by faith, not by sight.

We are of good courage, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.

Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him.

We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed,

in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true;

You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections.

Now in return, I speak as to my children, you also be open wide.

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For we are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

Therefore, "'Come out from among them, and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you.

I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty."

Nevertheless, he who comforts the lowly, God, comforted us by the coming of Titus;

and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, while he told us of your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced still more.

I now rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that you were made sorry to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly way, that you might suffer loss by us in nothing.

For behold, this same thing, that you were made sorry in a godly way, what earnest care it worked in you. Yes, what defense, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and vengeance. In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be pure in the matter.

So although I wrote to 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 revealed in you in the sight of God.

Therefore we have been comforted. In our comfort we rejoiced the more exceedingly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

For if in anything I have boasted to him on your behalf, I was not disappointed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth.

I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.

I give a judgment in this: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to start a year ago, not only to do, but also to be willing.

But now complete the doing also, that as there was the readiness to be willing, so there may be the completion also out of your ability.

For this is not that others may be eased and you distressed,

but for equality. Your abundance at this present time supplies their lack, that their abundance also may become a supply for your lack; that there may be equality.

But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

Not only so, but who was also appointed by the churches to travel with us in this grace, which is served by us to the glory of the Lord himself, and to show our readiness.

We are avoiding this, that any man should blame us concerning this abundance which is administered by us.

We have sent with them our brother, whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence which he has in you.

But I have sent the brothers that our boasting on your behalf may not be in vain in this respect, that, just as I said, you may be prepared,

so that I won't by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia and find you unprepared, we (to say nothing of you) should be disappointed in this confidence.

I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brothers that they would go before to you, and arrange ahead of time the generous gift that you promised before, that the same might be ready as a matter of generosity, and not of greediness.

seeing that through the proof given by this service, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the Good News of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all;

while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, yearn for you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you.

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift.

Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ; I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you.

But I implore you that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence with which I intend on showing against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience will be made full.

For though I should boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down) I will not be disappointed,

that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters.

Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.

For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

not boasting beyond proper limits in other men's labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,

But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God's Good News free of charge?

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion, that in which they boast, they may be found even as we.

It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet however any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

Through a window I was let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.

For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no man may think more of me than that which he sees in me, or hears from me.

By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively.

I have become foolish. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for in nothing was I inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing.

Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I seek not what is yours, but you. For the children ought not to save up for the parents, but the parents for the children.