For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow toward us, so also our comfort through Christ overflows to you.

And our hope for you is steadfast because we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you will share in our comfort.

Indeed we felt as if the sentence of death had been passed against us, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.

as you also join in helping us by prayer, so that many people may give thanks to God on our behalf for the gracious gift given to us through the help of many.

just as also you have partly understood us, that we are your source of pride just as you also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

But as God is faithful, our message to you is not "Yes" and "No."

who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.

Now I appeal to God as my witness, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth.

But if anyone has caused sadness, he has not saddened me alone, but to some extent (not to exaggerate) he has saddened all of you as well.

For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit, but we are speaking in Christ before God as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God.

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? We don't need letters of recommendation to you or from you as some other people do, do we?

Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as if it were coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,

Therefore, since we have this ministry, just as God has shown us mercy, we do not become discouraged.

For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake.

As a result, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

But since we have the same spirit of faith as that shown in what has been written, "I believed; therefore I spoke," we also believe, therefore we also speak.

Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.

Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord --

Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His plea through us. We plead with you on Christ's behalf, "Be reconciled to God!"

But as God's servants, we have commended ourselves in every way, with great endurance, in persecutions, in difficulties, in distresses,

through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise; regarded as impostors, and yet true;

as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet -- see! -- we continue to live; as those who are scourged and yet not executed;

as sorrowful, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Now as a fair exchange -- I speak as to my children -- open wide your hearts to us also.

And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, "I will live in them and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

We were encouraged not only by his arrival, but also by the encouragement you gave him, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your deep concern for me, so that I rejoiced more than ever.

Now I rejoice, not because you were made sad, but because you were made sad to the point of repentance. For you were made sad as God intended, so that you were not harmed in any way by us.

For sadness as intended by God produces a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly sadness brings about death.

For see what this very thing, this sadness as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what punishment! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

For if I have boasted to him about anything concerning you, I have not been embarrassed by you, but just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus about you has proved true as well.

And they did this not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

Thus we urged Titus that, just as he had previously begun this work, so also he should complete this act of kindness for you.

But as you excel in everything -- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you -- make sure that you excel in this act of kindness too.

I am not saying this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love by comparison with the eagerness of others.

to finish what you started, so that just as you wanted to do it eagerly, you can also complete it according to your means.

For I do not say this so there would be relief for others and suffering for you, but as a matter of equality.

as it is written: "The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little."

In addition, this brother has also been chosen by the churches as our traveling companion as we administer this generous gift to the glory of the Lord himself and to show our readiness to help.

We did this as a precaution so that no one should blame us in regard to this generous gift we are administering.

But I am sending these brothers so that our boasting about you may not be empty in this case, so that you may be ready just as I kept telling them.

Therefore I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go to you in advance and to arrange ahead of time the generous contribution you had promised, so this may be ready as a generous gift and not as something you feel forced to do.

Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver.

Just as it is written, "He has scattered widely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness remains forever."

now I ask that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence that (I expect) I will dare to use against some who consider us to be behaving according to human standards.

For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards,

You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should reflect on this again: Just as he himself belongs to Christ, so too do we.

I do not want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters,

But we will not boast beyond certain limits, but will confine our boasting according to the limits of the work to which God has appointed us, that reaches even as far as you.

For we were not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach as far as you, because we were the first to reach as far as you with the gospel about Christ.

Nor do we boast beyond certain limits in the work done by others, but we hope that as your faith continues to grow, our work may be greatly expanded among you according to our limits,

For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals in the things they boast about.

For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.

I say again, let no one think that I am a fool. But if you do, then at least accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

What I am saying with this boastful confidence I do not say the way the Lord would. Instead it is, as it were, foolishness.

But be that as it may, I have not burdened you. Yet because I was a crafty person, I took you in by deceit!