Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

For I do not want you to be uninformed about the sorrow that I suffered in Asia, because I was so crushed beyond any power to endure that I was in dire despair of life itself.

Did I display any vacillation or caprice in this? Or the purposes which I form--do I form them on worldly principles, now crying "Yes, yes," and now "No, no"?

I call God for a record unto my soul, that for to favor you withal, I came not any more unto Corinth.

But I purposed in my self, I would not be the occasion of any uneasiness to you when I come again.

But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.

so that contrariwise ye should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his overmuch sorrow.

To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;

but my spirit could not find any relief, because I couldn't find Titus, my brother. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

This light, temporary nature of our suffering is producing for us an everlasting weight of glory, far beyond any comparison,

For this reason, from this time forward we have knowledge of no man after the flesh: even if we have had knowledge of Christ after the flesh, we have no longer any such knowledge.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

And being also co-laborers we exhort you not to receive the grace of God in vain,??2 for he says, In an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation I helped you; behold, now is an acceptable time, behold, now is a day of salvation,??3 giving no offense in any thing, that the ministry may not be blamed,

Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:

“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],

Make room for us in your hearts. There is not one of you whom we have wronged, not one to whom we have done harm, not one over whom we have gained any selfish advantage.

Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us.

wherefore, my writing to you so severely did not proceed from any prejudice to him, that had done the wrong, or from favour to him that suffered wrong, but to show my conscientious regard to your welfare.

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.

I am not issuing any orders, only using the zeal of others to prove how sterling your own love is.

for if the willing mind is present, according to that which any one may have it is well-accepted, not according to that which he hath not;

But so that things may be equal; that from those things of which you have more than enough at the present time their need may be helped, and that if you are in any need they may be a help to you in the same way, making things equal.

as it is written [Ex. 16:18], "The person who gathered much [i.e., manna] did not have any left over, and the one who gathered [only] a little [still] had plenty."

And we have sent [i.e., are sending] with him the brother who is praised throughout all the churches for [his work in] preaching the Gospel [Note: This "brother" cannot be identified with any certainty].

Avoiding this, that any man should blame us in the matter of this bounty which is ministered by us:

Whether any do inquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.

I do not need to write to you any further about the ministry to the saints.

lest by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be put to shame in this confidence.

let every man give as he is disposed in his own mind, without any regret or reluctance: for God loves a cheerful benefactor.

Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work.

the weapons of my warfare are not weapons of the flesh, but divinely strong to demolish fortresses ??5 I demolish theories and any rampart thrown up to resist the knowledge of God, I take every project prisoner to make it obey Christ,

And we are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience has been confirmed.

Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.

For if I shall in any thing the more abundantly boast concerning our power which the Lord gave us for your edification, and not for your destruction, I will not be ashamed:

I will not boast of any thing done without my province, but confine myself within that line by which God has mark'd out my bounds, and in which you are included.

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

I do not think I'm inferior in any way to those "super-apostles."

Do you think that I did wrong in degrading myself to uplift you, because I preached God's good news to you without any compensation?

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;

and when I was present with you and was in want, I was not a burden on any man; for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my want; and in everything I kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and'so will I keep myself .

As surely as I know anything of the Truth of Christ, this boast, as far as I am concerned, shall not be stopped in any part of Greece.

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.

Again I say, Let not any one think me to be a fool; but if otherwise, receive me then even as a fool, that I also may boast myself some little.

For ye bear if any one bring you into bondage, if any one devour you, if any one get your money, if any one exalt himself, if any one beat you on the face.

I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

If there is to be any boasting, I will boast of what I am weak enough to suffer!

I must boast, although it does not do any good. Let's talk about visions and revelations from the Lord.

I might glory in being the man; but I will not glory in any thing relating to myself, unless it be my sufferings.

For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.

but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.

I have become a fool. You forced me to be one. Really, I should have been commended by you, for I am not in any way inferior to your "super-apostles," even if I am nothing.

In what respect, then, were you inferior to the rest of the churches, except for the fact that I, and I only, never received from you any financial support? Please forgive me this wrong.

'tis own'd I did not put you to any charges myself: but was so crafty, as to over-reach you, by others.

Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?

I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?

For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would, and should myself be found of you such as ye would not; lest by any means there should be'strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults;

This is the third time that I am visiting you. Every fact shall be sustained and confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

Now we pray to God that you not do wrong in any way, not that we are seen as approved, but that you do what is good, even [though] we are [seen] as though unqualified.

For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth [and the gospel—the good news of salvation].

because of this, these things -- being absent -- I write, that being present, I may not treat any sharply, according to the authority that the Lord did give me for building up, and not for casting down.