Who comforting us upon all our pressure, that we may be able to comfort them in every pressure, by the comfort by which we ourselves are comforted by God.

For just as Christ’s sufferings are ours in abundance [as they overflow to His followers], so also our comfort [our reassurance, our encouragement, our consolation] is abundant through Christ [it is truly more than enough to endure what we must].

For as for our troubles which came upon us in the province of Asia, we would have you know, brethren, that we were exceedingly weighed down, and felt overwhelmed, so that we renounced all hope even of life.

But, we ourselves, within ourselves, have had the sentence of death, that we might not rest our confidence upon ourselves, but upon God, who raiseth the dead,

he rescued me from so terrible a death, he rescues still, and I rely upon him for the hope that he will continue to rescue me.

Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

This is our [reason for] proud confidence: our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world [in general], and especially toward you, with pure motives and godly sincerity, not in human wisdom, but in the grace of God [that is, His gracious lovingkindness that leads people to Christ and spiritual maturity].

not to call upon you as I pass into Macedonia, but in my return from thence, to be conducted by you toward Judea.

it is He who has also put His seal on us [that is, He has appropriated us and certified us as His] and has given us the [Holy] Spirit in our hearts as a pledge [like a security deposit to guarantee the fulfillment of His promise of eternal life].

Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.

and I wrote to you upon that disagreeable subject, that when I came, I might not receive uneasiness from those from whom I ought to receive comfort, being persuaded that you will all think yourselves interested to promote my satisfaction.

But if any one has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but in part, that I may not be hard upon you, [has grieved you] all,

wherefore, I call upon you to confirm love to him,

I had this further object, also, in what I wrote--to ascertain whether you might be relied upon to be obedient in everything.

Now when I came into the Troad to spread there the Good News about the Christ, even though in the Lord's providence a door stood open before me,

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

not that we can of ourselves reckon upon any thing as from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.

But if the ministration of death, written, and engraven on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which glory was passing away:

Such being my hope then, I am quite frank and open ??13 not like Moses, who used to hang a veil over his face to keep the children of Israel from gazing at the last rays of a fading glory.

and are not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look stedfastly on the end of that which was passing away:

But their minds were hardened. For until this very day, the same veil remains upon the reading of the old covenant, not being uncovered, because it is done away with in Christ.

But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

(The Lord means the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is open freedom.)

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

but we have renounced shameful hidden things, not behaving with craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but with the open proclamation of the truth commending ourselves to every person's conscience before God.

in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them .

Indeed, the same God who said 'Out of darkness light shall shine,' has shone in upon our hearts, so that we should bring out into the light the knowledge of the glory of God, seen in the face of Christ.

for all things are for your sakes, that the grace which was conferr'd upon many, might by the gratitude of so many, redound to the glory of God.

For the present moment the lightness of our pressure works to us an eternal weight of glory, as eminence upon eminence;

For I know, that if my body, which is but a tent for my sojourning upon earth, were dissolved, I have what is not fram'd by human art, but by the divine architect, a mansion eternal in the heavens.

For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we seek to persuade people. We are completely open before God, and I hope we are completely open to your consciences as well.

And working together also we call upon you that ye receive not in vain the grace of God --

through honour and ignominy, through calumny and praise. We are looked upon as impostors and yet are true men;

O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.

Now in the same way as a fair exchange [for our love toward you]—I am speaking as [I would] to children—open wide [your hearts] to us also.

Open your hearts to us: we wronged no man, we corrupted no man, we took advantage of no man.

I do not mean this as a reflection upon you, for as I said before, you will always have a place in my heart whether I live or die.

I use indeed great freedom of speech toward you, yet I greatly glory upon your account: I am filled with comfort, and my joy is still superiour to all my affliction.

For tho' I was sorry my letter gave you some uneasiness, I do not repent of it, perceiving, that the uneasiness you had from that letter, did not dwell upon your minds.

for religious sorrow produces that salutary repentance, which we never regret: but worldly sorrow preys upon life.

Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

And this led us to urge upon Titus that, as he had started the work for you, he should also see to the completion of this expression of your love.

I am not laying a command upon you, but I am making use of the earnestness shown by others to test the genuineness of your affection.

I do not mean to be easy upon others and hard upon you,

For against one thing we are on our guard--I mean against blame being thrown upon us in respect to these large and liberal contributions which are under our charge.

And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.

For if any Macedonians come with me and find you not ready, shame would come upon me (not to speak of you) in respect to this confidence.

Let each contribute what he has decided upon in his own mind, and not do it reluctantly or under compulsion. "It is a cheerful giver that God loves."

And God is able to confer every gift upon you abundantly, that you, always having all sufficiency in every thing, may have enough for every good work;

and in their supplication for you, full of ardent desire for you, on account of the exceeding grace of God which is upon you.

And I, Paul, myself, do call upon you -- through the meekness and gentleness of the Christ -- who in presence, indeed am humble among you, and being absent, have courage toward you,

You look at the outward appearance of things! Let any one, who is confident that he belongs to Christ, reflect, for himself, again upon the fact--that we belong to Christ no less than he does.

Let such a one count upon this, that such as we are in word by letters when absent, such will we be also in deed when present.

but this I do, and shall do, to make them drop their hire, who are so bent upon hire: and then indeed they will be as they pretend to be, like me.

For you tolerate it if anyone makes you his slave; or devours you and your possessions; or takes advantage of you; or acts presumptuously; or hits you in the face.

Three times I have been beaten with Roman rods, once I have been stoned, three times I have been shipwrecked, once for full four and twenty hours I was floating on the open sea.

On frequent journeys, I faced
dangers from rivers,
dangers from robbers,
dangers from my own people,
dangers from the Gentiles,
dangers in the city,
dangers in the open country,
dangers on the sea,
and dangers among false brothers;

Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

So, to keep me from being over-elated, there was sent upon me a physical disease, sharp as a piercing stake, a messenger of Satan, to continue afflicting me, and so to keep me, I repeat, from being over-elated.

Concerning this thing thrice the Lord did I call upon, that it might depart from me,

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Most gladly, therefore, will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Wherefore I am well pleased with infirmities, with injuries, with necessities, with persecutions, with distresses for Christ; for when I am weak, then am I strong.

For in what is it that ye have been inferior to the other assemblies, unless that I myself have not been in laziness a charge upon you? Forgive me this injury.

and that upon re-visiting you I may be humbled by my God in your presence, and may have to mourn over many whose hearts still cling to their old sins, and who have not repented of the impurity, fornication, and gross sensuality, of which they have been guilty.

for tho' he was crucified with the appearance of weakness, yet he lives by the power of God; tho' we are afflicted upon his account, we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.