It is necessary to go on boasting. Though it is not profitable, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.

and through your help to go on into Macedonia and then from Macedonia to come back to you and be helped on our way into Judea by you.

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.

because he not only accepted our request, but since he was very eager, he is coming to you of his own accord.

I urged Titus to visit you and I sent our brother along with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit? Did we not behave in the same way?

And in their prayers on your behalf they long for you because of the extraordinary grace God has shown to you.

On behalf of such an individual I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except about my weaknesses.

we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed,

in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in troubles, in sleepless nights, in hunger,

so that we may preach the gospel in the regions that lie beyond you, and not boast of work already done in another person’s area.

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.

For if I make you sad, who would be left to make me glad but the one I caused to be sad?

For this reason also I wrote you: to test you to see if you are obedient in everything.

For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing –

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

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

in hard work and toil, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing.

He delivered us from so great a risk of death, and he will deliver us. We have set our hope on him that he will deliver us yet again,

For we do not write you anything other than what you can read and also understand. But I hope that you will understand completely

But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place.