that during a severe ordeal of suffering, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in the wealth of their generosity.

Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God.

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.”

And his affection for you is much greater when he remembers the obedience of you all, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.

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

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?

For indeed he was crucified by reason of weakness, but he lives because of God’s power. For we also are weak in him, but we will live together with him, because of God’s power toward you.

so that we may not be exploited by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes).

But until this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds,

So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him.

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

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

I have not taken advantage of you through anyone I have sent to you, have I?

But their minds were closed. For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read. It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away.

In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation.

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

God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.

But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you,