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

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone,

Now we make known to you, brothers and sisters, the grace of God given to the churches of Macedonia,

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

Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people, but we are well known to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too.

I do not say this to condemn you, for I told you before that you are in our hearts so that we die together and live together with you.

For God, who said “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ.

But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me.