Now when I arrived in Troas to proclaim the gospel of Christ, even though the Lord had opened a door of opportunity for me,

to the latter an odor from death to death, but to the former a fragrance from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing,

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

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

Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

For sadness as intended by God produces a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly sadness brings about death.

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

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

And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in spreading the gospel.

My point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.

And even if I am unskilled in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way.

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

Now I will most gladly spend and be spent for your lives! If I love you more, am I to be loved less?

But be that as it may, I have not burdened you. Yet because I was a crafty person, I took you in by deceit!

For we rejoice whenever we are weak, but you are strong. And we pray for this: that you may become fully qualified.

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

If you forgive anyone for anything, I also forgive him – for indeed what I have forgiven (if I have forgiven anything) I did so for you in the presence of Christ,

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.