revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets of human hearts.

who made us adequate to be servants of a new covenant not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

So then from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know him in that way any longer.

We did this as a precaution so that no one should blame us in regard to this generous gift we are administering.

If there is any question about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; if there is any question about our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.

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.

For even if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I would be telling the truth, but I refrain from this so that no one may regard me beyond what he sees in me or what he hears from me,

And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals in the things they boast about.

Look, for the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you, because I do not want your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

But if the ministry that produced death – carved in letters on stone tablets – came with glory, so that the Israelites could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (a glory which was made ineffective),

This punishment on such an individual by the majority is enough for him,

For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison

For if the eagerness is present, the gift itself is acceptable according to whatever one has, not according to what he does not have.

For you put up with it if someone makes slaves of you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone behaves arrogantly toward you, if someone strikes you in the face.

What I am saying with this boastful confidence I do not say the way the Lord would. Instead it is, as it were, foolishness.

And I know that this man (whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows)

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

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

Indeed, the signs of an apostle were performed among you with great perseverance by signs and wonders and powerful deeds.

For he says, “I heard you at the acceptable time, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation!