Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

For since you are so wise, you put up with<n id="1" /> fools gladly.

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

<i>and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughtersi>,&#8221;<n id="1" /> says the All-Powerful Lord.<n id="2" />p>

And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are<n id="1" /> the temple of the living God, just as God said, &#8220;<b><i>I will live in themi>b><n id="2" /> <i><b>and will walk among themb>, <b>and I will be their Godb>, <b>and they will be my peopleb>i>.&#8221;<n id="3" />

Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you &#8211; unless, indeed, you fail the test!<n id="1" />

And our hope for you is steadfast because we know that as you share in<n id="1" /> our sufferings, so also you will share in<n id="2" /> our comfort.

For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing &#8211;

how much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be?<n id="1" />

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present,<n id="1" /> there is freedom.

So then whether we are alive<n id="1" /> or away, we make it our ambition to please him.<n id="2" />

And I hope that you will realize that we have not failed the test!<n id="1" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">From Paul,<n id="1" /> an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth,<n id="2" /> with all the saints who are in all Achaia.<n id="3" />

But as God is faithful, our message to you is not &#8220;Yes&#8221; and &#8220;No.&#8221;

I do not mean that we rule over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.<n id="1" />

For this reason also I wrote you:<n id="1" /> to test you to see<n id="2" /> if you are obedient in everything.

You yourselves are our letter,<n id="1" /> written on our hearts, known and read by everyone,

Not that we are adequate<n id="1" /> in ourselves to consider anything as if it were coming from ourselves, but our adequacy<n id="2" /> is from God,

<t /><p class="bodytext">For it is not necessary<n id="1" /> for me to write you about this service<n id="2" /> to the saints,

For it is not the person who commends himself who is approved, but the person the Lord commends.p>