to finish what you started, ¹  so that just as you wanted to do it eagerly, ²  you can also complete it ³  according to your means. ⁴ 

But it is God who establishes ¹  us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, ² 

For it is not necessary ¹  for me to write you about this service ²  to the saints,

I rejoice because in everything I am fully confident in you.

But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession ¹  in Christ ²  and who makes known ³  through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place.

Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His plea ¹  through us. We plead with you ²  on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!”

But as you excel ¹  in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you ²  – make sure that you excel ³  in this act of kindness ⁴  too.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! ¹ 

But if the ministry that produced death – carved in letters on stone tablets ¹  – came with glory, so that the Israelites ²  could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face ³  (a glory ⁴  which was made ineffective), ⁵ 

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 ¹  to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

At the present time, your abundance will meet their need, ¹  so that one day their abundance may also meet your need, and thus there may be equality,

Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. ¹ 

I do not want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters,

And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

For even if I made you sad ¹  by my letter, ²  I do not regret having written it ³  (even though I did regret it, ⁴  for ⁵  I see that my letter made you sad, ⁶  though only for a short time).

What I am saying with this boastful confidence ¹  I do not say the way the Lord would. ²  Instead it is, as it were, foolishness.

For we do not write you anything other than what ¹  you can read and also understand. But I hope that you will understand completely ² 

just as also you have partly understood us, that we are your source of pride just as you also are ours ¹  in the day of the Lord Jesus. ² 

But if anyone has caused sadness, he has not saddened me alone, but to some extent (not to exaggerate) ¹  he has saddened all of you as well.

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power ¹  belongs to God and does not come from us.