I am not saying this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love by comparison with the eagerness of others.<n id="1" />

Therefore show<n id="1" /> them openly before the churches the proof of your love and of our pride in you.<n id="2" />p>

Just as it is written, &#8220;<b><i>Hei>b><n id="1" /> <i><b>has scattered widelyb>, <b>he has given to the poor; his righteousness remains foreverb>i>.&#8221;<n id="2" />

for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons,<n id="1" /> but are made powerful by God<n id="2" /> for tearing down strongholds.<n id="3" /> We tear down arguments<n id="4" />

In Damascus, the governor<n id="1" /> under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus<n id="2" /> in order to arrest<n id="3" /> me,

<t /><p class="bodytext">Blessed is<n id="1" /> the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

For just as the sufferings<n id="1" /> of Christ<n id="2" /> overflow<n id="3" /> toward us, so also our comfort through Christ overflows to you.<n id="4" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power<n id="1" /> belongs to God and does not come from us.

For we who are alive are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus&#8217; sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible<n id="1" /> in our mortal body.<n id="2" />

because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.p>

But I am sending<n id="1" /> these brothers so that our boasting about you may not be empty in this case, so that you may be ready<n id="2" /> just as I kept telling them.

and every arrogant obstacle<n id="1" /> that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey<n id="2" /> Christ.

because some say, &#8220;His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is weak<n id="1" /> and his speech is of no account.&#8221;<n id="2" />

But we will not boast beyond certain limits,<n id="1" /> but will confine our boasting<n id="2" /> according to the limits of the work to which God has appointed us,<n id="3" /> that reaches even as far as you.

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying.

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.

so that we may not be exploited<n id="1" /> by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes).

<p class="bodytext">Now we have such confidence in God through Christ.

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

For if what was made ineffective<n id="1" /> came with<n id="2" /> glory, how much more has what remains<n id="3" /> come in glory!