For if I boast somewhat more about our authority that the Lord gave us ¹  for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of doing so. ² 

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

how much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be? ¹ 

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

And I hope that you will realize that we have not failed the test! ¹ 

For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the sake of the truth.

so that now instead ¹  you should rather forgive and comfort him. ²  This will keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive grief to the point of despair. ³ 

and not like Moses who used to put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites ¹  from staring ²  at the result ³  of the glory that was made ineffective. ⁴ 

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

For the love of Christ ¹  controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ ²  died for all; therefore all have died.

I have great confidence in you; I take great pride ¹  on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement; ²  I am overflowing with joy in the midst of ³  all our suffering.

For see what this very thing, this sadness ¹  as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, ²  what indignation, ³  what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, ⁴  what punishment! ⁵  In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not to make you sad, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you. ¹ 

revealing ¹  that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, ²  written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets ³  but on tablets of human hearts.

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,

I said before when I was present the second time and now, though absent, I say again to those who sinned previously and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare anyone, ¹ 

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 – unless, indeed, you fail the test! ¹ 

who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment. ¹ 

You yourselves are our letter, ¹  written on our hearts, known and read by everyone,

Therefore, since we have this ministry, just as God has shown us mercy, ¹  we do not become discouraged. ²