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

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we behave with great boldness, ¹ 

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

For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God.

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.

In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us ¹  the message of reconciliation.

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.

Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, ¹  we try to persuade ²  people, ³  but we are well known ⁴  to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too.

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 ¹  in the things they boast about.

(To my disgrace ¹  I must say that we were too weak for that!) ²  But whatever anyone else dares to boast about ³  (I am speaking foolishly), I also dare to boast about the same thing. ⁴ 

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 

so that we may not be exploited ¹  by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes).

For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing –

Now as a fair exchange – I speak as to my ¹  children – open wide your hearts to us ²  also.

Apart from other things, ¹  there is the daily pressure on me of my anxious concern ²  for all the churches.

Indeed we felt as if the sentence of death had been passed against us, ¹  so that we would not trust in ourselves ²  but in God who raises the dead.

For all these things are for your sake, so that the grace that is including ¹  more and more people may cause thanksgiving to increase ²  to the glory of God.

So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away ¹  – look, what is new ²  has come! ³ 

Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ¹ 

For even when we came into Macedonia, our body ¹  had no rest at all, but we were troubled in every way – struggles from the outside, fears from within.