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

I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so that I could serve you!<n id="1" />

Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!<n id="1" />

For such people are false apostles, deceitful<n id="1" /> workers, disguising themselves<n id="2" /> as apostles of Christ.

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself<n id="1" /> as an angel of light.

Since many<n id="1" /> are boasting according to human standards,<n id="2" /> I too will boast.

Three times I was beaten with a rod.<n id="1" /> Once I received a stoning.<n id="2" /> Three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent adrift in the open sea.

I asked the Lord three times about this, that it would depart from me.

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

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

But as you excel<n id="1" /> in everything &#8211; in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you<n id="2" /> &#8211; make sure that you excel<n id="3" /> in this act of kindness<n id="4" /> too.

Therefore I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go to you in advance and to arrange ahead of time the generous contribution<n id="1" /> you had promised, so this may be ready as a generous gift<n id="2" /> and not as something you feel forced to do.<n id="3" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now I, Paul, appeal to you<n id="1" /> personally<n id="2" /> by the meekness and gentleness<n id="3" /> of Christ (I who am meek<n id="4" /> when present among<n id="5" /> you, but am full of courage<n id="6" /> toward you when away!) &#8211;

When<n id="1" /> I was with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs.<n id="2" /> I<n id="3" /> kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.

For how<n id="1" /> were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this injustice!

Now we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong, not so that we may appear to have passed the test,<n id="1" /> but so that you may do what is right<n id="2" /> even if we may appear to have failed the test.<n id="3" />

Because of this I am writing these things while absent, so that when I arrive<n id="1" /> I may not have to deal harshly with you<n id="2" /> by using my authority &#8211; the Lord gave it to me for building up, not for tearing down!p>

and through your help to go on into Macedonia and then from Macedonia to come back<n id="1" /> to you and be helped on our way into Judea by you.

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

So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away<n id="1" /> &#8211; look, what is new<n id="2" /> has come!<n id="3" />