COLLECTION FOR THE JERUSALEM CHURCH

16 Now about the collectionaa for the saints: Do the same as I instructed the Galatianab churches. 2 On the first day of the week,ac each of you is to set something aside and save in keeping with how he is prospering, so that no collections will need to be made when I come.ad 3 When I arrive, I will send with lettersae those you recommend to carry your gift to Jerusalem.af 4 If it is suitable for me to go as well, they will travel with me.

PAUL’S TRAVEL PLANS

5 I will come to you after I pass through Macedoniaag—for I will be traveling through Macedonia—6 and perhaps I will remain with you or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I go. 7 I don’t want to see you now just in passing, since I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord allows.ah 8 But I will stay in Ephesusai until Pentecost,aj 9 because a wide doorak for effective ministry has opened for meC—yet many oppose me. 10 If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear while with you, because he is doing the Lord’s work,al just as I am. 11 So let no one look downam on him. Send him on his way in peace so that he can come to me, because I am expecting him with the brothers.

12 Now about our brother Apollos:an I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers, but he was not at all willing to come now. However, he will come when he has an opportunity.

FINAL EXHORTATION

13 Be alert, stand firm in the faith,ao be courageous,D be strong. 14 Do everything in love.ap

15 Brothers and sisters, you know the household of Stephanas: They are the firstfruitsa of Achaiab and have devoted themselves to serving the saints. I urge you 16 also to submit to such people, and to everyone who works and labors with them. 17 I am delighted to have Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus present, because these men have made up for your absence. 18 For they have refreshed my spiritc and yours. Therefore recognized such people.

CONCLUSION

19 The churches of Asiae send you greetings.f Aquila and Priscillag send you greetings warmly in the Lord, along with the church that meets in their home.h 20 All the brothers and sisters send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.i

21 This greeting is in my own handj—Paul. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord, a curse be on him. Our Lord, come!A 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.k 24 My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.

2 CORINTHIANS

GREETING

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will,a and Timothyb ourA brother:

To the church of God at Corinth,c with all the saints who are throughout Achaia.d

2 Grace to you and peacee from God our Fatherf and the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE GOD OF COMFORT

3 Blessed beg the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of merciesh and the God of all comfort.i 4 He comforts us in all our affliction,B so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as the sufferingsj of Christk overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.l 6 If we are afflicted,m it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer.n 7 And our hopeo for you is firm, because we know that as you sharep in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort.

8 We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia.q We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strengthr—so that we even despaireds of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in Godt who raisesu the dead. 10 He has deliveredv us from such a terrible death,w and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again 11 while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on ourC behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.

A CLEAR CONSCIENCE

12 Indeed, this is our boast: The testimonyx of our consciencey is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with godly sincerity and purity, not by human wisdomz but by God’s grace.aa 13 For we are writing nothing to you other than what you can read and also understand. I hope you will understand completely—14 just as you have partially understood us—that we are your reason for pride,ab just as you also are oursac in the day of ourD Lord Jesus.ad

A VISIT POSTPONED

15 Because of this confidence, I planned to come to you first,ae so that you could have a second benefit,E 16 and to visit you on my way to Macedonia,af and then come to you again from Macedonia and be helped by youag on my journeyah to Judea.ai 17 Now when I planned this, was I of two minds? Or what I plan, do I plan in a purely humanF,aj way so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 As God is faithful,ak our message to you is not “Yes and no.” 19 For the Son of God,al Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you—Silvanus,* am Timothy, and I—did not become “Yes and no.” On the contrary, in him it is always “Yes.”an 20 For every one of God’s promisesao is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen”ap to the glory of God.aq 21 Now it is God who strengthens us together with you in Christ, and who has anointedar us. 22 He has also put his seal on us and given us the Spirit in our heartsas as a down payment.at

23 I call on God as a witness,au on my life, that it was to spare you that I did not come to Corinth.av 24 I do not mean that we lord it over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because you stand firm in youraw faith. 2 In fact, I made up my mind about this: I would not come to you on another painful visit.B 2 For if I cause you pain, then who will cheer me other than the one being hurt by me?C 3 I wrote this very thing so that when I came I wouldn’t have pain from those who ought to give me joy, because I am confidentax about all of you that my joy will also be yours. 4 For I wrote to you with many tears out of an extremely troubled and anguished heart—not to cause you pain, but that you should know the abundant love I have for you.

A SINNER FORGIVEN

5 If anyone has caused pain, he has caused pain not so much to me but to some degree—not to exaggeratea—to all of you. 6 This punishment by the majority is sufficient for that person. 7 As a result, you should instead forgiveb and comfort him. Otherwise, he may be overwhelmed by excessive grief. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. 9 I wrote for this purpose: to test your characterc to see if you are obedientd in everything. 10 Anyone you forgive, I do too. For what I have forgiven—if I have forgiven anything—it is for your benefit in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we may not be taken advantagee of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.

A TRIP TO MACEDONIA

12 When I came to Troasf to preach the gospel of Christ, even though the Lord opened a doorg for me, 13 I had no resth in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus.i Instead, I said good-bye to them and left for Macedonia.i

A MINISTRY OF LIFE OR DEATH

14 But thanks be to God,k who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place.l 15 For to God we are the fragrancem of Christ among those who are being savedn and among those who are perishing.o 16 To some we are an aroma of deathp leading to death, but to others, an aroma of lifeq leading to life. Who is adequate for these things? 17 For we do not market the wordDr of God for profit like so many. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.