Book 47 2 Corinthians
47:001:001 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
47:001:002 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
47:001:003 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
47:001:004 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
47:001:005 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
47:001:006 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
47:001:007 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
47:001:008 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
47:001:009 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
47:001:010 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
47:001:011 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
47:001:012 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
47:001:013 For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end;
47:001:014 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are our's in the day of the Lord Jesus.
47:001:015 And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit;
47:001:016 And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judaea.
47:001:017 When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay?
47:001:018 But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.
47:001:019 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
47:001:020 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
47:001:021 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
47:001:022 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
47:001:023 Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.
47:001:024 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.
47:002:001 But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.
47:002:002 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?
47:002:003 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.
47:002:004 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
47:002:005 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.
47:002:006 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.
47:002:007 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
47:002:008 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.
47:002:009 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.
47:002:010 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
47:002:011 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
47:002:012 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,
47:002:013 I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.
47:002:014 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
47:002:015 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
47:002:016 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
47:002:017 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
47:003:001 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
47:003:002 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
47:003:003 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
47:003:004 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
47:003:005 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
47:003:006 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
47:003:007 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
47:003:008 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
47:003:009 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
47:003:010 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
47:003:011 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
47:003:012 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
47:003:013 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
47:003:014 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
47:003:015