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For we know that if our ^(F1)(C1)earthly ^(C2)tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house ^(C3)not made by hands, eternal in the heavens.

For indeed, in this tent we ^(C1)groan, longing to be ^(C2)clothed with our ^(F1)dwelling from heaven,

since in fact after putting it on, we will not be found naked.

For indeed, we who are in this tent ^(C1)groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be ^(C2)clothed, so that what is ^(C3)mortal will be swallowed up by life.

Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who ^(C1)gave us the Spirit as a ^(F1)pledge.

Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that ^(C1)while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—

for ^(C1)we walk by faith, not by ^(F1)sight—

but we are of good courage and ^(C1)prefer rather to be absent from the body and ^(C2)to be at home with the Lord.

Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be ^(C1)pleasing to Him.

For we must all appear before ^(C1)the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for ^(F1)his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad.

Therefore, knowing the ^(C1)fear of the Lord, we persuade people, but we are well known to God; and I hope that we are also ^(C2)well known in your consciences.

We are not commending ourselves to you ^(C1)again, but are giving you an ^(C2)opportunity to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart.

For if we have ^(C1)lost our minds, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.

For the love of Christ ^(C1)controls us, having concluded this, that ^(C2)one died for all, therefore all died;

and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer ^(C1)live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf.

Therefore from now on we recognize no one ^(F1)(C1)by the flesh; even though we have known Christ by the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.

Therefore if anyone is ^(C1)in Christ, this person is ^(C2)a new ^(F1)creation; ^(C3)the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Now ^(C1)all these things are from God, ^(C2)who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ^(C3)ministry of reconciliation,

namely, that ^(C1)God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, ^(C2)not counting their wrongdoings against them, and ^(F1)He has ^(F2)committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Therefore, we are ^(C1)ambassadors for Christ, ^(C2)as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be ^(C3)reconciled to God.

He made Him who ^(C1)knew no sin to be ^(F1)(C2)sin in our behalf, so that we might become the ^(C3)righteousness of God in Him.

And ^(C1)working together with Him, ^(C2)we also urge you not to receive ^(C3)the grace of God in vain—

for He says, "^(C1)AT A FAVORABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON A DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU." Behold, now is "A FAVORABLE TIME," behold, now is "A DAY OF SALVATION"—

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^(C1)giving no reason for taking offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited,

but in everything ^(C1)commending ourselves as ^(F1)(C2)servants of God, ^(C3)in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in difficulties,

in ^(C1)beatings, in imprisonments, in ^(F1)(C2)mob attacks, in labors, in sleeplessness, in ^(C3)hunger,

in purity, in ^(C1)knowledge, in ^(C2)patience, in kindness, in the ^(C3)Holy Spirit, in ^(C4)genuine love,

in ^(C1)the word of truth, and in ^(C2)the power of God; by ^(C3)the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left,

by glory and ^(C1)dishonor, by ^(C2)evil report and good report; regarded as ^(C3)deceivers and yet ^(C4)true;

as unknown and yet well known, as ^(C1)dying and yet behold, ^(C2)we are alive; as ^(F1)punished and yet not put to death,

as ^(C1)sorrowful yet always ^(C1)rejoicing, as ^(C2)poor yet making many rich, as ^(C3)having nothing and yet possessing ^(C4)all things.

^(C1)Our mouth ^(F1)has spoken freely to you, you Corinthians, our ^(C2)heart is opened wide.

You are not restrained ^(F1)by us, but ^(C1)you are restrained in your own ^(F2)affections.

Now in the same way in ^(C1)exchange—I am speaking as to ^(C2)children—open wide your hearts to us, you as well.

^(C1)Do not be ^(F1)mismatched with ^(C2)unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness ^(C3)share together, or what does light have in common with darkness?

Or what ^(C1)harmony does Christ have with ^(F1)Belial, or ^(F2)what does a ^(C2)believer share with an ^(C3)unbeliever?

Or ^(C1)what agreement does ^(F1)the temple of God have with idols? For we are ^(F1)(C2)the temple of ^(C3)the living God; just as God said, "^(C4)I WILL ^(C5)DWELL AMONG THEM AND ^(C6)WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

-"^(C1)Therefore, ^(C2)COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.

-"^(C1)And I will be a father to you, And you shall be ^(C2)sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty.

Therefore, having these promises, ^(C1)beloved, ^(C2)let's cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

^(C1)Make room for us in your hearts; we have wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one.

I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said ^(C1)before that you are ^(C2)in our hearts, to die together and to live together.

My ^(C1)confidence ^(F1)in you is great; my ^(C2)boasting in your behalf is great. I am filled with ^(C3)comfort; I am overflowing with ^(C4)joy in all our affliction.

For even when we came into ^(C1)Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were ^(C2)afflicted on every side: ^(C3)conflicts on the outside, fears inside.

But ^(C1)God, who comforts the ^(F1)discouraged, ^(C2)comforted us by the arrival of ^(C3)Titus;

and not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted among you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more.

For though I ^(C1)caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while—

I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything ^(F1)through us.

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a ^(C1)repentance ^(F1)without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

For behold what earnestness this very thing, this ^(F1)godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what ^(C1)longing, what zeal, what ^(C2)punishment of wrong! In everything you ^(C3)demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.

So although ^(C1)I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of ^(C2)the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness in our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God.

Because of this, we have been ^(C1)comforted. And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of ^(C2)Titus, because his ^(C3)spirit has been refreshed by you all.

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For if I have ^(C1)boasted to him about you regarding anything, I was not put to shame. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before ^(C2)Titus proved to be the truth.

His ^(F1)affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the ^(C1)obedience of you all, how you received him with ^(C2)fear and trembling.

I rejoice that in everything ^(C1)I have confidence in you.

Now, brothers and sisters, we make known to you the grace of God which has been ^(C1)given in the churches of ^(C2)Macedonia,

that in a ^(F1)great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the ^(C1)wealth of their liberality.

For I testify that ^(C1)according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave voluntarily,

begging us with much urging for the ^(C1)favor ^(F1)of participation in the ^(F2)(C2)support of the ^(F3)saints,

and this, not as we had ^(F1)expected, but they first ^(C1)gave themselves to the Lord and to us by ^(C2)the will of God.

So we ^(C1)urged ^(C2)Titus that as he had previously ^(C3)made a beginning, so he would also complete in you ^(C4)this gracious work as well.

But just as you ^(C1)excel ^(C2)in everything, in faith, speaking, knowledge, and in all earnestness and in the ^(F1)love we inspired in you, see that you also ^(C1)excel in this gracious work.

I ^(C1)am not saying this as a command, but as proving, through the earnestness of others, the sincerity of your love as well.

For you know ^(C1)the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ^(C2)though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

I ^(C1)give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin ^(C2)a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it.

But now finish ^(F1)doing it also, so that just as there was the ^(C1)willingness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability.

For if the willingness is present, it is acceptable ^(C1)according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.

For this is not for the relief of others and for your hardship, but by way of equality—

at this present time your abundance will serve as assistance for ^(C1)their need, so that their abundance also may ^(F1)serve as assistance for ^(C1)your need, so that there may be equality;

as it is written: "^(C1)THE ONE WHO HAD GATHERED MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND THE ONE WHO HAD GATHERED LITTLE DID NOT HAVE TOO LITTLE."

But ^(C1)thanks be to God who ^(C2)puts the same earnestness in your behalf in the heart of ^(C3)Titus.

For he not only accepted our ^(C1)appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord.

We have sent along with him ^(C1)the brother whose fame in the things of the ^(C2)gospel has spread through ^(C3)all the churches;

^(C1)and not only that, but he has also been ^(C2)appointed by the churches to travel with us in ^(C3)this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our ^(C4)readiness,

^(F1)taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift;

for we ^(C1)have regard for what is honorable, not only in ^(C2)the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of other people.

We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you.

As for ^(C1)Titus, he is my ^(C2)partner and fellow worker ^(F1)among you; as for our ^(C3)brothers, they are ^(F2)(C4)messengers of the churches, ^(C5)a glory to Christ.

Therefore, ^(F1)openly before the churches, ^(F2)show them the proof of your love and of our ^(C1)reason for boasting about you.

For ^(C1)it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ^(C2)ministry to the ^(F1)saints;

for I know your willingness, of which I ^(C1)boast about you to the ^(C2)Macedonians, namely, that ^(C3)Achaia has been prepared since ^(C4)last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them.

But I have sent the brothers, in order that our ^(C1)boasting about you may not prove empty in this case, so that, ^(C2)as I was saying, you will be prepared;

otherwise, if any ^(C1)Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to mention you—would be put to shame by this confidence.

So I considered it necessary to urge the ^(C1)brothers that they go on ahead to you and arrange in advance your previously promised ^(F1)(C2)generous gift, that the same would be ready as a ^(F1)(C3)generous gift, and not as one grudgingly given due to greediness.

Now I say this: ^(C1)the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows ^(F1)generously will also reap ^(F1)generously.

Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not ^(C1)reluctantly or under compulsion, for ^(C2)God loves a cheerful giver.

And ^(C1)God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

as it is written: "^(C1)HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ^(F1)ENDURES FOREVER."

Now He who supplies ^(C1)seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and ^(C2)increase the harvest of your righteousness;

you will be ^(C1)enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing ^(C2)thanksgiving to God.

For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying ^(C1)the needs of the ^(F1)saints, but is also overflowing ^(C2)through many thanksgivings to God.

Because of the proof given by this ^(C1)ministry, they will ^(C2)glorify God for your obedience to your ^(C3)confession of the ^(C4)gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your ^(F1)contribution to them and to all,

while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.

^(C1)Thanks be to God for His indescribable ^(C2)gift!