Forgiveness for the Offender

⁵ If anyone has caused grief,^(A) he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. ⁶ The punishment^(B) inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. ⁷ Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him,^(C) so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸ I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹ Another reason I wrote you^(D) was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.^{(E) 10} Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, ¹¹ in order that Satan^(F) might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.^(G)

Ministers of the New Covenant

¹² Now when I went to Troas^(H) to preach the gospel of Christ^(I) and found that the Lord had opened a door^(J) for me, ¹³ I still had no peace of mind,^(K) because I did not find my brother Titus^(L) there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.^(M)

¹⁴ But thanks be to God,^(N) who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma^(O) of the knowledge^(P) of him everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are to God the pleasing aroma^(Q) of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.^{(R) 16} To the one we are an aroma that brings death;^(S) to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?^{(T) 17} Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit.^(U) On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity,^(V) as those sent from God.^(W)

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves^(X) again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation^(Y) to you or from you? ² You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.^{(Z) 3} You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God,^(AA) not on tablets of stone^(AB) but on tablets of human hearts.^(AC)

⁴ Such confidence^(AD) we have through Christ before God. ⁵ Not that we are competent in ourselves^(AE) to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.^{(AF) 6} He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant^(AG)—not of the letter^(AH) but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.^(AI)

The Greater Glory of the New Covenant

⁷ Now if the ministry that brought death,^(AJ) which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory,^(AK) transitory though it was, ⁸ will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? ⁹ If the ministry that brought condemnation^(AL) was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!^{(AM) 10} For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹ And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

¹² Therefore, since we have such a hope,^(AN) we are very bold.^{(AO) 13} We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face^(AP) to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. ¹⁴ But their minds were made dull,^(AQ) for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant^(AR) is read.^(AS) It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵ Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. ¹⁶ But whenever anyone turns to the Lord,^(AT) the veil is taken away.^{(AU) 17} Now the Lord is the Spirit,^(AV) and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.^{(AW) 18} And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate^[a](AX) the Lord’s glory,^(AY) are being transformed into his image^(AZ) with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Present Weakness and Resurrection Life

4 Therefore, since through God’s mercy^(BA) we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.^{(BB) 2} Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways;^(BC) we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.^(BD) On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience^(BE) in the sight of God. ³ And even if our gospel^(BF) is veiled,^(BG) it is veiled to those who are perishing.^{(BH) 4} The god^(BI) of this age^(BJ) has blinded^(BK) the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,^(BL) who is the image of God.^{(BM) 5} For what we preach is not ourselves,^(BN) but Jesus Christ as Lord,^(BO) and ourselves as your servants^(BP) for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[b](BQ) made his light shine in our hearts^(BR) to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.^(BS)

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay^(BT) to show that this all-surpassing power is from God^(BU) and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side,^(BV) but not crushed; perplexed,^(BW) but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted,^(BX) but not abandoned;^(BY) struck down, but not destroyed.^{(BZ) 10} We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,^(CA) so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.^{(CB) 11} For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake,^(CC) so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.^(CD)

¹³ It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”^[c](CE) Since we have that same spirit of^[d] faith,^(CF) we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead^(CG) will also raise us with Jesus^(CH) and present us with you to himself.^{(CI) 15} All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving^(CJ) to overflow to the glory of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart.^(CK) Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly^(CL) we are being renewed^(CM) day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.^{(CN) 18} So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,^(CO) since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Awaiting the New Body

5 For we know that if the earthly^(CP) tent^(CQ) we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ² Meanwhile we groan,^(CR) longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,^{(CS) 3} because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are in this tent, we groan^(CT) and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,^(CU) so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.^(CV)

⁶ Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷ For we live by faith, not by sight.^{(CW) 8} We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.^{(CX) 9} So we make it our goal to please him,^(CY) whether we are at home in the body or away from it. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us^(CZ) for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

¹¹ Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord,^(DA) we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.^{(DB) 12} We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again,^(DC) but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us,^(DD) so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. ¹³ If we are “out of our mind,”^(DE) as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.^{(DF) 15} And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves^(DG) but for him who died for them^(DH) and was raised again.

¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly^(DI) point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,^(DJ) the new creation^(DK) has come:^[e] The old has gone, the new is here!^{(DL) 18} All this is from God,^(DM) who reconciled us to himself through Christ^(DN) and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.^(DO) And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,^(DP) as though God were making his appeal through us.^(DQ) We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.^{(DR) 21} God made him who had no sin^(DS) to be sin^[f] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.^(DT)

6 As God’s co-workers^(DU) we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.^{(DV) 2} For he says,

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

Paul’s Hardships

³ We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path,^(DX) so that our ministry will not be discredited. ⁴ Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; ⁵ in beatings, imprisonments^(DY) and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;^{(DZ) 6} in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit^(EA) and in sincere love;^{(EB) 7} in truthful speech^(EC) and in the power of God;^(ED) with weapons of righteousness^(EE) in the right hand and in the left; ⁸ through glory and dishonor,^(EF) bad report^(EG) and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;^{(EH) 9} known, yet regarded as unknown; dying,^(EI) and yet we live on;^(EJ) beaten, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;^(EK) poor, yet making many rich;^(EL) having nothing,^(EM) and yet possessing everything.^(EN)

¹¹ We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.^{(EO) 12} We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. ¹³ As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children^(EP)—open wide your hearts^(EQ) also.