2 Corinthians 1-4 (Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition)

2 Corinthians 1

 ¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother: to the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints that are in all Achaia:

    ²Grace unto you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

    ³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.

    ⁴Who comforteth us in all our tribulation; that we also may be able to comfort them who are in all distress, by the exhortation wherewith we also are exhorted by God.

    ⁵For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us: so also by Christ doth our comfort abound.

    ⁶Now whether we be in tribulation, it is for your exhortation and salvation: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation: or whether we be exhorted, it is for your exhortation and salvation, which worketh the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.

    ⁷That our hope for you may be steadfast: knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation.

    ⁸For we would not have you ignorant,brethren, of our tribulation, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure above our strength, so that we were weary even of life.

    ⁹But we had in ourselves the answer of death, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead.

    ¹⁰Who hath delivered and doth deliver us out of so great dangers: in whom we trust that he will yet also deliver us.

    ¹¹You helping withal in prayer for us: that for this gift obtained for us, by the means of many persons, thanks may be given by many in our behalf.

    ¹²For our glory is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity of heart and sincerity of God, and not in carnal wisdom, but in the grace of God, we have conversed in this world: and more abundantly towards you.

    ¹³For we write no other things to you than what you have read and known. And I hope that you shall know unto the end:

    ¹⁴As also you have known us in part, that we are your glory, as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    ¹⁵And in this confidence I had a mind to come to you before, that you might have a second grace:

    ¹⁶And to pass by you into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be brought on my way towards Judea.

    ¹⁷Whereas then I was thus minded, did I use lightness? Or, the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that there should be with me, It is, and It is not?

    ¹⁸But God is faithful, for our preaching which was to you, was not, It is, and It is not.

    ¹⁹For the Son of God, Jesus Christ who was preached among you by us, by me, and Sylvanus, and Timothy, was not, It is and It is not, but, It is, was in him.

    ²⁰For all the promises of God are in him, It is; therefore also by him, amen to God, unto our glory.

    ²¹Now he that confirmeth us with you in Christ, and that hath anointed us, is God:

    ²²Who also hath sealed us, and given the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts.

    ²³But I call God to witness upon my soul, that to spare you, I came not any more to Corinth: not because we exercise dominion over your faith: but we are helpers of your joy: for in faith you stand.

   

2 Corinthians 2

 ¹But I determined this with myself, not to come to you again in sorrow.

    ²For if I make you sorrowful, who is he then that can make me glad, but the same who is made sorrowful by me?

    ³And I wrote this same to you; that I may not, when I come, have sorrow upon sorrow, from them of whom I ought to rejoice: having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

    ⁴For out of much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote to you with many tears: not that you should be made sorrowful: but that you might know the charity I have more abundantly towards you.

    ⁵And if any one have caused grief, he hath not grieved me; but in part, that I may not burden you all.

    ⁶To him who is such a one, this rebuke is sufficient, which is given by many:

    ⁷So that on the contrary, you should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

    ⁸Wherefore, I beseech you, that you would confirm your charity towards him.

    ⁹For to this end also did I write, that I may know the experiment of you, whether you be obedient in all things.

    ¹⁰And to whom you have pardoned any thing, I also. For, what I have pardoned, if I have pardoned any thing, for your sakes have I done it in the person of Christ.

    ¹¹That we be not overreached by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his devices.

    ¹²And when I was come to Troas for the gospel of Christ, and a door was opened unto me in the Lord,

    ¹³I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother; but bidding them farewell, I went into Macedonia.

    ¹⁴Now thanks be to God, who always maketh us to triumph in Christ Jesus, and manifesteth the odour of his knowledge by us in every place.

    ¹⁵For we are the good odour of Christ unto God, in them that are saved, and in them that perish.

    ¹⁶To the one indeed the odour of death unto death: but to the others the odour of life unto life. And for these things who is so sufficient?

    ¹⁷For we are not as many, adulterating the word of God; but with sincerity, but as from God, before God, in Christ we speak.

   

2 Corinthians 3

 ¹Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need (as some do) epistles of commendation to you, or from you?

    ²You are our epistle, written in our hearts, which is known and read by all men:

    ³Being manifested, that you are the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, and written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart.

    ⁴And such confidence we have, through Christ, towards God.

    ⁵Not that we are sufficient to think any thing of ourselves, as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is from God.

    ⁶Who also hath made us fit ministers of the new testament, not in the letter, but in the spirit. For the letter killeth, but the spirit quickeneth.

    ⁷Now if the ministration of death, engraven with letters upon stones, was glorious; so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, which is made void:

    ⁸How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather in glory?

    ⁹For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more the ministration of justice aboundeth in glory.

    ¹⁰For even that which was glorious in this part was not glorified, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

    ¹¹For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is in glory.

    ¹²Having therefore such hope, we use much confidence:

    ¹³And not as Moses put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel might not steadfastly look on the face of that which is made void.

    ¹⁴But their senses were made dull. For, until this present day, the selfsame veil, in the reading of the old testament, remaineth not taken away (because in Christ it is made void).

    ¹⁵But even until this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.

    ¹⁶But when they shall be converted to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.

    ¹⁷Now the Lord is a Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

    ¹⁸But we all beholding the glory of the Lord with open face, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.

   

2 Corinthians 4

 ¹Therefore, seeing we have this ministration, according as we have obtained mercy, we faint not;

    ²But we renounce the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor adulterating the word of God; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience, in the sight of God.

    ³And if our gospel be also hid, it is hid to them that are lost,

    ⁴In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of unbelievers, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine unto them.

    ⁵For we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ our Lord; and ourselves your servants through Jesus.

    ⁶For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Christ Jesus.

    ⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency may be of the power of God, and not of us.

    ⁸In all things we suffer tribulation, but are not distressed; we are straitened, but are not destitute;

    ⁹We suffer persecution, but are not forsaken; we are cast down, but we perish not:

    ¹⁰Always bearing about in our body the mortification of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies.

    ¹¹For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake; that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

    ¹²So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

    ¹³But having the same spirit of faith, as it is written: I believed, for which cause I have spoken; we also believe, for which cause we speak also:

    ¹⁴Knowing that he who raised up Jesus, will raise us up also with Jesus, and place us with you.

    ¹⁵For all things are for your sakes; that the grace abounding through many, may abound in thanksgiving unto the glory of God.

    ¹⁶For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man is corrupted, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

    ¹⁷For that which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation, worketh for us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory.

    ¹⁸While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen, are eternal.