Study Desk

We know that our body—the tent we live in here on earth—will be destroyed. But when that happens, God will have a house for us. It will not be a house made by human hands; instead, it will be a home in heaven that will last forever.

But now we groan in this tent. We want God to give us our heavenly home,

While we live in this body, we have burdens, and we groan. We do not want to be naked, but we want to be clothed with our heavenly home. Then this body that dies will be fully covered with life.

We are not trying to prove ourselves to you again, but we are telling you about ourselves so you will be proud of us. Then you will have an answer for those who are proud about things that can be seen rather than what is in the heart.

From this time on we do not think of anyone as the world does. In the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks, but we no longer think of him in that way.

Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could become right with God.

But in every way we show we are servants of God: in accepting many hard things, in troubles, in difficulties, and in great problems.

Some people honor us, but others blame us. Some people say evil things about us, but others say good things. Some people say we are liars, but we speak the truth.

We are not known, but we are well known. We seem to be dying, but we continue to live. We are punished, but we are not killed.

We have much sadness, but we are always rejoicing. We are poor, but we are making many people rich in faith. We have nothing, but really we have everything.

Our feelings of love for you have not stopped, but you have stopped your feelings of love for us.

But God, who comforts those who are troubled, comforted us when Titus came.

We were comforted, not only by his coming but also by the comfort you gave him. Titus told us about your wish to see me and that you are very sorry for what you did. He also told me about your great care for me, and when I heard this, I was much happier.

Even if my letter made you sad, I am not sorry I wrote it. At first I was sorry, because it made you sad, but you were sad only for a short time.

Now I am happy, not because you were made sad, but because your sorrow made you change your lives. You became sad in the way God wanted you to, so you were not hurt by us in any way.

The kind of sorrow God wants makes people change their hearts and lives. This leads to salvation, and you cannot be sorry for that. But the kind of sorrow the world has brings death.

They have been tested by great troubles, and they are very poor. But they gave much because of their great joy.

But they begged and pleaded with us to let them share in this service for God's people.

I am not commanding you to give. But I want to see if your love is true by comparing you with others that really want to help.

You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know that Christ was rich, but for you he became poor so that by his becoming poor you might become rich.