1. Since we have these promises, dear friends, we need to cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit and live a holy life in the fear of God.
2. Open your hearts to us. We haven’t treated anyone unjustly, ruined anyone, or cheated anyone.
3. I’m not saying this to condemn you. I’ve already told you that you are in our hearts so that we will live and die together.
4. I have great confidence in you, and I have a lot of reasons to be proud of you. Even as we suffer, I’m encouraged and feel very happy.
5. Ever since we arrived in the province of Macedonia, we’ve had no rest. Instead, we suffer in a number of ways. Outwardly we have conflicts, and inwardly we have fears.
6. Yet God, who comforts those who are dejected, comforted us when Titus arrived.
7. We were comforted not only by his arrival but also by learning about the comfort he had received while he was with you. He told us how you wanted to see me, how sorry you are for what you’ve done, and how concerned you are about me. This made me even happier.
8. If my letter made you uncomfortable, I’m not sorry. But since my letter did make you uncomfortable for a while, I was sorry.
9. But I’m happy now, not because I made you uncomfortable, but because the distress I caused you has led you to change the way you think and act. You were distressed in a godly way, so we haven’t done you any harm.
10. In fact, to be distressed in a godly way causes people to change the way they think and act and leads them to be saved. No one can regret that. But the distress that the world causes brings only death.