For this purpose I am sending to you Timothy, who is my own dear and faithful son in the Christian life. He will remind you of the principles which I follow in the new life in union with Christ Jesus and which I teach in all the churches everywhere.

I begged Titus to go, and I sent the other believer with him. Would you say that Titus took advantage of you? Do not he and I act from the very same motives and behave in the same way?

That is why I am sending him to you---to tell you how all of us are getting along and to encourage you.

I am all the more eager, then, to send him to you, so that you will be glad again when you see him, and my own sorrow will disappear.

That is why I had to send Timothy. I could not bear it any longer, so I sent him to find out about your faith. Surely it could not be that the Devil had tempted you and all our work had been for nothing!

I do this in order that they may be filled with courage and may be drawn together in love, and so have the full wealth of assurance which true understanding brings. In this way they will know God's secret, which is Christ himself.

"Comfort my people," says our God. "Comfort them!

He has sent me to proclaim That the time has come When the LORD will save his people And defeat their enemies. He has sent me to comfort all who mourn,

To give to those who mourn in Zion Joy and gladness instead of grief, A song of praise instead of sorrow. They will be like trees That the LORD himself has planted. They will all do what is right, And God will be praised for what he has done.

He helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God.

Now, however, you should forgive him and encourage him, in order to keep him from becoming so sad as to give up completely.

You know that we treated each one of you just as parents treat their own children.

while we sent Timothy, our brother who works with us for God in preaching the Good News about Christ. We sent him to strengthen you and help your faith,

So then, encourage one another with these words.

And so encourage one another and help one another, just as you are now doing.

We urge you, our friends, to warn the idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

encourage you and strengthen you to always do and say what is good.