7 You never disappoint us. You suffered as much as we did, and we know that you will be comforted as we were.
8 My friends, I want you to know what a hard time we had in Asia. Our sufferings were so horrible and so unbearable that death seemed certain.
9 In fact, we felt sure we were going to die. But this made us stop trusting in ourselves and start trusting God, who raises the dead to life.
10 God saved us from the threat of death, and we are sure that he will do it again and again.
11 Please help us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks for the blessings we receive in answer to all these prayers.
12 We can be proud of our clear conscience. We have always lived honestly and sincerely, especially when we were with you. And we were guided by God's gift of undeserved grace instead of by the wisdom of this world.
13 I am not writing anything you cannot read and understand. I hope you will understand it completely,