The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

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- Chapter 1 -

(Acts 18:1–11; 1 Corinthians 1:1–3)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The God of All Comfort

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which accomplishes in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we experience.

And our hope for you is sure, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you will share in our comfort.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia.(a) We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.

Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead.

He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,

as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the favor shown us in answer to their prayers.

Paul’s Change of Plans

And this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly

(b)

wisdom, but in the grace of God.

For we do not write you anything that is beyond your ability to read and understand. And I hope that you will understand us completely,

as you have already understood us in part, so that you may boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of our Lord Jesus.(c)

Confident of this, I planned to visit you first, so that you might receive a double blessing.

I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to return to you from Macedonia, and then to have you help me on my way to Judea.

When I planned this, did I do it carelessly? Or do I make my plans by human standards, so as to say “Yes, yes” when I really mean “No, no”?

But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.”

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed among you by me and Silvanus

(d)

and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in Him it has always been “Yes.”

For all the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him, our “Amen” is spoken to the glory of God.

Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us,

placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.

I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.

Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy, because it is by faith that you stand firm.

Footnotes

(a)1:8 Literally in Asia; Asia was a Roman province in what is now western Turkey.

(b)1:12 Literally fleshly

(d)1:19 That is, Silas

(Acts 18:1–11; 1 Corinthians 1:1–3)

Paul, an apostle of Christ

(a)

Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the assembly of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The God of All Comfort

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

who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ.

But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.

Our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that, since you are partakers of the sufferings, so you are also of the comfort.

For we don’t desire to have you uninformed, brothers,(b) concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia: that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life.

Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead,

who delivered us out of so great a death, and does deliver, on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us,

you also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift given to us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on your behalf.

Paul’s Change of Plans

For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.

For we write no other things to you than what you read or even acknowledge, and I hope you will acknowledge to the end—

as also you acknowledged us in part—that we are your boasting, even as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.

In this confidence, I was determined to come first to you, that you might have a second benefit,

and by you to pass into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and to be sent forward by you on my journey to Judea.

When I therefore planned this, did I show fickleness? Or the things that I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be the “Yes, yes” and the “No, no?”

But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not “Yes and no.”

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not “Yes and no,” but in him is “Yes.”

For however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen”, to the glory of God through us.

Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,

who also sealed us and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.

But I call God for a witness to my soul, that to spare you, I didn’t come to Corinth.

We don’t control your faith, but are fellow workers with you for your joy. For you stand firm in faith.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 “Christ” means “Anointed One”.

(b)1:8 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”