God's New Revelations

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)
1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, and to all the believers in the entire region of Achaia.
2
May grace be to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The God of All Comfort

3
May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be praised. He is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.
4
God comforts us in all our affliction, so that we can comfort those who are in any affliction. We comfort others with the same comfort that God used to comfort us.
5
For just as the sufferings of Christ abound for our sake, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
6
But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. And if we are comforted, it is for your comfort. Your comfort is working effectively when you patiently share in the same sufferings that we also suffer.
7
And our confidence about you is certain. We know that as you also share the sufferings, you also share the comfort.
8
For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about the troubles we had in Asia. We were completely crushed beyond what we could bear, so much that we did not even hope to live any longer.
9
Indeed, we had the sentence of death on us. But that was to make us not put our trust in ourselves, but instead in God, who raises the dead.
10
He rescued us from such a deadly peril, and he will rescue us again. We have set our confidence in him that he will deliver us yet again.
11
He will do this as you also help us by your prayer. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor given to us through the prayers of many.

Paul’s Change of Plans

12
We are proud of this: the testimony of our conscience. For it is in pure motives and sincerity that comes from God that we have conducted ourselves in the world. We have done this all the more with you-not in earthly wisdom, but by the grace of God.
13
We do not write to you anything you cannot read or understand. I hope that,
14
just as you have understood us in part, we will be your reason for boasting on the day of our Lord Jesus, just as you will be our reason to boast.
15
Because I was confident about this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might receive the benefit of two visits.
16
I was planning to visit you on my way to Macedonia. Then I wanted to visit you again on my trip from Macedonia, and then for you to send me on my way to Judea.
17
When I was thinking this way, was I hesitating? Do I plan things according to human standards, so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?
18
But just as God is faithful, we do not say both “Yes” and “No.”
19
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom Silvanus, Timothy and I proclaimed among you, is not “Yes” and “No.” Instead, he is always “Yes.”
20
For all the promises of God are “Yes” in him. So also through him we say “Amen” to the glory of God.
21
Now it is God who confirms us with you in Christ, and he commissioned us.
22
He set his seal on us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee of what he would later give us.
23
Instead, I call God to bear witness for me that the reason I did not come to Corinth was so that I might spare you.
24
This is not because we are trying to control what your faith should be. Instead, we are working with you for your joy, as you stand in your faith.
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(Acts 18:1–11; 1 Corinthians 1:1–3)
1
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:
2
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The God of All Comfort

3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4
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.
5
For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ.
6
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.
7
Our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that, since you are partakers of the sufferings, so you are also of the comfort.
8
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.
9
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,
10
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,
11
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

12
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.
13
For we write no other things to you than what you read or even acknowledge, and I hope you will acknowledge to the end—
14
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.
15
In this confidence, I was determined to come first to you, that you might have a second benefit,
16
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.
17
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?”
18
But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not “Yes and no.”
19
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.”
20
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.
21
Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,
22
who also sealed us and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.
23
But I call God for a witness to my soul, that to spare you, I didn’t come to Corinth.
24
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.”
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