Instructions and Greetings

16 Now concerning ^(A)the collection for ^[a](B)the saints, as ^(C)I directed the churches of ^(D)Galatia, so you are to do as well. ² On ^(E)the first day of every week, each of you is to ^[b]put aside and save as he may prosper, so that ^(F)no collections need to be made when I come. ³ When I arrive, ^(G)whomever you approve, I will send them with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem; ⁴ and if it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me.

⁵ But I ^(H)will come to you after I go through ^(I)Macedonia; for I ^(J)am going through Macedonia, ⁶ and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may ^(K)send me on my way wherever I go. ⁷ For I do not want to see you now ^(L)just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, ^(M)if the Lord permits. ⁸ But I will remain in ^(N)Ephesus until ^(O)Pentecost; ⁹ for a ^(P)wide door ^[c]for effective service has opened to me, and ^(Q)there are many adversaries.

¹⁰ Now if ^(R)Timothy comes, see that he ^[d]has no reason to be afraid while among you, for he is doing ^(S)the Lord’s work, as I also am. ^11 (T)So do not look down on him, anyone. But ^(U)send him on his way ^(V)in peace, so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brothers.

¹² Now concerning our brother ^(W)Apollos, I strongly encouraged him to come to you with the brothers; and it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has the opportunity.

^13 (X)Be on the alert, ^(Y)stand firm in the faith, ^(Z)act like men, ^(AA)be strong. ¹⁴ All that you do must be done ^(AB)in love.

¹⁵ Now I urge you, brothers and sisters: you know the ^(AC)household of Stephanas, that ^[e]they are the ^(AD)first fruits of ^(AE)Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to ^(AF)ministry to ^(AG)the ^[f]saints; ¹⁶ I urge that ^(AH)you also be subject to such as these and to everyone who helps in the work and labors. ¹⁷ I rejoice over the ^[g](AI)coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, because they have ^[h]supplied ^(AJ)what was lacking on your part. ¹⁸ For they ^(AK)have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore ^(AL)acknowledge such men.

¹⁹ The churches of ^[i](AM)Asia greet you. ^(AN)Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with ^(AO)the church that is in their house. ²⁰ All the brothers and sisters greet you. ^(AP)Greet one another with a holy kiss.

²¹ The greeting is in ^(AQ)my own hand—that of Paul. ²² If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be ^[j](AR)accursed. ^[k](AS)Maranatha! ^23 (AT)The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. ²⁴ My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Introduction

1 Paul, ^(AU)an apostle of ^(AV)Christ Jesus ^(AW)by the will of God, and our brother ^(AX)Timothy,

To ^(AY)the church of God which is at ^(AZ)Corinth with all the ^[l]saints who are throughout ^(BA)Achaia:

^2 (BB)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

^3 (BC)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and ^(BD)God of all comfort, ⁴ who ^(BE)comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in ^[m]any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For just ^(BF)as the sufferings of Christ are ^[n]ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. ⁶ But if we are afflicted, it is ^(BG)for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; ⁷ and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that ^(BH)as you are partners in our sufferings, so also you are in our comfort.

⁸ For ^(BI)we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our ^(BJ)affliction which occurred in ^[o](BK)Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life. ^9 [p]Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, ¹⁰ who ^(BL)rescued us from so great a danger of death, and will rescue us, He ^[q](BM)on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, ¹¹ if you also join in ^(BN)helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by ^(BO)many persons in our behalf for the favor granted to us through the prayers of many.

Paul’s Integrity

¹² For our ^[r]proud confidence is this: the testimony of ^(BP)our conscience, that in holiness and ^(BQ)godly sincerity, ^(BR)not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you. ¹³ For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand ^(BS)until the end; ¹⁴ just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, on ^(BT)the day of our Lord Jesus.

¹⁵ In this confidence I intended at first to ^(BU)come to you, so that you might ^[s]twice receive a ^[t](BV)blessing; ^16 [u]that is, to ^(BW)pass ^[v]your way into ^(BX)Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be ^(BY)helped on my journey to Judea. ¹⁷ Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I decide, do I decide ^(BZ)according to the flesh, so that with me there will be ^[w]yes, yes and no, no at the same time? ¹⁸ But as ^(CA)God is faithful, ^(CB)our word to you is not yes and no. ¹⁹ For ^(CC)the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and ^(CD)Silvanus and ^(CE)Timothy—was not yes and no, but has been yes ^(CF)in Him. ²⁰ For ^(CG)as many as the promises of God are, ^(CH)in Him they are yes; therefore through Him also is ^(CI)our Amen to the glory of God through us. ²¹ Now He who ^(CJ)establishes us with you in Christ and ^(CK)anointed us is God, ²² who also ^(CL)sealed us and ^(CM)gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a ^[x]pledge.

²³ But ^(CN)I call God as witness to my soul, that it was ^(CO)to spare you that I did not come again to ^(CP)Corinth. ²⁴ Not that we ^(CQ)domineer over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are ^(CR)standing firm.