1 From Paul, an ·apostle [messenger] of Christ Jesus. ·I am an apostle because that is what God wanted [^L…by the will of God]. Also from Timothy [Acts 16:1–5; 1 Cor. 16:10–11; Phil. 2:19–24; 1–2 Timothy] our ·brother in Christ [^Lbrother].

To the church of God in Corinth, and to all ·of God’s people [^Tthe saints] everywhere in Achaia [^Cthe Roman province where the city of Corinth was located, present day southern Greece]:

² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul Gives Thanks to God

³ ·Praise be to [Blessed is/be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father who is full of ·mercy [compassion] and all ·comfort [encouragement]. ⁴ He ·comforts [encourages] us ·every time we have [^Lin all our] ·troubles [trials; tribulation], so when others have ·trouble [any trials/tribulation], we can ·comfort [encourage] them with the same ·comfort [encouragement] God gives us. ⁵ [^LFor just as] ·We share in the many sufferings of Christ [^LChrist’s sufferings abound in us]. In the same way, ·much comfort comes to us [^Lour comfort abounds] through Christ. ⁶ If we have ·troubles [trials; tribulation], it is for your ·comfort [encouragement] and salvation, and if we ·have comfort [are encouraged], ·you also have comfort [or it is for your comfort/encouragement]. This helps you to accept patiently the same sufferings we have. ⁷ Our hope for you is ·strong [unshaken; firm], knowing that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the ·comfort [encouragement] we receive.

⁸ Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the ·trouble [trial; tribulation] we suffered in Asia [^Ca Roman province in present-day western Turkey]. We had great burdens there that were beyond our own strength, so that we even ·gave up hope of living [^Ldespaired of life]. ⁹ Truly, in our own hearts we believed we ·would die [^Lhad been sentenced to death]. But this happened so we would not trust in ourselves but in God, who raises people from the dead. ¹⁰ God ·saved [rescued; delivered] us from these great dangers of death, and he will continue to ·save [rescue; deliver] us. We have put our hope in him, and he will ·save [rescue; deliver] us again. ¹¹ ·And you can [or …as you] help us with your prayers. Then many people will give thanks for us—·that God blessed [for the gift/favor given to] us because of their many prayers.

The Change in Paul’s Plans

¹² This is ·what we are proud of [^Lour boast], ·and I can say it with a clear conscience [^Lthe testimony/witness of our conscience]: In everything we have done in the world, and especially with you, we have had an ·honest^[a] [or generous] and sincere heart from God. We did this by God’s grace, not by ·the kind of wisdom the world has [worldly/fleshly wisdom]. We write to you ·only what you can read and understand [or in a clear and straightforward manner]. And I hope that as you have understood ·some things [part of the situation; ^Lin part] about us, you may come to ·know everything [understand fully] about us [^Csome of Paul’s previous contacts and correspondence had produced misunderstanding or conflict; 2:1]. Then you can ·be proud [boast] of us, as we will ·be proud [boast] of you on the day ·our Lord Jesus Christ comes again [^Lof our Lord Jesus Christ; ^Cjudgment day].

¹⁵ I was so sure of all this that I made plans to visit you first so you could ·be blessed twice [^Lhave a second grace]. ¹⁶ I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia [^Cthe northern part of present-day Greece; Acts 19:21; 20:1, 2] and again on my way back [^Cthe visit anticipated in 1 Cor. 16:5]. I wanted to ·get help from you for my trip [^Lbe sent by you] to Judea. ¹⁷ [^LSo; Therefore] Do you think that I made these plans ·without really meaning it [lightly; with vacillation]? Or maybe you think I make plans ·as the world does [or using only human standards/reason; ^Laccording to the flesh], so that I say yes, yes and at the same time no, no.

¹⁸ But ·since you can believe God [^LGod is trustworthy/faithful], you can believe that what we tell you is never both yes and no. ¹⁹ [^LFor] The Son of God, Jesus Christ, that Silas and Timothy and I preached to you, was not yes and no. [^LBut; Rather] In ·Christ [^Lhim] it has always been yes. ²⁰ The yes to all of God’s promises is in ·Christ [^Lhim], and through Christ we say ·yes [^Lamen; ^Cfrom a Hebrew term meaning “yes,” or “it is true”] to the glory of God. ²¹ Remember, God is the One who makes you and us ·strong [stand firm; established] in Christ. God ·made us his chosen people [or commissioned us; ^Lanointed us]. ²² He put his ·mark on us to show that we are his [^Lseal on us; ^Cof ownership], and he put his Spirit in our hearts ·to be a guarantee for all he has promised [^Las a pledge/deposit/downpayment].

²³ Now I ·ask [call on; appeal to] God to be my witness ·that this is true [or staking my life on it; ^Lagainst my soul/life; ^Ca very serious vow or oath]: The reason I did not come back to Corinth was to ·keep you from being punished or hurt [^Lspare you]. ²⁴ We are not trying to ·control [rule; lord it over] your faith. You ·are strong [stand firm; are well established] in faith. But we are workers with you for your own joy.