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2 Corinthians 1
The Message
2 Corinthians 1
The Message
1 1-2 I, Paul, have been sent on a special mission by the Messiah, Jesus, planned by God himself. I write this to God’s congregation in Corinth, and to believers all over Achaia province. May all the gifts and benefits that come from God our Father and the Master, Jesus Christ, be yours! Timothy, someone you know and trust, joins me in this greeting.
The Rescue
3-5 All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.
6-7 When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you’re just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you’re going to make it, no doubt about it.
8-11 We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead! And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he’ll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing. You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation—I don’t want you in the dark about that either. I can see your faces even now, lifted in praise for God’s deliverance of us, a rescue in which your prayers played such a crucial part.
12-14 Now that the worst is over, we’re pleased we can report that we’ve come out of this with conscience and faith intact, and can face the world—and even more importantly, face you with our heads held high. But it wasn’t by any fancy footwork on our part. It was God who kept us focused on him, uncompromised. Don’t try to read between the lines or look for hidden meanings in this letter. We’re writing plain, unembellished truth, hoping that you’ll now see the whole picture as well as you’ve seen some of the details. We want you to be as proud of us as we are of you when we stand together before our Master Jesus.
15-16 Confident of your welcome, I had originally planned two great visits with you—coming by on my way to Macedonia province, and then again on my return trip. Then we could have had a bon-voyage party as you sent me off to Judea. That was the plan.
17-19 Are you now going to accuse me of flip-flopping with my promises because it didn’t work out? Do you think I talk out of both sides of my mouth—a glib yes one moment, a glib no the next? Well, you’re wrong. I try to be as true to my word as God is to his. Our word to you wasn’t a careless yes canceled by an indifferent no. How could it be? When Silas and Timothy and I proclaimed the Son of God among you, did you pick up on any yes-and-no, on-again, off-again waffling? Wasn’t it a clean, strong Yes?
20-22 Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.
23 Now, are you ready for the real reason I didn’t visit you in Corinth? As God is my witness, the only reason I didn’t come was to spare you pain. I was being considerate of you, not indifferent, not manipulative.
24 We’re not in charge of how you live out the faith, looking over your shoulders, suspiciously critical. We’re partners, working alongside you, joyfully expectant. I know that you stand by your own faith, not by ours.
2 Corinthians 1
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
2 Corinthians 1
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Salutation
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, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:(A)
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(B)
Paul’s Thanksgiving after Affliction
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation,(C) 4 who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ.(D) 6 If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation.
8 We do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia, for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself.(E) 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us;[a] on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again,(F) 11 as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many may give thanks on our[b] behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.(G)
The Postponement of Paul’s Visit
12 Indeed, this is our boast, the testimony of our conscience: we have behaved in the world with holiness[c] and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God—and all the more toward you.(H) 13 For we write you nothing other than what you can read and also understand; I hope you will understand until the end— 14 as you have already understood us in part—that on the day of the Lord Jesus we are your boast even as you are our boast.(I)
15 Since I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a double favor;[d](J) 16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on to Judea.(K) 17 Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to ordinary human standards,[e] ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you is not[f] “Yes and No.” 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not “Yes and No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.”(L) 20 For in him every one of God’s promises is a “Yes.” For this reason it is through him that we say the “Amen,” to the glory of God.(M) 21 But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us,(N) 22 who has put his seal on us and given[g] us his Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.(O)
23 But I call on God as witness against me: it was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth.(P) 24 I do not mean to imply that we lord it over your faith; rather, we are workers with you for your joy because you stand firm in faith.(Q)
Footnotes
- 1.10 Other ancient authorities read is rescuing us or lack the phrase
- 1.11 Other ancient authorities read your
- 1.12 Other ancient authorities read simplicity
- 1.15 Other ancient authorities read joy
- 1.17 Gk according to the flesh
- 1.18 Other ancient authorities read was not
- 1.22 Other ancient authorities read by putting . . . and giving
2 Corintios 1
Nueva Versión Internacional
2 Corintios 1
Nueva Versión Internacional
1 Pablo, apóstol de Cristo Jesús por la voluntad de Dios, y Timoteo nuestro hermano,
a la iglesia de Dios que está en Corinto y a todos los creyentes en toda la región de Acaya:
2 Que Dios nuestro Padre y el Señor Jesucristo les concedan gracia y paz.
El Dios de toda consolación
3 Bendito sea el Dios y Padre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, Padre misericordioso y Dios de toda consolación, 4 quien nos consuela en todas nuestras tribulaciones para que, con el mismo consuelo que de Dios hemos recibido, también nosotros podamos consolar a todos los que sufren. 5 Pues, así como participamos abundantemente en los sufrimientos de Cristo, así también por medio de él tenemos abundante consuelo. 6 Si sufrimos, es para que ustedes tengan consuelo y salvación; y si somos consolados, es para que ustedes tengan el consuelo que los ayude a soportar con paciencia los mismos sufrimientos que nosotros padecemos. 7 Firme es la esperanza que tenemos en cuanto a ustedes, porque sabemos que, así como participan de nuestros sufrimientos, así también participan de nuestro consuelo.
8 Hermanos, no queremos que desconozcan las aflicciones que sufrimos en la provincia de Asia. Estábamos tan agobiados bajo tanta presión que hasta perdimos la esperanza de salir con vida: 9 nos sentíamos como sentenciados a muerte. Pero eso sucedió para que no confiáramos en nosotros mismos, sino en Dios, que resucita a los muertos. 10 Él nos libró y nos librará de tal peligro de muerte. En él tenemos puesta nuestra esperanza y él seguirá librándonos. 11 Mientras tanto, ustedes nos ayudan orando por nosotros. Así muchos darán gracias a Dios por nosotros[a] a causa del don que se nos ha concedido en respuesta a tantas oraciones.
Pablo cambia de planes
12 Para nosotros, el motivo de satisfacción es el testimonio de nuestra conciencia: Nos hemos comportado en el mundo, y especialmente entre ustedes, con la santidad y sinceridad que vienen de Dios. Nuestra conducta no se ha ajustado a la sabiduría humana, sino a la gracia de Dios. 13 No estamos escribiéndoles nada que no puedan leer ni entender. Espero que lleguen a comprender todo, 14 así como ya nos han comprendido en parte, que pueden sentirse orgullosos de nosotros como también nosotros nos sentiremos orgullosos de ustedes en el día del Señor Jesús.
15 Confiando en esto, quise visitarlos primero a ustedes para que recibieran una doble bendición; 16 es decir, visitarlos de paso a Macedonia y verlos otra vez a mi regreso de allá. Así podrían ayudarme a seguir el viaje a Judea. 17 Al proponerme esto, ¿acaso lo hice a la ligera? ¿O es que hago mis planes según criterios meramente humanos, de manera que diga «sí, sí» y «no, no» al mismo tiempo?
18 Pero tan cierto como que Dios es fiel, el mensaje que les hemos dirigido no es «sí» y «no». 19 Porque el Hijo de Dios, Jesucristo, a quien Silvano, Timoteo y yo predicamos entre ustedes, no fue «sí» y «no»; en él siempre ha sido «sí». 20 Todas las promesas que ha hecho Dios son «sí» en Cristo. Así que por medio de Cristo respondemos «amén» para la gloria de Dios. 21 Dios es el que nos mantiene firmes en Cristo, tanto a nosotros como a ustedes. Él nos ungió, 22 nos selló como propiedad suya y puso su Espíritu en nuestro corazón como garantía de sus promesas.
23 ¡Por mi vida! Invoco a Dios como testigo de que todavía no he ido a Corinto solo por consideración a ustedes. 24 No es que intentemos imponerles la fe, sino que deseamos contribuir a la alegría de ustedes, pues por la fe se mantienen firmes.
Footnotes
- 1:11 nosotros. Var. ustedes.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI) 
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