Greeting

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will,^(A) and Timothy^(B) our^[a] brother:

To the church of God at Corinth,^(C) with all the saints who are throughout Achaia.^(D)

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

The God of Comfort

³ Blessed be^(G) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies^(H) and the God of all comfort.^{(I) 4} He comforts us in all our affliction,^[b] so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵ For just as the sufferings^(J) of Christ^(K) overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.^{(L) 6} If we are afflicted,^(M) it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer.^{(N) 7} And our hope^(O) for you is firm, because we know that as you share^(P) in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort.

⁸ We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia.^(Q) We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength^(R)—so that we even despaired^(S) of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God^(T) who raises^(U) the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered^(V) us from such a terrible death,^(W) and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again ¹¹ while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our^[c] behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.

A Clear Conscience

¹² Indeed, this is our boast: The testimony^(X) of our conscience^(Y) is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with godly sincerity and purity, not by human wisdom^(Z) but by God’s grace.^{(AA) 13} For we are writing nothing to you other than what you can read and also understand. I hope you will understand completely— ¹⁴ just as you have partially understood us—that we are your reason for pride,^(AB) just as you also are ours^(AC) in the day of our^[d] Lord Jesus.^(AD)

A Visit Postponed

¹⁵ Because of this confidence, I planned to come to you first,^(AE) so that you could have a second benefit,^{[e] 16} and to visit you on my way to Macedonia,^(AF) and then come to you again from Macedonia and be helped by you^(AG) on my journey^(AH) to Judea.^{(AI) 17} Now when I planned this, was I of two minds? Or what I plan, do I plan in a purely human^[f](AJ) way so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? ¹⁸ As God is faithful,^(AK) our message to you is not “Yes and no.” ¹⁹ For the Son of God,^(AL) Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you—Silvanus,^[g](AM) Timothy, and I—did not become “Yes and no.” On the contrary, in him it is always “Yes.”^{(AN) 20} For every one of God’s promises^(AO) is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen”^(AP) to the glory of God.^{(AQ) 21} Now it is God who strengthens us together with you in Christ, and who has anointed^(AR) us. ²² He has also put his seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts^(AS) as a down payment.^(AT)

²³ I call on God as a witness,^(AU) on my life, that it was to spare you that I did not come to Corinth.^{(AV) 24} I do not mean that we lord it over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because you stand firm in your^(AW) faith.