2 Corinthians 7:1-11:15

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. 2 Corinthians 7:1 tn Or “purify ourselves.”
2. 2 Corinthians 7:1 tn Grk “from every defilement of the flesh.”
3. 2 Corinthians 7:1 tn Grk “accomplishing.” The participle has been translated as a finite verb due to considerations of contemporary English style, and “thus” has been supplied to indicate that it represents a result of the previous cleansing.
4. 2 Corinthians 7:1 tn Grk “in the fear of God.”
5. 2 Corinthians 7:2 tn The phrase “in your hearts” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
6. 2 Corinthians 7:2 tn “We have ruined no one” may refer to financial loss (“we have caused no one to suffer financial loss”) but it may also refer to the undermining of faith (“we have corrupted no one’s faith,”). Both options are mentioned in L&N 20.23.
7. 2 Corinthians 7:2 tn Or “we have taken advantage of no one.”
8. 2 Corinthians 7:3 sn See 2 Cor 1:4-7.
9. 2 Corinthians 7:3 tn The words “with you” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
10. 2 Corinthians 7:4 tn Grk “great is my boasting.”
11. 2 Corinthians 7:4 tn Or “comfort.”
12. 2 Corinthians 7:4 tn Grk “I am overflowing with joy in all our suffering”; the words “in the midst of” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to clarify that Paul is not rejoicing in the suffering itself, but in his relationship with the Corinthians in the midst of all his suffering.
13. 2 Corinthians 7:5 tn Grk “our flesh.”
14. 2 Corinthians 7:6 tn Or “comforts,” “consoles.”
15. 2 Corinthians 7:6 tn Or “comforted,” “consoled.”
16. 2 Corinthians 7:7 tn Because of the length and complexity of this Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the phrase “We were encouraged.”
17. 2 Corinthians 7:7 tn Or “comfort,” “consolation.”
18. 2 Corinthians 7:7 tn Grk “by the encouragement with which he was encouraged by you.” The passive construction was translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style, and the repeated word “encouraged” was replaced in the translation by “gave” to avoid redundancy in the translation.
19. 2 Corinthians 7:7 tn Or “your grieving,” “your deep sorrow.”
20. 2 Corinthians 7:7 tn Or “your zeal.”
21. 2 Corinthians 7:8 tn Grk “if I grieved you.”
22. 2 Corinthians 7:8 sn My letter. Paul is referring to the “severe” letter mentioned in 2 Cor 2:4.
23. 2 Corinthians 7:8 tn Grk “I do not regret”; direct objects in Greek must often be supplied from the context. Here one could simply supply “it,” but since Paul is referring to the effects of his previous letter, clarity is improved if “having written it” is supplied.
24. 2 Corinthians 7:8 tn Grk “I did regret”; the direct object “it” must be supplied from the context.
25. 2 Corinthians 7:8 tc A few significant mss (P^46c B D* it sa) lack γάρ (gar, “for”), while the majority of witnesses have it (א C D¹ F G Ψ 0243 33 1739 1881 M sy bo). Even though P^46* omits γάρ, it has the same sense (viz., a subordinate clause) because it reads the participle βλέπων (blepōn, “seeing”; the Vulgate does the same). A decision is difficult because although the overwhelming external evidence is on the side of the conjunction, the lack of γάρ is a significantly harder reading, for the whole clause is something of an anacoluthon. Without the conjunction, the sentence reads more harshly. This would fit with Paul’s “vehemence of spirit” (A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament, 435) that is found especially in 2 Corinthians and Galatians. However, the mss that omit the conjunction are prone to such tendencies at times. In this instance, the conjunction should probably stand.
26. 2 Corinthians 7:8 tn Grk “my letter grieved you.”
27. 2 Corinthians 7:9 tn Grk “were grieved” (so also twice later in the verse).
28. 2 Corinthians 7:9 tn Grk “corresponding to God,” that is, corresponding to God’s will (κατὰ θεόν, kata theon). The same phrase occurs in vv. 10 and 11.
29. 2 Corinthians 7:9 tn Grk “so that you did not suffer loss.”
30. 2 Corinthians 7:11 tn Grk “this very thing, to be grieved.”
31. 2 Corinthians 7:11 tn The words “of yourselves” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
32. 2 Corinthians 7:11 sn What indignation refers to the Corinthians’ indignation at the offender.
33. 2 Corinthians 7:11 tn Or “what zeal.”
34. 2 Corinthians 7:11 sn That is, punishment for the offender.
35. 2 Corinthians 7:12 tn Grk “but in order that your eagerness on our behalf might be revealed to you.”
36. 2 Corinthians 7:13 tn Or “all of you have put his mind at ease.”
37. 2 Corinthians 7:14 tn Grk “I have not been put to shame”; the words “by you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
38. 2 Corinthians 7:14 tn Grk “just as we spoke everything to you in truth.”
39. 2 Corinthians 7:14 tn The words “about you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
40. 2 Corinthians 7:15 tn Or “is all the more.”
41. 2 Corinthians 8:1 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:8.
42. 2 Corinthians 8:2 tn Or “riches.”
43. 2 Corinthians 8:3 tn Or “spontaneously.”
44. 2 Corinthians 8:4 tn Or “of ministering to.”
45. 2 Corinthians 8:6 tn A new sentence was started here in the translation and the word “thus” was supplied to indicate that it expresses the result of the previous clause.
46. 2 Corinthians 8:6 tn Or “we exhorted.”
47. 2 Corinthians 8:6 tn The words “this work” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted and must be supplied from the context.
48. 2 Corinthians 8:6 tn Grk “this grace.”
49. 2 Corinthians 8:7 tn Grk “as you abound.”
50. 2 Corinthians 8:7 tc The reading “the love from us that is in you” is very difficult in this context, for Paul is here enumerating the Corinthians’ attributes: How is it possible for them to excel “in the love from us that is in you”? Most likely, because of this difficulty, several early scribes, as well as most later ones (א C D F G Ψ [33] M lat), altered the text to read “your love for us” (so NIV; Grk ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐν ἡμῖν ἀγάπῃ [ex humōn en hēmin agapē]). The reading ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐν ὑμῖν ἀγάπῃ (ex hēmōn en humin agapē) is found, however, in excellent and early witnesses (P⁴⁶ B 0243 6 104 630 1175 1739 1881 co). As the harder reading it explains the rise of the other reading. What, then, is the force of “in the love from us that is in you”? Most likely, Paul is commending the Corinthians for excelling in deriving some inspiration from the apostles’ love for them.
51. 2 Corinthians 8:7 tn Grk “you abound.”
52. 2 Corinthians 8:7 tn Grk “this grace.”
53. 2 Corinthians 8:8 tn Grk “by means of the eagerness of others.”
54. 2 Corinthians 8:9 tn Or “generosity.”
55. 2 Corinthians 8:10 tn Grk “who.”
56. 2 Corinthians 8:11 tn Grk “and now also complete the doing.”
57. 2 Corinthians 8:11 tn Grk “just as the eagerness to want [it].”
58. 2 Corinthians 8:11 tn Grk “complete from what you have.”
59. 2 Corinthians 8:12 tn The words “the gift itself” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Translators often supply an English phrase like “it is” (NASB) but in the context, Paul is clearly referring to the collection Titus was to oversee (2 Cor 8:4-7). Therefore there is no reason not to specify the referent (the gift) more narrowly for clarity.
60. 2 Corinthians 8:14 tn Or “their lack.”
61. 2 Corinthians 8:15 tn The word “gathered” is not in the Greek text, but is implied (so also for the second occurrence of the word later in the verse).
62. 2 Corinthians 8:15 sn A quotation from Exod 16:18.
63. 2 Corinthians 8:16 tn Or “eagerness.”
64. 2 Corinthians 8:17 tn The comparative form of this adjective is used here with elative meaning.
65. 2 Corinthians 8:17 tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.
66. 2 Corinthians 8:17 tn Or “of his own free will.”
67. 2 Corinthians 8:18 tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.
68. 2 Corinthians 8:18 tn Grk “the brother of whom the praise in the gospel [is] throughout all the churches.”
69. 2 Corinthians 8:19 tn Grk “gospel, and not only this, but.” Here a new sentence was started in the translation.
70. 2 Corinthians 8:19 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the brother mentioned in v. 18) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
71. 2 Corinthians 8:19 tn That is, the offering or collection being taken to assist impoverished Christians.
72. 2 Corinthians 8:19 tn The words “to help” are not in the Greek text but are implied (see L&N 25.68).
73. 2 Corinthians 8:20 tn “This” refers to sending the brother mentioned in 2 Cor 8:18 to Corinth along with Titus. The words “We did this” have no equivalent in the Greek text, but are necessary to maintain the thought flow in English. The Greek participle that begins v. 20 continues the sentence begun in v. 18 which concerns the sending of the other brother mentioned there.
74. 2 Corinthians 8:21 sn An allusion to Prov 3:4.
75. 2 Corinthians 8:22 tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.
76. 2 Corinthians 8:23 tn Grk “If concerning Titus” (εἴτε ὑπὲρ Τίτου, eite huper Titou); the Greek sentence opens with an ellipsis which must be supplied: If [there is any question] about Titus.”
77. 2 Corinthians 8:23 tn Grk “apostles.”
78. 2 Corinthians 8:24 tc The sense of this translation is attested by the fact that most of the later mss, along with several early and significant ones (א C D² Ψ 0225 0243 1739 1881 M lat), have the imperative verb ἐνδείξασθε (endeixasthe) in place of the participle ἐνδεικνύμενοι (endeiknumenoi), which is found in B D* F G 33. Since an imperatival participle is more Hebraic in style, many scribes would not have understood the idiom as easily and would have been likely to change the participle to an imperative (so TCGNT 513-14). But there is no good reason why scribes would change the imperative into a participle. Thus, ἐνδεικνύμενοι is almost surely the wording of the original text.tn In the Greek text ἐνδεικνύμενοι (endeiknumenoi) is a present participle which is translated as an imperative verb (see BDF §468; ExSyn 650-52).
79. 2 Corinthians 8:24 tn Or “our boasting about you.”
80. 2 Corinthians 9:1 tn Or “it is superfluous.”
81. 2 Corinthians 9:1 tn Or “this ministry,” “this contribution.”
82. 2 Corinthians 9:2 tn The words “to help” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
83. 2 Corinthians 9:2 tn Grk “concerning which I keep boasting to the Macedonians about you.” A new sentence was started here and the translation was simplified by removing the relative clause and repeating the antecedent “this eagerness of yours.”
84. 2 Corinthians 9:2 tn The words “to give” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
85. 2 Corinthians 9:2 tn The words “to participate” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
86. 2 Corinthians 9:2 sn Most of them is a reference to the Macedonians (cf. v. 4).
87. 2 Corinthians 9:3 tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.
88. 2 Corinthians 9:3 tn That is, ready with the collection for the saints.
89. 2 Corinthians 9:4 tn Or “be disgraced”; Grk “be put to shame.”
90. 2 Corinthians 9:4 tn Grk “by this confidence”; the words “we had in you” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied as a necessary clarification for the English reader.
91. 2 Corinthians 9:5 tn Grk “the blessing.”
92. 2 Corinthians 9:5 tn Grk “a blessing.”
93. 2 Corinthians 9:5 tn Grk “as a covetousness”; that is, a gift given grudgingly or under compulsion.
94. 2 Corinthians 9:6 tn Or “bountifully”; so also in the next occurrence in the verse.
95. 2 Corinthians 9:7 tn Or “must do.” The words “of you” and “should give” are not in the Greek text, which literally reads, “Each one just as he has decided in his heart.” The missing words are an ellipsis; these or similar phrases must be supplied for the English reader.
96. 2 Corinthians 9:7 tn Or “in his mind.”
97. 2 Corinthians 9:7 tn Or “not from regret”; Grk “not out of grief.”
98. 2 Corinthians 9:7 tn Or “not out of a sense of duty”; Grk “from necessity.”
99. 2 Corinthians 9:8 tn Or “abound.”
100. 2 Corinthians 9:8 tn Or “so that by having enough.” The Greek participle can be translated as a participle of cause (“because you have enough”) or means (“by having enough”).
101. 2 Corinthians 9:8 tn Or “abound.”
102. 2 Corinthians 9:9 sn He in the quotation refers to the righteous person.
103. 2 Corinthians 9:9 sn A quotation from Ps 112:9.
104. 2 Corinthians 9:10 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
105. 2 Corinthians 9:11 tn Grk “in every way for every generosity,” or “he will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times” (L&N 57.29).
106. 2 Corinthians 9:12 tn Or “not only supplying.”
107. 2 Corinthians 9:13 tn Or “proof,” or perhaps “testing” (NRSV).
108. 2 Corinthians 9:13 tn Or “ministry.”
109. 2 Corinthians 9:13 tn Or “your partnership”; Grk “your fellowship.”
110. 2 Corinthians 9:14 tn Grk “the extraordinary grace of God to you”; the point is that God has given or shown grace to the Corinthians.
111. 2 Corinthians 9:15 tn “Let us thank God for his gift which cannot be described with words” (L&N 33.202).
112. 2 Corinthians 10:1 tn The Greek pronoun (“you”) is plural.
113. 2 Corinthians 10:1 tn The word “personally” is supplied to reflect the force of the Greek intensive pronoun αὐτός (autos) at the beginning of the verse.
114. 2 Corinthians 10:1 tn Or “leniency and clemency.” D. Walker, “Paul’s Offer of Leniency of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:1): Populist Ideology and Rhetoric in a Pauline Letter Fragment (2 Cor 10:1-13:10)” (Ph.D. diss., University of Chicago, 1998), argues for this alternative translation for three main reasons: (1) When the two Greek nouns πραΰτης and ἐπιείκεια (prautēs and epieikeia) are used together, 90% of the time the nuance is “leniency and clemency.” (2) “Leniency and clemency” has a military connotation, which is precisely what appears in the following verses. (3) 2 Cor 10-13 speaks of Paul’s sparing use of his authority, which points to the nuance of “leniency and clemency.”
115. 2 Corinthians 10:1 tn Or “who lack confidence.”
116. 2 Corinthians 10:1 tn Or “when face-to-face with.”
117. 2 Corinthians 10:1 tn Or “but bold.”
118. 2 Corinthians 10:2 tn Grk “consider us as walking.”
119. 2 Corinthians 10:2 tn Grk “according to the flesh.”
120. 2 Corinthians 10:3 tn Grk “we walk.”
121. 2 Corinthians 10:3 tn Grk “in the flesh.”
122. 2 Corinthians 10:3 tn Grk “according to the flesh.”
123. 2 Corinthians 10:4 tn Grk “are not fleshly [weapons].” The repetition of the word “warfare” does not occur in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity.
124. 2 Corinthians 10:4 tn Or “but (are) divinely powerful,” “but they have divine power,” or “but are powerful for God’s [service]”; Grk “but are powerful to God.”
125. 2 Corinthians 10:4 sn Ultimately Paul is referring here to the false arguments of his opponents, calling them figuratively “strongholds.” This Greek word (ὀχύρωμα, ochurōma) is used only here in the NT.
126. 2 Corinthians 10:4 tn Or “speculations.”
127. 2 Corinthians 10:5 tn The phrase “every arrogant obstacle” could be translated simply “all arrogance” (so L&N 88.207).
128. 2 Corinthians 10:5 tn Grk “to the obedience of Christ,” but since Χριστοῦ (Christou) is clearly an objective genitive here, it is better to translate “to make it obey Christ.”
129. 2 Corinthians 10:6 tn Or “punish all disobedience.”
130. 2 Corinthians 10:7 tn The phrase is close to a recognized idiom for judging based on outward appearances (L&N 30.120). Some translators see a distinction, however, and translate 2 Cor 10:7a as “Look at what is in front of your eyes,” that is, the obvious facts of the case (so NRSV).
131. 2 Corinthians 10:8 tn The word “us” is not in the Greek text but is supplied. Indirect objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, and must be supplied for the modern English reader.
132. 2 Corinthians 10:8 tn Grk “I will not be put to shame,” “I will not be ashamed.” The words “of doing so” are supplied to clarify for the reader that Paul will not be ashamed of boasting somewhat more about the authority the Lord gave him (beginning of v. 8).
133. 2 Corinthians 10:10 tn Or “unimpressive.”
134. 2 Corinthians 10:10 tn Or “is contemptible”; Grk “is despised.”
135. 2 Corinthians 10:11 tn Grk “what we are in word.”
136. 2 Corinthians 10:12 tn Or “they are unintelligent.”
137. 2 Corinthians 10:13 tn Or “boast excessively.” The phrase εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα (eis ta ametra) is an idiom; literally it means “into that which is not measured,” that is, a point on a scale that goes beyond what might be expected (L&N 78.27).
138. 2 Corinthians 10:13 tn The words “will confine our boasting” are not in the Greek text, but the reference to boasting must be repeated from the previous clause to clarify for the modern reader what is being limited.
139. 2 Corinthians 10:13 tn Grk “according to the measure of the rule which God has apportioned to us as a measure”; for the translation used in the text see L&N 37.100.
140. 2 Corinthians 10:14 tn Grk “with the gospel of Christ,” but since Χριστοῦ (Christou) is clearly an objective genitive here, it is better to translate “with the gospel about Christ.”
141. 2 Corinthians 10:15 tn Or “boast excessively.” The phrase εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα (eis ta ametra) is an idiom; literally it means “into that which is not measured,” that is, a point on a scale that goes beyond what might be expected (L&N 78.27).
142. 2 Corinthians 10:15 tn Or “in the labors.”
143. 2 Corinthians 10:15 tn Grk “but we have the hope.”
144. 2 Corinthians 10:15 tn Or “greatly enlarged.”
145. 2 Corinthians 10:15 tn That is, Paul’s work might be greatly expanded within the area of activity assigned to him by God.
146. 2 Corinthians 10:17 tn The traditional translation (“let the one who boasts boast in the Lord”) can be understood as merely permissive by the English reader, but the Greek verb καυχάσθω (kauchasthō) is a third person imperative.sn A quotation from Jer 9:24 (also quoted in 1 Cor 1:31).
147. 2 Corinthians 11:2 tn That is, to Christ.
148. 2 Corinthians 11:2 tn Or “chaste.”
149. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Grk “I fear lest somehow.”
150. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Or “the snake.”
151. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Or “craftiness.”
152. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tn Or “corrupted,” “seduced.”
153. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tc Although most mss (א² H Ψ 0121 0243 1739 1881 M) lack “and pure” (καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος, kai tēs hagnotētos; Grk “and purity”) several significant and early witnesses (P⁴⁶ א* B D^[2] F G 33 81 104 ar r co) retain these words. Their presence in such mss across such a wide geographical distribution argues for their authenticity. The omission from the majority of mss can be explained by haplography, since the -τητος ending of ἁγνότητος is identical to the ending of ἁπλότητος (haplotētos, “sincerity”) three words back (ἁπλότητος καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος); further, since the meanings of “sincerity” and “purity” are similar they might seem redundant. A copyist would scarcely notice the omission because Paul’s statement still makes sense without “and from purity.”
154. 2 Corinthians 11:4 tn Or “preaches.”
155. 2 Corinthians 11:4 tn Grk “another Jesus whom we have not proclaimed.”
156. 2 Corinthians 11:4 tn Grk “a different spirit which you did not receive.”
157. 2 Corinthians 11:4 tn Grk “a different gospel which you did not accept.”
158. 2 Corinthians 11:4 tn Or “you endure it very well.”
159. 2 Corinthians 11:5 tn The implicit irony in Paul’s remark is brought out well by the TEV “I do not think that I am the least bit inferior to those very special so-called ‘apostles’ of yours!”sn The ‘super-apostles’ refers either (1) to the original apostles (the older interpretation) or (2) more probably, to Paul’s opponents in Corinth, in which case the designation is ironic.
160. 2 Corinthians 11:6 sn Unskilled in speaking means not professionally trained as a rhetorician.
161. 2 Corinthians 11:7 sn Paul is referring to humbling himself to the point of doing manual labor to support himself.
162. 2 Corinthians 11:7 tn Or “preached.”
163. 2 Corinthians 11:8 sn That is, serve them free of charge (cf. the end of v. 7).
164. 2 Corinthians 11:9 tn Grk “you, and when.” A new sentence was started here in the translation.
165. 2 Corinthians 11:9 tn If the participle ἐλθόντες (elthontes) is taken as temporal rather than adjectival, the translation would be, “for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, fully supplied my needs” (similar to NASB).
166. 2 Corinthians 11:9 tn Grk “needs, and I kept.” A new sentence was started here in the translation.
167. 2 Corinthians 11:10 tn That is, that Paul offers the gospel free of charge to the Corinthians (see 2 Cor 11:7).
168. 2 Corinthians 11:10 tn Or “silenced.”
169. 2 Corinthians 11:11 tn Grk “God knows!” The words “I do” are supplied for clarity. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
170. 2 Corinthians 11:12 tn Grk “an opportunity, so that they may be found just like us.”
171. 2 Corinthians 11:13 tn Or “dishonest.”
172. 2 Corinthians 11:13 tn Or “workers, masquerading.”
173. 2 Corinthians 11:14 tn Or “Satan himself masquerades.”
174. 2 Corinthians 11:15 tn Or “also masquerade.”
175. 2 Corinthians 11:15 tn Or “their works.”