Paul’s Hardships

We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path,(A) so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments(B) and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;(C) in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit(D) and in sincere love;(E) in truthful speech(F) and in the power of God;(G) with weapons of righteousness(H) in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor,(I) bad report(J) and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;(K) known, yet regarded as unknown; dying,(L) and yet we live on;(M) beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;(N) poor, yet making many rich;(O) having nothing,(P) and yet possessing everything.(Q)

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We do not give anyone[a] an occasion for taking an offense in anything,[b] so that no fault may be found with our ministry. But as God’s servants,[c] we have commended ourselves in every way,[d] with great endurance, in persecutions,[e] in difficulties, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots,[f] in troubles,[g] in sleepless nights, in hunger, by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by benevolence, by the Holy Spirit,[h] by genuine[i] love, by truthful[j] teaching,[k] by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left,[l] through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise; regarded as impostors,[m] and yet true; as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet—see!—we continue to live; as those who are scourged[n] and yet not executed; 10 as sorrowful, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 6:3 tn The word “anyone” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
  2. 2 Corinthians 6:3 tn Other interpretations of the first part of 2 Cor 6:3 are possible. The phrase could also mean, “not putting an obstacle in the way of anyone” (L&N 22.14), or “giving no one in anything a cause to sin” (L&N 88.307).
  3. 2 Corinthians 6:4 tn Or “ministers.”
  4. 2 Corinthians 6:4 tn Or “we have commended ourselves by all things.”
  5. 2 Corinthians 6:4 tn Or “in trouble and suffering.”
  6. 2 Corinthians 6:5 tn Or “rebellions” (uprisings in open defiance of civil authority).
  7. 2 Corinthians 6:5 tn Usually κόποις (kopois) has been translated as “labors” or “hard work,” but see Matt 26:10 where it means “trouble”; “distress” (L&N 22.7). In this context with so many other terms denoting suffering and difficulty, such a meaning is preferable.
  8. 2 Corinthians 6:6 tn Or “by holiness of spirit.”
  9. 2 Corinthians 6:6 tn Or “sincere.”
  10. 2 Corinthians 6:7 tn Grk “by the word of truth”; understanding ἀληθείας (alētheias) as an attributive genitive (“truthful word”).
  11. 2 Corinthians 6:7 tn Or “speech.” In this context it is more likely that λόγος (logos) refers to Paul’s message (thus “teaching”) than to his speech in general.
  12. 2 Corinthians 6:7 tn The phrase “for the right hand and for the left” possibly refers to a combination of an offensive weapon (a sword for the right hand) and a defensive weapon (a shield for the left).
  13. 2 Corinthians 6:8 tn Or “regarded as deceivers.”
  14. 2 Corinthians 6:9 tn Grk “disciplined,” but in this context probably a reference to scourging prior to execution (yet the execution is not carried out).