2 Corinthians 1
Christian Standard Bible
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.
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
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
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.