2 Corinthians 1
Legacy Standard Bible
God of All Comfort
1 Paul, (A)an apostle of (B)Christ Jesus (C)by the will of God, and (D)Timothy our brother,
To (E)the church of God which is at (F)Corinth with all the [a]saints who are throughout (G)Achaia:
2 (H)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 (I)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and (J)God of all comfort, 4 who (K)comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in [b]any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just (L)as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 But whether we are afflicted, it is (M)for your comfort and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is working in your perseverance in the same sufferings which we also suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that (N)as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.
8 For (O)we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of our (P)affliction which came to us in [c](Q)Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even to live. 9 [d]Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not have confidence in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; 10 who (R)rescued us from so great a peril of death, and will rescue us, [e]He (S)on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet rescue us, 11 you also joining in (T)helping us through your prayers on our behalf, so that thanks may be given on our behalf by (U)many persons for the gracious gift bestowed on us through the prayers of many.
Paul’s Change of Plans
12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of (V)our conscience, that in [f]holiness and (W)godly sincerity, (X)not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you. 13 For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand (Y)until the end, 14 just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason for boasting as you also are ours, in (Z)the day of our Lord Jesus.
15 And in this confidence I intended at first to (AA)come to you, so that you might receive [g](AB)grace twice; 16 [h]that is, to (AC)pass [i]your way into (AD)Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be (AE)helped on my journey to Judea. 17 Therefore, was I vacillating when I intended to do this? Or what I purpose, do I purpose (AF)according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time? 18 But as (AG)God is faithful, (AH)our word to you is not yes and no. 19 For (AI)the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and (AJ)Silvanus and (AK)Timothy—was not yes and no, but has become yes (AL)in Him. 20 For (AM)as many as are the promises of God, (AN)in Him they are yes. Therefore also through Him is (AO)our Amen to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who (AP)establishes us with you in Christ and (AQ)anointed us is God, 22 who also (AR)sealed us and (AS)gave the [j]pledge of the Spirit in our hearts.
23 But (AT)I call God as witness [k]to my soul, that (AU)to spare you I did not come again to (AV)Corinth. 24 Not that we (AW)lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are (AX)standing firm.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 1:1 Or holy ones
- 2 Corinthians 1:4 Lit every
- 2 Corinthians 1:8 West coast province of Asia Minor
- 2 Corinthians 1:9 Lit But we ourselves
- 2 Corinthians 1:10 One early ms on whom we have set our hope that He will also
- 2 Corinthians 1:12 Some mss simplicity, cf. 11:3
- 2 Corinthians 1:15 One early ms joy
- 2 Corinthians 1:16 Lit and
- 2 Corinthians 1:16 Lit through you into
- 2 Corinthians 1:22 Or down payment
- 2 Corinthians 1:23 Lit upon
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
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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.