Introduction

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Timothy, To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:

who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;

and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are partners in our sufferings, so also you are in our comfort.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction which occurred in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life.

Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead,

who rescued us from so great a danger of death, and will rescue us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,

if you also join in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons in our behalf for the favor granted to us through the prayers of many.

Paul’s Integrity

For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.

In this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might twice receive a blessing;

Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I decide, do I decide according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time?

For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no, but has been yes in Him.

who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

But I call God as witness to my soul, that it was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth.

Not that we domineer over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm.

Reaffirm Your Love

But I decided this for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again.

For if I cause you sorrow, who then will be the one making me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me?

This is the very thing I wrote you, so that when I came, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy was the joy of you all.

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you.

But if anyone has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not for me, but in some degree—not to say too much—for all of you.

Sufficient for such a person is this punishment which was imposed by the majority,

so that on the other hand, you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a person might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

For to this end I also wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.

But one whom you forgive anything, I also forgive; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did so for your sakes in the presence of Christ,