Beginning

Greetings

1 Paul, an emissary of Messiah Yeshua through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To God’s community at Corinth, with all the kedoshim who are throughout Achaia:

² Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

Encouragement Through Hardships

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement. ⁴ He encourages us in every trouble, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any trouble, through the very encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God. ⁵ For just as the sufferings of Messiah overflow into us, so also through Messiah our encouragement overflows. ⁶ If we are suffering hardship, it is for your encouragement and salvation. Or if we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement, which produces in you the patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer. ⁷ Our hope for you is firm, since we know that as you are partners in our sufferings, so also in our encouragement.

⁸ For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our trouble that happened in Asia.^[a] We were under great pressure—so far beyond our strength that we despaired even of living. ⁹ In fact, we had within ourselves the death sentence—so that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He who rescued us from so great a danger of death will continue to rescue us—we have set our hope on Him that He will rescue us again. ¹¹ You also are helping by your prayer for us, so that from many people thanks may be given on our behalf for the gracious gift given us through the help of many.

¹² For our reason for boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world, and most especially toward you, with simplicity and godly sincerity—not by human wisdom but by the grace of God. ¹³ For we write nothing to you other than what you can read and understand—and I hope you will understand in full ¹⁴ just as you understood us in part, so that we are your reason for boasting just as you also are ours in the Day of our Lord Yeshua.

Paul’s Change of Plans

¹⁵ Because of this confidence, I was planning to come to you first, so that you might have a second benefit— ¹⁶ to pass by you on my way to Macedonia and again from Macedonia to come back to you, and to be helped by you on my journey to Judea. ¹⁷ So when I was planning to do this, I didn’t do so lightly, did I? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh—so it might be with me “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? ¹⁸ But as God is faithful, our message to you is not both “Yes” and “No.” ^{[b] 19} For Ben-Elohim—Yeshua the Messiah, who was proclaimed among you by us, by myself and Silvanus^[c] and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No.” Rather, in Him it has always been “Yes.” ²⁰ For in Him all the promises of God are “Yes.” Therefore also through Him is the “Amen” by us, to the glory of God. ^{[d] 21} Now it is God who establishes us with you in Messiah. He anointed us, ²² set His seal on us, and gave us the Ruach in our hearts as a pledge.

²³ But I call God as my witness^[e]—to spare you, I didn’t come to Corinth again. ²⁴ Not that we lord it over you in matters of faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy—for in the faith you are standing firm.

Forgive the Repentant Sinner

2 So I made up my mind that I would not come to you again causing sorrow. ² For if I cause you sorrow, then who is there cheering me on but the one I have made sorrowful? ³ And I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came I wouldn’t have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice—having confidence in you all that my joy is yours. ⁴ For out of much distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears—not to make you sorrowful, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you.

⁵ But if anyone has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but to some extent—not to exaggerate—to all of you. ⁶ For such a person, this punishment by the majority is enough. ⁷ So instead you should forgive him and encourage him. Otherwise such a person might be swallowed up by excessive sorrow. ⁸ Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹ For to this end I also wrote, that I might know your character, whether you are obedient in all things. ¹⁰ Now anyone you forgive, I also forgive. For indeed, what I have forgiven (if I have forgiven anything), I did it for you in the presence of Messiah, ¹¹ so that we might not be outwitted by satan—for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

Revealing Messiah’s Fragrance

¹² Now when I arrived in Troas for the Good News of Messiah, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, ¹³ I had no rest in my spirit, because I didn’t find Titus my brother. So I said farewell to them, and I set out for Macedonia. ¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who in Messiah always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us reveals everywhere the aroma^[f] of the knowledge of Himself. ¹⁵ For we are the aroma of Messiah to God, among those who are being saved and those who are perishing— ¹⁶ to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. Who is competent for these things? ¹⁷ For we are not like many, peddling the word of God. Rather, in Messiah we speak in the sight of God with sincerity, as persons sent from God.

A New Covenant on Hearts of Flesh

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ² You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. ³ It is clear that you are a letter from Messiah delivered by us—written not with ink but with the Ruach of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.^[g]

⁴ Such is the confidence we have through Messiah toward God— ⁵ not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God. ⁶ He also made us competent as servants of a new covenant^[h]—not of the letter, but of the Ruach. For the letter kills, but the Ruach gives life.

⁷ Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that Bnei-Yisrael could not look intently upon Moses’ face because of its glory^[i]—although it was passing away— ⁸ how will the ministry of the Ruach not be even more glorious? ⁹ For if there is glory in the ministry of condemnation,^[j] the ministry of righteousness overflows even more in glory. ¹⁰ For even what was glorious is not glorious in comparison to the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if what is passing away is glorious, much more what remains is glorious.

¹² Therefore, having such a hope, we act with great boldness. ¹³ We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face in order for Bnei-Yisrael not to look intently upon the end of what was passing away. ¹⁴ But their minds were hardened. For up to this very day the same veil remains unlifted at the reading of the ancient covenant, since in Messiah it is passing away. ¹⁵ But to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart. ¹⁶ But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ^{[k] 17} Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Ruach Adonai is, there is freedom. ^{[l] 18} But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory—just as from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Treasures in Jars of Clay

4 For this reason, since we have this ministry, just as we received mercy, we do not lose heart. ² Instead, we renounced the hidden shameful ways—not walking in deception or distorting the word of God, but commending ourselves before God to everyone’s conscience by the open proclamation of the truth. ³ And even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so they might not see the light of the Good News of the glory of Messiah, who is the image of God. ⁵ For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Messiah Yeshua as Lord—and ourselves as your slaves for Yeshua’s sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[m] is the One who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Messiah.^[n]

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay,^[o] so that the surpassing greatness of the power may be from God and not from ourselves. ⁸ We are hard pressed in every way, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed; ¹⁰ always carrying in the body the death of Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹¹ For we who live are always being handed over to death for Yeshua’s sake, so that the life of Yeshua may be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. ¹³ But we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.”^[p] So we also believe, and therefore we also speak, ¹⁴ knowing that the One who raised the Lord Yeshua will raise us also with Yeshua, and will bring us with you into His presence. ¹⁵ For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace that is spreading through more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow—to the glory of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. ^{[q] 17} For our trouble, light and momentary, is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ as we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.