Beginning

The reward for suffering trouble.

5 We know surely that if our earthly abode, the tabernacle we now dwell in, were destroyed, we have an abode prepared by God: a habitation not made with hands, but eternal in heaven. ² And for this we sigh, desiring to be clothed with our dwelling which is from heaven – ³ if yet we be found clothed, and not naked. ⁴ For as long as we are in this tabernacle, we sigh and are grieved. For we would not be unclothed, but would be clothed upon, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life.

⁵ He who has ordained us for this thing is God, the very same who has given to us the earnest of the Spirit. ⁶ Therefore we are always of good cheer. And we know well that as long as we are at home in the body, we are away from God. ⁷ For we walk in faith, and see not. ⁸ Nevertheless, we are of good comfort – and yet would rather be away from the body, and be present with the Lord.

⁹ And so whether we are at home or away from home, we endeavour to please him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that every person may receive the works of his body, according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad. ¹¹ Seeing then that we know how the Lord is to be feared, we fare fair with men. For we are known well enough to God.

I trust also that we are known in your consciences. ¹² We are not praising ourselves again to you, but give you reason to have confidence in us, so that you may have something to answer to those who put confidence in the face, and not in the heart. ¹³ For if we are too fervent, it is for God that we are too fervent. If we are restrained, it is for your sakes that we show restraint.

¹⁴ For the love of Christ constrains us, because we judge this way: if one is dead for all, then all are dead; ¹⁵ and that he died for all so that those who live should henceforth live not for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again. ¹⁶ And so henceforth we know no man after the flesh, insomuch that even if we have known Christ after the flesh, now henceforth we know him this way no more. ¹⁷ Therefore if any person is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away: behold, all things are become new.

¹⁸ Nevertheless, all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the office to preach the atonement. ¹⁹ For God was in Christ, and made agreement between the world and himself, and did not impute people’s sins to them. And he has committed to us the preaching of the atonement. ²⁰ Now then, we are messengers in the place of Christ, even as though God did beseech you through us. So we entreat you in Christ’s stead to be at one with God. ²¹ For he has made him who knew no sin to be a sin offering for us, so that we, by means of him, should be that righteousness which is accepted before God.

An exhortation to receive the word of God with thankfulness and amendment of life. The diligence of Paul in the gospel, and how he warns them to avoid the company of the heathen.

6 We as helpers therefore exhort you, do not receive the grace of God in vain. ² For he says: I have heard you in a favoured time, and in the day of salvation I have succoured you. Behold, now is that well-favoured time; behold, now is that day of salvation. ³ Let us give no one occasion for evil, so that in our service no fault may be found, ⁴ but in all things let us behave ourselves as the ministers of God in much patience – in afflictions, in hardship, in anguish, ⁵ in stripes, in prison, in strife, in labour, in sleeplessness, in hunger; ⁶ in pureness, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned, ⁷ in the words of truth; in the power of God, with the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left; ⁸ in honour and dishonour, in evil report and good report, as deceivers and yet true, ⁹ as unknown and yet known. As dying, and behold, we live yet; as chastened, and not killed; ¹⁰ as sorrowing, and yet always merry; as poor, and yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

¹¹ O ye Corinthians, we pursue you with many words. Our hearts yearn to you. ¹² You are not shut out in us, but are shut away in your own selves. ¹³ I promise you like reward with me, as to my children. So set yourselves free, ¹⁴ and bear not a stranger’s yoke with the unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵ What concord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has he who believes with an infidel? ¹⁶ How does the temple of God agree with idols? And you are the temple of the living God, as God said: I will dwell among them and walk among them, and will be their God, and they shall be my people. ¹⁷ Therefore: Come out from among them, and separate yourselves (says the Lord), and touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you, ¹⁸ and will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

He exhorts them to receive the promises of God thankfully. The Corinthians are commended for their obedience and love toward Paul.

7 Seeing that we have such promises, dearly beloveds, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh and spirit, and grow up to full holiness in the fear of God. ² Understand us: we have hurt no one, we have corrupted no one, we have defrauded no one. ³ I do not say this to condemn you, for I have told you before that you are in our hearts, to die and live with you. ⁴ I make very much of you, and rejoice greatly in you.

I am filled with comfort and am exceedingly joyous in all our tribulations. ⁵ For when we had come into Macedonia, we had no rest in our flesh, but we were troubled on every side. Outwardly was conflict, inwardly was fear. ⁶ Nevertheless, God, who comforts the abject, comforted us at the coming of Titus. ⁷ And not with his coming only, but also with the consolation that he was comforted with by you. For he told us of your longing, your mourning, your fervent heart for me, so that I now rejoice the more. ⁸ Therefore, though I made you sorrowful with a letter, I do not regret it – though I did have regrets. For I realize that the letter made you sorrowful, though it was but for a season. ⁹ But now I am happy – not that you were sorrowful, but that you so sorrowed that you repented. For your sorrow was godly, so that in nothing were you hurt by us. ¹⁰ For godly sorrow causes repentance unto salvation, not to be regretted, while worldly sorrow causes death.

¹¹ Behold what diligence this godly sorrow that you felt has wrought in you. Yea, it caused you to clear yourselves: it led to indignation, it led to fear, it led to desire, it led to a fervent mind, it led to punishment. For in every point you have shown yourselves to be clear in that matter. ¹² So although I wrote to you, I did it not for the sake of him who did the injury, nor for the sake of him who was injured, but so that our good mind that we have toward you in the sight of God might appear to you.

¹³ Therefore we are comforted because you are comforted. Yea and we rejoiced much more for the joy that Titus had, because his spirit was refreshed by you all. ¹⁴ I am therefore not now ashamed, though I boasted to him of you. For just as all the things that I preached to you are true, so also the boasts that I made to Titus are found true. ¹⁵ And now his inward affection for you is greater when he remembers the obedience of every one of you, how with fear and trembling you received him. ¹⁶ I rejoice that I may be reassured about you in every point.

He reminds them to help the poor saints in Jerusalem, as the Macedonians did. He sends Titus ahead.

8 I want you to understand, brethren, of the grace of God that is given in the congregations of Macedonia, ² how the greatness of their joy is in that they are tried with much tribulation. And moreover, though they were very poor, yet they have given very liberally, and that in sincerity. ³ For as they were able (I am witness), yea and beyond their ability, they were willing of their own accord, ⁴ and insisted that we take their gift and let them be partakers with others in ministering to the saints. ⁵ And this they did not as we looked for, but gave their own selves first to the Lord, and after to us by the will of God. ⁶ So we could not but desire Titus to accomplish the same work of grace among you too, even as he had begun.

⁷ Now therefore, as you are rich in all respects – in faith, in word, in knowledge, in all ferventness, and in love, which you have to us – so also see to it that you contribute generously to this gift. ⁸ I say this, not as commanding, but, seeing others are so fervent, to prove your love also, whether it be perfect or no. ⁹ You know the munificence of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he was rich, yet for your sakes became poor, so that you through his poverty could be made rich.

¹⁰ And I give counsel in the matter because to do this is proper for you, who began not only to do, but also to will, a year ago. ¹¹ Now therefore perform the deed, so that as there was in you a ready willingness, so also you follow through, out of what you have. ¹² For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what a person has, and not according to what he does not have.

¹³ It is not my mind that others be set at ease and you be burdened, ¹⁴ but, so that there be equality now at this time, that your abundance may relieve their lack, and that their abundance also hereafter may supply your lack – so that there may be equality, ¹⁵ agreeing to that which is written: He who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack.

¹⁶ Thanks be to God, who put in the heart of Titus the same good mind toward you. ¹⁷ For he accepted the request; yea rather, he was so well willing, that of his own accord he has gone to you. ¹⁸ And we have sent with him that brother whose renown is in the gospel throughout all the congregations. ¹⁹ And not only this, he has also been chosen by the congregations to be a fellow traveler with us in our journey concerning this gift, which is ministered by us for the praise of the Lord, and to stir up your ready mind. ²⁰ For we want to guard against anyone finding fault with us in this large distribution that we are attending to, ²¹ and therefore provide for things to be beyond reproach, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of men. ²² And we have sent with them a brother of ours whom we have often found eager to help in many things, but now much more eager.

The great confidence that I have in you has caused me to do this – ²³ partly for the sake of Titus, who is my fellow and helper concerning you all, and partly because of others who are our brethren, and the messengers of the congregations, and the glory of Christ. ²⁴ Therefore show them the proof of your love, and of our boasting about you, so that the congregations may see it.

In this chapter he does the same that he did in the chapter going before; that is, moves them to help the poor brethren in Jerusalem.

9 Of the ministering to the saints, it is more than I need do to write to you. ² For I know your readiness of mind, of which I boast to the Macedonians, and say that Achaia was prepared a year ago, and your ferventness has inspired many. ³ Nevertheless, I have sent these brethren lest our boasting over you should be in vain in this respect, and so that you (as I have said) will prepare yourselves – ⁴ lest perhaps, if some of the Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, the boast I made in this matter should be an embarrassment to us, not to mention to you.

⁵ Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go beforehand to you, to arrange for the good blessing you promised earlier, so it could be ready – so that it is a blessing, and not a defrauding. ⁶ Remember this: he who sows little will reap little, and he who sows plentifully will reap plentifully. ⁷ And let every person do as he has purposed in his heart – not grudgingly, or under constraint. For God loves a cheerful giver.

⁸ God is able to make you rich in all grace, so that you, in all things having sufficient to the utmost, may be rich for all manner of good works. ⁹ As it is written: He who dispersed abroad and has given to the poor, his righteousness remains forever.

¹⁰ He who gives the sower seed will provide bread for food, and will multiply your seed, and increase the fruits of your righteousness, ¹¹ so that in everything you may be made rich, in all generosity – which raises through us thanksgiving to God. ¹² For the work of this ministry not only supplies the need of the saints, but is also fruitful in that for this laudable ministering, thanks may be given to God by many, ¹³ who glorify God for the obedience of your profession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in distributing to them and to all people. ¹⁴ And in their prayers to God for you they long after you, for the abundant grace of God given to you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.