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Beginning

Read the Bible from start to finish, from Genesis to Revelation.

Duration: 365 days

2 Corinthians 1-4

Address

Chapter 1

Greeting to the Church. ¹Paul, an apostle^[a] of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the Church of God in Corinth, and to all the saints throughout Achaia: ²grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sufferings and Consolation.^[b] ³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercy and the God of all consolation.^[c] ⁴He consoles us in all our afflictions and thereby enables us to console others in their tribulations, offering them the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.

⁵For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so too, through Christ, do we receive our consolation. ⁶If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation. If we are being consoled, it is to help us to console you and give you the patience and the strength to endure the same sufferings that we endure. ⁷Our hope for you is unshaken, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the consolations.

⁸Brethren, we do not want you to be unaware of the hardships we experienced^[d] in Asia. The burden we endured was far too heavy for us to bear, to such an extent that we even despaired of life itself. ⁹Indeed, in our hearts we felt that we were under a sentence of death. This was so that we not put our trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.

¹⁰He delivered us from this deadly peril, and he will continue to so deliver us. He on whom we have set our hopes will deliver us again, ¹¹as you assist us with your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many to God on our behalf for the blessing granted to us through the prayers of so many.

Apostle by the Power of Jesus and for Jesus^[e]

A Visit Not Made^[f]

¹²You Are Our Boast. Indeed, this is our boast: the testimony of our conscience that in our dealings with the world, and especially with you, we have conducted ourselves with simplicity and godly sincerity, depending not on worldly wisdom but on the grace of God. ¹³For we write nothing to you that you cannot read and comprehend. It is my hope that you will come to understand fully, ¹⁴as you have already understood in part, that on the day of the Lord Jesus we will have as much reason to boast of you as you will have reason to boast of us.

¹⁵Our Language Is Not “Yes” and “No.”^[g] So certain am I of this that I had originally intended to come to you first of all and thereby reward you with a double benefit. ¹⁶I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and then to come to you again on my return from Macedonia and have you send me forth to Judea.

¹⁷Since that was my original intention, was I being impulsive, or do you believe that my plans are based on human considerations, ready to say “Yes, Yes” and “No, No” at the same time? ¹⁸As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been “Yes” and “No.” ¹⁹The Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed to you by us, that is, by Silvanus^[h] and Timothy and me, was not a mixture of “Yes” and “No.” He was never anything but “Yes.”

²⁰In him is the “Yes” to every one of the promises of God. Indeed, it is through him that we say “Amen” to give glory to God. ²¹However, it is God who enables both us and you to stand firm in Christ. He has anointed us ²²and marked us with his seal and given us the Spirit in our hearts, as a down payment of what is to come.

²³The Delay Was Intended Merely To Spare Them.^[i] I call upon God as a witness that it was only to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth. ²⁴We do not wish to lord it over your faith, but to work together with you for your joy, because you are standing firm in your faith.

Chapter 2

¹Therefore, I made up my mind not to have you endure another painful visit. ²For if I cause you pain, then who would be there to cheer me up aside from you whom I offended? ³And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not suffer distress from those who should have made me rejoice. I know all of you well enough to be certain that we both share the same joy. ⁴It was with great distress and anguish of heart and many tears that I wrote to you, not to grieve you but to let you know how abundant is the love I have for you.

Forgiveness for the Offender. ⁵If anyone has caused distress, he has done so not only to me but to some extent—not to exaggerate—to all of you. ⁶The punishment that was imposed by the majority was appropriate. ⁷But now you should forgive and encourage him so that he may not be overwhelmed by the burden of his distress. ⁸Therefore, I urge you to reassure him of your love.

⁹I wrote to you to test your obedience in all matters. ¹⁰Anyone whom you forgive I forgive as well. Whatever I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I have done for your sake in the presence of Christ, ¹¹so that we may avoid being outwitted by Satan, for we are not unaware of his schemes.

¹²Paul’s Anguish.^[j] When I came to Troas to proclaim the gospel of Christ, and a door of opportunity was opened for me in the Lord, ¹³my mind knew no relief because I could not find my brother Titus in that place. And so I said farewell to them and moved on to Macedonia.

Greatness and Weakness of the Apostles^[k]

¹⁴Ambassadors of God. But thanks be to God, for he brings us to victory in Christ and through us he manifests the fragrance of the knowledge of him throughout the world. ¹⁵We are indeed the aroma of Christ to God both among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: ¹⁶to the latter, the odor of death that leads to death; to the former, a fragrance of life leading to life.

Who is truly qualified for such a task? ¹⁷For we are not like so many others who adulterate the word of God for profit. When we speak, we do so in Christ and in all sincerity, as men sent from God and standing in God’s presence.

Chapter 3

A Letter from God.^[l] ¹Are we beginning once again to commend ourselves to you? Surely, as is true in some cases, we do not need letters of recommendation to you or from you. ²You yourselves are our letter, one that is written on our hearts, so that it may be known and read by all. ³And you make it clear that you are a letter from Christ entrusted to our care, a letter written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, and written not on tablets of stone^[m] but on tablets of the human heart.

⁴Such is the complete confidence in God that we have through Christ. ⁵Obviously, we are not competent of ourselves to take credit for anything as coming from us. Our competence comes from God ⁶who has empowered us to be the ministers of a new covenant, not written but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Ministers of a New Covenant.^[n] ⁷Now if the ministry of death, engraved with letters on stone, was so glorious that the Israelites could not fix their glance on the face of Moses because of its glory, a glory that would soon fade, ⁸how much greater will be the glory of the ministry of the Spirit?

⁹For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much richer in glory will be the ministry of righteousness! ¹⁰Indeed, what was once glorious is now without any glory in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹For if what was destined to fade away was glorious, how much greater will be the glory of that which endures!

¹²The Lord Is the Spirit.^[o] Therefore, since we have such hope, we can act with complete confidence, ¹³and not like Moses who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites could not observe the radiance that was fading away. ¹⁴However, their minds were hardened. Even to this very day, the same veil remains unlifted during the reading of the old covenant,^[p] since only in Christ is it set aside. ¹⁵Indeed, to this very day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts.

¹⁶However, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. ¹⁷Now this Lord is the Spirit,^[q] and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸And as we gaze upon the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, all of us are being transformed into that same image from glory to glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Chapter 4

The Gospel of the Glory of Christ.^[r] ¹Therefore, since we are engaged in this ministry through the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. ²Rather, we have renounced all shameful and hidden ways. We do not engage in deception or falsify the word of God. By stating the truth in an open manner, we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.

³If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, ⁴those unbelievers whose minds have been blinded by the god of this world to prevent them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

⁵We do not proclaim ourselves. Rather we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants for the sake of Jesus. ⁶For the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has enabled his light to shine in our hearts in order to enlighten them with the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

The State of an Apostle.^[s] ⁷However, we hold this treasure in earthen vessels so that it may be clear that this immense power belongs to God and does not derive from us. ⁸We are afflicted on all sides but not crushed, bewildered but not sunk in despair, ⁹persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.

¹⁰We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. ¹¹For in our lives we are constantly being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh. ¹²As a result, death is at work in us, but life in you.

¹³Therefore, since we have that spirit of faith about which it has been written: “I believed, and therefore I spoke,” we also believe, and therefore speak. ¹⁴For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us side by side with you into his presence. ¹⁵Indeed, everything is for your sake, so that the grace that is abundantly bestowed on more and more people may cause thanksgiving to superabound, to the glory of God.

¹⁶An Eternal Dwelling in Heaven. Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outer self is continuing to decay, our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷Our temporary light afflictions are preparing for us an incomparable weight of eternal glory, ¹⁸for our eyes are fixed not on what is seen but rather on that which cannot be seen. What is visible is transitory; what is invisible is eternal.

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 1:1 Apostle: a person specially commissioned by Christ (see notes on Mk 6:30; 1 Cor 1:1-9; Heb 3:1). Timothy: a fellow worker of Paul (see Acts 18:5) and his companion on the second and third missionary journeys. Brother: a fellow believer, a brother in Christ (see Acts 9:17; Heb 2:11). Church of God in Corinth: the community of believers at Corinth, the local representative of the universal Church. “Church of God” is an expression used only by Paul and solely in Acts 20:28, 1 Cor 1:2, and here. It corresponds to the Old Testament expression “assembly (or community) of the Lord” (see Deut 23:2; see also Num 16:3; 20:4; 1 Chr 28:8). Saints: another term for God’s people, those who have been set apart as holy to the Lord (see note on Rom 1:7). Achaia: Greece as distinct from Macedonia. Although the Letter was written specifically for the situation in Corinth, it was also intended for Christians elsewhere in Greece. Copies would doubtless be made and circulated to them.
2 Corinthians 1:3 The Gospel is the power of liberation not only in time of exaltation when the gifts of the Spirit carry the whole community along but also in the most difficult trials of an apostle’s life. Paul has known sickness and the fear of an approaching death, he has suffered persecution, and he has experienced misunderstanding and rejection at the hands of his own communities. Discouraged and weighed down, he discovers the weakness of an apostle, whose evidence is inscribed forever in his life. However, another certitude—one even more profound—imposes itself upon him: the joy of being in the hand of the Lord and imitating Jesus himself!
The word “consolation” occurs in some form ten times in these lines, not as a facile formula but as a term that expresses inner freedom, strength renewed, the reversal of a situation, the experience of being blessed by God who triumphs over evil and death. In addition, the solidarity of Christians is deepened in trials and in joy, for they all belong to the one Body of Christ. Paul’s safety serves as a source of comfort for his followers, and their prayer is a means of sustenance for him.
2 Corinthians 1:3 Consolation: i.e., comfort and encouragement.
2 Corinthians 1:8 We experienced: throughout the Letter, Paul uses the editorial plural (we, us, our, ourselves). These terms should be taken as referring to Paul alone—except where the context demonstrates otherwise. Asia: Asia Minor, with its capital at Ephesus, which was a Roman province.
2 Corinthians 1:12 Paul recalls recent events. There must be a full understanding between himself and the Corinthians; let them no longer have any doubt of his sincerity and intentions. The preaching of Christ is not a teaching that can be accommodated to each person’s taste. The apostle exists only by the power of Jesus and for Jesus, who calls every human being to salvation. To take sides for or against the apostle is to take a position on the Gospel and on Jesus himself. At the same time, Paul describes the way he thinks of his own life: an apostle not only comes in the name of Jesus but is so bound to his Master and his message that he shares the lot and imitates the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.
2 Corinthians 1:12 Paul had promised to come to Corinth twice: once from Ephesus before going on to Macedonia in the north and then on his return from Macedonia when going on to Ephesus. However, because of a situation that had arisen, he had canceled one or both of these visits. He has been criticized for this and here gives his explanation.
2 Corinthians 1:15 Paul insists that his dialogue with the Corinthians is not one of “Yes” and “No” at the same time—just as Jesus, the Son of God, did not simultaneously say “Yes” and “No.” Indeed, God fulfilled his promises by sending his Son among us, and Christ also did what his Father wanted. Thus, Christ is a “Yes,” consenting to the Father’s plan. Similarly, we say “Yes” to Christ, first at our Baptism when we receive the first outpouring of the Spirit and then at every Eucharist when we say “Amen” (which means, “Yes, it is true”). When we sin, on the other hand, we say “No” to Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:19 Silvanus: another fellow worker of Paul. The Hebrew name was Silas, but this was romanized to Silvanus (see Acts 18:5).
2 Corinthians 1:23 Paul explains why he has substituted a severe Letter for the announced visit. The details of the incidents escape us, but we know that Paul was attacked by an agitator who was opposed to the Apostle’s coworkers. Paul estimated that an immediate visit would inflame the situation whereas a letter would foster reflection, an examination of conscience, and ultimately peace and harmony. The Letter of which he speaks has been lost; according to some, however, it is to be found in the last chapters of the present Letter.
2 Corinthians 2:12 What Paul is saying about Macedonia is interrupted by what follows, and is picked up again in 2 Cor 7:5.
2 Corinthians 2:14 The Corinthian incident seems to have been resolved and good relations to have been established. Difficult as the trial was, it served to clarify and deepen the meaning of the apostolic ministry for Paul, who now has a better grasp of the dimensions of his mission. What force this life attains under the direction of Christ! The power of God is manifested in a person who is weak, ill, and under attack!
2 Corinthians 3:1 Preachers are circulating, exhibiting and collecting their letters of credibility from one Church to another. But how futile are merely human recommendations and written documents! The apostolate is attested by one’s life. The existence of the community of Corinth and the Spirit’s action in it certify that Paul and his coworkers have been chosen by God. This is the new covenant announced by the Prophets that inserts itself into the lives of individuals and peoples (see Jer 31:31-33; Ezek 11:19; 36:26).
For the first time in Christian literature, the idea of a “New Covenant” and the term itself make their appearance, and a clear distinction is drawn between the two Testaments. Paul has understood that there has been a radical change: from the letter to the Spirit, from the written book to the live hearts of human beings.
2 Corinthians 3:3 Tablets of stone: a reference to the Law given on Sinai (see Ex 24:12).
2 Corinthians 3:7 Proceeding in the manner of the rabbis, Paul freely interprets an episode in the life of Moses (see Ex 34:29-35) in order to assert the superiority of the New Testament. Set down by Moses, the Law denounces sin without giving the power to conquer sin; it thus condemns people without glorifying or saving them. It is not God’s definitive gift.
Indeed, Paul dares to compare the ministry of the apostles to that of Moses, which was the most prestigious in the Old Testament. He dares to state that the apostolic ministry is greater than that of the founder of the Jewish people. And he invites everyone to enter fully into this New Covenant so as to surpass definitively the universe of the Old Testament. The Letter to the Romans will later offer a lengthy development of this singularly new vision in that age.
2 Corinthians 3:12 Paul continues to comment in rabbinical fashion on the veil of Moses. The veil is now over the faces of the Jews. He makes clear that they refuse to accept the provisional character of the Old Covenant—they do not truly understand either Moses or the Old Testament, for Christ is the key to both. It is he who established a new and definitive Covenant, which leads to life and is the power of liberation, the source of freedom. The light of the risen Christ is reflected in the life of believers by their transformation in an ever more profound manner.
2 Corinthians 3:14 Old covenant, i.e., “Old Testament”: this is the first time that this expression, referring to a collection of Scriptures, appears in a Christian text.
2 Corinthians 3:17 This Lord is the Spirit: the “Lord” to whom the Christian turns (v. 16) is the life-giving Spirit of the living God (vv. 6, 8), who is also the Spirit of Christ. This Spirit is the inaugurator of the New Covenant and the ministry.
2 Corinthians 4:1 Paul has been defamed as one who does not impart the authentic teaching of Christ. He responds that, on the contrary, everything he preaches is nothing but authentically Christ’s. For Paul, the Gospel is not a narrative of the past but the action of God today. The apostle, qualified for the ministry of this New Covenant, cannot falsify the Gospel in order to seek his own glory. His entire existence is illumined by the light and glory of Christ, the image of God, and the sole image that can take profound hold of a person’s life. Illuminated by Christ, the apostle himself becomes a light to irradiate every conscience that refuses to be seduced by the god of this world, i.e., Satan, who personifies the traits of perversion capable of undermining a human existence.
2 Corinthians 4:7 In his life, Paul shows the “mystique” of the apostle. He knows that his existence must be identified with that of Christ, that he must enter into Christ’s struggle and his agony. Thus, he reproduces in his person and his action the Paschal Mystery, the mystery of death and life, suffering and victory, until the day when he will share fully, with all the saved, in the life of the risen Lord.

New Catholic Bible (NCB)