Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

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.