2 Corinthians 1
1
1Greetings from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle because that is what God wanted. Greetings also from Timothy our brother in Christ.
To God’s church in Corinth and to all of God’s holy people throughout Achaia.
2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul Gives Thanks to God
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Father who is full of mercy, the God of all comfort. 4He comforts us every time we have trouble so that when others have trouble, we can comfort them with the same comfort God gives us. 5We share in the many sufferings of Christ. In the same way, much comfort comes to us through Christ. 6If we have troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is so that we can comfort you. And this helps you patiently accept the same sufferings we have. 7Our hope for you is strong. We know that you share in our sufferings. So we know that you also share in our comfort.
8Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the trouble we suffered in Asia. We had great burdens there, which were greater than our own strength. We even gave up hope for life. 9In fact, it seems like God has been telling us we are going to die. But this is so that we will not trust in ourselves but in God, who raises people from death. 10He saved us from these great dangers of death, and he will continue to save us. We feel sure he will always save us. 11And you can help us with your prayers. Then many people will give thanks for us—that God blessed us because of their many prayers.
The Change in Paul’s Plans
12This is what we are proud of, and I can say with a clear conscience that it is true: In everything we have done in the world, we have done it with an honest and pure heart from God. And this is even truer in what we have done with you. We did this by God’s grace, not by the kind of wisdom the world has. 13We write to you only what you can read and understand. And I hope you will fully understand, 14just as you already understand many things about us. I hope you will understand that you can be proud of us, just as we will be proud of you on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
15I was very sure of all this. That is why I made plans to visit you first. Then you could be blessed twice. 16I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia and again on my way back. I wanted to get help from you for my trip to Judea. 17Do you think that I made these plans without really thinking? Or maybe you think I make plans as the world does, saying yes and no at the same time.
18But if you can believe God, then you can believe that what we tell you is never both yes and no. 19The Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one that Silas, Timothy, and I told you about was not yes and no. In Christ it has always been yes. 20The yes to all of God’s promises is in Christ. And that is why we say “Amen” through Christ to the glory of God. 21And God is the one who makes you and us strong in Christ. God is also the one who chose us for his work.#1:21 chose us for his work Literally, “anointed us.” In Greek this word is related to the title “Christ,” which means “anointed one.” See “anoint” and “Christ” in the Word List. 22He put his mark on us to show that we are his. Yes, he put his Spirit in our hearts as the first payment that guarantees all that he will give us.
23I tell you this, and I ask God to be my witness that this is true: The reason I did not come back to Corinth was that I did not want to punish or hurt you. 24I don’t mean that we are trying to control your faith. You are strong in faith. But we are workers with you for your own happiness.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
2 Corinthians 1
1
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in the whole of Achaia: 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; 4who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5For as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, even so our comfort also aboundeth through Christ. 6But whether we be afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or whether we be comforted, it is for your comfort, which worketh in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer:
7and our hope for you is stedfast; knowing that, as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also are ye of the comfort. 8For we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning our affliction which befell us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9yea, we ourselves have had the answer of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 10who delivered us out of so great a death, and will deliver: on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us; 11ye also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift bestowed upon us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf.
12For our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. 13For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or even acknowledge, and I hope ye will acknowledge unto the end: 14as also ye did acknowledge us in part, that we are your glorying, even as ye also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.
15And in this confidence I was minded to come before unto you, that ye might have a second benefit; 16and by you to pass into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come unto you, and of you to be set forward on my journey unto Judaea. 17When I therefore was thus minded, did I shew fickleness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be the yea yea and the nay nay? 18But as God is faithful, our word toward you is not yea and nay. 19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not yea and nay, but in him is yea. 20For how many soever be the promises of God, in him is the yea: wherefore also through him is the Amen, unto the glory of God through us. 21Now he that stablisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God; 22who also sealed us, and gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 23But I call God for a witness upon my soul, that to spare you I forbare to come unto Corinth. 24Not that we have lordship over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.
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