2 Corinthians 1:21

Amplified Bible

Now it is God who establishes and confirms us [in joint fellowship] with you in Christ, and who has anointed us [empowering us with the gifts of the Spirit];

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
It is God who makes all of us strong and gives us the will and want to ride hard for Jesus. He chose us for this task.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,

Legacy Standard Bible
Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,

Bible in Basic English
Now he who makes our faith strong together with you, in Christ, and has given us of his grace, is God;

Darby Translation
Now he that establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, [is] God,

Christian Standard Bible®
Now it is God who strengthens us, with you, in Christ and has anointed us.

World English Bible
Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and that hath anointed us is God:

Weymouth's New Testament
But He who is making us as well as you stedfast through union with the Anointed One, and has anointed us, is God,

King James Version (1611)
Now hee which stablisheth vs with you, in Christ, and hath anoynted vs, is God,

Literal Translation
But He confirming us and anointing us with you in Christ is God,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But it is God which stablysheth vs wt you in Christ, and hath anoynted us,

Mace New Testament (1729)
now it is God who keeps you fix'd in the doctrine of Christ; who has appointed me,

American Standard Version
Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God;

Revised Standard Version
But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has commissioned us;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For it is God which stablissheth vs and you in Christ and hath annoynted vs

Update Bible Version
Now he that establishes us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God;

Webster's Bible Translation
Now he who establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, [is] God;

Young's Literal Translation
and He who is confirming you with us into Christ, and did anoint us, [is] God,

New Century Version
Remember, God is the One who makes you and us strong in Christ. God made us his chosen people.

New English Translation
But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us,

Berean Standard Bible
Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us,

Contemporary English Version
And so God makes it possible for you and us to stand firmly together with Christ. God is also the one who chose us

Complete Jewish Bible
Moreover, it is God who sets both us and you in firm union with the Messiah; he has anointed us,

English Standard Version
And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us,

Geneva Bible (1587)
And it is God which stablisheth vs with you in Christ, and hath anoynted vs.

George Lamsa Translation
Now it is God who has confirmed us with you in Christ, and who has anointed us;

Hebrew Names Version
Now he who establishes us with you in Messiah, and anointed us, is God;

International Standard Version
Now the one who makes us - and you as well - secure in union with Christ and has anointed us is God,1 John 2:20,27;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
But Aloha himself confirmeth us with you in the Meshiha, who himself hath anointed us,

Murdock Translation
Now it is God who establisheth us, with you, in the Messiah, and hath anointed us,

New King James Version
Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,

New Living Translation
It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us,

New Life Bible
God is the One Who makes our faith and your faith strong in Christ. He has set us apart for Himself.

English Revised Version
Now he that stablisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God;

New Revised Standard
But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, he that confirmeth us, together with you, for Christ, and hath anointed us, is God:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Now he that confirmeth us with you in Christ and that hath anointed us, is God:

King James Version
Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;

Lexham English Bible
Now the one who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anoints us is God,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And God it is whiche stablysheth vs with you in Christe, and hath annoynted vs.

Easy-to-Read Version
And God is the one who makes you and us strong in Christ. God is also the one who chose us for his work.

New American Standard Bible
Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,

Good News Translation
It is God himself who makes us, together with you, sure of our life in union with Christ; it is God himself who has set us apart,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli it is God that confermeth vs with you in Crist, and the which God anoyntide vs,

Contextual Overview

¹⁵It was with this confidence that I planned at first to visit you, so that you might receive twice a token of grace; ¹⁶that is, [I wanted] to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and [then] to come back to you [on my return] from Macedonia, and have you send me on my way to Judea. ¹⁷So then, was I indecisive or capricious when I was [originally] planning this? Or the things I plan, do I plan in a self-serving way like a worldly man, ready to say, "Yes, yes" and "No, no" [at the same time]? ¹⁸But [as surely as] God is faithful and means what He says, our message to you is not "Yes" and "No" [at the same time]. ¹⁹For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not "Yes" and "No," but has proved to be "Yes" in Him [true and faithful, the divine "Yes" affirming God's promises]. ²⁰For as many as are the promises of God, in Christ they are [all answered] "Yes." So through Him we say our "Amen" to the glory of God. ²¹Now it is God who establishes and confirms us [in joint fellowship] with you in Christ, and who has anointed us [empowering us with the gifts of the Spirit];²²it is He who has also put His seal on us [that is, He has appropriated us and certified us as His] and has given us the [Holy] Spirit in our hearts as a pledge [like a security deposit to guarantee the fulfillment of His promise of eternal life]. ²³But I call on God as my soul's witness, that it was to spare you [pain and discouragement] that I did not come again to Corinth— ²⁴not that we rule [like dictators] over your faith, but rather we work with you for [the increase of] your joy; for in your faith you stand firm [in your strong conviction that Jesus of Nazareth—the Messiah—is the Son of God, through whom we obtain eternal salvation].

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

stablisheth: 2 Corinthians 5:5, Psalms 37:23, Psalms 37:24, Psalms 87:5, Psalms 89:4, Isaiah 9:7, Isaiah 49:8, Isaiah 62:7, Romans 16:25, Colossians 2:7, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, 2 Thessalonians 2:8, 2 Thessalonians 2:17, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, 1 Peter 5:10

anointed: Psalms 45:7, Isaiah 59:21, Isaiah 61:1, John 3:34, Acts 10:38, Romans 8:9, 1 John 2:20, 1 John 2:27, Revelation 1:6, Revelation 3:18

Reciprocal: Exodus 28:41 - anoint them Exodus 30:26 - General Exodus 37:29 - he made Leviticus 7:35 - portion Leviticus 10:7 - the anointing Leviticus 14:18 - the remnant 1 Kings 1:34 - Zadok 2 Kings 11:12 - anointed him Psalms 23:5 - thou anointest Psalms 92:10 - I shall Song of Solomon 4:10 - the smell Ezekiel 16:9 - anointed Romans 1:11 - to the 1 Corinthians 1:8 - confirm Hebrews 13:9 - it is

Cross-References

Genesis 1:18
to rule over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good and He affirmed and sustained it.

Genesis 1:24
Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to (limited to, consistent with) their kind: livestock, crawling things, and wild animals of the earth according to their kinds"; and it was so [because He had spoken them into creation].

Genesis 1:25
So God made the wild animals of the earth according to their kind, and the cattle according to their kind, and everything that creeps and crawls on the earth according to its kind; and God saw that it was good (pleasing, useful) and He affirmed and sustained it.

Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth."

Genesis 1:31
God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good and He validated it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

Genesis 6:20
"Of fowls and birds according to their kind, of animals according to their kind, of every crawling thing of the ground according to its kind—two of every kind shall come to you to keep them alive.

Genesis 7:14
they and every animal according to its kind, all the livestock according to their kinds, every moving thing that crawls on the earth according to its kind, and every bird according to its kind, every winged thing of every sort.

Genesis 8:17
"Bring out with you every living thing from all flesh—birds and animals and every crawling thing that crawls on the earth—that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth."

Genesis 8:19
Every animal, every crawling thing, every bird—and whatever moves on the land—went out by families (types, groupings) from the ark.

Genesis 9:7
"As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now he which stablisheth us with you,.... Two things are in this verse ascribed to God. First, the establishing of the saints in Christ; in which may be observed, that the people of God are in a firm, settled, established state and condition; they are encircled in the arms of everlasting love; they are secure of the favour of God; they are engraven on his hands, and set as a seal on his heart, from whence they can never be removed; they are taken into his family by adopting grace; and will never be turned out; they are in a state of justification, and shall never enter into condemnation; they are regenerated and sanctified by the Spirit of God, and shall never finally and totally fall from that grace they have received. This their establishment is "in" Christ, and in no other. They had no stability in Adam, nor have they any in themselves; their standing is alone in him; the unchangeable love and favour of God, which is their grand security, is in Christ; the covenant of grace, in which is all their salvation, is made and stands fast with him; their persons, with all their grace and glory, are put into his hands, and made his care and charge, and there they are safe. They are espoused unto him, made one with him, incorporated into him, and are built upon him the rock of ages, where they are so established, that hell and earth cannot shake them, so as to remove and unsettle them from this foundation: one and all of them, and all together, are established in him,

us with you; all the elect of God are alike, and together in Christ, and have the same place and standing in his love, power, and care; they make up one body, of which Christ is the head, and not one of them shall be lost, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, ministers or private believers; for so this phrase may be interpreted, "us" Jews "with you" Gentiles, or "us" ministers "with you" believers. This work of establishing the saints in Christ is wholly the Lord's act; he

is God that does it; which does not contradict the word and ordinances being means of establishment; nor does it hinder or discourage persons making use of means for their stability; for the apostle here is not speaking so much of the stability of hearts, frames, and exercise of grace, as of state; though a firm, steady, and stable assurance of interest in Christ, is what God gives by his Spirit. The apostle's view seems to be this, that whatever steadfastness and stability the saints have, whether ministers or people, they ought to ascribe it entirely to God, Father, Son, and Spirit. "Secondly", the anointing of them:

he hath anointed us; which is to be understood either of the unction of ministers, with the gifts of the Spirit for ministerial service; or rather of the anointing of private Christians with the grace of the Spirit, compared to oil or ointment, in allusion to the anointing oil under the law, by which the tabernacle, and its vessels, Aaron, and his sons, were anointed, who were typical of the saints and priests of God under the Gospel; or to the lamp oil in the candlestick, which was pure, and for light; or to oil in common, for its sweet smell, refreshing nature, and for its usefulness for ornament and healing. This also is the Lord's work, and not man's; this unction comes from the God of all grace, through Christ, by the Spirit.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Now he which stablisheth us - He who makes us firm (ὁ βέβαιῶν ἡμᾶς ho bebaiōn hēmas); that is, he who has confirmed us in the hopes of the gospel, and who gives us grace to be faithful, and firm in our promises. The object of this is to trace all to God, and to prevent the appearance of self-confidence, or of boasting. Paul had dwelt at length on his own fidelity and veracity. He had taken pains to prove that he was not inconstant and fickle-minded. Here he says, that this was not to be traced to himself, or to any native goodness, but was all to be traced to God. It was God who had given them all confident hope in Christ; and it was God who had given him grace to adhere to His promises, and to maintain a character for veracity. The first “us,” in this verse refers probably to Paul himself; the second includes also the Corinthians, as being also anointed and sealed.

And hath anointed us - Us who are Christians. It was customary to anoint kings, prophets, and priests on their entering on their office as a part of the ceremony of inauguration. The word “anoint” is applied to a priest, Exodus 28:41; Exodus 40:15; to a prophet, 1 Kings 19:16; Isaiah 61:1; to a king, 1Sa 10:1; 1 Samuel 15:1; 2Sa 2:4; 1 Kings 1:34. It is applied often to the Messiah as being set apart, or consecrated to his office as prophet, priest, and king - that is, as appointed by God to the highest office ever held in the world. It is applied also to Christians as being consecrated, or set apart to the service of God by the Holy Spirit - a use of the word which is derived from the sense of consecrating, or setting apart to the service of God. Thus, in 1 John 2:20, it is said, “But ye have an unction from the Holy One and know all things.” So in 1 John 2:27, “But the anointing which ye have received abideth in you,” etc. The anointing which was used in the consecration of prophets, priests, and kings, seems to have been designed to be emblematic of the influences of the Holy Spirit, who is often represented as poured upon those who are under his influence Proverbs 1:23; Isaiah 43:4; Joel 2:28-29; Zechariah 12:10; Acts 10:45, in the same way as water or oil is poured out. And as Christians are everywhere represented as being under the influence of the Holy Spirit, as being those on whom the Holy Spirit is poured, they are represented as “anointed.” They are in this manner solemnly set apart, and consecrated to the service of God.

Is God - God has done it. All is to be traced to him. It is not by any native goodness which we have, or any inclination which we have by nature to his service. This is one of the instances which abound so much in the writings of Paul, where he delights to trace all good influences to God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 21. Now he which stablisheth us with you — It is God that has brought both us and you to this sure state of salvation through Christ; and he has anointed us, giving us the extraordinary influences of the Holy Ghost, that we might be able effectually to administer this Gospel to your salvation. Through this unction we know and preach the truth, and are preserved by it from dissimulation and falsity of every kind.