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Greeting

¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will,^(C1) and Timothy^(C2) our^(F1) brother:

To the church of God at Corinth,^(C3) with all the saints who are throughout Achaia.^(C4)

² Grace to you and peace^(C1) from God our Father^(C2) and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The God of Comfort

³ Blessed be^(C1) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies^(C2) and the God of all comfort.^{(C3) 4} He comforts us in all our affliction,^(F1) so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵ For just as the sufferings^(C1) of Christ^(C2) overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.^{(C3) 6} If we are afflicted,^(C1) it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer.^{(C2) 7} And our hope^(C1) for you is firm, because we know that as you share^(C2) in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort.

⁸ We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia.^(C1) We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength^(C2)—so that we even despaired^(C3) of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God^(C1) who raises^(C2) the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered^(C1) us from such a terrible death,^(C2) and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again ¹¹ while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our^(F1) behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.

A Clear Conscience

¹² Indeed, this is our boast: The testimony^(C1) of our conscience^(C2) is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with godly sincerity and purity, not by human wisdom^(C3) but by God’s grace.^{(C4) 13} For we are writing nothing to you other than what you can read and also understand. I hope you will understand completely— ¹⁴ just as you have partially understood us—that we are your reason for pride,^(C1) just as you also are ours^(C2) in the day of our^(F1) Lord Jesus.^(C3)

A Visit Postponed

¹⁵ Because of this confidence, I planned to come to you first,^(C1) so that you could have a second benefit,^{(F1) 16} and to visit you on my way to Macedonia,^(C1) and then come to you again from Macedonia and be helped by you^(C2) on my journey^(C3) to Judea.^{(C4) 17} Now when I planned this, was I of two minds? Or what I plan, do I plan in a purely human^(F1)(C1) way so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? ¹⁸ As God is faithful,^(C1) our message to you is not “Yes and no.” ¹⁹ For the Son of God,^(C1) Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you—Silvanus,^(F1)(C2) Timothy, and I—did not become “Yes and no.” On the contrary, in him it is always “Yes.”^{(C3) 20} For every one of God’s promises^(C1) is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen”^(C2) to the glory of God.^{(C3) 21} Now it is God who strengthens us together with you in Christ, and who has anointed^(C1) us. ²² He has also put his seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts^(C1) as a down payment.^(C2)

²³ I call on God as a witness,^(C1) on my life, that it was to spare you that I did not come to Corinth.^{(C2) 24} I do not mean that we lord it over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because you stand firm in your^(C1) faith.