2 Corinthians 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy the brother, to the church of God which is in Corinth, with all the holy who are in all Achaia:
This letter comes from Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the will of God, and from Timothy, our brother. It is sent to the church of God in Corinth, together with all of God's people throughout Achaia.
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Fathers and the Lord Jesus Christ.
May you have grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
Praise be to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the compassionate Father and the God of all comfort.
4 who comforteth us in all our distress, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any distress by the comfort wherewith we are ourselves comforted by God;
He comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those who are also in trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
5 for as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so through Christ doth our comfort also overflow.
The more we share in Christ's sufferings, the more we receive the abundant comfort of Christ.
6 And whether we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation, which showeth its power in enabling you to bear patiently the same sufferings which we also endure; and our hope is steadfast in your behalf; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort and salvation,
If we are in distress, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are being comforted, it is for your comfort, which results in you patiently bearing the same sufferings that we suffer.
7 knowing that as ye are sharers in the sufferings, so also ye will be sharers in the comfort.
We have great confidence in you, knowing that as you share in our sufferings you also share in our comfort.
8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our distress which came upon us in Asia, that it was exceedingly heavy upon us beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;
Brothers and sisters, we won't keep you in the dark about the trouble we had in Asia. We were so overwhelmed that we were afraid we wouldn't have the strength to continue—so much so we doubted we would live through it.
9 yea, we ourselves had within ourselves the sentence of death, that we might not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead;
In fact it was like a death sentence inside us. This was to stop us relying on ourselves and to trust in God who raises the dead.
10 who delivered us from such peril of death, and is delivering; in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us,
He saved us from a terrible death, and he will do so again. We have total confidence in God that he will continue to save us.
11 you also unitedly helping us by prayer, so that for this blessing bestowed on us by means of many, thanks may be given by many on your behalf.
You help us by praying for us. In this way many will thank God for us because of the blessing that God will give us in response to the prayers of many.
12 For our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and the sincerity which is of God, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.
We take pride in the fact—and our conscience confirms it—that we have acted properly towards people, and especially to you. We have followed God's principles of holiness and sincerity, not according to worldly wisdom but through the grace of God.
13 For we write no other things to you, than what ye read or even acknowledge. And I trust ye will acknowledge even to the end,
For we are not writing anything complicated that you can't read and understand. I hope you'll understand in the end,
14 as also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your glorying, as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
even if you only understand part of it now, so that when the Lord comes you will be proud of us, just as we are of you.
15 And in this confidence it was my purpose to come to you before, that ye might receive a second benefit;
Because I was so sure of your confidence in me I planned to come and visit you first. That way you could have benefited twice,
16 and to go by way of you into Macedonia, and from Macedonia to come again to you, and by you to be forwarded on my way to Judaea.
as I would go on from you to Macedonia, and then return from Macedonia to you. Then I would have had you send me on my way to Judea.
17 Having, then, this purpose, did I act with levity? Or in my purposes do I resolve according to the flesh, that with me there should be now yea, yea, and now nay, nay?
Why did I change my original plan? Do you think I make my decisions lightly? Do you think that when I plan I'm like some worldly person who says Yes and No at the same time?
18 But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yea and nay.
Just as God can be trusted, when we give you our word it's not both Yes and No.
19 For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us, by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not found yea and nay, but in him hath been found yea.
The truth of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was announced to you by us—me, Silvanus, and Timothy—and it wasn't both Yes and No. In Christ the answer is absolutely Yes!
20 For as to all the promises of God, in him is yea, and in him amen, to the glory of God through us.
However, many promises God has made, in Christ the answer is always Yes. Through him we respond, saying Yes to the glory of God.
21 Now he who maketh us with you steadfast in Christ, and anointed us, is God;
God has given both us and you the inner strength to stand firm in Christ. God has appointed us,
22 he who also sealed us, and gave the Spirit as a pledge in our hearts.
placed his stamp of approval on us, and given us the guarantee of the Spirit to convince us.
23 But I call upon God as a witness against my soul, that it was to spare you that I came no more to Corinth;
I call God as my witness that it was to avoid causing you pain that I chose not to come to Corinth.
24 not that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy. For in respect to faith ye stand firm.
This isn't because we want to dictate how you relate to God, but because we want to help you have a joyful experience—for it's by trusting God that you stand firm.
