< 2 Corinthians 1 >
1 Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God--and our brother Timothy: To the Church of God in Corinth, with all God's people throughout Greece.
[I], Paul, who [write this letter to you], became an apostle of Christ Jesus because God chose me for that. [Timothy, our] fellow believer, [is with me. I am sending this letter] to you who are God’s people in the congregations in Corinth [city. I want] the believers who live in [other places] in Achaia [province to also read this letter].
2 May grace and peace be granted to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
[We(exc) desire] that you will [experience] God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ [acting] kindly toward you and causing you to have [inner] peace.
3 Heartfelt thanks be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ--the Father who is full of compassion and the God who gives all comfort.
[We should] praise God, who is the father of our [(inc)] Lord Jesus Christ. He always pities us and helps us [because he is like] [MET] a father to us [and we are like his children]. He always encourages us [(inc)].
4 He comforts us in our every affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction by means of the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
He has encouraged us [(exc)] whenever we suffered hardships. As a result, we [(exc)] are able to encourage others whenever they suffer hardships, just as/just like God has encouraged us [(exc)].
5 For just as we have more than our share of suffering for the Christ, so also through the Christ we have more than our share of comfort.
It is true that just like Christ suffered, we [who serve him] also continually suffer [because we belong to him]. But also, because we [belong to] Christ, God greatly strengthens us (just as/just like) [God strengthened him].
6 But if, on the one hand, we are enduring affliction, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if, on the other hand, we are receiving comfort, it is for your comfort which is produced within you through your patient fortitude under the same sufferings as those which we also are enduring.
So, whenever we [(exc)] experience sufferings, we [learn how to encourage] you [when you experience sufferings. As a result, you will become more and more the kind of people God] wants you to be. Whenever [God] strengthens us [(exc) when we are suffering, he] does that in order that you [may see how he makes us strong when we are suffering. Then, as God] encourages [you in that way], you will learn to continue patiently [trusting him] when you suffer as we do.
7 And our hope for you is stedfast; for we know that as you are partners with us in the sufferings, so you are also partners in the comfort.
As a result, we [(exc)] strongly expect that because you suffer just as/just like we do, [God] will encourage you (just as/just like) [he] encourages us.
8 For as for our troubles which came upon us in the province of Asia, we would have you know, brethren, that we were exceedingly weighed down, and felt overwhelmed, so that we renounced all hope even of life.
[Our] fellow believers, we [(exc)] want you to know [LIT] about the trouble that we suffered in Asia [province]. That trouble was so very great that it was much more than we were able to endure. As a result, we [(exc)] thought that we would certainly die.
9 Nay, we had, as we still have, the sentence of death within our own selves, in order that our confidence may repose, not on ourselves, but on God who raised the dead to life.
Indeed, we felt [like a person feels when he has heard a judge say], “I condemn you to die/be executed [MET].” But [God allowed us to think that we were going to die] so that we would not (rely on/trust in) our own [strength. He wanted us] instead [to rely] only on his [strength, because he] is the one who [has power even to make] those who have died live [again].
10 He it is who rescued us from so imminent a death, and will do so again; and we have a firm hope in Him that He will also rescue us in all the future,
And [even though] we [(exc)] were [in terrible danger and were] about to die, God rescued us. And he will continue to rescue us [whenever we are in trouble]. We confidently expect that he will continue to rescue us [time after time].
11 while you on your part lend us your aid in entreaty for us, so that from many lips thanksgivings may rise on our behalf for the boon granted to us at the intercession of many.
[And we are also relying on] you to help us by praying for us [(exc)]. [If many people pray for us], many people will also thank [God] when [he] kindly answers those many prayers [and delivers us from danger].
12 For the reason for our boasting is this--the testimony of our own conscience that it was in holiness and with pure motives before God, and in reliance not on worldly wisdom but on the gracious help of God, that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and above all in our relations with you.
I am happy [to say] that I have behaved toward all people [MTY] in an honest and sincere way. My conscience assures me [that this is true]. Especially, I have behaved toward you [honestly and sincerely because that is what] God wants us to do. As I have done that, [my thoughts] have not been the thoughts that unbelieving people [MTY] [think are] wise. Instead, [I have behaved toward people only as God wants me to, depending on] God to help me in ways that I do not deserve.
13 For we are writing to you nothing different from what we have written before, or from what indeed you already recognize as truth and will, I trust, recognize as such to the very end;
[I say that] because [in all my letters to you] I have always written [LIT] clearly in a way that you can easily and completely understand [when you] read them.
14 just as some few of you have recognized us as your reason for boasting, even as you will be ours, on the day of Jesus our Lord.
[Previously some of] you, but not all of you, have completely understood [that I am always honest and sincere with you]. But I confidently expect that [soon] you will all be fully convinced [about that]. Then when the Lord Jesus [MTY] [returns, you will all be able to say that] you are pleased with me, just like I will [be able to say that] I am pleased with you.
15 It was because I entertained this confidence that I intended to visit you before going elsewhere--so that you might receive a twofold proof of God's favour--
It was because I felt sure [that all of you were pleased with me] that I was planning to visit you on my way from [here] to Macedonia [province]. I also planned to visit you again on my way back from there, so that I could [spend time with you] twice, and be able to help you more, and I was hoping that you would [give me things that I needed] [EUP] for my journey to Judea [province].
16 and to pass by way of Corinth into Macedonia. Then my plan was to return from Macedonia to you, and be helped forward by you to Judaea.
17 Did I display any vacillation or caprice in this? Or the purposes which I form--do I form them on worldly principles, now crying "Yes, yes," and now "No, no"?
So then, even though I [changed my mind later and did not do what] I [first] planned to do, [it was not because I did not have an important reason for changing my plans]. Surely you do not [really think] that I decide what I am going to do like people who do not know God do! [RHQ] I am [not like that]. I am not [a person who] says [to people], “Yes, [certainly I will do that],” and then [for no good reason changes his mind and says], “No, [I will not do it].”
18 As certainly as God is faithful, our language to you is not now "Yes" and now "No."
Just as surely as God always does what he says [he will do, it is true that I have never said], “Yes, [I will do this]” when I [really meant] “No.”
19 For Jesus Christ the Son of God--He who was proclaimed among you by us, that is by Silas and Timothy and myself--did not show Himself a waverer between "Yes" and "No." But it was and always is "Yes" with Him.
[I follow the example of] God’s Son, Jesus Christ. When I, along with Silas and Timothy, taught you [about Christ], we told you that he was not [someone who said that he] would do [something] and [then] did not [do it]. Jesus Christ never [said to anyone], “Yes, [I will do what you desire],” and [then did] not [do it].
20 For all the promises of God, whatever their number, have their confirmation in Him; and for this reason through Him also our "Amen" acknowledges their truth and promotes the glory of God through our faith.
[We(inc) know that is true], because everything that God promised to do [for his people], he has done completely by [sending] Christ [to save us]. That is why we say, “Yes, it is true! [God has done everything that he promised to do]!” And we praise him for that!
21 But He who is making us as well as you stedfast through union with the Anointed One, and has anointed us, is God,
Now it is only God himself who causes us [(exc)], as well as you, to keep on [believing] strongly in Christ. God is the one who chose us [(inc) to belong to him and to have a close relationship] with Christ.
22 and He has also set His seal upon us, and has put His Spirit into our hearts as a pledge and foretaste of future blessing.
He also sent his Holy Spirit into our [(inc)] lives to mark us as belonging to himself [MET]. Also, since he has sent his Spirit to live in us [(inc)], [he wants us to know by this that] he guarantees [MET] [to give us every other] ([blessing/good thing]) [that he has promised].
23 But as for me, as my soul shall answer for it, I appeal to God as my witness, that it was to spare you pain that I gave up my visit to Corinth.
So now [I will tell you why I changed my mind and did not visit you as I intended to do]: God himself knows [that what I am telling you is true]. The reason that I did not return to Corinth was so that I might not have to [speak to you severely about the wrong that you had done].
24 Not that we want to lord it over you in respect of your faith--we do, however, desire to help your joy--for in the matter of your faith you are standing firm.
It is not that Silas, Timothy and I want to boss you [and tell you that you must] believe only what we say. [Not at all]! On the contrary, we [(exc)] are working as partners [with you] in order to make you happy. [We do not try to force you to believe everything that we believe, because we are sure that you are continuing to] trust [the Lord Jesus Christ] and that you are remaining firmly committed to him.