2 Corinthians 1:10

1:10 He ¹  delivered us from so great a risk of death, and he will deliver us. We have set our hope on him ²  that ³  he will deliver us yet again,

2 Corinthians 1:23

Why Paul Postponed His Visit

1:23 Now I appeal to God as my witness, ⁴  that to spare ⁵  you I did not come again to Corinth. ⁶ 

2 Corinthians 4:17

4:17 For our momentary, light suffering ⁷  is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison

2 Corinthians 5:5

5:5 Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose ⁸  is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. ⁹ 

2 Corinthians 6:1

God’s Suffering Servants

6:1 Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ¹⁰ 

2 Corinthians 7:10

7:10 For sadness as intended by God produces a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly sadness brings about death.

2 Corinthians 8:4

8:4 begging us with great earnestness for the blessing and fellowship of helping ¹¹  the saints.

2 Corinthians 8:23

8:23 If there is any question ¹²  about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; if there is any question about our brothers, they are messengers ¹³  of the churches, a glory to Christ.

2 Corinthians 9:1

Preparing the Gift

9:1 For it is not necessary ¹⁴  for me to write you about this service ¹⁵  to the saints,

2 Corinthians 9:9

9:9 Just as it is written, “He ¹⁶  has scattered widely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness remains forever.” ¹⁷ 

2 Corinthians 11:6

11:6 And even if I am unskilled ¹⁸  in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way.

2 Corinthians 12:4

12:4 was caught up into paradise ¹⁹  and heard things too sacred to be put into words, ²⁰  things that a person ²¹  is not permitted to speak.

¹ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative clause “who delivered us…” was made a separate sentence in the translation.

² tn Grk “deliver us, on whom we have set our hope.”

³ tc Several important witnesses, especially Alexandrian (Ì⁴⁶ B D* 0121 0243 1739 1881 pc Did), lack ὅτι ({oti, “that”) here, while others, most notably Western (D¹ F G 104 630 1505 pc ar b sy^h Or Ambst), lack ἔτι (eti, “yet”). Most mss, including important Alexandrians (א A C D² Ψ 33 Ï f t vg), have the full expression ὅτι καὶ ἔτι ({oti kai eti). Although the predominantly Alexandrian reading has much to commend it, the fact that either ὅτι or ἔτι has been dropped, while the καί has been retained, suggests that the original wording had ὅτι καὶ ἔτι, and that either particle dropped out intentionally for stylistic reasons. (F and G have the order καί ὅτι, suggesting that in their archetype the ἔτι was unintentionally dropped due to homoioteleuton.) If, however, ὅτι is not authentic, v. 10b should be translated “We have set our hope on him, and he will deliver us again.” Overall, a decision is difficult, but preference should be given to ὅτι καὶ ἔτι.

⁴ tn Grk “I call upon God as witness against my soul.” Normally this implies an appeal for help (L&N 33.176).

⁵ tn Here φειδόμενος (feidomeno") has been translated as a telic participle.

⁶ sn Paul had promised to come again to visit (see 2 Cor 1:15, 24) but explains here why he had changed his plans.

⁷ tn Grk “momentary lightness of affliction.”

¹⁰ tn Grk “for this very thing.”

¹¹ tn Or “first installment,” “pledge,” “deposit” (see the note on the phrase “down payment” in 1:22).

¹³ tn Or “receive the grace of God uselessly.”

¹⁶ tn Or “of ministering to.”

¹⁹ tn Grk “If concerning Titus” (εἴτε ὑπὲρ Τίτου, eite Juper Titou); the Greek sentence opens with an ellipsis which must be supplied: If [there is any question] about Titus.”

²⁰ tn Grk “apostles.”

²² tn Or “it is superfluous.”

²³ tn Or “this ministry,” “this contribution.”

²⁵ sn He in the quotation refers to the righteous person.

²⁶ sn A quotation from Ps 112:9.

²⁸ sn Unskilled in speaking means not professionally trained as a rhetorician.

³¹ sn In the NT, paradise is mentioned three times. In Luke 23:43 it refers to the abode of the righteous dead. In Rev 2:7 it refers to the restoration of Edenic paradise predicted in Isa 51:3 and Ezek 36:35. The reference here in 2 Cor 12:4 is probably to be translated as parallel to the mention of the “third heaven” in v. 2. Assuming that the “first heaven” would be atmospheric heaven (the sky) and “second heaven” the more distant stars and planets, “third heaven” would refer to the place where God dwells. This is much more likely than some variation on the seven heavens mentioned in the pseudepigraphic book 2 Enoch and in other nonbiblical and rabbinic works.

³² tn Or “things that cannot be put into words.”

³³ tn Grk “a man.”