2 Corinthians 5:11

The Message of Reconciliation

5:11 Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord,¹ we try to persuade² people,³ but we are well known⁴ to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too.

2 Corinthians 6:4-7

6:4 But as God’s servants,⁵ we have commended ourselves in every way,⁶ with great endurance, in persecutions,⁷ in difficulties, in distresses, 6:5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots,⁸ in troubles,⁹ in sleepless nights, in hunger, 6:6 by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by benevolence, by the Holy Spirit,¹⁰ by genuine¹¹ love, 6:7 by truthful¹² teaching,¹³ by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left,¹⁴

2 Corinthians 7:14

7:14 For if I have boasted to him about anything concerning you, I have not been embarrassed by you,¹⁵ but just as everything we said to you was true,¹⁶ so our boasting to Titus about you¹⁷ has proved true as well.

¹tn Or “because we know what it means to fear the Lord.”

²tn The present tense of πείθομεν (peiqomen) has been translated as a conative present.

³tn Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is generic here since clearly both men and women are in view (Paul did not attempt to win only men to the gospel he preached).

⁴tn Or “clearly evident.” BDAG 1048 s.v. φανερόω 2.b.β has “θεῷ πεφανερώμεθα we are well known to God 2 Cor 5:11a, cp. 11b; 11:6 v.l.”

⁵tn Or “ministers.”

⁶tn Or “we have commended ourselves by all things.”

⁷tn Or “in trouble and suffering.”

⁸tn Or “rebellions” (uprisings in open defiance of civil authority).

⁹tn Usually κόποις (kopois) has been translated as “labors” or “hard work,” but see Matt 26:10 where it means “trouble”; “distress” (L&N 22.7). In this context with so many other terms denoting suffering and difficulty, such a meaning is preferable.

¹⁰tn Or “by holiness of spirit.”

¹¹tn Or “sincere.”

¹²tn Grk “by the word of truth”; understanding ἀληθείας (alhqeias) as an attributive genitive (“truthful word”).

¹³tn Or “speech.” In this context it is more likely that λόγος (logos) refers to Paul’s message (thus “teaching”) than to his speech in general.

¹⁴tn The phrase “for the right hand and for the left” possibly refers to a combination of an offensive weapon (a sword for the right hand) and a defensive weapon (a shield for the left).

¹⁵tn Grk “I have not been put to shame”; the words “by you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

¹⁶tn Grk “just as we spoke everything to you in truth.”

¹⁷tn The words “about you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.