2 Corinthians 7:1-2

Self-Purification

7:1 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves ¹  from everything that could defile the body ²  and the spirit, and thus accomplish ³  holiness out of reverence for God. ⁴  7:2 Make room for us in your hearts; ⁵  we have wronged no one, we have ruined no one, ⁶  we have exploited no one. ⁷ 

2 Corinthians 1:4-9

1:4 who comforts us in all our troubles ⁸  so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble ⁹  with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 1:5 For just as the sufferings ¹⁰  of Christ ¹¹  overflow ¹²  toward us, so also our comfort through Christ overflows to you. ¹³  1:6 But if we are afflicted, ¹⁴  it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort that you experience in your patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer. 1:7 And our hope for you is steadfast because we know that as you share in ¹⁵  our sufferings, so also you will share in ¹⁶  our comfort. 1:8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, ¹⁷  regarding the affliction that happened to us in the province of Asia, ¹⁸  that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living. 1:9 Indeed we felt as if the sentence of death had been passed against us, ¹⁹  so that we would not trust in ourselves ²⁰  but in God who raises the dead.

2 Corinthians 3:14

3:14 But their minds were closed. ²¹  For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read. ²²  It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away. ²³ 

¹ tn Or “purify ourselves.”

² tn Grk “from every defilement of the flesh.”

³ tn Grk “accomplishing.” The participle has been translated as a finite verb due to considerations of contemporary English style, and “thus” has been supplied to indicate that it represents a result of the previous cleansing.

⁴ tn Grk “in the fear of God.”

⁵ tn The phrase “in your hearts” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

⁶ tn “We have ruined no one” may refer to financial loss (“we have caused no one to suffer financial loss”) but it may also refer to the undermining of faith (“we have corrupted no one’s faith,”). Both options are mentioned in L&N 20.23.

⁷ tn Or “we have taken advantage of no one.”

⁸ tn Or “our trials”; traditionally, “our affliction.” The term θλῖψις (qliyi") refers to trouble (including persecution) that involves direct suffering (L&N 22.2).

⁹ tn Or “any trials”; traditionally, “any affliction.”

¹⁰ tn This Greek word translated “sufferings” here (πάθημα, paqhma) is a different one than the one Paul uses for his own afflictions/persecutions (θλῖψις, qliyi") in v. 4.

¹¹ tn I.e., suffering incurred by Paul as a consequence of his relationship to Christ. The genitive could be considered to have a causative nuance here.

¹² tn Traditionally, “abound” (here and throughout this section).

¹³ tn The words “to you” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the statements in the following verse.

¹⁴ tn Or “are troubled.”

¹⁵ tn Grk “as you are sharers in.”

¹⁶ tn Grk “will be sharers in.”

¹⁷ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1., where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).

¹⁸ tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

¹⁹ tn Grk “we ourselves had the sentence of death within ourselves.” Here ἀπόκριμα (apokrima) is being used figuratively; no actual official verdict had been given, but in light of all the difficulties that Paul and his colleagues had suffered, it seemed to them as though such an official verdict had been rendered against them (L&N 56.26).

²⁰ tn Or “might not put confidence in ourselves.”

²¹ tn Grk “their minds were hardened.”

²² tn Grk “the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant”; the phrase “they hear” has been introduced (“when they hear the old covenant read”) to make the link with the “Israelites” (v. 13) whose minds were closed (v. 14a) more obvious to the reader.

²³ tn Or “only in Christ is it eliminated.”