2 Corinthians 7:4

A Letter That Caused Sadness

7:4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride ¹  on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement; ²  I am overflowing with joy in the midst of ³  all our suffering.

2 Corinthians 11:28

11:28 Apart from other things, ⁴  there is the daily pressure on me of my anxious concern ⁵  for all the churches.

2 Corinthians 2:12

2:12 Now when I arrived in Troas ⁶  to proclaim the gospel of Christ, even though the Lord had opened ⁷  a door of opportunity ⁸  for me,

2 Corinthians 6:18

6:18 and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,” ⁹  says the All-Powerful Lord. ¹⁰ 

2 Corinthians 9:1

Preparing the Gift

9:1 For it is not necessary ¹¹  for me to write you about this service ¹²  to the saints,

2 Corinthians 12:7

12:7 even because of the extraordinary character of the revelations. Therefore, ¹³  so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble ¹⁴  me – so that I would not become arrogant. ¹⁵ 

2 Corinthians 12:9

12:9 But ¹⁶  he said to me, “My grace is enough ¹⁷  for you, for my ¹⁸  power is made perfect ¹⁹  in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly ²⁰  about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in ²¹  me.

2 Corinthians 12:13

12:13 For how ²²  were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this injustice!

2 Corinthians 13:10

13:10 Because of this I am writing these things while absent, so that when I arrive ²³  I may not have to deal harshly with you ²⁴  by using my authority – the Lord gave it to me for building up, not for tearing down!

¹ tn Grk “great is my boasting.”

² tn Or “comfort.”

³ tn Grk “I am overflowing with joy in all our suffering”; the words “in the midst of” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to clarify that Paul is not rejoicing in the suffering itself, but in his relationship with the Corinthians in the midst of all his suffering.

⁴ sn Apart from other things. Paul refers here either (1) to the external sufferings just mentioned, or (2) he refers to other things he has left unmentioned.

⁵ tn “Anxious concern,” so translated in L&N 25.224.

⁷ sn Troas was a city and region in the northwest corner of Asia Minor.

⁸ tn This has been translated as a concessive participle (“even though”). The passive construction (“a door of opportunity had been opened for me by the Lord”) has been converted to an active one in the translation for clarity.

⁹ tn Grk “a door”; the phrase ἀνοίγω θύραν (anoigw quran, “to open a door”) is an idiom meaning “to make possible some opportunity” (L&N 71.9).

¹⁰ sn A paraphrased quotation from 2 Sam 7:14 and Isa 43:6.

¹¹ tn Traditionally, “the Lord Almighty.” BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…κύριος π. (oft. LXX) 2 Cor 6:18.”

¹³ tn Or “it is superfluous.”

¹⁴ tn Or “this ministry,” “this contribution.”

¹⁶ tc Most mss (Ì⁴⁶ D Ψ 1881 Ï) lack διό (dio, “Therefore”), but the widespread distribution and quality of mss which include it (א A B F G 0243 33 81 1175 1739 pc) argues for its authenticity. Internally, its case is equally strong in that its inclusion is grammatically rough (διό is hardly necessary to convey purpose, especially since Paul uses ἵνα [{ina, “so that”] next).

¹⁷ tn Or “to harass.”

¹⁸ tn The phrase “so that I might not become arrogant” is repeated here because it occurs in the Greek text two times in the verse. Although redundant, it is repeated because of the emphatic nature of its affirmation.

¹⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” because of the contrast implicit in the context.

²⁰ tn Or “is sufficient.”

²¹ tc The majority of later mss (א² A^c D¹ Ψ 0243 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï) as well as some versional witnesses include the pronoun “my” here, but the omission of the pronoun has excellent external support (Ì^46vid א* A* B D* F G latt). Scribes probably added the pronoun for clarity, making the obvious referent explicit. This would also make “power” more parallel with “my grace.” Though the original text probably did not include “my,” scribes who added the word were following the sense of Paul’s statement.

²² tn Or “my power comes to full strength.”

²³ tn “Most gladly,” a comparative form used with superlative meaning and translated as such.

²⁴ tn Or “may rest on.”

²² tn Grk “For in what respect.”

²⁵ tn Grk “when I am present,” but in the context of Paul’s third (upcoming) visit to Corinth, this is better translated as “when I arrive.”

²⁶ tn The words “with you” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.