2 Corinthians 8:3

8:3 For I testify, they gave according to their means and beyond their means. They did so voluntarily, ¹ 

2 Corinthians 13:4

13:4 For indeed he was crucified by reason of weakness, but he lives because of God’s power. For we also are weak in him, but we will live together with him, because of God’s power toward you.

2 Corinthians 12:9

12:9 But ²  he said to me, “My grace is enough ³  for you, for my ⁴  power is made perfect ⁵  in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly ⁶  about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in ⁷  me.

2 Corinthians 6:7

6:7 by truthful ⁸  teaching, ⁹  by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left, ¹⁰ 

2 Corinthians 12:12

12:12 Indeed, the signs of an apostle were performed among you with great perseverance ¹¹  by signs and wonders and powerful deeds. ¹² 

2 Corinthians 4:7

An Eternal Weight of Glory

4:7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power ¹³  belongs to God and does not come from us.

2 Corinthians 1:8

1:8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, ¹⁴  regarding the affliction that happened to us in the province of Asia, ¹⁵  that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living.

¹ tn Or “spontaneously.”

² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” because of the contrast implicit in the context.

³ tn Or “is sufficient.”

⁴ 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.

⁵ tn Or “my power comes to full strength.”

⁶ tn “Most gladly,” a comparative form used with superlative meaning and translated as such.

⁷ tn Or “may rest on.”

³ tn Grk “by the word of truth”; understanding ἀληθείας (alhqeias) as an attributive genitive (“truthful word”).

⁴ tn 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.

⁵ tn 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).

⁴ tn Or “patience,” “endurance.”

⁵ tn Or “and miracles.”

⁵ tn Grk “the surpassingness of the power”; δυνάμεως (dunamew") has been translated as an attributed genitive (“extraordinary power”).

⁶ 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).

⁷ 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.