2 Corinthians 1:3

Thanksgiving for God’s Comfort

1:3 Blessed is ¹  the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

2 Corinthians 2:10

2:10 If you forgive anyone for anything, I also forgive him – for indeed what I have forgiven (if I have forgiven anything) I did so for you in the presence of Christ,

2 Corinthians 2:14

Apostolic Ministry

2:14 But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession ²  in Christ ³  and who makes known ⁴  through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place.

2 Corinthians 2:17

2:17 For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit, ⁵  but we are speaking in Christ before ⁶  God as persons of sincerity, ⁷  as persons sent from God.

2 Corinthians 5:14

5:14 For the love of Christ ⁸  controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ ⁹  died for all; therefore all have died.

2 Corinthians 5:16

5:16 So then from now on we acknowledge ¹⁰  no one from an outward human point of view. ¹¹  Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, ¹²  now we do not know him in that way any longer.

2 Corinthians 5:18

5:18 And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 8:9

8:9 For you know the grace ¹³  of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, he became poor for your sakes, so that you by his poverty could become rich.

2 Corinthians 10:5

10:5 and every arrogant obstacle ¹⁴  that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey ¹⁵  Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:14

10:14 For we were not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach as far as you, because we were the first to reach as far as you with the gospel about Christ. ¹⁶ 

2 Corinthians 11:10

11:10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine ¹⁷  will not be stopped ¹⁸  in the regions of Achaia.

2 Corinthians 11:23

11:23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so: with much greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with more severe beatings, facing death many times.

2 Corinthians 12:10

12:10 Therefore I am content with ¹⁹  weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties ²⁰  for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:19

12:19 Have you been thinking all this time ²¹  that we have been defending ourselves to you? We are speaking in Christ before God, and everything we do, dear friends, is to build you up. ²² 

2 Corinthians 13:3

13:3 since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He ²³  is not weak toward you but is powerful among you.

2 Corinthians 13:5

13:5 Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you – unless, indeed, you fail the test! ²⁴ 

2 Corinthians 13:14

13:14 [[EMPTY]] ²⁵ 

[1:3]  ¹ tn There is no verb in the Greek text; either the optative (“be”) or the indicative (“is”) can be supplied. The meaning of the term εὐλογητός (euloghtos) and the author’s intention at this point in the epistle must both come into play to determine which is the preferred nuance. εὐλογητός as an adjective can mean either that one is praised or that one is blessed, that is, in a place of favor and benefit. The meaning “blessed” would be more naturally paired with an indicative verb and would suggest that blessedness is an intrinsic part of God’s character. The meaning “praised” would be more naturally paired with an optative verb and would suggest that God ought to be praised. Pauline style in the epistles generally moves from statements to obligations, expressing the reality first and then the believer’s necessary response. When considered as a whole, although a decision is difficult, the general Pauline style of beginning with statements and moving to obligations argues for the indicative. Cf. also Eph 1:3; 1 Pet 1:3.

[2:14]  ² tn Or “who always causes us to triumph.”

[2:14]  ³ tn Or “in the Messiah.”

[2:14]  ⁴ tn Or “who reveals.”

[2:17]  ³ tn The participle καπηλεύοντες (kaphleuonte") refers to those engaged in retail business, but with the negative connotations of deceptiveness and greed – “to peddle for profit,” “to huckster” (L&N 57.202). In the translation a noun form (“hucksters”) has been used in combination with the English verb “peddle…for profit” to convey the negative connotations of this term.

[2:17]  ⁴ tn Or “in the presence of.”

[2:17]  ⁵ tn Or “persons of pure motives.”

[5:14]  ⁴ tn The phrase ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ (Jh agaph tou Cristou, “the love of Christ”) could be translated as either objective genitive (“our love for Christ”) or subjective genitive (“Christ’s love for us”). Either is grammatically possible, but with the reference to Christ’s death for all in the following clauses, a subjective genitive (“Christ’s love for us”) is more likely.

[5:14]  ⁵ tn Grk “one”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:16]  ⁵ tn Grk “we know.”

[5:16]  ⁶ tn Grk “no one according to the flesh.”

[5:16]  ⁷ tn Grk “we have known Christ according to the flesh.”

[8:9]  ⁶ tn Or “generosity.”

[10:5]  ⁷ tn The phrase “every arrogant obstacle” could be translated simply “all arrogance” (so L&N 88.207).

[10:5]  ⁸ tn Grk “to the obedience of Christ”; but since Χριστοῦ (Cristou) is clearly an objective genitive here, it is better to translate “to make it obey Christ.”

[10:14]  ⁸ tn Grk “with the gospel of Christ,” but since Χριστοῦ (Cristou) is clearly an objective genitive here, it is better to translate “with the gospel about Christ.”

[11:10]  ⁹ tn That is, that Paul offers the gospel free of charge to the Corinthians (see 2 Cor 11:7).

[11:10]  ¹⁰ tn Or “silenced.”

[12:10]  ¹⁰ tn Or “I take delight in.”

[12:10]  ¹¹ tn Or “calamities.”

[12:19]  ¹¹ tc The reading “all this time” (πάλαι, palai) is found in several early and important Alexandrian and Western witnesses including א* A B F G 0243 6 33 81 365 1175 1739 1881 lat; the reading πάλιν (palin, “again”) is read by א² D Ψ 0278 Ï sy bo; the reading οὐ πάλαι (ou palai) is read by Ì⁴⁶, making the question even more emphatic. The reading of Ì⁴⁶ could only have arisen from πάλαι. The reading πάλιν is significantly easier (“are you once again thinking that we are defending ourselves?”), for it softens Paul’s tone considerably. It thus seems to be a motivated reading and cannot easily explain the rise of πάλαι. Further, πάλαι has considerable support in the Alexandrian and Western witnesses, rendering it virtually certain as the original wording here.

[12:19]  ¹² tn Or “for your strengthening”; Grk “for your edification.”

[13:3]  ¹² tn Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[13:5]  ¹³ tn Or “unless indeed you are disqualified.”

[13:14]  ¹⁴ tc Most witnesses, especially later ones (א² D Ψ Ï lat sy bo), conclude this letter with ἀμήν (amhn, “amen”), while several early and important mss (Ì⁴⁶ א* A B F G 0243 6 33 630 1175 1739 1881 pc sa) lack the particle. Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. That so many diverse witnesses lacked the word here is strong testimony to its absence for the original text of 2 Corinthians.