2 Corinthians 1:4

1:4 who comforts us in all our troubles ¹  so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble ²  with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10

4:8 We are experiencing trouble on every side, ³  but are not crushed; we are perplexed, ⁴  but not driven to despair; 4:9 we are persecuted, but not abandoned; ⁵  we are knocked down, ⁶  but not destroyed, 4:10 always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, ⁷  so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible ⁸  in our body.

2 Corinthians 4:17

4:17 For our momentary, light suffering ⁹  is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison

2 Corinthians 7:4

A Letter That Caused Sadness

7:4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride ¹⁰  on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement; ¹¹  I am overflowing with joy in the midst of ¹²  all our suffering.

Acts 5:41

5:41 So they left the council rejoicing because they had been considered worthy ¹³  to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. ¹⁴ 

Romans 5:3

5:3 Not ¹⁵  only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,

Romans 8:35-39

8:35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ¹⁶  8:36 As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” ¹⁷  8:37 No, in all these things we have complete victory ¹⁸  through him ¹⁹  who loved us! 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, ²⁰  nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, 8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Philippians 1:29

1:29 For it has been granted to you ²¹  not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for him,

Philippians 2:17-18

2:17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you. 2:18 And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me.

Colossians 1:24

1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my physical body – for the sake of his body, the church – what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ.

James 1:2

Joy in Trials

1:2 My brothers and sisters, ²²  consider it nothing but joy ²³  when you fall into all sorts of trials,

James 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From James, ²⁴  a slave ²⁵  of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. ²⁶  Greetings!

James 1:6-7

1:6 But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind. 1:7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,

James 4:13-14

4:13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town ²⁷  and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” 4:14 You ²⁸  do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? ²⁹  For you are a puff of smoke ³⁰  that appears for a short time and then vanishes.

[1:4]  ¹ tn Or “our trials”; traditionally, “our affliction.” The term θλῖψις (qliyi") refers to trouble (including persecution) that involves direct suffering (L&N 22.2).

[1:4]  ² tn Or “any trials”; traditionally, “any affliction.”

[4:8]  ³ tn Grk “we are hard pressed [by crowds] on every side.”

[4:8]  ⁴ tn Or “at a loss.”

[4:9]  ⁵ tn Or “forsaken.”

[4:9]  ⁶ tn Or “badly hurt.” It is possible to interpret καταβαλλόμενοι (kataballomenoi) here as “badly hurt”: “[we are] badly hurt, but not destroyed” (L&N 20.21).

[4:10]  ⁷ tn The first clause of 2 Cor 4:10 is elliptical and apparently refers to the fact that Paul was constantly in danger of dying in the same way Jesus died (by violence at least). According to L&N 23.99 it could be translated, “at all times we live in the constant threat of being killed as Jesus was.”

[4:10]  ⁸ tn Or “may also be revealed.”

[4:17]  ⁹ tn Grk “momentary lightness of affliction.”

[7:4]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “great is my boasting.”

[7:4]  ¹¹ tn Or “comfort.”

[7:4]  ¹² 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.

[5:41]  ¹³ sn That is, considered worthy by God. They “gloried in their shame” of honoring Jesus with their testimony (Luke 6:22-23; 2 Macc 6:30).

[5:41]  ¹⁴ sn The name refers to the name of Jesus (cf. 3 John 7).

[5:3]  ¹⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[8:35]  ¹⁶ tn Here “sword” is a metonymy that includes both threats of violence and acts of violence, even including death (although death is not necessarily the only thing in view here).

[8:36]  ¹⁷ sn A quotation from Ps 44:22.

[8:37]  ¹⁸ tn BDAG 1034 s.v. ὑπερνικάω states, “as a heightened form of νικᾶν prevail completely ὑπερνικῶμεν we are winning a most glorious victory Ro 8:37.”

[8:37]  ¹⁹ tn Here the referent could be either God or Christ, but in v. 39 it is God’s love that is mentioned.

[8:38]  ²⁰ tn BDAG 138 s.v. ἀρχή 6 takes this term as a reference to angelic or transcendent powers (as opposed to merely human rulers). To clarify this, the adjective “heavenly” has been supplied in the translation. Some interpreters see this as a reference to fallen angels or demonic powers, and this view is reflected in some recent translations (NIV, NLT).

[1:29]  ²¹ tn Grk “For that which is on behalf of Christ has been granted to you – namely, not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him.” The infinitive phrases are epexegetical to the subject, τὸ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ (to Juper Cristou), which has the force of “the on-behalf-of-Christ thing,” or “the thing on behalf of Christ.” To translate this in English requires a different idiom.

[1:2]  ²² 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). Where the plural term is used in direct address, as here, “brothers and sisters” is used; where the term is singular and not direct address (as in v. 9), “believer” is preferred.

[1:2]  ²³ tn Grk “all joy,” “full joy,” or “greatest joy.”

[1:1]  ²⁴ tn Grk “James.” The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ²⁵ tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ²⁶ tn Grk “to the twelve tribes in the Diaspora.” The Greek term διασπορά (diaspora, “dispersion”) refers to Jews not living in Palestine but “dispersed” or scattered among the Gentiles.

[4:13]  ²⁷ tn Or “city.”

[4:14]  ²⁸ tn Grk “who” (continuing the description of the people of v. 13). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[4:14]  ²⁹ tn Or “you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.”

[4:14]  ³⁰ tn Or “a vapor.” The Greek word ἀτμίς (atmis) denotes a swirl of smoke arising from a fire (cf. Gen 19:28; Lev 16:13; Joel 2:30 [Acts 2:19]; Ezek 8:11).