2 Corinthians 1:8

1:8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, ¹  regarding the affliction that happened to us in the province of Asia, ²  that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living.

2 Corinthians 1:12

Paul Defends His Changed Plans

1:12 For our reason for confidence ³  is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives ⁴  and sincerity which are from God ⁵  – not by human wisdom ⁶  but by the grace of God – we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more ⁷  toward you.

2 Corinthians 2:4

2:4 For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not to make you sad, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you. ⁸ 

2 Corinthians 5:4

5:4 For we groan while we are in this tent, ⁹  since we are weighed down, ¹⁰  because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

2 Corinthians 7:7-8

7:7 We were encouraged ¹¹  not only by his arrival, but also by the encouragement ¹²  you gave ¹³  him, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, ¹⁴  your deep concern ¹⁵  for me, so that I rejoiced more than ever. 7:8 For even if I made you sad ¹⁶  by my letter, ¹⁷  I do not regret having written it ¹⁸  (even though I did regret it, ¹⁹  for ²⁰  I see that my letter made you sad, ²¹  though only for a short time).

2 Corinthians 7:12

7:12 So then, even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong, or on account of the one who was wronged, but to reveal to you your eagerness on our behalf ²²  before God.

2 Corinthians 7:14

7:14 For if I have boasted to him about anything concerning you, I have not been embarrassed by you, ²³  but just as everything we said to you was true, ²⁴  so our boasting to Titus about you ²⁵  has proved true as well.

2 Corinthians 8:19

8:19 In addition, ²⁶  this brother ²⁷  has also been chosen by the churches as our traveling companion as we administer this generous gift ²⁸  to the glory of the Lord himself and to show our readiness to help. ²⁹ 

2 Corinthians 10:15

10:15 Nor do we boast beyond certain limits ³⁰  in the work ³¹  done by others, but we hope ³²  that as your faith continues to grow, our work may be greatly expanded ³³  among you according to our limits, ³⁴ 

2 Corinthians 11:9

11:9 When ³⁵  I was with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs. ³⁶  I ³⁷  kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.

2 Corinthians 12:6

12:6 For even if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I would be telling ³⁸  the truth, but I refrain from this so that no one may regard ³⁹  me beyond what he sees in me or what he hears from me,

2 Corinthians 12:13

12:13 For how ⁴⁰  were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this injustice!

2 Corinthians 13:2

13:2 I said before when I was present the second time and now, though absent, I say again to those who sinned previously and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare anyone, ⁴¹ 

2 Corinthians 13:7

13:7 Now we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong, not so that we may appear to have passed the test, ⁴²  but so that you may do what is right ⁴³  even if we may appear to have failed the test. ⁴⁴ 

2 Corinthians 13:10

13:10 Because of this I am writing these things while absent, so that when I arrive ⁴⁵  I may not have to deal harshly with you ⁴⁶  by using my authority – the Lord gave it to me for building up, not for tearing down!

[1:8]  ¹ 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).

[1:8]  ² 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.

[1:12]  ³ tn Or “for boasting.”

[1:12]  ⁴ tc Two viable variants exist at this place in the text: ἁγιότητι (Jagiothti, “holiness”) vs. ἁπλότητι (Japlothti, “pure motives”). A confusion of letters could well have produced the variant (TCGNT 507): In uncial script the words would have been written agiothti and aplothti. This, however, does not explain which reading created the other. Overall ἁπλότητι, though largely a Western-Byzantine reading (א² D F G Ï lat sy), is better suited to the context; it is also a Pauline word while ἁγιότης (Jagioth") is not. It also best explains the rise of the other variants, πραότητι (praothti, “gentleness”) and {σπλάγχνοις} (splancnoi", “compassion”). On the other hand, the external evidence in favor of ἁγιότητι is extremely strong (Ì⁴⁶ א* A B C K P Ψ 0121 0243 33 81 1739 1881 al co). This diversity of mss provides excellent evidence for authenticity, but because of the internal evidence listed above, ἁπλότητι is to be preferred, albeit only slightly.

[1:12]  ⁵ tn Grk “pure motives and sincerity of God.”

[1:12]  ⁶ tn Or “not by worldly wisdom.”

[1:12]  ⁷ tn Or “and especially.”

[2:4]  ⁵ tn Or “the love that I have in great measure for you.”

[5:4]  ⁷ sn See the note in 5:1 on the phrase the tent we live in.

[5:4]  ⁸ tn Or “we are burdened.”

[7:7]  ⁹ tn Because of the length and complexity of this Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the phrase “We were encouraged.”

[7:7]  ¹⁰ tn Or “comfort,” “consolation.”

[7:7]  ¹¹ tn Grk “by the encouragement with which he was encouraged by you.” The passive construction was translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style, and the repeated word “encouraged” was replaced in the translation by “gave” to avoid redundancy in the translation.

[7:7]  ¹² tn Or “your grieving,” “your deep sorrow.”

[7:7]  ¹³ tn Or “your zeal.”

[7:8]  ¹¹ tn Grk “if I grieved you.”

[7:8]  ¹² sn My letter. Paul is referring to the “severe” letter mentioned in 2 Cor 2:4.

[7:8]  ¹³ tn Grk “I do not regret”; direct objects in Greek must often be supplied from the context. Here one could simply supply “it,” but since Paul is referring to the effects of his previous letter, clarity is improved if “having written it” is supplied.

[7:8]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “I did regret”; the direct object “it” must be supplied from the context.

[7:8]  ¹⁵ tc A few important mss (Ì^46c B D* it sa) lack γάρ (gar, “for”), while the majority of witnesses have it (א C D¹ F G Ψ 0243 33 1739 1881 Ï sy bo). Even though Ì^46* omits γάρ, it has the same sense (viz., a subordinate clause) because it reads the participle βλέπων (blepwn, “seeing”; the Vulgate does the same). A decision is difficult because although the overwhelming external evidence is on the side of the conjunction, the lack of γάρ is a significantly harder reading, for the whole clause is something of an anacoluthon. Without the conjunction, the sentence reads more harshly. This would fit with Paul’s “vehemence of spirit” (A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament, 435) that is found especially in 2 Corinthians and Galatians. However, the mss that omit the conjunction are prone to such tendencies at times. In this instance, the conjunction should probably stand.

[7:8]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “my letter grieved you.”

[7:12]  ¹³ tn Grk “but in order that your eagerness on our behalf might be revealed to you.”

[7:14]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “I have not been put to shame”; the words “by you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[7:14]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “just as we spoke everything to you in truth.”

[7:14]  ¹⁷ tn The words “about you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[8:19]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “gospel, and not only this, but.” Here a new sentence was started in the translation.

[8:19]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the brother mentioned in v. 18) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:19]  ¹⁹ tn That is, the offering or collection being taken to assist impoverished Christians.

[8:19]  ²⁰ tn The words “to help” are not in the Greek text but are implied (see L&N 25.68).

[10:15]  ¹⁹ tn Or “boast excessively.” The phrase εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα (ei" ta ametra) is an idiom; literally it means “into that which is not measured,” that is, a point on a scale that goes beyond what might be expected (L&N 78.27).

[10:15]  ²⁰ tn Or “in the labors.”

[10:15]  ²¹ tn Grk “but we have the hope.”

[10:15]  ²² tn Or “greatly enlarged.”

[10:15]  ²³ tn That is, Paul’s work might be greatly expanded within the area of activity assigned to him by God.

[11:9]  ²¹ tn Grk “you, and when.” A new sentence was started here in the translation.

[11:9]  ²² tn If the participle ἐλθόντες (elqonte") is taken as temporal rather than adjectival, the translation would be, “for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, fully supplied my needs” (similar to NASB).

[11:9]  ²³ tn Grk “needs, and I kept.” A new sentence was started here in the translation.

[12:6]  ²³ tn Or “speaking.”

[12:6]  ²⁴ tn Or “may think of.”

[12:13]  ²⁵ tn Grk “For in what respect.”

[13:2]  ²⁷ tn The word “anyone” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[13:7]  ²⁹ tn Or “that we may appear to be approved.”

[13:7]  ³⁰ tn Or “what is good.”

[13:7]  ³¹ tn Or “even if we appear disapproved.”

[13:10]  ³¹ 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.”

[13:10]  ³² tn The words “with you” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.