2 Corinthians 1:9

1:9 Indeed we felt as if the sentence of death had been passed against us, ¹  so that we would not trust in ourselves ²  but in God who raises the dead.

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 3:3

3:3 revealing ⁸  that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, ⁹  written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets ¹⁰  but on tablets of human hearts.

2 Corinthians 5:4

5:4 For we groan while we are in this tent, ¹¹  since we are weighed down, ¹²  because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

2 Corinthians 7:14

7:14 For if I have boasted to him about anything concerning you, I have not been embarrassed by you, ¹³  but just as everything we said to you was true, ¹⁴  so our boasting to Titus about you ¹⁵  has proved true as well.

2 Corinthians 8:7

8:7 But as you excel ¹⁶  in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you ¹⁷  – make sure that you excel ¹⁸  in this act of kindness ¹⁹  too.

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, ²⁰  but so that you may do what is right ²¹  even if we may appear to have failed the test. ²² 

[1:9]  ¹ tn Grk “we ourselves had the sentence of death within ourselves.” Here ἀπόκριμα (apokrima) is being used figuratively; no actual official verdict had been given, but in light of all the difficulties that Paul and his colleagues had suffered, it seemed to them as though such an official verdict had been rendered against them (L&N 56.26).

[1:9]  ² tn Or “might not put confidence in ourselves.”

[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.”

[3:3]  ⁵ tn Or “making plain.”

[3:3]  ⁶ tn Grk “cared for by us,” an expression that could refer either to the writing or the delivery of the letter (BDAG 229 s.v. διακονέω 1). Since the following phrase refers to the writing of the letter, and since the previous verse speaks of this “letter” being “written on our [Paul’s and his companions’] hearts” it is more probable that the phrase “cared for by us” refers to the delivery of the letter (in the person of Paul and his companions).

[3:3]  ⁷ sn An allusion to Exod 24:12; 31:18; 34:1; Deut 9:10-11.

[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.”

[7:14]  ⁹ tn Grk “I have not been put to shame”; the words “by you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[7:14]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “just as we spoke everything to you in truth.”

[7:14]  ¹¹ tn The words “about you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[8:7]  ¹¹ tn Grk “as you abound.”

[8:7]  ¹² tc The reading “the love from us that is in you” is very difficult in this context, for Paul is here enumerating the Corinthians’ attributes: How is it possible for them to excel “in the love from us that is in you”? Most likely, because of this difficulty, several early scribes, as well as most later ones (א C D F G Ψ [33] Ï lat), altered the text to read “your love for us” (so NIV; Grk ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐν ἡμῖν ἀγάπῃ [ex Jumwn en Jhmin agaph]). The reading ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐν ὑμῖν ἀγάπῃ (ex Jhmwn en Jumin agaph) is found, however, in excellent and early witnesses (Ì⁴⁶ B 0243 6 104 630 1175 1739 1881 co). As the harder reading it explains the rise of the other reading. What, then, is the force of “in the love from us that is in you”? Most likely, Paul is commending the Corinthians for excelling in deriving some inspiration from the apostles’ love for them.

[8:7]  ¹³ tn Grk “you abound.”

[8:7]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “this grace.”

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

[13:7]  ¹⁴ tn Or “what is good.”

[13:7]  ¹⁵ tn Or “even if we appear disapproved.”