2 Corinthians 2:8

2:8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. ¹ 

2 Corinthians 7:6

7:6 But God, who encourages ²  the downhearted, encouraged ³  us by the arrival of Titus.

2 Corinthians 1:4

1:4 who comforts us in all our troubles ⁴  so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble ⁵  with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2 Corinthians 12:8

12:8 I asked the Lord three times about this, that it would depart from me.

2 Corinthians 2:7

2:7 so that now instead ⁶  you should rather forgive and comfort him. ⁷  This will keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive grief to the point of despair. ⁸ 

2 Corinthians 5:20

5:20 Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His plea ⁹  through us. We plead with you ¹⁰  on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!”

2 Corinthians 6:1

God’s Suffering Servants

6:1 Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ¹¹ 

2 Corinthians 8:6

8:6 Thus ¹²  we urged ¹³  Titus that, just as he had previously begun this work, ¹⁴  so also he should complete this act of kindness ¹⁵  for you.

2 Corinthians 7:13

7:13 Therefore we have been encouraged. And in addition to our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus, because all of you have refreshed his spirit. ¹⁶ 

2 Corinthians 12:18

12:18 I urged Titus to visit you ¹⁷  and I sent our ¹⁸  brother along with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? ¹⁹  Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit? Did we not behave in the same way? ²⁰ 

2 Corinthians 13:11

Final Exhortations and Greetings

13:11 Finally, brothers and sisters, ²¹  rejoice, set things right, be encouraged, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

2 Corinthians 1:6

1:6 But if we are afflicted, ²²  it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort that you experience in your patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer.

2 Corinthians 7:7

7:7 We were encouraged ²³  not only by his arrival, but also by the encouragement ²⁴  you gave ²⁵  him, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, ²⁶  your deep concern ²⁷  for me, so that I rejoiced more than ever.

2 Corinthians 9:5

9:5 Therefore I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go to you in advance and to arrange ahead of time the generous contribution ²⁸  you had promised, so this may be ready as a generous gift ²⁹  and not as something you feel forced to do. ³⁰ 

2 Corinthians 10:1

Paul’s Authority from the Lord

10:1 Now I, Paul, appeal to you ³¹  personally ³²  by the meekness and gentleness ³³  of Christ (I who am meek ³⁴  when present among ³⁵  you, but am full of courage ³⁶  toward you when away!) –

[2:8]  ¹ tn Or “I urge you to show that your love for him is real.”

[7:6]  ² tn Or “comforts,” “consoles.”

[7:6]  ³ tn Or “comforted,” “consoled.”

[1:4]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Or “any trials”; traditionally, “any affliction.”

[2:7]  ⁴ tn Grk “so that on the other hand.”

[2:7]  ⁵ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text but is supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted and must be supplied from the context.

[2:7]  ⁶ tn Grk “comfort him, lest somehow such a person be swallowed up by excessive grief,” an idiom for a person being so overcome with grief as to despair or give up completely (L&N 25.285). In this context of excessive grief or regret for past sins, “overwhelmed” is a good translation since contemporary English idiom speaks of someone “overwhelmed by grief.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the difficulty of expressing a negative purpose/result clause in English, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[5:20]  ⁵ tn Or “as though God were begging.”

[5:20]  ⁶ tn Or “we beg you.”

[6:1]  ⁶ tn Or “receive the grace of God uselessly.”

[8:6]  ⁷ tn A new sentence was started here in the translation and the word “thus” was supplied to indicate that it expresses the result of the previous clause.

[8:6]  ⁸ tn Or “we exhorted.”

[8:6]  ⁹ tn The words “this work” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted and must be supplied from the context.

[8:6]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “this grace.”

[7:13]  ⁸ tn Or “all of you have put his mind at ease.”

[12:18]  ⁹ tn The words “to visit you” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, and must be supplied for the modern reader.

[12:18]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “the.”

[12:18]  ¹¹ tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative answer, indicated by the ‘tag’ question “did he?” at the end of the clause.

[12:18]  ¹² tn Grk “[Did we not walk] in the same tracks?” This is an idiom that means to imitate someone else or to behave as they do. Paul’s point is that he and Titus have conducted themselves in the same way toward the Corinthians. If Titus did not take advantage of the Corinthians, then neither did Paul.

[13:11]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:8.

[1:6]  ¹¹ tn Or “are troubled.”

[7:7]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ tn Or “comfort,” “consolation.”

[7:7]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ tn Or “your grieving,” “your deep sorrow.”

[7:7]  ¹⁶ tn Or “your zeal.”

[9:5]  ¹³ tn Grk “the blessing.”

[9:5]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “a blessing.”

[9:5]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “as a covetousness”; that is, a gift given grudgingly or under compulsion.

[10:1]  ¹⁴ tn The Greek pronoun (“you”) is plural.

[10:1]  ¹⁵ tn The word “personally” is supplied to reflect the force of the Greek intensive pronoun αὐτός (autos) at the beginning of the verse.

[10:1]  ¹⁶ tn Or “leniency and clemency.” D. Walker, “Paul’s Offer of Leniency of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:1): Populist Ideology and Rhetoric in a Pauline Letter Fragment (2 Cor 10:1-13:10)” (Ph.D. diss., University of Chicago, 1998), argues for this alternative translation for three main reasons: (1) When the two Greek nouns πραΰτης and ἐπιείκεια (prauth" and ejpieikeia) are used together, 90% of the time the nuance is “leniency and clemency.” (2) “Leniency and clemency” has a military connotation, which is precisely what appears in the following verses. (3) 2 Cor 10-13 speaks of Paul’s sparing use of his authority, which points to the nuance of “leniency and clemency.”

[10:1]  ¹⁷ tn Or “who lack confidence.”

[10:1]  ¹⁸ tn Or “when face to face with.”

[10:1]  ¹⁹ tn Or “but bold.”