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2 Corinthians 1

Greeting

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God of All Comfort

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.t6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers,t of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

Paul's Change of Plans

12 For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicityt and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.13 For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and acknowledget and I hope you will fully acknowledge—14 just as you did partially acknowledge us—that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you.

15 Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace.16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea.17 Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say "Yes, yes" and "No, no" at the same time?18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No.19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes.20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us,22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.t

23 But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth.24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith.

2 Corinthians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the assembly of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;4 who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ.6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.7 Our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that, since you are partakers of the sufferings, so also are you of the comfort.8 For we don’t desire to have you uninformed, brothers,t concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia,that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life.9 Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead,10 who delivered us out of so great a death, and does deliver; on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;11 you also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift bestowed on us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on your behalf.12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.13 For we write no other things to you, than what you read or even acknowledge, and I hope you will acknowledge to the end;14 as also you acknowledged us in part, that we are your boasting, even as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.15 In this confidence, I was determined to come first to you, that you might have a second benefit;16 and by you to pass into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and to be sent forward by you on my journey to Judea.17 When I therefore was thus determined, did I show fickleness? Or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be the “Yes, yes” and the “No, no?”18 But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not “Yes and no.”19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not “Yes and no,” but in him is “Yes.”

20 For however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen,” to the glory of God through us.
21 Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God;22 who also sealed us, and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.23 But I call God for a witness to my soul, that I didn’t come to Corinth to spare you.

24 Not that we have lordship over your faith, but are fellow workers with you for your joy. For you stand firm in faith.