2 Corinthians 1

Salutation

1 From Paul,t an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth,s with all the saints who are in all Achaia.t

2 Grace and peace to yout from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

Thanksgiving for God’s Comfort

3 Blessed ist 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 troublest so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any troublet with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.5 For just as the sufferingst of Christt overflowt toward us, so also our comfort through Christ overflows to you.t6 But if we are afflicted,t 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.7 And our hope for you is steadfast because we know that as you share int our sufferings, so also you will share int our comfort.8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,t regarding the affliction that happened to us in the province of Asia,t that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living.9 Indeed we felt as if the sentence of death had been passed against us,t so that we would not trust in ourselvest but in God who raises the dead.10 Het delivered us from so great a risk of death, and he will deliver us. We have set our hope on himt thats he will deliver us yet again,

11 as you also join in helping us by prayer, so that many people may give thanks to Godt on our behalf for the gracious gift given to us through the help of many.

Paul Defends His Changed Plans

12 For our reason for confidencet is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motivesst and sincerity which are from Godt – not by human wisdomt but by the grace of God – we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the moret toward you.13 For we do not write you anything other than whatt you can read and also understand. But I hope that you will understand completelyt14 just as also you have partly understood us, that we are your source of pride just as you also are ourst in the day of the Lord Jesus.s15 And with this confidence I intended to come to you first so that you would get a second opportunity to see us,t16 and through your help to go on into Macedonia and then from Macedonia to come backt to you and be helped on our way into Judea by you.17 Therefore when I was planning to do this, I did not do so without thinking about what I was doing, did I?t Or do I make my planst according to mere human standardst so that I would be sayingt both “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?18 But as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.”19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one who was proclaimed among you by us – by me and Silvanuss and Timothy – was not “Yes” and “No,” but it has always been “Yes” in him.20 For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God.21 But it is God who establishest us together with you in Christ and who anointed us,t

22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.ts
23 Now I appeal to God as my witness,t that to sparet you I did not come again to Corinth.ss24 I do not mean that we rule over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.t

2 Corinthians 1

1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, and from our brother Timothy— To the church of God in Corinth, and to all God's people throughout Achaia:

2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Paul Gives Thanks to God

3 Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the merciful Father, the God from whom all help comes! 4 He helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God. 5 Just as we have a share in Christ's many sufferings, so also through Christ we share in God's great help. 6 If we suffer, it is for your help and salvation; if we are helped, then you too are helped and given the strength to endure with patience the same sufferings that we also endure.

7 So our hope in you is never shaken; we know that just as you share in our sufferings, you also share in the help we receive.
8 We want to remind you, friends, of the trouble we had in the province of Asia. The burdens laid upon us were so great and so heavy that we gave up all hope of staying alive. 9 We felt that the death sentence had been passed on us. But this happened so that we should rely, not on ourselves, but only on God, who raises the dead. 10 From such terrible dangers of deatht he saved us, and will save us; and we have placed our hope in him that he will save us again,

11 as you help us by means of your prayers for us. So it will be that the many prayers for us will be answered, and God will bless us; and many will raise their voices to him in thanksgiving for us.

The Change in Paul's Plans

12 We are proud that our conscience assures us that our lives in this world, and especially our relations with you, have been ruled by God-given franknesst and sincerity, by the power of God's grace and not by human wisdom.

13-14 We write to you only what you can read and understand. But even though you now understand us only in part, I hope that you will come to understand us completely, so that in the Day of our Lord Jesus you can be as proud of us as we shall be of you.
15 I was so sure of all this that I made plans at first to visit you, in order that you might be blessed twice. 16 For I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia and again on my way back, in order to get help from you for my trip to Judea. 17 In planning this, did I appear fickle? When I make my plans, do I make them from selfish motives, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 As surely as God speaks the truth, my promise to you was not a “Yes” and a “No.” 19 For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was preached among you by Silas, Timothy, and myself, is not one who is “Yes” and “No.” On the contrary, he is God's “Yes”; 20 for it is he who is the “Yes” to all of God's promises. This is why through Jesus Christ our “Amen” is said to the glory of God. 21 It is God himself who makes us, together with you, sure of our life in union with Christ; it is God himself who has set us apart,

22 who has placed his mark of ownership upon us, and who has given us the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the guarantee of all that he has in store for us.
23 I call God as my witness—he knows my heart! It was in order to spare you that I decided not to go to Corinth.

24 We are not trying to dictate to you what you must believe; we know that you stand firm in the faith. Instead, we are working with you for your own happiness.