2 Corinthians 1

1 I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. Timothy our brother joins me in writing.
We are sending this letter to you, the members of God's church in Corinth. It is also for all of God's people everywhere in Achaia.
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

God Gives Comfort

3 Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Father who gives tender love. All comfort comes from him.4 He comforts us in all our troubles. Now we can comfort others when they are in trouble. We ourselves have received comfort from God.5 We share the sufferings of Christ. We also share his comfort.
6 If we are having trouble, it is so that you will be comforted and renewed. If we are comforted, it is so that you will be comforted. Then you will be able to put up with the same suffering we have gone through.7 Our hope for you remains firm. We know that you suffer just as we do. In the same way, God comforts you just as he comforts us.
8 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the hard times we suffered in Asia Minor. We were having a lot of trouble. It was far more than we could stand. We even thought we were going to die.9 In fact, in our hearts we felt as if we were under the sentence of death.
But that happened so that we would not depend on ourselves but on God. He raises the dead to life.10 God has saved us from deadly dangers. And he will continue to do it. We have put our hope in him. He will continue to save us.
11 You must help us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because of what will happen to us. They will thank God for his kindness to us in answer to the prayers of many.

Paul Changes His Plans

12 Here is what we take pride in. Our sense of what is right and wrong gives witness that we have acted in God's holy and honest ways. That is how we live in the world. We live that way most of all when we are dealing with you. Our way of living is not wise in the eyes of the world. But it is in keeping with God's grace.
13 We are writing only what you can read and understand. And here is what I hope.14 Up to this point you have understood some of the things we have said. But now I hope that someday you will be able to take pride in us, just as we will take pride in you on the day the Lord Jesus returns. When you are able to do that, you will understand us completely.
15 I was sure of those things. So I planned to visit you first. Here is how I thought you would be helped twice.16 I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia. I would have come back to you from there. Then you would have sent me on my way to Judea.
17 When I planned all of that, did I do it without much thought? No. I don't make my plans the way the world makes theirs. In the same breath the world says, "Yes! Yes!" and "No! No!"
18 But just as sure as God is faithful, our message to you is not "Yes" and "No."19 Silas, Timothy and I preached to you about the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Our message did not say "Yes" and "No" at the same time. The message of Christ has always been "Yes."
20 God has made a great many promises. They are all "Yes" because of what Christ has done. So through Christ we say "Amen." We want God to receive glory.
21 He makes both us and you stand firm because we belong to Christ. He anointed us.22 He put his Spirit in our hearts and marked us as his own. We can now be sure that he will give us everything he promised us.
23 I call God as my witness. I wanted to spare you. So I didn't return to Corinth.24 Your faith is not under our control. You stand firm in your own faith. But we work together with you for your joy.

2 Corinthians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints that 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 comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, even so our comfort also aboundeth through Christ.6 But whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which worketh in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer:7 and our hope for you is stedfast; knowing that, as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also are ye of the comfort.8 For we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning our affliction which befell us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, insomuch that we despaired even of life:9 yea, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead:10 who delivered us out of so great a death, and will deliver: on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;11 ye also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift bestowed upon us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf.12 For our glorifying 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 to you-ward.13 For we write no other things unto you, than what ye read or even acknowledge, and I hope ye will acknowledge unto the end:14 as also ye did acknowledge us in part, that we are your glorying, even as ye also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.15 And in this confidence I was minded to come first unto you, that ye might have a second benefit;16 and by you to pass into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come unto you, and of you to be set forward on my journey unto Judaea.17 When I therefore was thus minded, did I show fickleness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be the yea yea and the nay nay?18 But as God is faithful, our word toward you is not yea and nay.19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not yea and nay, but in him is yea.20 For how many soever be the promises of God, in him is the yea: wherefore also through him is the Amen, unto the glory of God through us.21 Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God;22 who also sealed us, and gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.23 But I call God for a witness upon my soul, that to spare you I forbare to come unto Corinth.24 Not that we have lordship over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for in faith ye stand fast.