The Second Epistle of Paul to the
CORINTHIANS
Opening Considerations
1
Greeting
1 Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and brother Timothy,* to the church† of God that is in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Sovereign‡ Jesus Christ.
Praise for deliverance
3 All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion§ and God of all encouragement, 4 who encourages us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in whatever affliction, by means of the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God.* 5 Because just as the sufferings of the Christ flow over into us,† so also our encouraging overflows, through Christ. 6 Now then, if we are afflicted, it is for the sake of your encouragement and deliverance, that are effective for enduring the same sufferings that we also are suffering 7 (yes, our hope concerning you is steadfast);‡ if we are encouraged, it also is for the sake of your encouragement and deliverance, since we know that you will share in the encouragement just as you do in the sufferings.§
8 And so, brothers, we do not want you to be in ignorance concerning the affliction that came upon us in Asia: we were under extreme pressure, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, so that we not place confidence in ourselves, but in the God who raises the dead;* 10 He did deliver us from that deadly peril, and still delivers; in whom we trust that He will keep on delivering, 11 you also adding your cooperation in prayer,† on our behalf; that thanks may be given by many persons for the gift bestowed on us by means of many, on your behalf.‡
A change of plans
12 Now this is our boast: the testimony of our conscience that we have conducted ourselves in the world with openness and godly sincerity, not by fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and especially toward you. 13 For we do not write you any other things than what you can read and understand;§ and I do hope that you will keep on understanding to the end 14 (as indeed some of you have acknowledged) that we are your boast, just as you are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.*
15 It was in this confidence that I was planning to come by you first, 16 and by you to proceed into Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia (that you might benefit twice),† and then to be sent by you on my way to Judea.‡ 17 Now then, when I was deciding this, I was not acting frivolously, was I? Or the things I decide, do I decide according to the flesh, so that with me there would be both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”? 18 As God is faithful, our word to you was not “Yes” and “No”,§ 19 because the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy*—was not “Yes” and “No”. In fact, with Him it has always been “Yes”, 20 because all the promises of God in Him are “Yes”; indeed, in Him they are “Amen”, that there be glory to God through us.† 21 Now He who establishes us together with you into Christ, and who anointed‡ us, is God, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.§
The change explained
23 For my part, I call on God as witness, upon my soul, that it was to spare you that I have not yet returned to Corinth. 24 (Not that we have control over your faith,* but we work with you for your joy, for it is by faith that you stand firm.)
* 1:1 He acknowledges a junior partner. † 1:1 Since there were probably several local congregations meeting in homes in Corinth, not to mention “throughout Achaia”, I have rendered “church”. Note that Paul obviously intended that his letter have a wide circulation. Rather than give up their copy, would not the congregation that received the ‘original’ set about making verified copies to distribute to other locales? (Such a procedure would give us the beginnings of a ‘majority text’ in that region from the start.) ‡ 1:2 Where ‘Lord’ occurs without the definite article, as here, I usually render ‘Sovereign’; with either ‘the’ or ‘our’ I usually render ‘Lord’. § 1:3 Literally, ‘the compassions’ or ‘the mercies’. I suppose the point to be that He is the Source of all genuine compassion (you won't get any from Satan). * 1:4 One important reason God sends suffering our way is so that we can help others later. † 1:5 We get our share of suffering, we participate in Christ's sufferings—Colossians 1:24 and 1 Peter 4:13. Evidently for God's Kingdom to increase among men, as we continue to undo Satan's works in the world, we have to suffer. ‡ 1:7 I take it that he is affirming his confidence that they will not cave in under the suffering. § 1:7 We cannot stop people from going through their share of suffering, but we can encourage them. * 1:9 If you look to the God who heals the sick, it is because you are sick; if you look to the God who raises the dead, it is because you are facing death. Paul evidently figured he had been pretty close. † 1:11 Prayer makes a difference. ‡ 1:11 They will get a return on their ‘investment’, the time they spent in prayer. Some 25% of the Greek manuscripts have ‘our behalf’, as in most versions. § 1:13 I take it that Paul is saying that he never writes with the intention of obfuscating an issue. That would be a good example for everyone to follow. * 1:14 Paul seems to be speaking of a reciprocal boasting, and that before Christ's Judgment Seat! We probably all know a father and son who are proud of each other; the idea may be similar. † 1:16 The “benefit” is presumably spiritual; Paul seems to be saying that he imparts such benefit wherever he goes. I would like to be able to say the same thing. ‡ 1:16 Here Paul is probably referring to financial help. § 1:18 Paul took a clear stand on things; he was not ambiguous. * 1:19 Paul gives credit to his associates. † 1:20 As we take advantage of the promises, God gets the glory. God's promises are positive, with the ‘yes’. ‡ 1:21 The anointing is in the past, but the establishing is an ongoing process—note that it is “into” Christ. § 1:22 The Holy Spirit in us is like God's brand on us, but is also our guarantee that we have been regenerated. Verses 21-22 refer to all three persons of the Godhead. * 1:24 This is an important point: in Matthew 23:8-10 the Lord Jesus forbids any attempt to dominate someone else's faith or conscience. As He said to the Samaritan woman, the Father wants worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24)—the worship must not be faked, forced or controlled.