2 Korintus 1:1--7:16
Konteks1:1 From Paul, 1 an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, 2 with all the saints who are in all Achaia. 3 1:2 Grace and peace to you 4 from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
1:3 Blessed is 5 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 1:4 who comforts us in all our troubles 6 so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble 7 with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 1:5 For just as the sufferings 8 of Christ 9 overflow 10 toward us, so also our comfort through Christ overflows to you. 11 1:6 But if we are afflicted, 12 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. 1:7 And our hope for you is steadfast because we know that as you share in 13 our sufferings, so also you will share in 14 our comfort. 1:8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, 15 regarding the affliction that happened to us in the province of Asia, 16 that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living. 1:9 Indeed we felt as if the sentence of death had been passed against us, 17 so that we would not trust in ourselves 18 but in God who raises the dead. 1:10 He 19 delivered us from so great a risk of death, and he will deliver us. We have set our hope on him 20 that 21 he will deliver us yet again, 1:11 as you also join in helping us by prayer, so that many people may give thanks to God 22 on our behalf for the gracious gift given to us through the help of many.
1:12 For our reason for confidence 23 is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives 24 and sincerity which are from God 25 – not by human wisdom 26 but by the grace of God – we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more 27 toward you. 1:13 For we do not write you anything other than what 28 you can read and also understand. But I hope that you will understand completely 29 1:14 just as also you have partly understood us, that we are your source of pride just as you also are ours 30 in the day of the Lord Jesus. 31 1:15 And with this confidence I intended to come to you first so that you would get a second opportunity to see us, 32 1:16 and through your help to go on into Macedonia and then from Macedonia to come back 33 to you and be helped on our way into Judea by you. 1:17 Therefore when I was planning to do this, I did not do so without thinking about what I was doing, did I? 34 Or do I make my plans 35 according to mere human standards 36 so that I would be saying 37 both “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 1:18 But as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 1:19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one who was proclaimed among you by us – by me and Silvanus 38 and Timothy – was not “Yes” and “No,” but it has always been “Yes” in him. 1:20 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. 1:21 But it is God who establishes 39 us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, 40 1:22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment. 41
1:23 Now I appeal to God as my witness, 42 that to spare 43 you I did not come again to Corinth. 44 1:24 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. 45 2:1 So 46 I made up my own mind 47 not to pay you another painful visit. 48 2:2 For if I make you sad, who would be left to make me glad 49 but the one I caused to be sad? 2:3 And I wrote this very thing to you, 50 so that when I came 51 I would not have sadness from those who ought to make me rejoice, since I am confident in you all that my joy would be yours. 2:4 For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not to make you sad, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you. 52 2:5 But if anyone has caused sadness, he has not saddened me alone, but to some extent (not to exaggerate) 53 he has saddened all of you as well. 2:6 This punishment on such an individual by the majority is enough for him, 2:7 so that now instead 54 you should rather forgive and comfort him. 55 This will keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive grief to the point of despair. 56 2:8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. 57 2:9 For this reason also I wrote you: 58 to test you to see 59 if you are obedient in everything. 2:10 If you forgive anyone for anything, I also forgive him – for indeed what I have forgiven (if I have forgiven anything) I did so for you in the presence of Christ, 2:11 so that we may not be exploited 60 by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes). 2:12 Now when I arrived in Troas 61 to proclaim the gospel of Christ, even though the Lord had opened 62 a door of opportunity 63 for me, 2:13 I had no relief in my spirit, 64 because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-bye to them 65 and set out 66 for Macedonia.
2:14 But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession 67 in Christ 68 and who makes known 69 through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place. 2:15 For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing – 2:16 to the latter an odor 70 from death to death, but to the former a fragrance from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? 71 2:17 For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit, 72 but we are speaking in Christ before 73 God as persons of sincerity, 74 as persons sent from God.
3:1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? We don’t need letters of recommendation to you or from you as some other people do, do we? 75 3:2 You yourselves are our letter, 76 written on our hearts, known and read by everyone, 3:3 revealing 77 that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, 78 written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets 79 but on tablets of human hearts.
3:4 Now we have such confidence in God through Christ. 3:5 Not that we are adequate 80 in ourselves to consider anything as if it were coming from ourselves, but our adequacy 81 is from God, 3:6 who made us adequate 82 to be servants of a new covenant 83 not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
3:7 But if the ministry that produced death – carved in letters on stone tablets 84 – came with glory, so that the Israelites 85 could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face 86 (a glory 87 which was made ineffective), 88 3:8 how much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be? 89 3:9 For if there was glory in the ministry that produced condemnation, 90 how much more does the ministry that produces righteousness 91 excel 92 in glory! 3:10 For indeed, what had been glorious now 93 has no glory because of the tremendously greater glory of what replaced it. 94 3:11 For if what was made ineffective 95 came with 96 glory, how much more has what remains 97 come in glory! 3:12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we behave with great boldness, 98 3:13 and not like Moses who used to put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites 99 from staring 100 at the result 101 of the glory that was made ineffective. 102 3:14 But their minds were closed. 103 For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read. 104 It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away. 105 3:15 But until this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds, 106 3:16 but when one 107 turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 108 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, 109 there is freedom. 3:18 And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, 110 are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, 111 which is from 112 the Lord, who is the Spirit. 113
4:1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, just as God has shown us mercy, 114 we do not become discouraged. 115 4:2 But we have rejected 116 shameful hidden deeds, 117 not behaving 118 with deceptiveness 119 or distorting the word of God, but by open proclamation of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God. 4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing, 4:4 among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe 120 so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel 121 of Christ, 122 who is the image of God. 4:5 For we do not proclaim 123 ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves 124 for Jesus’ sake. 4:6 For God, who said “Let light shine out of darkness,” 125 is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge 126 of God in the face of Christ. 127
4:7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power 128 belongs to God and does not come from us. 4:8 We are experiencing trouble on every side, 129 but are not crushed; we are perplexed, 130 but not driven to despair; 4:9 we are persecuted, but not abandoned; 131 we are knocked down, 132 but not destroyed, 4:10 always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, 133 so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible 134 in our body. 4:11 For we who are alive are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible 135 in our mortal body. 136 4:12 As a result, 137 death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 138 4:13 But since we have the same spirit of faith as that shown in 139 what has been written, “I believed; therefore I spoke,” 140 we also believe, therefore we also speak. 4:14 We do so 141 because we know that the one who raised up Jesus 142 will also raise us up with Jesus and will bring us with you into his presence. 4:15 For all these things are for your sake, so that the grace that is including 143 more and more people may cause thanksgiving to increase 144 to the glory of God. 4:16 Therefore we do not despair, 145 but even if our physical body 146 is wearing away, our inner person 147 is being renewed day by day. 4:17 For our momentary, light suffering 148 is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison 4:18 because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
5:1 For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, 149 is dismantled, 150 we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens. 5:2 For in this earthly house 151 we groan, because we desire to put on 152 our heavenly dwelling, 5:3 if indeed, after we have put on 153 our heavenly house, 154 we will not be found naked. 5:4 For we groan while we are in this tent, 155 since we are weighed down, 156 because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5:5 Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose 157 is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. 158 5:6 Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth 159 we are absent from the Lord – 5:7 for we live 160 by faith, not by sight. 5:8 Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away 161 from the body and at home with the Lord. 5:9 So then whether we are alive 162 or away, we make it our ambition to please him. 163 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, 164 so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil. 165
5:11 Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, 166 we try to persuade 167 people, 168 but we are well known 169 to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too. 5:12 We are not trying to commend 170 ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, 171 so that you may be able to answer those who take pride 172 in outward appearance 173 and not in what is in the heart. 5:13 For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 5:14 For the love of Christ 174 controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ 175 died for all; therefore all have died. 5:15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised. 176 5:16 So then from now on we acknowledge 177 no one from an outward human point of view. 178 Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, 179 now we do not know him in that way any longer. 5:17 So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away 180 – look, what is new 181 has come! 182 5:18 And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 5:19 In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us 183 the message of reconciliation. 5:20 Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His plea 184 through us. We plead with you 185 on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!” 5:21 God 186 made the one who did not know sin 187 to be sin for us, so that in him 188 we would become the righteousness of God.
6:1 Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 189 6:2 For he says, “I heard you at the acceptable time, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” 190 Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation! 6:3 We do not give anyone 191 an occasion for taking an offense in anything, 192 so that no fault may be found with our ministry. 6:4 But as God’s servants, 193 we have commended ourselves in every way, 194 with great endurance, in persecutions, 195 in difficulties, in distresses, 6:5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, 196 in troubles, 197 in sleepless nights, in hunger, 6:6 by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by benevolence, by the Holy Spirit, 198 by genuine 199 love, 6:7 by truthful 200 teaching, 201 by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left, 202 6:8 through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise; regarded as impostors, 203 and yet true; 6:9 as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet – see! – we continue to live; as those who are scourged 204 and yet not executed; 6:10 as sorrowful, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
6:11 We have spoken freely to you, 205 Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide to you. 6:12 Our affection for you is not restricted, 206 but you are restricted in your affections for us. 6:13 Now as a fair exchange – I speak as to my 207 children – open wide your hearts to us 208 also.
6:14 Do not become partners 209 with those who do not believe, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 6:15 And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar? 210 Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? 6:16 And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are 211 the temple of the living God, just as God said, “I will live in them 212 and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 213 6:17 Therefore “come out from their midst, and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch no unclean thing, 214 and I will welcome 215 you, 216 6:18 and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,” 217 says the All-Powerful Lord. 218
7:1 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves 219 from everything that could defile the body 220 and the spirit, and thus accomplish 221 holiness out of reverence for God. 222 7:2 Make room for us in your hearts; 223 we have wronged no one, we have ruined no one, 224 we have exploited no one. 225 7:3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I told you before 226 that you are in our hearts so that we die together and live together with you. 227
7:4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride 228 on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement; 229 I am overflowing with joy in the midst of 230 all our suffering. 7:5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our body 231 had no rest at all, but we were troubled in every way – struggles from the outside, fears from within. 7:6 But God, who encourages 232 the downhearted, encouraged 233 us by the arrival of Titus. 7:7 We were encouraged 234 not only by his arrival, but also by the encouragement 235 you gave 236 him, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, 237 your deep concern 238 for me, so that I rejoiced more than ever. 7:8 For even if I made you sad 239 by my letter, 240 I do not regret having written it 241 (even though I did regret it, 242 for 243 I see that my letter made you sad, 244 though only for a short time). 7:9 Now I rejoice, not because you were made sad, 245 but because you were made sad to the point of repentance. For you were made sad as God intended, 246 so that you were not harmed 247 in any way by us. 7:10 For sadness as intended by God produces a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly sadness brings about death. 7:11 For see what this very thing, this sadness 248 as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, 249 what indignation, 250 what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, 251 what punishment! 252 In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 7:12 So then, even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong, or on account of the one who was wronged, but to reveal to you your eagerness on our behalf 253 before God. 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. 254 7:14 For if I have boasted to him about anything concerning you, I have not been embarrassed by you, 255 but just as everything we said to you was true, 256 so our boasting to Titus about you 257 has proved true as well. 7:15 And his affection for you is much greater 258 when he remembers the obedience of you all, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling. 7:16 I rejoice because in everything I am fully confident in you.
[1:1] 1 tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
[1:1] 2 map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.
[1:1] 3 tn Or “are throughout Achaia.”
[1:2] 4 tn Grk “Grace to you and peace.”
[1:3] 5 tn There is no verb in the Greek text; either the optative (“be”) or the indicative (“is”) can be supplied. The meaning of the term εὐλογητός (euloghtos) and the author’s intention at this point in the epistle must both come into play to determine which is the preferred nuance. εὐλογητός as an adjective can mean either that one is praised or that one is blessed, that is, in a place of favor and benefit. The meaning “blessed” would be more naturally paired with an indicative verb and would suggest that blessedness is an intrinsic part of God’s character. The meaning “praised” would be more naturally paired with an optative verb and would suggest that God ought to be praised. Pauline style in the epistles generally moves from statements to obligations, expressing the reality first and then the believer’s necessary response. When considered as a whole, although a decision is difficult, the general Pauline style of beginning with statements and moving to obligations argues for the indicative. Cf. also Eph 1:3; 1 Pet 1:3.
[1:4] 6 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] 7 tn Or “any trials”; traditionally, “any affliction.”
[1:5] 8 tn This Greek word translated “sufferings” here (πάθημα, paqhma) is a different one than the one Paul uses for his own afflictions/persecutions (θλῖψις, qliyi") in v. 4.
[1:5] 9 tn I.e., suffering incurred by Paul as a consequence of his relationship to Christ. The genitive could be considered to have a causative nuance here.
[1:5] 10 tn Traditionally, “abound” (here and throughout this section).
[1:5] 11 tn The words “to you” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the statements in the following verse.
[1:6] 12 tn Or “are troubled.”
[1:7] 13 tn Grk “as you are sharers in.”
[1:7] 14 tn Grk “will be sharers in.”
[1:8] 15 tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1., where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).
[1:8] 16 tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
[1:9] 17 tn Grk “we ourselves had the sentence of death within ourselves.” Here ἀπόκριμα (apokrima) is being used figuratively; no actual official verdict had been given, but in light of all the difficulties that Paul and his colleagues had suffered, it seemed to them as though such an official verdict had been rendered against them (L&N 56.26).
[1:9] 18 tn Or “might not put confidence in ourselves.”
[1:10] 19 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative clause “who delivered us…” was made a separate sentence in the translation.
[1:10] 20 tn Grk “deliver us, on whom we have set our hope.”
[1:10] 21 tc Several important witnesses, especially Alexandrian (Ì46 B D* 0121 0243 1739 1881 pc Did), lack ὅτι ({oti, “that”) here, while others, most notably Western (D1 F G 104 630 1505 pc ar b syh Or Ambst), lack ἔτι (eti, “yet”). Most
[1:11] 22 tn Grk “so that thanks may be given by many.” The words “to God” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. The passive construction has been converted to an active one for clarity, in keeping with contemporary English style.
[1:12] 23 tn Or “for boasting.”
[1:12] 24 tc Two viable variants exist at this place in the text: ἁγιότητι (Jagiothti, “holiness”) vs. ἁπλότητι (Japlothti, “pure motives”). A confusion of letters could well have produced the variant (TCGNT 507): In uncial script the words would have been written agiothti and aplothti. This, however, does not explain which reading created the other. Overall ἁπλότητι, though largely a Western-Byzantine reading (א2 D F G Ï lat sy), is better suited to the context; it is also a Pauline word while ἁγιότης (Jagioth") is not. It also best explains the rise of the other variants, πραότητι (praothti, “gentleness”) and {σπλάγχνοις} (splancnoi", “compassion”). On the other hand, the external evidence in favor of ἁγιότητι is extremely strong (Ì46 א* A B C K P Ψ 0121 0243 33 81 1739 1881 al co). This diversity of
[1:12] tn Or “sincerity.” The two terms translated “pure motives” (ἁπλότης, Japloth") and “sincerity” (εἰλικρίνεια, eilikrineia) are close synonyms.
[1:12] 25 tn Grk “pure motives and sincerity of God.”
[1:12] 26 tn Or “not by worldly wisdom.”
[1:12] 27 tn Or “and especially.”
[1:13] 28 tn Grk “than the things.”
[1:13] 29 tn Grk “to the end,” a Greek idiom for “fully,” “totally,” “completely.”
[1:14] 30 tn Grk “that we are your boast even as you are our boast.”
[1:14] 31 tc ‡ On the wording “the Lord Jesus” (τοῦ κυρίου ᾿Ιησοῦ, tou kuriou Ihsou) there is some variation in the extant witnesses: ἡμῶν (Jhmwn, “our”) is found after κυρίου in several significant witnesses (א B F G P 0121 0243 6 33 81 1739 1881 2464 al lat co); the pronoun is lacking from Ì46vid A C D Ψ Ï. Although in Paul “our Lord Jesus Christ” is a common expression, “our Lord Jesus” is relatively infrequent (cf., e.g., Rom 16:20; 2 Cor 1:14; 1 Thess 2:19; 3:11, 13; 2 Thess 1:8, 12). “The Lord Jesus” occurs about as often as “our Lord Jesus” (cf. 1 Cor 11:23; 16:23; 2 Cor 4:14; 11:31; Eph 1:15; 1 Thess 4:2; 2 Thess 1:7; Phlm 5). Thus, on balance, since scribes would tend to expand on the text, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic. NA27 places the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.
[1:15] 32 tn Grk “a second grace,” “a second favor” (used figuratively of a second visit by Paul).
[1:16] 33 tn Grk “come again.”
[1:17] 34 tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative answer. This is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ question “did I?” at the end of the sentence.
[1:17] 35 tn Grk “the things that I plan, do I plan (them).”
[1:17] 36 tn Grk “according to the flesh.”
[1:17] 37 tn Grk “so that with me there should be.”
[1:19] 38 sn Silvanus is usually considered to be the same person as Silas (L&N 93.340).
[1:21] 39 tn Or “strengthens.”
[1:21] 40 tn Grk “But he who establishes us together with you in Christ and anointed us is God.”
[1:22] 41 tn Or “first installment,” “pledge,” “deposit.”
[1:22] sn Down payment. The Greek word ἀρραβών (arrabwn) denotes the first payment or first installment of money or goods which serves as a guarantee or pledge for the completion of the transaction. In the NT the term is used only figuratively of the Holy Spirit as the down payment of the blessings promised by God (it occurs later in 2 Cor 5:5, and also in Eph 1:14). In the “already – not yet” scheme of the NT the possession of the Spirit now by believers (“already”) can be viewed as a guarantee that God will give them the balance of the promised blessings in the future (“not yet”).
[1:23] 42 tn Grk “I call upon God as witness against my soul.” Normally this implies an appeal for help (L&N 33.176).
[1:23] 43 tn Here φειδόμενος (feidomeno") has been translated as a telic participle.
[1:23] 44 sn Paul had promised to come again to visit (see 2 Cor 1:15, 24) but explains here why he had changed his plans.
[1:23] map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.
[1:24] 45 tn Or “because you stand firm in the faith.”
[2:1] 46 tc Although usually δέ (de, “now”; found in א A C D1 F G Ψ 0285 Ï lat) should take precedent over γάρ (gar) in textually disputed places in the corpus Paulinum, the credentials for γάρ here are not easily dismissed (Ì46 B 0223 0243 33 1739 1881 al); here it is the preferred reading, albeit slightly.
[2:1] 47 tn Or “I decided this for myself.”
[2:1] 48 tn Grk “not to come to you again in sorrow.”
[2:1] sn Paul was not speaking absolutely about not making another visit, but meant he did not want to come to the Corinthians again until the conflict he mentioned in 2 Cor 2:4-11 was settled.
[2:2] 49 tn Or “to cheer me up.” L&N 25.131 translates this “For if I were to make you sad, who would be left to cheer me up?”
[2:3] 50 tn The words “to you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[2:3] 51 sn So that when I came. Regarding this still future visit by Paul, see 2 Cor 12:14; 13:1.
[2:4] 52 tn Or “the love that I have in great measure for you.”
[2:5] 53 tn Or “(not to say too much)”; Grk “(not to burden you [with words]).”
[2:7] 54 tn Grk “so that on the other hand.”
[2:7] 55 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] 56 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.
[2:8] 57 tn Or “I urge you to show that your love for him is real.”
[2:9] 58 tn The word “you” is not in the Greek text, but is implied (as an understood direct object).
[2:9] 59 tn Grk “to know the proof of you,” that is, to know if the Corinthians’ obedience to Paul as an apostle was genuine (L&N 72.7).
[2:11] 60 tn Or “be taken advantage of.”
[2:12] 61 sn Troas was a city and region in the northwest corner of Asia Minor.
[2:12] 62 tn This has been translated as a concessive participle (“even though”). The passive construction (“a door of opportunity had been opened for me by the Lord”) has been converted to an active one in the translation for clarity.
[2:12] 63 tn Grk “a door”; the phrase ἀνοίγω θύραν (anoigw quran, “to open a door”) is an idiom meaning “to make possible some opportunity” (L&N 71.9).
[2:13] 64 tn Or “I had no peace of mind.”
[2:13] 65 tn Or “I took my leave of them.”
[2:13] 66 tn Since this refers to the outset of a journey, the aorist ἐξῆλθον (exhlqon) is taken ingressively.
[2:14] 67 tn Or “who always causes us to triumph.”
[2:14] 68 tn Or “in the Messiah.”
[2:14] 69 tn Or “who reveals.”
[2:16] 70 tn The same Greek word (ὀσμή, osmh) translated “odor” here (in relation to the stench of death) has been translated “fragrance” in 2:14 and in the next phrase of the present verse. The word itself can describe a smell or odor either agreeable or disagreeable depending on the context (L&N 79.45).
[2:16] 71 sn These things refer to the things Paul is doing in his apostolic ministry.
[2:17] 72 tn The participle καπηλεύοντες (kaphleuonte") refers to those engaged in retail business, but with the negative connotations of deceptiveness and greed – “to peddle for profit,” “to huckster” (L&N 57.202). In the translation a noun form (“hucksters”) has been used in combination with the English verb “peddle…for profit” to convey the negative connotations of this term.
[2:17] 73 tn Or “in the presence of.”
[2:17] 74 tn Or “persons of pure motives.”
[3:1] 75 tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply (“No, we do not”) which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ at the end, “do we?”
[3:2] 76 tn That is, “letter of recommendation.”
[3:3] 77 tn Or “making plain.”
[3:3] 78 tn Grk “cared for by us,” an expression that could refer either to the writing or the delivery of the letter (BDAG 229 s.v. διακονέω 1). Since the following phrase refers to the writing of the letter, and since the previous verse speaks of this “letter” being “written on our [Paul’s and his companions’] hearts” it is more probable that the phrase “cared for by us” refers to the delivery of the letter (in the person of Paul and his companions).
[3:3] 79 sn An allusion to Exod 24:12; 31:18; 34:1; Deut 9:10-11.
[3:6] 83 sn This new covenant is promised in Jer 31:31-34; 32:40.
[3:7] 84 tn Grk “on stones”; but since this is clearly an allusion to the tablets of the Decalogue (see 2 Cor 3:3) the word “tablets” was supplied in the translation to make the connection clear.
[3:7] 85 tn Grk “so that the sons of Israel.”
[3:7] 86 sn The glory of his face. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the tablets of the Decalogue, the people were afraid to approach him because his face was so radiant (Exod 34:29-30).
[3:7] 87 tn The words “a glory” are not in the Greek text, but the reference to “glory” has been repeated from the previous clause for clarity.
[3:7] 88 tn Or “which was transitory.” Traditionally this phrase is translated as “which was fading away.” The verb καταργέω in the corpus Paulinum uniformly has the meaning “to render inoperative, ineffective”; the same nuance is appropriate here. The glory of Moses’ face was rendered ineffective by the veil Moses wore. For discussion of the meaning of this verb in this context, see S. J. Hafemann, Paul, Moses, and the History of Israel (WUNT 81), 301-13. A similar translation has been adopted in the two other occurrences of the verb in this paragraph in vv. 11 and 13.
[3:8] 89 tn Grk “how will not rather the ministry of the Spirit be with glory?”
[3:9] 90 tn Grk “the ministry of condemnation”; translated as an objective genitive, “the ministry that produced condemnation.”
[3:9] 91 tn Grk “the ministry of righteousness”; translated as an objective genitive, “the ministry that produces righteousness.”
[3:9] 92 tn Traditionally, “abound.”
[3:10] 93 tn Grk “in this case.”
[3:10] 94 tn The words “of what replaced it” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to clarify the meaning.
[3:11] 95 tn Or “what was fading away.” See note on “which was made ineffective” in v. 7.
[3:11] 96 tn Or “through” (διά, dia).
[3:11] 97 tn Or “what is permanent.”
[3:12] 98 tn Or “we employ great openness of speech.”
[3:13] 99 tn Grk “the sons of Israel.”
[3:13] 100 tn Or “from gazing intently.”
[3:13] 101 tn Or “end.” The word τέλος (telos) can mean both “a point of time marking the end of a duration, end, termination, cessation” and “the goal toward which a movement is being directed, end, goal, outcome” (see BDAG 998-999 s.v.). The translation accepts the interpretation that Moses covered the glory of his face with the veil to prevent Israel from being judged by the glory of God (see S. J. Hafemann, Paul, Moses, and the History of Israel [WUNT 81], 347-62); in this case the latter meaning for τέλος is more appropriate.
[3:13] 102 tn Or “was fading away”; Grk “on the result of what was made ineffective.” The referent (glory) has been specified in the translation for clarity. See note on “which was made ineffective” in v. 7.
[3:14] 103 tn Grk “their minds were hardened.”
[3:14] 104 tn Grk “the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant”; the phrase “they hear” has been introduced (“when they hear the old covenant read”) to make the link with the “Israelites” (v. 13) whose minds were closed (v. 14a) more obvious to the reader.
[3:14] 105 tn Or “only in Christ is it eliminated.”
[3:15] 106 tn Grk “their heart.”
[3:16] 107 tn Or perhaps “when(ever) he turns,” referring to Moses.
[3:16] 108 sn An allusion to Exod 34:34. The entire verse may refer to Moses, viewing him as a type portraying the Jewish convert to Christianity in Paul’s day.
[3:17] 109 tn Grk “where the Spirit of the Lord is”; the word “present” is supplied to specify that the presence of the Lord’s Spirit is emphasized rather than the mere existence of the Lord’s Spirit.
[3:18] 110 tn Or “we all with unveiled faces beholding the glory of the Lord as in a mirror.”
[3:18] 111 tn Grk “from glory to glory.”
[3:18] 112 tn Grk “just as from.”
[3:18] 113 tn Grk “from the Lord, the Spirit”; the genitive πνεύματος (pneumato") has been translated as a genitive of apposition.
[4:1] 114 tn Grk “just as we have been shown mercy”; ἠλεήθημεν (hlehqhmen) has been translated as a “divine passive” which is a circumlocution for God as the active agent. For clarity this was converted to an active construction with God as subject in the translation.
[4:1] 115 tn Or “we do not lose heart.”
[4:2] 116 tn L&N 13.156; the word can also mean “to assert opposition to,” thus here “we have denounced” (L&N 33.220).
[4:2] 117 tn Grk “the hidden things [deeds] of shame”; here αἰσχύνης (aiscunh") has been translated as an attributive genitive.
[4:2] 118 tn Or “not conducting ourselves”; Grk “not walking” (a common NT idiom for conduct, way of life, or behavior).
[4:4] 120 tn Or “of unbelievers.”
[4:4] 121 tn Grk “the gospel of the glory”; δόξης (doxhs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
[4:4] 122 tn Or “so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ would not be evident to them” (L&N 28.37).
[4:5] 124 tn Traditionally, “servants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
[4:6] 125 sn An allusion to Gen 1:3; see also Isa 9:2.
[4:6] 126 tn Grk “the light of the knowledge of the glory”; δόξης (doxhs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
[4:6] 127 tc ‡ Most witnesses, including several early and important ones (Ì46 א C H Ψ 0209 1739c Ï sy), read ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Ihsou Cristou, “Jesus Christ”), while other important witnesses, especially of the Western text (D F G 0243 630 1739* 1881 lat Ambst), have Χριστοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ. The reading with just Χριστοῦ is found in A B 33 {sa} Tert {Or Ath Chr}. Even though the witnesses for the shorter reading are not numerous, they are weighty. And in light of the natural scribal proclivity to fill out the text, particularly with reference to divine names, as well as the discrepancy among the witnesses as to the order of the names, the simple reading Χριστοῦ seems to be the best candidate for authenticity. NA27 reads ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ with ᾿Ιησοῦ in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
[4:7] 128 tn Grk “the surpassingness of the power”; δυνάμεως (dunamew") has been translated as an attributed genitive (“extraordinary power”).
[4:8] 129 tn Grk “we are hard pressed [by crowds] on every side.”
[4:9] 132 tn Or “badly hurt.” It is possible to interpret καταβαλλόμενοι (kataballomenoi) here as “badly hurt”: “[we are] badly hurt, but not destroyed” (L&N 20.21).
[4:10] 133 tn The first clause of 2 Cor 4:10 is elliptical and apparently refers to the fact that Paul was constantly in danger of dying in the same way Jesus died (by violence at least). According to L&N 23.99 it could be translated, “at all times we live in the constant threat of being killed as Jesus was.”
[4:10] 134 tn Or “may also be revealed.”
[4:11] 135 tn Or “may also be revealed.”
[4:11] 136 tn Grk “mortal flesh.”
[4:12] 138 tn Grk “death is at work in us, but life in you”; the phrase “is at work in” is repeated in the translation for clarity.
[4:13] 139 tn Grk “spirit of faith according to.”
[4:13] 140 sn A quotation from Ps 116:10.
[4:14] 141 tn Grk “speak, because.” A new sentence was started here in the translation, with the words “We do so” supplied to preserve the connection with the preceding statement.
[4:14] 142 tc ‡ Several important witnesses (א C D F G Ψ 1881), as well as the Byzantine text, add κύριον (kurion) here, changing the reading to “the Lord Jesus.” Although the external evidence in favor of the shorter reading is slim, the witnesses are important, early, and diverse (Ì46 B [0243 33] 629 [630] 1175* [1739] pc r sa). Very likely scribes with pietistic motives added the word κύριον, as they were prone to do, thus compounding this title for the Lord.
[4:15] 143 tn Or “that is abounding to.”
[4:16] 145 tn Or “do not lose heart.”
[4:16] 146 tn Grk “our outer man.”
[4:16] 147 tn Grk “our inner [man].”
[4:17] 148 tn Grk “momentary lightness of affliction.”
[5:1] 149 sn The expression the tent we live in refers to “our earthly house, our body.” Paul uses the metaphor of the physical body as a house or tent, the residence of the immaterial part of a person.
[5:2] 151 tn Or “dwelling place.”
[5:2] 152 tn Or “to be clothed with.”
[5:3] 153 tc ‡ Some
[5:3] 154 tn Grk “it”; the referent (the “heavenly dwelling” of the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:4] 155 sn See the note in 5:1 on the phrase the tent we live in.
[5:4] 156 tn Or “we are burdened.”
[5:5] 157 tn Grk “for this very thing.”
[5:5] 158 tn Or “first installment,” “pledge,” “deposit” (see the note on the phrase “down payment” in 1:22).
[5:6] 159 tn Grk “we know that being at home in the body”; an idiom for being alive (L&N 23.91).
[5:9] 162 tn Grk “whether we are at home” [in the body]; an idiom for being alive (L&N 23.91).
[5:9] 163 tn Grk “to be pleasing to him.”
[5:10] 164 sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and sometimes furnished with a seat, used by officials in addressing an assembly or making pronouncements, often on judicial matters. The judgment seat was a common item in Greco-Roman culture, often located in the agora, the public square or marketplace in the center of a city. Use of the term in reference to Christ’s judgment would be familiar to Paul’s 1st century readers.
[5:10] 165 tn Or “whether good or bad.”
[5:11] 166 tn Or “because we know what it means to fear the Lord.”
[5:11] 167 tn The present tense of πείθομεν (peiqomen) has been translated as a conative present.
[5:11] 168 tn Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is generic here since clearly both men and women are in view (Paul did not attempt to win only men to the gospel he preached).
[5:11] 169 tn Or “clearly evident.” BDAG 1048 s.v. φανερόω 2.b.β has “θεῷ πεφανερώμεθα we are well known to God 2 Cor 5:11a, cp. 11b; 11:6 v.l.”
[5:12] 170 tn The present tense of συνιστάνομεν (sunistanomen) has been translated as a conative present.
[5:12] 171 tn Or “to boast about us.”
[5:12] 173 tn Or “in what is seen.”
[5:14] 174 tn The phrase ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ (Jh agaph tou Cristou, “the love of Christ”) could be translated as either objective genitive (“our love for Christ”) or subjective genitive (“Christ’s love for us”). Either is grammatically possible, but with the reference to Christ’s death for all in the following clauses, a subjective genitive (“Christ’s love for us”) is more likely.
[5:14] 175 tn Grk “one”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:15] 176 tn Or “but for him who died and was raised for them.”
[5:16] 178 tn Grk “no one according to the flesh.”
[5:16] 179 tn Grk “we have known Christ according to the flesh.”
[5:17] 180 tn Grk “old things have passed away.”
[5:17] 181 tc Most
[5:17] 182 tn Grk “new things have come [about].”
[5:19] 183 tn Or “he has entrusted to us.”
[5:20] 184 tn Or “as though God were begging.”
[5:20] 185 tn Or “we beg you.”
[5:21] 186 tn Grk “He”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:21] 187 sn The one who did not know sin is a reference to Jesus Christ.
[5:21] 188 sn That is, “in Christ.”
[6:1] 189 tn Or “receive the grace of God uselessly.”
[6:2] 190 sn A quotation from Isa 49:8.
[6:3] 191 tn The word “anyone” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
[6:3] 192 tn Other interpretations of the first part of 2 Cor 6:3 are possible. The phrase could also mean, “not putting an obstacle in the way of anyone” (L&N 22.14), or “giving no one in anything a cause to sin” (L&N 88.307).
[6:4] 194 tn Or “we have commended ourselves by all things.”
[6:4] 195 tn Or “in trouble and suffering.”
[6:5] 196 tn Or “rebellions” (uprisings in open defiance of civil authority).
[6:5] 197 tn Usually κόποις (kopois) has been translated as “labors” or “hard work,” but see Matt 26:10 where it means “trouble”; “distress” (L&N 22.7). In this context with so many other terms denoting suffering and difficulty, such a meaning is preferable.
[6:6] 198 tn Or “by holiness of spirit.”
[6:7] 200 tn Grk “by the word of truth”; understanding ἀληθείας (alhqeias) as an attributive genitive (“truthful word”).
[6:7] 201 tn Or “speech.” In this context it is more likely that λόγος (logos) refers to Paul’s message (thus “teaching”) than to his speech in general.
[6:7] 202 tn The phrase “for the right hand and for the left” possibly refers to a combination of an offensive weapon (a sword for the right hand) and a defensive weapon (a shield for the left).
[6:8] 203 tn Or “regarded as deceivers.”
[6:9] 204 tn Grk “disciplined,” but in this context probably a reference to scourging prior to execution (yet the execution is not carried out).
[6:11] 205 tn Grk “our mouth has been open to you,” an idiom for openness in communication.
[6:12] 206 tn Grk “You are not restricted by us.”
[6:13] 207 tn The word “my” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
[6:13] 208 tn The words “to us” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[6:14] 209 tn Or “Do not be mismatched.”
[6:15] 210 sn The Greek term Βελιάρ (Beliar) is a spelling variant for Βελιάλ (Belial, see Judg 20:13 LXX). It occurs only here in the NT. Beliar is a reference to Satan.
[6:16] 211 tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (Ì46 א2 C D2 F G Ψ 0209 Ï lat sy Tert), read ὑμεῖς…ἐστε (Jumei"…este, “you are”) instead of ἡμεῖς…ἐσμεν (Jhmei"…esmen, “we are”) here, but several other early and important
[6:16] 212 tn Or “live among them,” “live with them.”
[6:16] sn I will live in them. The OT text that lies behind this passage (Lev 26:11-12) speaks of God dwelling in the midst of his people. The Greek preposition en in the phrase en autoi" (“in them”) can also have that meaning (“among” or “with”). However, Paul appears to be extending the imagery here to involve God (as the Spirit) dwelling in his people, since he calls believers “the temple of the living God” in the previous clause, imagery he uses elsewhere in his writings (1 Cor 3:16; Eph 2:21-22).
[6:16] 213 sn A quotation from Lev 26:12; also similar to Jer 32:38; Ezek 37:27.
[6:17] 214 sn A quotation from Isa 52:11.
[6:17] 215 tn Or “will receive.”
[6:17] 216 sn A paraphrased quotation from Ezek 20:41.
[6:18] 217 sn A paraphrased quotation from 2 Sam 7:14 and Isa 43:6.
[6:18] 218 tn Traditionally, “the Lord Almighty.” BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…κύριος π. (oft. LXX) 2 Cor 6:18.”
[7:1] 219 tn Or “purify ourselves.”
[7:1] 220 tn Grk “from every defilement of the flesh.”
[7:1] 221 tn Grk “accomplishing.” The participle has been translated as a finite verb due to considerations of contemporary English style, and “thus” has been supplied to indicate that it represents a result of the previous cleansing.
[7:1] 222 tn Grk “in the fear of God.”
[7:2] 223 tn The phrase “in your hearts” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[7:2] 224 tn “We have ruined no one” may refer to financial loss (“we have caused no one to suffer financial loss”) but it may also refer to the undermining of faith (“we have corrupted no one’s faith,”). Both options are mentioned in L&N 20.23.
[7:2] 225 tn Or “we have taken advantage of no one.”
[7:3] 226 sn See 2 Cor 1:4-7.
[7:3] 227 tn The words “with you” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[7:4] 228 tn Grk “great is my boasting.”
[7:4] 230 tn Grk “I am overflowing with joy in all our suffering”; the words “in the midst of” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to clarify that Paul is not rejoicing in the suffering itself, but in his relationship with the Corinthians in the midst of all his suffering.
[7:6] 232 tn Or “comforts,” “consoles.”
[7:6] 233 tn Or “comforted,” “consoled.”
[7:7] 234 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] 235 tn Or “comfort,” “consolation.”
[7:7] 236 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] 237 tn Or “your grieving,” “your deep sorrow.”
[7:8] 239 tn Grk “if I grieved you.”
[7:8] 240 sn My letter. Paul is referring to the “severe” letter mentioned in 2 Cor 2:4.
[7:8] 241 tn Grk “I do not regret”; direct objects in Greek must often be supplied from the context. Here one could simply supply “it,” but since Paul is referring to the effects of his previous letter, clarity is improved if “having written it” is supplied.
[7:8] 242 tn Grk “I did regret”; the direct object “it” must be supplied from the context.
[7:8] 243 tc A few important
[7:8] 244 tn Grk “my letter grieved you.”
[7:9] 245 tn Grk “were grieved” (so also twice later in the verse).
[7:9] 246 tn Grk “corresponding to God,” that is, corresponding to God’s will (κατὰ θεόν, kata qeon). The same phrase occurs in vv. 10 and 11.
[7:9] 247 tn Grk “so that you did not suffer loss.”
[7:11] 248 tn Grk “this very thing, to be grieved.”
[7:11] 249 tn The words “of yourselves” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[7:11] 250 sn What indignation refers to the Corinthians’ indignation at the offender.
[7:11] 252 sn That is, punishment for the offender.
[7:12] 253 tn Grk “but in order that your eagerness on our behalf might be revealed to you.”
[7:13] 254 tn Or “all of you have put his mind at ease.”
[7:14] 255 tn Grk “I have not been put to shame”; the words “by you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[7:14] 256 tn Grk “just as we spoke everything to you in truth.”
[7:14] 257 tn The words “about you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
