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 you are also of the comfort. 8 For we don’t desire to have you uninformed, brothers, 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 given to 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 towards 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 planned this, did I show fickleness? Or the things that I plan, do I plan 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 towards you was not “Yes and no.” 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached amongst 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 to spare you, I didn’t come to Corinth. 24 We don’t control your faith, but are fellow workers with you for your joy. For you stand firm in faith.
2 Corinthians · World English Bible British Edition (with Deuterocanon)
2 Corinthians 1 World English Bible British Edition (with Deuterocanon)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- "World English Bible" is a trademark of eBible.org; the text is shown unaltered.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
Places
Corinth
Corinth straddled the isthmus linking mainland Greece to the Peloponnese — a hub of commerce and immorality. Paul founded the church here; a Roman bema traditionally linked to his hearing before…
Cited in the guide: Acts 18:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1
Cross references (24)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Timothy 1:1; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1; Colossians 1:1–2
- 2 Romans 1:7; Ephesians 6:23; Philippians 1:2; Philemon 3; 1 Thessalonians 1:1
- 3 Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3; Romans 15:5–6; Psalm 86:5; Micah 7:18
- 4 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Isaiah 51:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17; 2 Corinthians 7:6–7; Isaiah 40:1
- 5 Colossians 1:24; Philippians 3:10; Philippians 1:20; 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17; 2 Corinthians 4:10–11
- 6 2 Timothy 2:10; 2 Corinthians 4:15–18; 2 Corinthians 1:4; Romans 8:28; Philippians 1:19
- 7 Romans 8:17–18; 2 Thessalonians 1:4–7; James 1:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:3–4; James 1:2–4
- 8 2 Corinthians 4:7–12; 1 Corinthians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 15:32; 1 Corinthians 16:9; Acts 19:23–35
- 9 2 Corinthians 3:5; 2 Corinthians 4:7; Hebrews 11:19; 2 Corinthians 12:7–10; Romans 4:17–25
- 10 1 Timothy 4:10; 2 Peter 2:9; Psalm 34:19; 1 Samuel 17:37; Romans 15:31
- 11 Philippians 1:19; 2 Corinthians 4:15; Acts 12:5; Colossians 4:3; Hebrews 13:18
- 12 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 2:17; James 3:13–18; 1 Thessalonians 2:10; Hebrews 13:18
- 13 Philemon 6; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Corinthians 13:6; 2 Corinthians 5:11
- 14 1 Thessalonians 2:19–20; Philippians 2:16; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Philippians 4:1
- 15 Romans 15:29; Romans 1:11; 1 Corinthians 4:19; 2 Corinthians 6:1; 1 Corinthians 11:34
- 16 1 Corinthians 16:5–7; Acts 19:21–22; Acts 21:5
- 17 Matthew 5:37; James 5:12; 2 Corinthians 10:2–3; 2 Corinthians 1:18–20; John 8:15
- 18 1 Corinthians 1:9; Revelation 3:7; Revelation 3:14; John 7:28; 2 Corinthians 11:31
- 19 Hebrews 13:8; Revelation 1:17; 2 John 9; Revelation 1:8; Revelation 2:18
- 20 1 John 2:24–25; Galatians 3:22; Revelation 7:12; Hebrews 13:8; Ephesians 1:6
- 21 1 John 2:27; 1 John 2:20; 1 Peter 5:10; Romans 8:9; Isaiah 61:1
- 22 Ephesians 4:30; 2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 1:13–14; John 6:27; Romans 8:14–16
- 23 Galatians 1:20; 1 Corinthians 4:21; Romans 1:9; 2 Corinthians 13:10; 2 Corinthians 13:2
- 24 1 Peter 5:3; 1 Corinthians 15:1; 2 Timothy 2:24–26; Romans 5:2; Philippians 1:25–26
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
It is meet to enquire, first, why to the former Epistle he adds a second: and what can be his reason for thus beginning with the mercies and consolation of God. Why then does he add a second Epistle?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 12 (1889)
For it is no small fruit, O Lord my God, that by many thanks should be given to Thee on our behalf, and that by many Thou shouldest be entreated for us.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
Wherefore Paul also said, "I would not, brethren, have you ignorant, that we were pressed out of measure beyond strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life;" and after this again, "Who delivered us from so great deaths." Signifying therefore hereby, that they ought to be confident, though the waves rise high, and that He orders all things for good, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Put off, by confession, the old man, which waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit, that ye may put on the new man, which is renewed according to knowledge of Him that created him. Get you the earnest of the Holy Spirit through faith, that ye may be able to be received into the everlasting habitations.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
How then is it possible to conceive that the judgment is accomplished without the Holy Spirit, wherein the word points out that He is Himself the prize of the righteous, when instead of the earnest is given that which is perfect, and the first condemnation of sinners, when they are deprived of that which they seem to have?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)