Greeting

1Paul, an apostle of ⁰Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:

2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul's Thanksgiving After Suffering Affliction

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

4who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we can comfort those experiencing any kind of affliction with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

5For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

6If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and ¹salvation, which helps you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. And our hope for you is steadfast. If we are comforted, it is also for your comfort and salvation,

7because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

8We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.

9Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But this happened so that we would not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead.

10He rescued us from such a terrible death, and ²continues to rescue us. We have put our hope in him that he will rescue us yet again

11as you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on ³your behalf for the favor granted to us through the prayers of many.

Paul's Change of Plans

12Now this is the reason for our confidence: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with ⁴integrity and godly sincerity, not by worldly wisdom, but by the grace of God.

13For we are not writing anything to you other than what you can read and understand. And I hope that you will understand completely—

14just as you have understood us in part—that on the day of ⁵the Lord Jesus you will be proud of us just as we will be proud of you.

15Because I was confident of this, I intended to come to you first, so that you would ⁶be blessed by a second visit.

16I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and return to you from Macedonia, and then have you send me on my way to Judea.

17Was I vacillating when I planned to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner, ready to say “Yes” and “No” at the same time?

18As surely as God is faithful, our message to you ⁷did not waver between “Yes” and “No.”

19For the Son of God, ⁸Jesus Christ, whom Silvanus, Timothy, and I preached among you, did not waver between “Yes” and “No.” On the contrary, in him God's answer has always been “Yes.”

20For in him every one of God's promises is ⁹“Yes,” and in him we say “Amen” to the glory of God.

21Now it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and who anointed us.

22He has also sealed us and put his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

23I call upon God as a witness against me, that the reason I did not return to Corinth was to spare you.

24Not that we rule over your faith; rather, we work with you for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.