1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:
1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
1:4 Who comforts us in all our troubles, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
1:5 For as we abundantly share in the sufferings of Christ, so through Christ we also abundantly share in comfort.
1:6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which works in you when you patiently endure the same sufferings which we suffer.
1:7 And our hope for you is steadfast, knowing, that as you are partakers of our sufferings, so you also partake of our comfort.
1:8 For we would not have you ignorant of our trouble, brethren, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed down beyond measure, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life.
1:9 Indeed, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead:
1:10 Who has delivered us from so deadly a peril, and who will deliver us: we trust in him, that he will deliver us again,
1:11 As you help by praying for us. Then thanks will be given by many on our behalf for the favour bestowed upon us by the prayers of many.
1:12 For our boast is in this: the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and still more toward you.
1:13 For we write nothing to you, except what you can read and understand; and I trust you shall understand fully;
1:14 Just as also you have understood us in part and recognized that you can be proud of us, even as we can be proud of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1:15 And in this confidence I intended to come to you first, that you might benefit twice;
1:16 I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and again visit you when I returned from Macedonia, and to be helped by you on my way to Judaea.
1:17 When I planned this, did I do it lightly? or the things that I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that I should say yes, yes when I may mean no, no?
1:18 But as God is true, our word to you was not yes and no.
1:19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by myself and Silvanus and Timothy, was not yes and no, but in him is always yes.
1:20 For as many as are the promises of God, in him they are yes. And so our Amen is through him, to the glory of God.
1:21 Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God;
1:22 Who has also sealed us, and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.
1:23 I call God as a witness upon my soul, that it was to spare you that I did not come to Corinth.
1:24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy: for in your faith you stand firm.
2:1 But I determined that I would not make another painful visit to you.
2:2 For if I make you sorrowful, who will there be to make me glad, but the same one I made sorrowful?
2:3 And I wrote this same thing to you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; for I had confidence in all of you, that my joy would be the joy of all of you.
2:4 For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart, with many tears; not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the abundant love which I have for you.
2:5 But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but to some degree, not to put it too severely, to all of you.
2:6 Sufficient for such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted by the majority.
2:7 So you ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps he may be overwhelmed with excessive sorrow.
2:8 Therefore I urge you, that you would reaffirm your love for him.
2:9 For to this end I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in all things.
2:10 But whom you forgive anything, I forgive also: for what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, was for your sakes in the presence of Christ;
2:11 Lest Satan should take advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
2:12 Now, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, a door was opened for me by the Lord,
2:13 Yet I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother: so I took leave of them, and I went from there into Macedonia.
2:14 Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and makes manifest through us the fragrance of the knowledge of him in every place.
2:15 For we are an aroma of Christ to God, among those who are being saved, and among those who are perishing:
2:16 To the one we are the aroma of death to death; and to the other the aroma of life to life. And who is equal to such a calling?
2:17 For we are not as so many, who peddle the word of God: but as men of sincerity, as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.
3:1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? or do we need, as some others, letters of recommendation to you, or letters of recommendation from you?
3:2 You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all men:
3:3 And you show that you are letters of Christ delivered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.
3:4 And such is the trust we have through Christ before God.
3:5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;
3:6 Who has also made us able ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.
3:7 For if the ministry of death, written and engraved in stone, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance; and that glory fading:
3:8 Shall not the ministry of the spirit be even more glorious?
3:9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, far more does the ministry of righteousness exceed it in glory.
3:10 For even that which was glorious no longer has glory, because of the glory that surpasses it.
3:11 For if that which has faded away came with glory, how much more glorious is that which remains.
3:12 Seeing then that we have such a hope, we use great boldness of speech:
3:13 Not as Moses, who put a veil over his face, so the sons of Israel could not gaze upon that which was fading.
3:14 But their minds were hardened: for to this day the same veil remains unlifted at the reading of the old covenant; because it is only removed through Christ.
3:15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their hearts.
3:16 But whenever a man shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
3:18 But we all, with unveiled faces beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into that same image, from glory to glory, and this is from the Lord, the Spirit.
4:1 Therefore, since we have this ministry by God's mercy, we do not loose heart;
4:2 But we have renounced the hidden, shameful things, and do not walk in craftiness, nor handle the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
4:3 But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
4:4 For the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, lest they should see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.
4:5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord; and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of [Jesus] Christ.
4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the transcendent power may be shown to be from God, and not from us.
4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
4:10 Always carrying about in our body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus might also be made manifest in our body.
4:11 For we who live are always being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus might also be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
4:12 So then death works in us, but life in you.
4:13 As it is written, I believed, and therefore I have spoken; so we, with the same spirit of faith, also believe, and therefore speak;
4:14 Knowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus shall also raise us up with Jesus, and shall present us with you in his presence.
4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that as grace extends to more and more people, it might cause thanksgiving to abound, to the glory of God.
4:16 For this reason we do not loose heart; but though our outer man perish, yet the inner man is renewed day by day.
4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, prepares for us an incomparable and eternal weight of glory;
4:18 So we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent in which we live is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
5:2 For in this house we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our dwelling which is from heaven:
5:3 So that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
5:4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened: not that we would be unclothed, but rather further clothed, that mortality might be swallowed up by life.
5:5 Now he who has made us for this very thing is God, who has also given to us the Spirit as a pledge.
5:6 Therefore, we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
5:8 We are confident, and would rather be absent from the body, and present with the Lord.
5:9 Therefore we labour, that whether at home or absent, we may please him.
5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive what is due him for the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
5:11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men. But what we are is plain to God; and I also trust it is plain to your consciences.
5:12 For we do not commend ourselves to you again, but give you occasion to be proud of us, that you may have something to answer those who take pride in appearance, and not in the heart.
5:13 For if we are out of our minds, it is for God: or if we are in our right minds, it is for you.
5:14 For the love of Christ controls us; because we are convinced that one died for all, therefore all died:
5:15 And he died for all, that those who live should not henceforth live for themselves, but for him who died for them, and rose again.
5:16 Therefore, we no longer regard man according to the flesh: though once we regarded Christ according to the flesh, yet now we regard him thus no longer.
5:17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.
5:18 And all these things are from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
5:19 That is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not counting men's sins against them; and he has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were making his appeal through us: we beg you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
5:21 For our sakes he has made him to be sin, who knew no sin; that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
6:1 We then, as workers together with him, urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
6:2 (For he says, I have heard you at the acceptable time, and on the day of salvation I have helped you: behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
6:3 We give no offence in anything, that the ministry may not be discredited:
6:4 But as the ministers of God we commend ourselves in all things; in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distress,
6:5 In beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in sleeplessness, in hunger;
6:6 By purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love,
6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left,
6:8 In honour and dishonour, in evil report and good report: regarded as deceivers, and yet true;
6:9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, yet, behold, we live; as chastened, and yet not killed;
6:10 As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
6:11 O Corinthians, we have spoken freely to you, our hearts are open wide.
6:12 There is no restraint in our affection for you, but you are restrained in your affection for us.
6:13 As a fair exchange, (I speak as to children,) widen your hearts also.
6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what partnership does righteousness have with unrighteousness? and what fellowship has light with darkness?
6:15 And what harmony has Christ with Belial? or what does he who believes have in common with an unbeliever?
6:16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? for we are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will live in them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
6:17 Therefore, come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean thing; and I will welcome you,
6:18 And will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.