Chapter I

THE APOSTLE'S LOVE OF THE CORINTHIANS, HIS TRIALS, HIS DESIGN TO VISIT THEM, HIS FORMER LETTER, ETC.

1 [1:1]PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy the brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia. [1:2]Grace be to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 [1:3]Blessed be the God and lather of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, [1:4]who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those in every affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God, [1:5]because as Christ's sufferings abound in us, so also through Christ does our comfort abound. [1:6]And if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation, wrought by a patient endurance the same sufferings which we also suffer, and our hope for you is strong; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort and salvation, [1:7] knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so you are also of the comfort.

3 [1:8]For we wish you not to be ignorant, brothers, of our affliction which befell us in Asia, that we were exceedingly oppressed beyond our power, so that we despaired even of life; [1:9]but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we might not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, [1:10]who delivered us from so great a death and will deliver, in whom we hope that he will also still deliver, [1:11]you also striving together for us in prayer, that thanks may be rendered for us by many persons for the gift bestowed on us by many.

4 [1:12]For this is our rejoicing; the testimony of our conscience that in purity and godly sincerity, not with a carnal wisdom, but with a divine grace, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and most abundantly towards you. [1:13]For we do not write to you of other things, but of what you read and acknowledge; and I hope you will also acknowledge to the end, [1:14]as you have also acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing as you also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

5 [1:15]And in this confidence I wished to come to you before, that you might have a second benefit, [1:16]and to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again from Macedonia to you, and by you to be sent forward to Judea. [1:17] Wishing this therefore, did I use lightness? or what I wish do I wish according to the flesh, that with me there may be the yes, yes, and the no, no? [1:18]But as God is faithful, our word to you was not yes and no. [1:19]For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was preached among you by us, by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not yes and no, but was yes in him; [1:20]for all the promises of God, the yes in him, and the Amen in him, are for glory to God by us. [1:21]And he that establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God, [1:22] who has also sealed us and given us the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts.

6 [1:23]But I call God to witness on my soul, that to spare you I have not yet come to Corinth. [1:24]Not that we are lords of your faith, but co-laborers of your joy; for you stand firm by the faith. [2:1]But I determined this with myself, not to come again to you in sorrow; [2:2]for if I grieve you, who is he that gladdens me, but he that is grieved by me? [2:3]And I wrote the same to you that coming I might not have sorrow for those in whom I ought to have joy, having trusted in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. [2:4]For I wrote to you in much affliction and distress of mind with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have abundantly for you.

7 [2:5]But if any one has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but in part, that I may not be hard upon you, [has grieved you] all, [2:6]Sufficient for such a one is this rebuke by many; [2:7]so that on the other hand you ought to forgive and comfort him, that he may not be overwhelmed with excessive sorrow. [2:8]I exhort you, therefore, to confirm your love to him; [2:9]for I wrote for this purpose, that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things. [2:10]But whom you favor I also will favor; for what favor I have shown, if I have shown any favor, has been for your sakes, in the presence of Christ, [2:11]that we may not be circumvented by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

8 [2:12]But when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, [2:13]I had no rest in my spirit from not finding Titus my brother; but leaving them I went to Macedonia. [2:14]But thanks be to God, who always triumphs over us in Christ and reveals the odor of his knowledge by us in every place; [2:15]for we are a sweet odor of Christ to God, in the saved and in the lost, [2:16]in one an odor of death to death, and in the other an odor of life to life. And who is sufficient for these things? [2:17]For we are not as many, who adulterate the word of God, [for gain]; but as of sincerity, but as of God, we speak before God in Christ.

9 [3:1]Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some, commendatory epistles to you or from you? [3:2]You are our epistle, written by our hearts, known and read by all men, [3:3]for you are manifestly an epistle 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 hearts of flesh. [3:4]And we have such confidence through Jesus Christ in God; [3:5]not that we are sufficient of ourselves to reason out any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God, [3:6]who also has made us able ministers of the new covenant, not of the writing but of the spirit; for the writing kills, but the spirit makes alive.

10 [3:7]But if the ministry of death engraved in a writing on stones was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses on account of the brightness of his face, which passed away, [3:8]how shall not the ministry of the spirit be glorious? [3:9]For if the ministry of condemnation was a glory, much more will the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. [3:10]For that which was made glorious was not glorious in this respect, on account of the surpassing glory. [3:11]For if that which has passed away was with glory, much more will that which continues be in glory.

11 [3:12]Having therefore this hope we use great boldness, [3:13]and not as Moses put a vail on his face, that the children of Israel might not see to the end of that which has passed away; [3:14]but their minds were blinded. For to this day in reading the old covenant the same vail remains, not taken away because it is taken away in Christ; [3:15]but to this day when Moses is read a vail lies upon their minds; [3:16]but when they turn to the Lord the vail is taken away. [3:17]And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. [3:18]And we all with unvailed face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same likeness, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.

12 [4:1]Therefore, having this ministry, as we have obtained mercy we faint not, [4:2]but have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but commending ourselves by the manifestation of the truth to every conscience of men before God. [4:3]But if our gospel is vailed it is vailed among the lost, [4:4]in whom the god of this life has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God, may not shine. [4:5]For we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves 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 us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

13 [4:7]But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us, [4:8]being afflicted in every thing but not distressed, being perplexed but not in despair, [4:9]being persecuted but not deserted, being cast down but not destroyed, [4:10]always carrying about the death of Jesus in the body, that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. [4:11]For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh. [4:12]So that death works in us, but life in you. [4:13]And having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we also believe and therefore speak, [4:14]knowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and present us with you. [4:15]For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace may abound through the thanksgiving of many to the glory of God.

14 [4:16]Wherefore we faint not, but if our outward man is destroyed our inward man is renewed day by day. [4:17]For the light affliction which is for a moment, works out for us more abundantly an eternal weight of glory, [4:18] while we look not on the things which are seen but on the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are for a time, but those which are unseen are eternal.

15 [5:1]For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle was destroyed, we have an edifice from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. [5:2]For in this we also groan, earnestly desiring to put on our dwelling which is from heaven, [5:3]if indeed also having put it on we may not be found naked. [5:4]For being in this tabernacle we groan, being burdened, because we do not wish to put it off, but to put on [the other], that the mortal may be swallowed up by life. [5:5]And he that has made us for this is God, who has given us the pledge of the Spirit. [5:6]Being always confident therefore, and knowing that while we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord,-- [5:7]we walk by faith, not by sight;-- [5:8]but we are confident, and are pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. [5:9] Wherefore also we strive, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to him. [5:10]For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, that each one may receive through the body for what he has done, whether it is good or evil.

16 [5:11]Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord we persuade men, but are made manifest to God; and I hope also to be made manifest in your consciences. [5:12] For we do not again commend ourselves to you, but give you occasion to glory on our account, that you may have something for those that glory in appearance and not in heart. [5:13]For if we are beside ourselves it is for God; and if we are sober it is for you. [5:14]For the love of Christ constrains us, judging this, that if one died for all then were all dead; [5:15]and he died for all, that those who live should no more live for themselves but for him that died for them and rose again. [5:16]So that from henceforth we know no man after the flesh; and if we have known Christ after the flesh, we now know him no more. [5:17]So that if any one is in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new. [5:18]And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and given us the ministry of the reconciliation, [5:19]to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to them their offenses, and has given to us the word of reconciliation. [5:20]We are embassadors therefore for Christ, as though God besought you by us; we pray you, for Christ, be reconciled to God. [5:21]For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become God's righteousness in him.

17 [6:1]And being also co-laborers we exhort you not to receive the grace of God in vain,-- [6:2]for he says, In an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation I helped you; behold, now is an acceptable time, behold, now is a day of salvation,-- [6:3]giving no offense in any thing, that the ministry may not be blamed, [6:4]but in every thing commending ourselves as ministers of God, in great patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, [6:5]in stripes, in imprisonments, in dissensions, in labors, in watchings, in fastings, [6:6]in purity, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned, [6:7]in the word of truth, in the power of God; with the arms of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, [6:8]with honor and dishonor, with evil report and good report; as deceivers and true, [6:9]as unknown and well-known, as dying and behold we live, as chastened and not killed, [6:10]as grieving but always rejoicing, as poor but making many rich, as having nothing and possessing all things.

18 [6:11]Our mouth is opened to you, Corinthians, our heart is enlarged; [6:12] you are not straitened in us, but you are straitened in your own souls; [6:13] and now as a return of benefits, I speak as to children, do you also be enlarged.

19 [6:14]Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers; for what participation has righteousness with wickedness? or what communion has light with darkness? [6:15] and what agreement has Christ with Beliar, or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? [6:16]and what agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God; as God said, I will dwell in them, and I will walk in them, and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people. [6:17]Go out therefore from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and touch not the impure; and I will receive you, [6:18]and will be to you a father, and you shall be to me sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. [7:1] Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us purify ourselves from every defilement of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

20 [7:2]Receive us; we have injured no one, we have destroyed no one, we have defrauded no one. [7:3]I say this not to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts both to die and live together. [7:4]I have great boldness towards you, and great glorying on your account; I am full of comfort, I have a super-abounding joy in all our afflictions. [7:5]For when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were distressed on every hand; without were conflicts, within fears; [7:6]but God who comforts the humble comforted us by the coming of Titus; [7:7]and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted on your account, telling us of your great desire, your deep sorrow, your zeal for me, so that I rather rejoiced. [7:8]For if I even grieved you by the epistle, I do not repent, though I did repent; for because I see that the epistle grieved you but for a time, [7:9]now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you grieved to a change of mind; for you were grieved in a godly manner, to suffer injury from us in nothing. [7:10]For godly sorrow produces a change of mind to salvation not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world produces death. [7:11]For behold, this same thing, that you grieved in a godly manner, how great diligence it produced in you, what a defense, what indignation, what fear, what desire, what zeal, what a punishment! In every thing you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

21 [7:12]If therefore I wrote to you, it was not on account of him that did the wrong, nor on account of him that suffered wrong, but that our diligence in your behalf might be manifest before God. [7:13]On this account we were comforted. And in addition to our comfort, we rejoiced more abundantly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all; [7:14]for if I had boasted of you to him I was not ashamed, but as we said all things to you in truth, so also the boasting of you to Titus was truth. [7:15]And his affection is more abundant for you, remembering the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him. [7:16]I rejoice that I have confidence in you in every thing.