2 Corinthians 1 King James Version (KJV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
13 For we write none other things unto you, that what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end;
14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are our’s in the day of the Lord Jesus.
15 And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit;
16 And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judaea.
17 When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay?
18 But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.
19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
23 Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.
24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.
Commentary
In his previous letter Paul had spoken of his plans to move from Ephesus north to Macedonia and then down to Corinth (1 Cor 16:5-7; cf. Acts 19:21). However, when Timothy returned from Corinth to Ephesus (cf. 1 Cor 16:10-11), the news that he brought was so disturbing that Paul changed his plans. The New Testament does not record Paul’s travels of this period in any detail, but occasional references to them give us at least some understanding of events.
A painful visit and a severe letter
When Paul learnt that neither his lengthy letter nor Timothy’s recent visit had brought any improvement in the Corinthian church, he made a trip to Corinth direct by boat. He had already warned that he would come and deal with the trouble-makers if they did not change their ways (1 Cor 4:19-21), and now he did as he had said. This was only Paul’s second visit to Corinth. It gave him such distress that when he looked back on it later he referred to it as a painful visit (2 Cor 2:1; 13:2).
Though painful, the visit was only brief, but Paul hoped to visit the church again soon (2 Cor 1:15- 16). Within a short while news reached him in Ephesus that nothing had improved in Corinth. In fact, his recent visit only made his opponents more rebellious. Paul’s immediate thought was to rush back to Corinth and deal with the rebels, but upon consideration he thought it better not to. He did not want to act hastily or do anything that he might later regret (2 Cor 1:23).
Instead Paul wrote a letter. It was a very severe letter, which challenged the church to deal with those who opposed his apostolic authority. The letter was taken to the Corinthian church by Titus, but it seems not to have been preserved (2 Cor 2:3-4; 7:8; 12:18).
Titus took the letter to Corinth direct, but he was to return via Macedonia and meet Paul in Troas. Paul meanwhile finished his work in Ephesus and moved north to Troas, but he was so anxious to get news of the Corinthians’ response to his letter, that he could not bear waiting for Titus. So he left Troas and went looking for him in Macedonia (2 Cor 2:12-13; cf. Acts 20:1). Paul met Titus in Macedonia and was overjoyed at the good news Titus brought. As a result of the severe letter, the trouble-makers in Corinth had realized their error and stopped opposing Paul (2 Cor 7:5-6).
With much relief, Paul wrote yet another letter (known to us as 2 Corinthians) and sent it to Corinth with Titus and two others (2 Cor 8:16-18,22-23). In view of the recent troubles, Paul wrote at length concerning various aspects of Christian service. The final section of the letter, Chapters 10-13, is such a strong defence of Paul’s apostolic authority, that some Bible scholars believe it is the severe letter that he wrote previously.