2 Corinthians 1
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
2 Corinthians chapter 1 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
4 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint John Chrysostom.
2 Corinthians 1
1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, together with all the saints who are in all Achaia:Παῦλος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ, καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφός, τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν Κορίνθῳ, σὺν τοῖς ἁγίοις πᾶσι τοῖς οὖσιν ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ Ἀχαΐᾳ·
2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ πατὴρ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν καὶ Θεὸς πάσης παρακλήσεως,
4who comforts us in all our tribulation, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, by means of the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.ὁ παρακαλῶν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ πάσῃ τῇ θλίψει ἡμῶν, εἰς τὸ δύνασθαι ἡμᾶς παρακαλεῖν τοὺς ἐν πάσῃ θλίψει, διὰ τῆς παρακλήσεως ἧς παρακαλούμεθα αὐτοὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ.
5Because just as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.Ὅτι καθὼς περισσεύει τὰ παθήματα τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ἡμᾶς, οὕτω διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ περισσεύει καὶ ἡ παράκλησις ἡμῶν.
6Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer.Εἴτε δὲ θλιβόμεθα, ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμῶν παρακλήσεως καὶ σωτηρίας, τῆς ἐνεργουμένης ἐν ὑπομονῇ τῶν αὐτῶν παθημάτων ὧν καὶ ἡμεῖς πάσχομεν· καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς ἡμῶν βεβαία ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν· εἴτε παρακαλούμεθα, ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμῶν παρακλήσεως καὶ σωτηρίας·
7(And our hope for you is steadfast); if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation, knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, thus also you will partake of the consolation.εἰδότες ὅτι ὥσπερ κοινωνοί ἐστε τῶν παθημάτων, οὕτω καὶ τῆς παρακλήσεως.
8For we do not desire you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life.Οὐ γὰρ θέλομεν ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοί, ὑπὲρ τῆς θλίψεως ἡμῶν τῆς γενομένης ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ, ὅτι καθ᾽ ὑπερβολὴν ἐβαρήθημεν ὑπὲρ δύναμιν, ὥστε ἐξαπορηθῆναι ἡμᾶς καὶ τοῦ ζῆν.
9Indeed, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,Ἀλλὰ αὐτοὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὸ ἀπόκριμα τοῦ θανάτου ἐσχήκαμεν, ἵνα μὴ πεποιθότες ὦμεν ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτοῖς ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τῷ Θεῷ τῷ ἐγείροντι τοὺς νεκρούς·
10who delivered us from so great a death, and is delivering us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,ὃς ἐκ τηλικούτου θανάτου ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς καὶ ῥύεται, εἰς ὃν ἠλπίκαμεν ὅτι καὶ ἔτι ῥύσεται,
11you also laboring together for us in prayer, that thanks may be given by many persons on your behalf for the gift given to us through many.συνυπουργούντων καὶ ὑμῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῇ δεήσει, ἵνα ἐκ πολλῶν προσώπων τὸ εἰς ἡμᾶς χάρισμα διὰ πολλῶν εὐχαριστηθῇ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν.
12For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that we have conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with worldly wisdom but by the grace of God, and especially toward you.Ἡ γὰρ καύχησις ἡμῶν αὕτη ἐστί, τὸ μαρτύριον τῆς συνειδήσεως ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἐν ἁπλότητι καὶ εἰλικρινείᾳ Θεοῦ, οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ σαρκικῇ ἀλλ᾽ ἐν χάριτι Θεοῦ, ἀνεστράφημεν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, περισσοτέρως δὲ πρὸς ὑμᾶς.
13For we write no other things to you except what you read or also understand. And I hope that you will understand, even until the end,Οὐ γὰρ ἄλλα γράφομεν ὑμῖν, ἀλλ᾽ ἢ ἃ ἀναγινώσκετε ἢ καὶ ἐπιγινώσκετε, ἐλπίζω δὲ ὅτι καὶ ἕως τέλους ἐπιγνώσεσθε·
14just as also you have understood us in part, that we are your boasting, as indeed you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.καθὼς καὶ ἐπέγνωτε ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ μέρους, ὅτι καύχημα ὑμῶν ἐσμεν, καθάπερ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἡμῶν, ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ.
15And in this confidence I intended to come to you earlier, that you might have a second benefit,Καὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πεποιθήσει ἐβουλόμην ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς τὸ πρότερον, ἵνα δευτέραν χάριν ἔχητε·
16and through you to pass into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be sent on to Judea.καὶ δι᾽ ὑμῶν διελθεῖν εἰς Μακεδονίαν, καὶ πάλιν ἀπὸ Μακεδονίας ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν προπεμφθῆναι εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν.
17Therefore, when I decided this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I decide, do I decide according to the flesh, that there may be with me “Yes, Yes,” and “No, No?”Τοῦτο οὖν βουλευόμενος, μήτι ἄρα τῇ ἐλαφρίᾳ ἐχρησάμην; Ἢ ἃ βουλεύομαι, κατὰ σάρκα βουλεύομαι, ἵνα ᾖ παρ᾽ ἐμοὶ τὸ Ναί, ναὶ καὶ τὸ Οὔ, οὔ;
18As surely as God is faithful, our word unto you was not “Yes and no.”Πιστὸς δὲ ὁ Θεός, ὅτι ὁ λόγος ἡμῶν ὁ πρὸς ὑμᾶς οὐκ ἐγένετο Ναὶ καὶ Οὔ.
19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not “Yes and no,” but in Him was “Yes.”Ὁ γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ υἱὸς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ὁ ἐν ὑμῖν δι᾽ ἡμῶν κηρυχθείς, δι᾽ ἐμοῦ καὶ Σιλουανοῦ καὶ Τιμοθέου, οὐκ ἐγένετο Ναὶ καὶ Οὔ, ἀλλὰ Ναὶ ἐν αὐτῷ γέγονεν.
20For all the promises of God in Him are “Yes,” and in Him “Amen,” to the glory of God through us.Ὅσαι γὰρ ἐπαγγελίαι Θεοῦ, ἐν αὐτῷ τὸ Ναί, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τὸ Ἀμήν, τῷ Θεῷ πρὸς δόξαν δι᾽ ἡμῶν.
21Now He who establishes us together with you in Christ and who has anointed us is God,Ὁ δὲ βεβαιῶν ἡμᾶς σὺν ὑμῖν εἰς Χριστόν, καὶ χρίσας ἡμᾶς, Θεός·
22who also has sealed us, and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.ὁ καὶ σφραγισάμενος ἡμᾶς, καὶ δοὺς τὸν ἀρραβῶνα τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν.
23Moreover I call upon God as a witness against my soul, that in order to spare you, I came no more to Corinth.Ἐγὼ δὲ μάρτυρα τὸν Θεὸν ἐπικαλοῦμαι ἐπὶ τὴν ἐμὴν ψυχήν, ὅτι φειδόμενος ὑμῶν οὐκέτι ἦλθον εἰς Κόρινθον.
24Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand.Οὐχ ὅτι κυριεύομεν ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως, ἀλλὰ συνεργοί ἐσμεν τῆς χαρᾶς ὑμῶν· τῇ γὰρ πίστει ἑστήκατε.
The Fathers on 2 Corinthians 1
Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On 2 Corinthians 1:1, 4Saint John ChrysostomPaul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the Church of God, which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in the whole of Achaia: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Fathe...
Read Homilies on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians →
On 2 Corinthians 1:6–7Saint John ChrysostomWhether we be afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation, which worketh in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: and our hope for you is steadfast.
Read Homilies on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians →
On 2 Corinthians 1:12Saint John ChrysostomFor our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and[471] sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world.
Read Homilies on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians →
On 2 Corinthians 1:23Open 2 Corinthians 1 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint John ChrysostomBut I call God for a witness upon my soul, that to spare you I forbare to come unto Corinth.
Read Homilies on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians →