Paul Greets the Corinthians (Acts 18:1–11; 1 Corinthians 1:1–3)
1 ULT Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, and to all the saints being in the whole of Achaia. BSB BSB: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:
2 ULT Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. BSB BSB: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The God of All Comfort 3 ULT Blessed{ be} the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, BSB BSB: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
4 ULT the one comforting us in all our affliction so that we are able to comfort the ones in every affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. BSB BSB: who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
5 ULT For just as the sufferings of Christ abound toward us, in the same way also our comfort abounds through Christ. BSB BSB: For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
6 ULT But if we are afflicted,{ it is} for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted,{ it is} for your comfort{ which} you are experiencing in endurance of the same sufferings that we ourselves also suffer. BSB BSB: If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which accomplishes in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we experience.
7 ULT And our hope concerning you{ is} firm, knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, in the same way, also of the comfort. BSB BSB: And our hope for you is sure, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you will share in our comfort.
8 ULT For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning the tribulation having happened to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our ability, so that we despaired even of life. BSB BSB: We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.
9 ULT Indeed, we ourselves have had within ourselves the sentence of death so that we would not be having become confident in ourselves, but in God, the one raising the dead, BSB BSB: Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead.
10 ULT who rescued us from so great a death, and he will rescue{ us}— on whom we have set our hope that he will rescue{ us} yet again, BSB BSB: He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,
11 ULT you also joining in helping in supplication on our behalf— so that thanks may be given on our behalf from many faces for the gracious gift to us through many. BSB BSB: as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the favor shown us in answer to their prayers.
Paul’s Change of Plans 12 ULT For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that we conducted ourselves in the world in holiness and sincerity of God, and not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. BSB BSB: For this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly wisdom, but in the grace of God.
13 ULT For we write no other{ things} to you but than what you read or also understand, but I hope that you will understand to the end— BSB BSB: For we do not write you anything that is beyond your ability to read and understand. And I hope that you will understand us completely,
14 ULT just as you also understood us in part— so that we are your boasting, just as you also{ are} ours, on the day of our Lord Jesus. BSB BSB: as you have already understood us in part, that you may boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of our Lord Jesus.
15 ULT And with this confidence, I was intending to come to you before so that you might have a second grace, BSB BSB: Confident of this, I planned to visit you first, so that you might receive a double blessing.
16 ULT and to pass through you into Macedonia and to come to you again from Macedonia and to be sent ahead to Judea by you. BSB BSB: I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to return to you from Macedonia, and then to have you help me on my way to Judea.
17 ULT Therefore, intending this, I did not then act in fickleness, did I? Or what I intend, do I intend according to the flesh, so that there would be with me“Yes, yes” and“No, no”? BSB BSB: When I planned this, did I do it carelessly? Or do I make my plans by human standards, so as to say “Yes, yes” and also “No, no”?
18 ULT But God{ is} faithful, so that our word to you is not“Yes” and“No.” BSB BSB: But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.”
19 ULT For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one having been proclaimed among you by us— by me and Silvanus and Timothy— was not“Yes” and“No,” but it has been“Yes” in him. BSB BSB: For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed among you by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in Him it has always been “Yes.”
20 ULT For as many as{ are} the promises of God,{ they are}“Yes” in him. Therefore, also through him the“Amen”{ is} through us to God for his glory. BSB BSB: For all the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him, our “Amen” is spoken to the glory of God.
21 ULT Now the one establishing us with you in Christ and having anointed us{ is} God, BSB BSB: Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us,
22 ULT the one also having sealed us and having given{ us} the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts. BSB BSB: placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.
23 ULT Now I invoke God as a witness upon my soul that sparing you, I have not yet come to Corinth. BSB BSB: I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.
24 ULT Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy, for you stand firm in the faith. BSB BSB: Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy, because it is by faith that you stand firm.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.