(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
Greetings from Paul and Timothy
- Paul, an apostle of Jesus the Anointed through God’s will, and Timothy our brother: to the church of God living in Corinth, together with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia.1“Achaia” was a province of Rome which included most of Greece.
- Grace2“Grace” The Greek word here is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace” or “gift”. It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place. The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis). A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron. The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful”. Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation. A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons. The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met. Christian Grace and Faith is well picture by this system. The Heavenly Patron (God the Father) freely gave a gift (Jesus’ blood), and the clients who accept it (Christians) are expected to “be faithful” out of gratitude. to you and peace from God our Father and the Anointed Lord Jesus.
- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus the Anointed; the Father of all compassions3“compassions” could also be translated “mercies” and God of all comfort.
- He’s the One comforting us in all our tribulation, so we can comfort the men in every tribulation through the comfort that we ourselves are comforted by God,
- Because just as the sufferings of the Anointed overflow into us, likewise our comfort also overflows through the Anointed.
- But if we’re afflicted, it’s for your comfort and salvation. If we’re comforted, it’s for your comfort, working in the endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer.
- And our hope for you is unshakeable, *knowing that since you’re partakers in the sufferings, so also you’re partakers in the comfort.
- For brothers, we don’t want you to be ignorant of our affliction which happened in Asia; that we were burdened so excessively beyond our strength that we despaired even of life.
- But we *have the sentence of death in ourselves. So we aren’t *trusting in ourselves, but in God, the One raising the dead,
- who rescued us from so great a death, (and will rescue us) in whom we also still *hope that He will rescue us.
- And you’re joining in helping for our sake through prayer so thanks may be given for our sake by many people4“people” is literally “faces” for the grace given to us through many prayers.
- For our boast is this: the testimony of our conscience is that we acted in God’s purity and simplicity in the world – not in fleshly wisdom but with the grace of God – and more abundantly towards you.
- For we don’t write other things to you except what you already read or even understand, and I hope that you will understand until the end,
- just as you also understood us in part. So we’re boasting of you, just as you also will boast of us in the day of our Lord Jesus.
A Change of Travel Plans
- And with this confidence, I was previously intending to come to you so you might have grace a second time,
- and then to pass into Macedonia through you. And again from Macedonia to come to you, and to be sent by you into Judea.
- Therefore in resolving this, I didn’t then make light of it, did I? Or do I resolve what I resolve according to the flesh, so with me there’s both “definitely yes”5“definitely yes” is literally “Yes! Yes!” It’s a repetition of an affirmative that can have emphatic sense. It was here translated “definitely yes” to more accurately convey the parallelism and contrast with the follow statement (see following note). and “definitely no”?6“definitely no”. In Greek, this is a double negative (no, no) to add emphasis. Since English double negatives cancel each other out (instead of adding emphasis) the word “definitely” was added to keep the emphatic sense of the Greek.
- But God is faithful because our word to you isn’t both “Yes” and “No”.
- For the Son of God, Jesus the Anointed, the One who was proclaimed among you through us – through me, and Silvanus, and Timothy – wasn’t both “Yes” and “No”. But in Him it has become “Yes.”
- For as many as God’s promises are, the “Yes” is in Him. Therefore, the “Amen” is also through Him for the glory of God through us.
- But the One confirming us with you in the Anointed (and having anointed us) is God.
- He’s also the One who set His seal on us and gave us the down payment7“down payment” is literal. The Greek word here is imported from Hebrew and refers to “earnest money” given as a surety that the rest of the payment will be given. of the Spirit in our hearts.
- And I call God as a witness upon my soul that I didn’t come to Corinth yet in order to spare you.
- Not that we have authority over8“we have authority over” is one word in Greek. Often – and incorrectly – translated “lord it over”. It comes from “κύριος” (kurios), which is typically translated “Lord” (as in “the Lord Jesus”) and literally means “to be lord of” in the sense of “to have authority over”. There are Greek words which indicate oppressive authority which could be translated “lord it over”, but they aren’t used here. your faith, but we’re fellow workers for your joy, for you *stand firm in the faith.
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