2 Corinthians 1


2 Corinthians 1 is the first chapter of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It was sent by Paul the Apostle and Timothy to the Corinthian church around 55–56 CE.

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 24 verses. Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
  • Papyrus 46
  • Codex Vaticanus
  • Codex Sinaiticus
  • Codex Alexandrinus
  • Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus
  • Codex Freerianus
  • Codex Claromontanus.

    Greetings

Verse 1

Timothy's name is also associated with Paul's name in the Epistles to the Philippians, Colossians, both of those written to the Thessalonians, and in that to Philemon.
Protestant commentator Heinrich Meyer argues that "the saints who were in all Achaia" lived around the wider region but attached themselves to the Corinthian church, the "sole seat" of a church in the region. Hugo Grotius had argued in his Annotationes in Novum Testamentum that the letter was intended to be sent on to "the churches in Achaia". Meyer argues that Paul would have said "to the churches" rather than "to the saints" if that had been the case.

Preface or blessing (verses 3-11)

Themes of "affliction" and "comfort" are dominant in these verses.
Paul's introduction to his letter begins in with a thanksgiving to God the "father of mercies", a Jewish term frequently used in prayer. The plural generates a strong sense of God's many mercies alongside God's merciful nature; James uses a similar expression, the father of lights, in.

Sparing the Church (verses 12-24)

Paul outlines his aborted plans to travel to Corinth on his way to Macedonia, return to Corinth and then travel to Judea. The letter does not indicate where he is writing from, or would have been travelling from. Easton's Bible Dictionary suggests "it was probably written at Philippi, or, as some think, Thessalonica". Margaret MacDonald suggests that chapters 1-9 were composed in Macedonia.

Verse 20

  • "All the promises of God in Him are Yes" : the first 5 words may be rendered, "as many promises of God", and these promises are all "in" Christ, with and in whom they were made. Moreover, these promises are "in Him yea".
  • "And in Him Amen": that is, like Christ himself, who is "the amen, the true and faithful witness, the same today, yesterday, and for ever."
  • "The glory of God through us": When the promises are received "by us", the believers in Christ, the more glory is given to God. The Syriac version has the "Amen" in the last clause, reading: "therefore by him we give Amen to the glory of God".

    Verse 21

Verse 22

Cross reference: Ephesians 1:13
This verse is highlighted in the section heading which the New King James Version applies to verses 15-24.