2 Corinthians 1:3

Thanksgiving for God’s Comfort

1:3 Blessed is ¹  the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

2 Corinthians 5:6

5:6 Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth ²  we are absent from the Lord –

2 Corinthians 6:17

6:17 Therefore “come out from their midst, and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch no unclean thing, ³  and I will welcome ⁴  you, ⁵ 

2 Corinthians 8:5

8:5 And they did this not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

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¹ tn There is no verb in the Greek text; either the optative (“be”) or the indicative (“is”) can be supplied. The meaning of the term εὐλογητός (euloghtos) and the author’s intention at this point in the epistle must both come into play to determine which is the preferred nuance. εὐλογητός as an adjective can mean either that one is praised or that one is blessed, that is, in a place of favor and benefit. The meaning “blessed” would be more naturally paired with an indicative verb and would suggest that blessedness is an intrinsic part of God’s character. The meaning “praised” would be more naturally paired with an optative verb and would suggest that God ought to be praised. Pauline style in the epistles generally moves from statements to obligations, expressing the reality first and then the believer’s necessary response. When considered as a whole, although a decision is difficult, the general Pauline style of beginning with statements and moving to obligations argues for the indicative. Cf. also Eph 1:3; 1 Pet 1:3.

² tn Grk “we know that being at home in the body”; an idiom for being alive (L&N 23.91).

³ sn A quotation from Isa 52:11.

⁴ tn Or “will receive.”

⁵ sn A paraphrased quotation from Ezek 20:41.