2:14 But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession 6 in Christ 7 and who makes known 8 through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place.
5:11 Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, 19 we try to persuade 20 people, 21 but we are well known 22 to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too.
10:1 Now I, Paul, appeal to you 42 personally 43 by the meekness and gentleness 44 of Christ (I who am meek 45 when present among 46 you, but am full of courage 47 toward you when away!) –
10:12 For we would not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. 48
11:16 I say again, let no one think that I am a fool. 54 But if you do, then at least accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.
1 tn Or “are troubled.”
2 tn Grk “we ourselves had the sentence of death within ourselves.” Here ἀπόκριμα (apokrima) is being used figuratively; no actual official verdict had been given, but in light of all the difficulties that Paul and his colleagues had suffered, it seemed to them as though such an official verdict had been rendered against them (L&N 56.26).
3 tn Or “might not put confidence in ourselves.”
4 sn Silvanus is usually considered to be the same person as Silas (L&N 93.340).
5 tn Or “the love that I have in great measure for you.”
6 tn Or “who always causes us to triumph.”
7 tn Or “in the Messiah.”
8 tn Or “who reveals.”
9 tn The participle καπηλεύοντες (kaphleuonte") refers to those engaged in retail business, but with the negative connotations of deceptiveness and greed – “to peddle for profit,” “to huckster” (L&N 57.202). In the translation a noun form (“hucksters”) has been used in combination with the English verb “peddle…for profit” to convey the negative connotations of this term.
10 tn Or “in the presence of.”
11 tn Or “persons of pure motives.”
12 tn Grk “their minds were hardened.”
13 tn Grk “the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant”; the phrase “they hear” has been introduced (“when they hear the old covenant read”) to make the link with the “Israelites” (v. 13) whose minds were closed (v. 14a) more obvious to the reader.
14 tn Or “only in Christ is it eliminated.”
15 tn Grk “spirit of faith according to.”
16 sn A quotation from Ps 116:10.
17 sn See the note in 5:1 on the phrase the tent we live in.
18 tn Or “we are burdened.”
19 tn Or “because we know what it means to fear the Lord.”
20 tn The present tense of πείθομεν (peiqomen) has been translated as a conative present.
21 tn Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is generic here since clearly both men and women are in view (Paul did not attempt to win only men to the gospel he preached).
22 tn Or “clearly evident.” BDAG 1048 s.v. φανερόω 2.b.β has “θεῷ πεφανερώμεθα we are well known to God 2 Cor 5:11a, cp. 11b; 11:6 v.l.”
23 tn Because of the length and complexity of this Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the phrase “We were encouraged.”
24 tn Or “comfort,” “consolation.”
25 tn Grk “by the encouragement with which he was encouraged by you.” The passive construction was translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style, and the repeated word “encouraged” was replaced in the translation by “gave” to avoid redundancy in the translation.
26 tn Or “your grieving,” “your deep sorrow.”
27 tn Or “your zeal.”
28 tn Grk “were grieved” (so also twice later in the verse).
29 tn Grk “corresponding to God,” that is, corresponding to God’s will (κατὰ θεόν, kata qeon). The same phrase occurs in vv. 10 and 11.
30 tn Grk “so that you did not suffer loss.”
31 tn Grk “but in order that your eagerness on our behalf might be revealed to you.”
32 tn Grk “I have not been put to shame”; the words “by you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
33 tn Grk “just as we spoke everything to you in truth.”
34 tn The words “about you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
35 tn Grk “as you abound.”
36 tc The reading “the love from us that is in you” is very difficult in this context, for Paul is here enumerating the Corinthians’ attributes: How is it possible for them to excel “in the love from us that is in you”? Most likely, because of this difficulty, several early scribes, as well as most later ones (א C D F G Ψ [33] Ï lat), altered the text to read “your love for us” (so NIV; Grk ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐν ἡμῖν ἀγάπῃ [ex Jumwn en Jhmin agaph]). The reading ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐν ὑμῖν ἀγάπῃ (ex Jhmwn en Jumin agaph) is found, however, in excellent and early witnesses (Ì46 B 0243 6 104 630 1175 1739 1881 co). As the harder reading it explains the rise of the other reading. What, then, is the force of “in the love from us that is in you”? Most likely, Paul is commending the Corinthians for excelling in deriving some inspiration from the apostles’ love for them.
37 tn Grk “you abound.”
38 tn Grk “this grace.”
39 tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.
40 tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.
41 tn That is, ready with the collection for the saints.
42 tn The Greek pronoun (“you”) is plural.
43 tn The word “personally” is supplied to reflect the force of the Greek intensive pronoun αὐτός (autos) at the beginning of the verse.
44 tn Or “leniency and clemency.” D. Walker, “Paul’s Offer of Leniency of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:1): Populist Ideology and Rhetoric in a Pauline Letter Fragment (2 Cor 10:1-13:10)” (Ph.D. diss., University of Chicago, 1998), argues for this alternative translation for three main reasons: (1) When the two Greek nouns πραΰτης and ἐπιείκεια (prauth" and ejpieikeia) are used together, 90% of the time the nuance is “leniency and clemency.” (2) “Leniency and clemency” has a military connotation, which is precisely what appears in the following verses. (3) 2 Cor 10-13 speaks of Paul’s sparing use of his authority, which points to the nuance of “leniency and clemency.”
45 tn Or “who lack confidence.”
46 tn Or “when face to face with.”
47 tn Or “but bold.”
48 tn Or “they are unintelligent.”
49 tn Or “boast excessively.” The phrase εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα (ei" ta ametra) is an idiom; literally it means “into that which is not measured,” that is, a point on a scale that goes beyond what might be expected (L&N 78.27).
50 tn Or “in the labors.”
51 tn Grk “but we have the hope.”
52 tn Or “greatly enlarged.”
53 tn That is, Paul’s work might be greatly expanded within the area of activity assigned to him by God.
54 tn Or “am foolish.”
55 tn Or “my shame.”
56 sn It seems best, in context, to see the statement we were too weak for that as a parenthetical and ironic comment by Paul on his physical condition (weakness or sickness) while he was with the Corinthians (cf. 2 Cor 12:7-10; Gal 4:15).
57 tn The words “to boast about” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, and this phrase serves as the direct object of the preceding verb.
58 tn Grk “I also dare”; the words “to boast about the same thing” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, and this phrase serves as the direct object of the preceding verb.
59 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” because of the contrast implicit in the context.
60 tn Or “is sufficient.”
61 tc The majority of later
tn The pronoun “my” was supplied in the translation to clarify the sense of Paul’s expression.
62 tn Or “my power comes to full strength.”
63 tn “Most gladly,” a comparative form used with superlative meaning and translated as such.
64 tn Or “may rest on.”