2 Corinthians 6:4-10

6:4 But as God’s servants, ¹  we have commended ourselves in every way, ²  with great endurance, in persecutions, ³  in difficulties, in distresses, 6:5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, ⁴  in troubles, ⁵  in sleepless nights, in hunger, 6:6 by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by benevolence, by the Holy Spirit, ⁶  by genuine ⁷  love, 6:7 by truthful ⁸  teaching, ⁹  by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left, ¹⁰  6:8 through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise; regarded as impostors, ¹¹  and yet true; 6:9 as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet – see! – we continue to live; as those who are scourged ¹²  and yet not executed; 6:10 as sorrowful, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

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¹ tn Or “ministers.”

² tn Or “we have commended ourselves by all things.”

³ tn Or “in trouble and suffering.”

⁴ tn Or “rebellions” (uprisings in open defiance of civil authority).

⁵ tn Usually κόποις (kopois) has been translated as “labors” or “hard work,” but see Matt 26:10 where it means “trouble”; “distress” (L&N 22.7). In this context with so many other terms denoting suffering and difficulty, such a meaning is preferable.

⁶ tn Or “by holiness of spirit.”

⁷ tn Or “sincere.”

⁸ tn Grk “by the word of truth”; understanding ἀληθείας (alhqeias) as an attributive genitive (“truthful word”).

⁹ tn Or “speech.” In this context it is more likely that λόγος (logos) refers to Paul’s message (thus “teaching”) than to his speech in general.

¹⁰ tn The phrase “for the right hand and for the left” possibly refers to a combination of an offensive weapon (a sword for the right hand) and a defensive weapon (a shield for the left).

¹¹ tn Or “regarded as deceivers.”

¹² tn Grk “disciplined,” but in this context probably a reference to scourging prior to execution (yet the execution is not carried out).