1 Paul, *Eph. 1:1;Col. 1:1;1 Tim. 1:1;2 Tim. 1:1;Titus 1:1;[Rom. 1:1;Gal. 1:1] an apostle of Christ Jesus *See 1 Cor. 1:1by the will of God, and *See 1 Thess. 3:2Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is at Corinth, *Phil. 1:1;Col. 1:2with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:

2 *See Rom. 1:7Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 *Eph. 1:3;1 Pet. 1:3Blessed be the *See Rom. 15:6God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and *Rom. 15:5God of all comfort, 4 *[Isa. 51:12;66:13]who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in *[ch. 4:10;Phil. 3:10;Col. 1:24]Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.*1:5 Or For as the sufferings of Christ abound for us, so also our comfort abounds through Christ6 *2 Tim. 2:10;[ch. 4:15; 12:15;Eph. 3:13]If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you *See Rom. 8:17share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers,*1:8 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated "brothers") may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters of *Acts 19:23;1 Cor. 15:32the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us *Luke 18:9rely not on ourselves *Ps. 2:12;25:2;26:1but on God *ch. 4:14who raises the dead. 10 *See Rom. 15:31He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. *1 Tim. 4:10On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 *[Acts 12:5;Rom. 15:30;Phil. 1:19;Philem. 22] You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf *[ch. 4:15;9:11,12]for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

12 For our boast is this, *[1 Thess. 2:10]; See Acts 23:1the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity*1:12 Some manuscripts holiness and *ch. 2:17;4:2godly sincerity, *1 Cor. 2:4,13not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. 13 For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand— 14 just as you did *ch. 2:5partially understand us—that *See 1 Cor. 1:8on the day of our Lord Jesus *[ch. 5:12;9:3] you will boast of us as *1 Cor. 9:15;Phil. 2:16;4:1;1 Thess. 2:19,20we will boast of you.

15 Because I was sure of this, *See 1 Cor. 4:19I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have *[Acts 18:1-18] a second *[Rom. 1:11]experience of grace. 16 I wanted to visit you *Acts 19:21;[1 Cor. 16:5-7]on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. 17 Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans *ch. 10:2,3according to the flesh, ready to say "Yes, yes" and "No, no" at the same time? 18 As surely as *See 1 Cor. 1:9God is faithful, *[ch. 2:17]our word to you has not been Yes and No. 19 For *See Matt. 14:33the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, *Acts 15:22Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but *[Heb. 13:8]in him it is always Yes. 20 For *[Rom. 15:8;Heb. 10:23] all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our *[Rev. 3:14]; See 1 Cor. 14:16Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and *[1 John 2:20,27]has anointed us, 22 and who has also *Eph. 1:13;4:30put his seal on us and *ch. 5:5;Eph. 1:14;See Rom. 8:16given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.*1:22 Or down payment

23 But *[Gal. 1:20]; See Rom. 1:9I call God to witness against me—it was *ch. 2:1,3;See 1 Cor. 4:21to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. 24 Not that we *1 Pet. 5:3;[ch. 4:5;Matt. 23:8-10] lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm *Rom. 11:20;See 1 Cor. 15:1in your faith.