1 I am Paul. I am called by God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. My Christian brother Timothy and I send greetings to the church of God in the city of Corinth. We also send greetings to all of God's people in the country of Greece.
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you with their loving kindness and peace. Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is a very, very kind Father to us. He is a God who always comforts and helps people.
3 He helps us every time we have trouble. Then we are able to be strong and help other people every time they have trouble. We can do this with the same comfort that God gives us.
4 We have plenty of the same troubles that Christ had. But we also have plenty of comfort and help from him.
5 When we have trouble, it is for your sake so that you will be helped and saved. When we are comforted, this helps you. Then you will stand strong when you have the same troubles we have.
6 Our hope for you is strong. If you have the same trouble we have had, then you will also have the same comfort and help we have. This we know.
7 Brothers, we want you to know about the trouble we had in the country of Asia Minor. We were not strong enough to carry such a load of trouble. It was so heavy we thought we would die.
8 Yes, we really felt our time had come to die. This was to make us trust, not in ourselves, but in God. He brings people back to life.
9 He saved us from the death that was so near, and he still saves us. We believe that God will keep on saving us.
10 But you must help us also. You must talk to God about us. When many people ask God to help us, then many people will thank God for the way he has blessed us. ourselves. Our hearts tell us that we have lived the right way in the world, and even more so toward you. We have lived a clean and true life as God wants us to. We have not trusted in the wise things of men, but in the blessing of God.
11 We write you nothing but what you have been reading out to the people, and what you all know. I hope that you will really know what is right even to the end.
12 You already know something about us. I hope that you will come to know us fully. On the day when the Lord Jesus comes you will be proud of us. So too will we be proud of you.
13 Because I was sure of this, I wanted to visit you before. Then you would have had a double blessing.
14 I wanted to visit you and then go to Macedonia. I wanted to visit you again when I was on my way back from Macedonia. Then you would send me on my way to Judea.
15 That was what I wanted to do. Now then, did I act as if I did not know what I wanted? When I make my plans, do you think I make them like a man of this world? Do I say `Yes' when I mean to say `No'?
16 As surely as God is true, our message to you was not `Yes' and `No' at the same time.
17 Silvanus and Timothy and I told you about the Son of God, Jesus Christ. His word was not `Yes' and `No.' It was always `Yes.'
18 To the many promises God has made Christ can say `Yes'. He can make them all come true. So then, it is because of Christ that we can say, `Yes, it is so!' when we praise God.
19 It is God who makes us stand strong with you in Christ. God has chosen us and put his mark on us.
20 He has put his Spirit in our hearts. This is the first part of what we are to receive, and it proves that we will receive all God has promised.
21 Let God take my life if what I say is not true. I did not go to Corinth because I did not want to make you sad.
22 We do not rule over what you believe. But we work with you to make you glad. You are strong already by believing as you do.