2nd Letter to the Corinthians

For authenticity, see the General Introduction, pp. 8-9. It is without reason that, in the 19th century, some spurious critics contested the unity of this letter and claimed that it was formed from two or three letters of Saint Paul, combined afterward into one. Their argument is that the tone is not the same throughout; but this reason is invalid, since the variety of tone stems from the diversity of the subjects treated.

1° The opportunity and the goal. — According to 2 Corinthians 2:13 (cf. 12:18), some time after addressing his first letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul sent his disciple from Ephesus to them. Tite, to realize the effect produced by his serious remonstrances. Tite was to meet him in Troas and bring him the eagerly awaited news of what was happening in Corinth. So the apostle set out for Troas. But as Tite He was slow to arrive, and he could not resist, as he himself said, the anxiety that gripped him; for he feared either that he had offended his dear neophytes, or that he would learn that the disorder had worsened. He then embarked for Macedonia.

His disciple finally joined him, and consoled him with the news, excellent in many respects, that he brought him from Corinth. Tite had been received with great affection; the reading of the letter had produced in most members of the community profound impressions of regret and sadness; they longed to see the beloved apostle again as soon as possible and to obtain his forgiveness (cf. 2 Corinthians 7:7ff.). The incestuous man, who had been treated with the severity required by Saint Paul, had repented and had shown great sorrow for his past conduct (cf. 2:6ff.). Nevertheless, all was not yet perfect in the Church of Corinth. Paul learned from his disciple that his bitter enemies, the Judaizers, had remained inflexible. Exasperated by the apostle's energy, they increasingly criticized his methods and even dared to challenge and attack his apostolic authority; They criticized him for his supposed fickleness (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:17 ff.), his harshness, and his pride. Furthermore, the collection for the poor The church in Jerusalem (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:1ff.) had not yet been sufficiently organized (see 2 Corinthians 8:1ff.). The details concerning the wickedness of the Judaizers went straight to Paul's heart, for they made him fear that the confidence of the Corinthian Christians might be lost to him, to their great detriment.

These pieces of news, both good and bad, were the occasion for the second letter to the Corinthians. Written under the influence of strong emotions, both sad and joyful, it is not surprising that it reflects them throughout: one feels the ardent soul of the apostle vibrate more than anywhere else.

The purpose of the letter is directly apparent from the circumstances of its origin. It would seem that the sacred writer himself intended to emphasize this, as stated in 13:10: “I am writing these things while I am away, so that when I come I may not have to use harshness, according to the authority the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.” With this second letter, he thus wished to impress the faithful in Corinth in such a way, to so completely restore the intimacy of their earlier relationship, that, with all coldness and awkwardness gone, he could work effectively for their good during the visit he was preparing to make. To this end, he gently and delicately sought to soften certain passages of his previous letter, revealing, before his friends whom he believed he had offended, the tenderness of his paternal affection. But, on the other hand, understanding that the Judaizers were relentless and unscrupulous adversaries whose audacious schemes would ultimately ruin his reputation and authority as an apostle, he openly exposed them and offered a full-fledged defense of his conduct, a true plea for his own cause, not only in the interest of his own dignity, but also of the Christianity, which would have perished forever, if the error of the Judaizers had prevailed (see Acts of the Apostles 15, 1 and the commentary).

2° The subject and the division. From what has been said above, it follows that the theme addressed in the Second Letter to the Corinthians is largely personal: Paul defends himself as a preacher of the gospel; he justifies his rights to the apostleship. Anything not directly related to this subject is incidental or introduced as a digression. This is the case for chapters 8 and 9, which speak at some length about the collection already mentioned in the First Letter (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:1-4). 

Therefore, we will not find here dogmatic passages, as in the letters to the Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, etc., nor moral and practical passages, as in the first letter to the Corinthians. In its place, as has been very aptly stated, we will find in this writing the very heart of Saint Paul, while also reading very interesting details about his external and spiritual life (see 11:22-23; 12:1-10).

Although Saint Paul had received excellent news from Corinth when he composed it, he was so deeply affected by the distressing messages he had received concerning the Judaizers and their despicable actions that sadness pervades almost the entire letter. “If hope is the dominant note in the letters to the Thessalonians, joy the dominant note of the letter to the Philippinesfaith, that of the letter to the Romans, celestial things, that of the Letter to the EphesiansAffliction is the predominant feeling in the second letter to the Corinthians. The words θλίψις, "tribulatio", and θλίϐομαι, "tribulor", appear frequently.

A detailed analysis of this letter is rather difficult, so frequent and rapid is the shifting of ideas; but the general division is quite clear. After the usual epistolary introduction (1:1-11), we find three distinct parts. 1. Saint Paul first presents an apologetic account of his character and conduct as an apostle (1:12-7:16); this account is accompanied by heartfelt exhortations and notes relating to the impression made by the first letter in the Church of Corinth. 2. The second part contains what would be called in the 19th century a sermon on charity (8:1-9:15); it urges the Corinthians to set aside generous alms for Christians the poor of Jerusalem, and describes to them the benefits of such generosity. 3. The third part (10:1–12:18) is personal like the first, but with this difference: it is primarily polemical. Paul vigorously defends his apostolic rights in the face of his disloyal adversaries. Brief warnings and the usual greetings serve as a conclusion (12:19–13:13).

3° The place and time of composition are easy to determine. When the apostle wrote this letter, he was no longer in Ephesus as he had been at the time of his first letter to the Corinthians, but had already reached Macedonia, after a stay of uncertain duration in Troas (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:12-13). It was while he was residing in Macedonia that he composed it; perhaps in Philippi, as some ancient manuscripts suggest. The date is roughly the same as for the previous letter. The latter most likely dates from the spring of 57 AD; ours was written a few months later, around the beginning or middle of summer. This result can be obtained by a very simple calculation: Paul sends Tite from Ephesus to Corinth to get news, and goes himself to wait for him at Troas; or Tite It certainly took him more than two months to go to Corinth, return, and then go and join his master, who had left for Macedonia during that time. 

2 Corinthians 1

¹ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy his brother, to the church of God which is in Corinth and to all the saints who are throughout Achaea: ² Grace and peace be given to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ³ Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our tribulations, so that, through the comfort we ourselves receive from him, we may comfort others in all their afflictions ⁵ For just as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so also through Christ our consolation abounds. ⁶ If we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and for your salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your consolation, which makes you bear with patience the same sufferings that we also endure. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that, as you share in our sufferings, you also share in our comfort. ⁸ Indeed, we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the tribulation that came upon us in Asia. We were so overwhelmed beyond measure, beyond our strength, that we despaired even of life itself., ⁹ But we had in ourselves the decree of our death, so that we might not put our trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ It is he who delivered us from this imminent death, who delivers us from it, and who, we hope, will deliver us in the future., ¹¹ especially if you yourselves also assist us with your prayers, so that this benefit, being granted to us in consideration of many people, may also be for a great number the occasion to give thanks on our behalf. ¹² For our glory is this testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with sincerity and godly honesty, not with earthly wisdom, but with the grace of God. ¹³ We are not writing you anything other than what you read and what you know well, and what I hope you will recognize until the end., ¹⁴ as some of you know us, that we are your glory, just as you will also be ours on the day of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁵ In this spirit of persuasion, I had proposed to go to you first, so that you might receive a double blessing: ¹⁶ I wanted to pass through your country on my way to Macedonia, then return from Macedonia to your country and you would have accompanied me to Judea. ¹⁷ Did I act lightly in forming this plan? Or do I make plans according to my flesh, so that there is both yes and no within me? ¹⁸ As surely as God is faithful, the word that we have spoken to you is not yes and no. ¹⁹ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we preached among you, Silvanus, Timothy and I, was not yes and no, but only yes in him. ²⁰ For as far as there are promises from God, they are yes in Jesus; therefore also, through him, the amen is spoken, to the glory of God, through our ministry. ²¹ And it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ and who anointed us., ²² who also sealed us and gave us the Holy Spirit in our hearts as a deposit. ²³ For my part, I call God to witness on my soul that it was to spare you that I did not go back to Corinth., ²⁴ Not that we claim to have dominion over your faith, but we work for your joy, because in the faith you stand firm.

2 Corinthians 2

¹ So I promised myself that I wouldn't return to your house in sadness. ² For if I myself cause you sorrow, from whom can I expect... joy Isn't this the very one I would have wronged? ³ I wrote to you as I did so, so as not to experience, upon my arrival, the sadness of those who were supposed to give me joy, having in all of you this confidence, that you all rejoice in mine. ⁴ For it was out of great affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears that I wrote to you, not to grieve you, but to make known to you the love that I have for you. ⁵ If anyone has been a cause of sadness, it is not me he has saddened, but all of you in a way, so as not to burden him too much. ⁶ This man has suffered enough punishment at the hands of the majority., ⁷ so that you should rather show him mercy and console him, lest he be consumed by excessive sadness. ⁸ I therefore urge you to make a charitable decision towards him. ⁹ For, in writing to you, my goal was also to find out, through testing, whether you would obey me in all things. ¹⁰ Whom you forgive, I also forgive, for if I have forgiven, if indeed I forgive anything, it is for your sake and in the sight of Christ., ¹¹ so that we do not give Satan an advantage over us, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. ¹² When I arrived in Troas for the gospel of Christ, although a door was opened to me there in the Lord, ¹³ My mind was not at peace, because I could not find it there. Tite, my brother, that is why, having taken leave of the brothers, I departed for Macedonia. ¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who leads us in triumph at all times in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. ¹⁵ Indeed, we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: ¹⁶ To some, it's the smell of death, which brings death; to others, the smell of life, which brings life. And who is capable of such a ministry? ¹⁷ For we are not like most, we do not adulterate the word of God, but in Christ Jesus we proclaim it in its purity, as it comes from God.

2 Corinthians 3

¹ Are we starting to recommend ourselves again? Or do we, like some, need letters of recommendation from you or from you? ² You yourselves are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men. ³ Yes, evidently you are a letter from Christ, written by our ministry, not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of flesh, on your hearts. ⁴ This assurance we have through Christ, for the sake of God. ⁵ It is not that we are capable of conceiving something as coming from ourselves, but our ability comes from God. ⁶ It is he who has also made us capable of being ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the spirit, for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. ⁷ Now, if the ministry of death, engraved in letters on stone, was surrounded by such glory that the children of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the radiance of his countenance, however fleeting it was, ⁸ How much more will the ministry of the spirit be surrounded by glory? ⁹ Indeed, while the ministry of condemnation has been glorious, the ministry that confers justice far surpasses it. ¹⁰ And even in this respect, what was once glorified has not been so, in comparison with this infinitely superior glory. ¹¹ For if what was temporary was given in glory, how much more will what is permanent be glorious. ¹² Having such a hope, we exercise great freedom, ¹³ and we do not act like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel would not see the end of what was passing away. ¹⁴ But their minds were blinded. For to this day, when they read the Old Testament, the same veil remains unremoved, because it is in Christ that it is lifted. ¹⁵ Even today, when we read Moses, a veil is spread over their hearts., ¹⁶ But as soon as their hearts turn to the Lord, the veil will be removed. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ For all of us, with unveiled face, reflecting as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, becoming ever more radiant, as from the Lord who is spirit.

2 Corinthians 4

¹ That is why, invested with this ministry according to mercy that which has been done to us, we do not lose courage. ² We have put away from us shameful things which are done in secret, not walking in craftiness nor distorting the word of God, but, by manifesting the truth freely, we commend ourselves to the conscience of all men in the sight of God. ³If our Gospel is still veiled, it is for those who are lost that it remains veiled., ⁴ for those unbelievers whose minds the god of this age has blinded, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel, in which shines the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord. We call ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the one who has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. ⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that it may appear that this supreme power of the gospel comes from God and not from us. ⁸ We are oppressed in every way, but not crushed; distressed, but not in despair., ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; defeated, but not lost, ¹⁰ always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹² Thus death acts within us and life within you. ¹³ Animated by the same Spirit of faith, according to what is written: «I believed, therefore I spoke,» we also believe and therefore we speak, ¹⁴ knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. ¹⁵ For all this is done for your sake, so that the grace that is poured out to the greatest number may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. ¹⁶ That is why we do not lose heart; on the contrary, even though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary affliction is achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs it., ¹⁸ Our eyes are not fixed on the things that are seen, but on the things that are invisible; for the things that are seen are only temporary, but the things that are invisible are eternal.

2 Corinthians 5

¹ For we know that if this earthly tent is destroyed, we have a house from God, an eternal house not made with hands, in heaven. ² Therefore we groan in this tent, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, ³ that is, if we are found clothed and not naked. ⁴ For as long as we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not want to take off our garment, but to put on the other over it, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ And the one who has formed us for this is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit. ⁶ Therefore, being always full of confidence, and knowing that as long as we dwell in this body, we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for we walk by faith and not by sight, ⁸ In this assurance, we would prefer to depart from this body and dwell with the Lord. ⁹ That is also why we strive to please God, whether we remain in the body or leave it. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due for what we have done while in the body, whether good or evil. ¹¹ Therefore, being filled with the fear of the Lord, we seek to convince men, but as for God, he knows us intimately, and I hope that in your consciences you know us as well. ¹² For we do not come to commend ourselves to you again, but to provide you with an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may answer those who boast of outward appearances and not of what is in the heart. ¹³ Indeed, if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are reasonable, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ compels us, convinced as we are that if one died for all, then all died., ¹⁵ and that he died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose again for them. ¹⁶ Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh; and though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, whoever is in Christ Jesus is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this comes from God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. ¹⁹ For God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them, and putting on our lips the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, we are Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you for Christ’s sake: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 6

¹ Therefore, as his co-workers we urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ² For he says, «In the time of favor I heard you, in the day of salvation I helped you.» Now is the time of favor, now is the day of salvation. ³ We do not give cause for scandal in any way, so that our ministry will not be an object of blame. ⁴ But we commend ourselves in every way, as servants of God, by great endurance, in tribulations, in necessities, in distresses, ⁵ under blows, in prisons, through riots, in labor, vigils, and fasts, ⁶ through purity, through knowledge, through forbearance, through kindness, through the Holy Spirit, through sincere charity, ⁷ through the word of truth, through the power of God, through the offensive and defensive weapons of righteousness, ⁸ Amidst honor and ignominy, bad reputation and good reputation, branded as imposters yet truthful, unknown yet well-known, ⁹ regarded as dying, yet behold, we live; as punished, yet we are not put to death, ¹⁰ as sorrowful, we who are always joyful; as poor, we who make many rich; as having nothing, we who possess everything. ¹¹ Our mouth has been opened to you, O Corinthians, our heart has been enlarged. ¹² You are not cramped in our bowels, but yours have shrunk. ¹³ Return the favor, I speak to you as to my children, you too, open your hearts. ¹⁴ Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with wickedness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? ¹⁵ What agreement is there between Christ and Belial? Or what share does the believer have with the unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God, as God himself has said: «I will dwell among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.» ¹⁷ «Therefore come out from among them and separate yourselves, says the Lord, do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you. ¹⁸»I will be a father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me,” says the Lord Almighty.»

2 Corinthians 7

¹ Therefore, since we have these promises, beloved, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, and let us complete the work of holiness in the fear of God. ² Receive us. We have harmed no one, we have ruined no one, we have exploited no one. ³ I do not say this to condemn you, for I have just said: you are in our hearts in life and in death. ⁴ I speak to you frankly, I have great reason to boast about you, I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in the midst of all our tribulations. ⁵ For, since our arrival in Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, we were afflicted in every way: outside with fighting, inside with fears. ⁶ But God, who comforts the humble, has comforted us through the arrival of Tite, ⁷ not only by his arrival, but also by the consolation that Tite He himself had felt it about you: he told us about your ardent desire, your tears, your jealous love for me, so that my joy was greater. ⁸ Thus, although I saddened you with my letter, I no longer regret it, even though I regretted it at first, for I see that this letter saddened you, if only for a moment, ⁹ I rejoice now, not because you were saddened, but because your sadness led you to repentance, for you were grieved in a godly way, so that you might not suffer harm from us. ¹⁰ Indeed, godly sorrow produces a salutary repentance, which is never regretted, whereas worldly sorrow produces death. ¹¹ And what eagerness this godly sorrow has produced in you! What am I saying? What self-justification, what indignation, what fear, what ardent desire, what zeal, what severity! You have shown in every respect that you are innocent in this matter. ¹² Therefore, if I have written to you, it is not because of the one who did the wrong, nor because of the one who received it, but so that your devotion to us may be displayed among you before God. ¹³ This is what comforted us. But to this comfort was added a much greater joy, the joy that we experienced joy of Tite, whose mind you have calmed. ¹⁴ And if I boasted a little about you in his presence, I was not ashamed, but just as we have always spoken to you according to the truth, so too the praise I gave of you to Tite turned out to be the truth. ¹⁵ His heart feels a renewed affection for you, remembering your obedience to all, the fear, the trembling with which you welcomed him. ¹⁶ I am happy to be able to count on you in all things.

2 Corinthians 8

¹ We want you to know, brothers, about the grace God has given to the faithful of the churches in Macedonia. ² In the midst of many tribulations that tested them, their joy was full and their profound poverty produced the abundant bounty of their simplicity. ³ I attest that they gave voluntarily according to their means and even beyond their means., ⁴ asking us earnestly for the grace to take part in this ministry in favor of the saints. ⁵ And not only did they fulfill our hope, but they gave themselves, first to the Lord, and then to us, under the impulse of God. ⁶ So we prayed Tite to also go to your home to complete this work of charity, as he had begun it. ⁷ Just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in your affection for us—see that you also excel in this act of grace. ⁸ I am not saying this to give an order, but I am taking advantage of the zeal of others to also test the sincerity of your own charity. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through him might become rich. poverty. ¹⁰ This is an opinion I give here, because you need nothing else, you who were the first to begin last year not only to execute, but also to formulate the plan. ¹¹ Now therefore complete the work itself, so that the execution according to your means may correspond in you to the eagerness of the will. ¹² When goodwill exists, it is pleasant, based on what one has and not on what one does not have. ¹³ For there should not be relief for others and distress for you, but equality: ¹⁴ In the present circumstances, your surplus supplies what they lack, so that likewise their surplus may provide for your needs, so that there may be equality., ¹⁵ as it is written: "He who gathered much had nothing in excess, and he who gathered little lacked nothing."« ¹⁶ Thanks be to God that he has put the same zeal for you in the heart of Tite, ¹⁷ Not only has he welcomed our prayer, but he is now showing himself to be more eager and is going to you of his own free will. ¹⁸ We are sending with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his preaching of the Gospel, ¹⁹ and who, moreover, has been designated by the vote of the Churches to be our traveling companion in this work of charity which we are carrying out to the glory of the Lord himself and as proof of our good will. ²⁰ We are taking this measure so that no one can blame us for this abundant collection to which we are dedicating our care., ²¹ because we are concerned about what is right, not only in the eyes of God, but also in the eyes of men. ²² With them we are also sending our brother, whose zeal we have often experienced on many occasions and who shows even more this time because of his great confidence in you. ²³ Thus, for TiteHe is my companion and fellow worker among you, and as for our brothers, they are the messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. ²⁴ Therefore, give them, in the presence of the churches, proofs of your charity and do not deny the just pride that we have shown them concerning you.

2 Corinthians 9

¹ As for the assistance intended for the saints, it is superfluous to write to you about it, ²For I know your good will, and I boast about it to the Macedonians, telling them that Achaia was ready last year. Your example of zeal has stirred many to action. ³ However, I have sent you the brothers so that the praise I have given you may not be contradicted on this point and that you may be ready, as I said you would be. ⁴ Be careful: if Macedonians came with me and did not find you ready, what confusion for me, not to mention for you, in such confidence. ⁵ Therefore, I thought it necessary to ask our brothers to go ahead to you and to organize in time your already promised gift, so that it would be ready, but as an act of generosity and not as a petty act. ⁶ I tell you, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for "God loves a cheerful giver."« ⁸ He is able to fill you with all grace, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you may abound in every good work., ⁹ as it is written: "He has given generously to the poor, and his righteousness endures forever."« ¹⁰ He who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will also provide seed for you and multiply it, and he will make the fruits of your righteousness grow., ¹¹ and you will be enriched in every way, so that you may give from a sincere heart what we have gathered together will result in thanksgiving to God. ¹² For the distribution of this liberality not only abundantly supplies the needs of the saints, but it is also a rich source of many thanksgivings to God. ¹³ Because of the proven virtue that this offering shows in you, they glorify God for your obedience in the profession of the Gospel of Christ and for the simplicity with which you share your gifts with them and with everyone. ¹⁴ They also pray for you, loving you tenderly, because of the surpassing grace that God has placed in you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his ineffable gift.

2 Corinthians 10

¹ I, Paul, invite you by gentleness And kindness of Christ, I, "who appear humble when I am with you, but bold with you when I am absent." ² I beg you, do not have to use this boldness when I am present, with the assurance I intend to show against certain people who imagine that we walk according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons we fight with are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. We demolish arguments. ⁵ and everything that arrogantly sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we subject every thought to the obedience of Christ. ⁶ We are also prepared to punish any disobedience, when, on your side, your obedience is complete. ⁷ You look at things according to their appearance. Well, if anyone is persuaded that he belongs to Christ, let him also say of himself, that if he belongs to Christ, we also belong to him. ⁸ Even if I were to boast a little more about the authority the Lord has given me for your building up and not for your destruction, I would not be ashamed., ⁹ so as not to appear to want to intimidate you with my letters. ¹⁰ For "his letters, it is said, are severe and strong, but when he is present, he is a weak man and his word is contemptible."« ¹¹ Let him who speaks in this way understand that as we are from afar in words in our letters, so we are in reality before you. ¹² We do not have the audacity to equal or compare ourselves to certain people who recommend themselves. But, by measuring themselves by their own measure and comparing themselves to themselves, they lack intelligence. ¹³ For our part, we do not boast beyond measure, but according to the measure of the field of action that God has assigned us, to bring us to you: ¹⁴ for we do not overstep our bounds, as if we had not come to you, and we have actually come to you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ We do not boast excessively about the works of others, and we hope that, as your faith grows, we ourselves will increase more and more among you, following the limits assigned to us, ¹⁶ so as to preach the Gospel in countries beyond your own, without entering into the sharing of others, to glorify ourselves in the works done by others. ¹⁷ However, "let him who boasts boast in the Lord."« ¹⁸ For it is not he who commends himself who is a tested man, but he whom the Lord commends.

2 Corinthians 11

¹ Oh, if you could tolerate a little bit of madness from me. But yes, you do tolerate me. ² I have conceived for you a godly jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. ³ But I fear that, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, so your thoughts may become corrupted and lose their simplicity regarding Christ. ⁴ For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the one we preached to you, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. ⁵ Certainly, I believe that I am in no way inferior to these apostles par excellence. ⁶ If I am a stranger to the art of speech, I am not a stranger to knowledge; in every respect and in everything, we have shown this to you. ⁷ Or did I commit a fault, because by humbling myself to exalt you, I proclaimed to you the gospel of God free of charge? ⁸ I robbed other churches, receiving a wage from them, in order to serve you. ⁹ Although I was among you in need, I was not a burden to anyone; brothers from Macedonia supplied what I lacked. I have been careful not to be a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to be so. ¹⁰ As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, I protest that this glory will not be taken from me in the regions of Achaia. ¹¹ Why? Because I don't love you? Ah, God knows. ¹² But what I am doing, I will do again, to remove this pretext from those who seek one, so that they may be recognized as being like us in the conduct of which they boast. ¹³ These people are false apostles, cunning workers, who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And do not be surprised, for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is therefore not surprising that his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of justice. Their end will be according to their deeds. ¹⁶ I repeat, let no one look upon me as a fool, if not, accept me as such, so that I too may glorify myself a little. ¹⁷ What I am about to say, with this confidence of having cause to boast, I do not say according to the Lord, but as if I were in a state of madness. ¹⁸ Since so many people boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. ¹⁹ And you who are sensible, you readily tolerate the foolish. ²⁰ You tolerate being enslaved, being devoured, being plundered, being treated arrogantly, being struck in the face. ²¹ I say it to my shame, we were indeed weak. However, whatever one dares to boast about, I speak like a fool, I too dare to do so. ²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they ministers of Christ? Ah, I will speak like a man out of his mind: I am more so than they: far more than they in labors, far more in beatings, infinitely more in imprisonments; often I have seen death up close, ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes minus one., ²⁵ Three times I was beaten, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a day and a night in the abyss. ²⁶ And my countless journeys, the perils on the rivers, the perils from the robbers, the perils from my own people, the perils from the pagans, the perils in the cities, the perils in the deserts, the perils at sea, the perils from false brothers, ²⁷ the labors and hardships, the many vigils, hunger, thirst, repeated fasting, cold, nakedness. ²⁸ And without mentioning so many other things, shall I remind you of my daily concerns, the solicitude of all the Churches? ²⁹ Who is weak that I am not also weak? Who falls without being consumed by fire? ³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of my weakness. ³¹ God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. ³² In Damascus, the ethnarch of King Aretas had the city guarded in order to seize me., ³³ but I was lowered through a window, in a basket, along the wall and thus I escaped from his hands.

2 Corinthians 12

¹ Should we boast? That is not useful; I will nevertheless come to visions and revelations of the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know—God knows. ³ And I know that this man, whether it was in his body or out of his body, I do not know, God knows, ⁴ was taken up to paradise and heard ineffable words which no man is permitted to reveal. ⁵ It is for this man that I will boast, but as for myself, I will boast only of my weaknesses. ⁶ Certainly, if I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth, but I refrain from doing so so that no one may think of me more highly than what they see in me or hear from me. ⁷ And lest the surpassing greatness of these revelations should make me conceited, a thorn was given me in my flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, lest I should become conceited. ⁸ Concerning him, I prayed to the Lord three times to take him away from me, ⁹ And he said to me, «My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.» Therefore I gladly boast about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may dwell in me. ¹⁰ That is why I take pleasure in weaknesses, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong. ¹¹ I have just acted foolishly; you forced me to. It was incumbent upon you to commend me, for I have not been inferior in the least to those who are the Apostles, though I am nothing. ¹² The signs of my apostleship were performed among you by all perseverance, by signs, wonders, and miracles. ¹³ What do you have to envy in other churches, except that I have not been a burden to you? Forgive me for this wrong. ¹⁴ This is the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you, for it is not your possessions I seek, but you yourselves. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. ¹⁵ For my part, I will gladly spend and give myself entirely for your souls, even if, by loving you more, I am loved less by you. ¹⁶ Either I have not been a burden to you, but, being a cunning man, I have used artifice to surprise you. ¹⁷ Have I, then, obtained any benefit from you through any of those whom I sent to you? ¹⁸ I hired Tite to go to your house, and with him I sent the brother you know: Tite Did he exploit you? Didn't we walk in the same spirit, follow the same path? ¹⁹ You still believe that we are justifying ourselves to you. It is before God, in Christ, that we speak, and all this, beloved, we say for your edification. ²⁰ My fear is that upon my arrival I will not find you as I would like, and that consequently you will find me as you would not like. I fear finding among you quarrels, rivalries, animosity, disputes, slander, false reports, arrogance, and disturbances. ²¹ I fear that when I return to you, my God will again humble me before you, and I will have to weep over many sinners who have not repented of the impurity, fornication, and debauchery they have committed.

2 Corinthians 13

¹ This is now the third time I've come to your house. "Every case will be decided on the testimony of two or three witnesses."« ² I have already said it and I repeat it in advance, today, as when I am absent, as when I was present the second time, I declare to those who have already sinned and to all others that, if I return to you, I will show no leniency, ³ since you are looking for proof that Christ speaks through me, who is not weak toward you, but remains powerful among you. ⁴ For though he was crucified because of his weakness, he lives by the power of God; and we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God, to punish among you. ⁵ Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless, perhaps, you are not yet tested Christians. ⁶ But I hope you will recognize that we are suffering. ⁷ However, we pray to God that you will do nothing wrong, not so that we ourselves may appear to be tempted, but so that you may do what is right, even if we should appear to be untempered. ⁸ For we have no power against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹ It is a joy for us when we are weak and you are strong, and indeed, that is what we ask in our prayers, that you may be perfected. ¹⁰ That is why I am writing these things to you while I am away from you, so that when I come to you I will not have to use harsh treatment, according to the authority the Lord has given me to build up and not to tear down. ¹¹ Furthermore, my brothers, be in joy, make perfect, console one another, have the same feeling, live in peace and the God of love and peace will be with you. ¹² Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints They greet you. 13 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Notes on the Second Letter to the Corinthians

1.1 To all the saints that is to say, to all Christians. See. Acts of the Apostles, 9, 13. ― Throughout Achaea. In the time of Saint Paul, Achaea was the name of the Roman province which included all of Greece, with the exception of Thessaly.

1.3 See Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3.

1.8 In Asia, in Proconsular Asia. See Acts of the Apostles, 16, 6.

1.16 In Macedonia. See Acts of the Apostles, 16, 9. ― In Judea. Judea properly refers to southern Palestine, of which Jerusalem was the principal city, excluding Samaria and Galilee.

1.17 Did I form this plan lightly? Am I fickle? According to the flesh, according to the inspirations, not of the Holy Spirit, but of the carnal man (see Galatians, 5, verse 16 and following).

1.19 Silvain, the Silas of the Acts. See Acts of the Apostles, 15, 22.

1.20 Since in Jesus Christ there is only pure truth, and the perfect fulfillment of God's promises, we must loudly proclaim to God Amen, that's to say, That is true. ; Your promises have been perfectly fulfilled. ; This is a source of glory for us, because it is by virtue of this accomplishment that we have been redeemed.

2.5 If someone has been a cause of sadness, the incestuous (see 1 Corinthians, 5, 1-2). ― It wasn't me he saddened., because I was also comforted by the consideration that the majority of you had remained steadfast in faith and virtue. — It is as if the Apostle were saying: I would certainly not burden all of you with the sin of one.

2.10 The Apostle here grants forgiveness in the name and by the authority of Jesus Christ to the incestuous man of Corinth, whom he had subjected to penance. This forgiveness consisted of the remission of part of the temporal punishment due to his sin.

2.12 Troas. See Acts of the Apostles, 16, 8.

2.13 TiteThe pagan convert, to whom the letter bearing his name is addressed, may have carried to Corinth, along with another disciple, the first letter of Saint Paul addressed to that Church. It is certain in any case that Saint Paul sent Tite in Corinth at the end of his stay in Ephesus, to collect alms for the faithful in Jerusalem and to assess the effect of his first letter. We learn here that Saint Paul, not having found Tite at Troas, went to Macedonia. There he met him, and was delighted by the news that Tite gave him some Corinthians and sent him back to that city with his second letter to collect alms again, as we read further on, see 2 Corinthians, 7, vv. 6-7, 13; 8, vv. 6, 16-18, 23-24.

3.3 Not on stone tables. The Decalogue had been engraved on stone tablets in Sinai.

3.4 we have it through Christ for the sake of God, taking into account God, the source of all good, which he gives us through Jesus Christ. This assurance, expressed in the two preceding verses, Paul does not derive from himself. He does not attribute the success of his apostolic work to his own strength, but to God alone, who enabled him to’to be a minister in a new alliance (verse 6), so superior to the old one.

3.6 The letter misunderstood and taken without spirit. ― Besides the death penalty that the law inflicts, it also kills, in that it makes known the sin, without giving the strength to avoid it.

3.13 See Exodus 34:33.

3.16 Israel is expressly named in v. 13.

3.17 See John 4:24. «"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is also freedom". Love Liberty, says Fénelon, is one of the most dangerous passions of the human heart; and like all passions, it deceives those who follow it, and instead of true freedom, it leads them to the harshest and most shameful slavery. We believe ourselves to be free when we depend only on ourselves. Foolish error! Is there any state in which we are not dependent on as many masters as there are people with whom we have relationships? Is there any in which we are not even more dependent on the whims of others than on our own? All the commerce of life is nothing but constraint, through the captivity of propriety and the necessity of pleasing others. Moreover, our passions are worse than the cruellest tyrants. O my God, preserve me from this fatal slavery, which human insolence is not ashamed to call liberty. It is in You alone that we are free. »

4.2 Saint Paul makes known and highlights the ministry he received from God, in order to combat more successfully the false apostles who sought to destroy his authority and the fruits of his preaching.

4.6 From the glory of God, a radiant imprint on the face of Christ Jesus.

4.7 So that the greatness and glory of our ministry may be attributed to God, and not at all to ourselves.

4.10 The death of Jesus (cf. Romans 4:19), same meaning as the sufferings of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 1:5): exposed, in preaching the Gospel, to the same death that Jesus suffered. so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies: so that May our deliverance and preservation be like a manifestation of the life of the risen Jesus. Others: Just as our sufferings draw us into the death of Jesus, so too our victory makes us sharers in his resurrection and glorious life. 

4.13 See Psalm 115:1.

5.3 See Revelation 16:15.

5.4 Because we do not specifically desire to be stripped of our bodies by death, but because we wish to put on such glory over this body that all that is mortal in us is absorbed by immortality.

5.10 See Romans 14:10. — That is, what is due to him for the good or evil he did while he was in his body.

5.12 Those who take pride, etc.; that is to say, outside, in relation to others, but not within themselves, in themselves. Or, assuming a kind of ellipsis common to sacred writers: They place their glory in outward appearances, not in what is in the heart.

5.14-15 Love that Jesus Christ demonstrated to us by dying in our place, we press to have in mind nothing but God and you. ― All must to regard themselves as dead in him, and to realize in themselves this death of Christ, by uniting themselves to him through faith and love. ― Who live of the life of grace. For the thought, cf. Romans 14:7 and following.

5.17 See Isaiah 43:19; Revelation 21:5.

5.21 He made him sin for us. That is to say, he treated it as if it were sin itself. Kindness Even God should lead us to be reconciled with him. Jesus Christ, who was without sin, God made sin personified, treating him as the only sinner, in order to destroy sin through his death. God's Justice ; that is, righteous of God, recognized as righteous by God. Compare, for the grammatical expression, to 2 Corinthians, 3, 9; and, for the meaning of the Apostle's thought, to Romans, 3, verse 21 and following; 4, verse 6 and following.

6.2 See Isaiah 49:8.

6.3 See 1 Corinthians 10:32. — This verse is obviously linked to the first, whose meaning it continues. Thus, the second should be considered as a parenthesis.

6.4 See 1 Corinthians, 4, 1.

6.9 Punished"By God," said his opponents; Paul, by humilityHe doesn't deny it outright, he only responds, but no put to death.

6.10 let's enrich a large number of spiritual goods. ― we who possess everything : all things in Jesus Christ.

6.14 The same yoke, allusion to the prohibition made by Moses against mating animals of different species together for plowing, for example, the ox with the donkey (see Leviticus, 19, 19).

6.15 Belial ; That is, the demon who has become the prince of all the wicked, whom Scripture calls for this reason son of Belial, because they are regarded as having the devil as their father. See Jeans, 8, 44. According to etymology, Belial means Useless, good-for-nothing.

6.16 See 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19; Leviticus 26:12.

6.17 See Isaiah 52:11.

6.18 See Jeremiah 31:9.

7.2 Give credence to our warnings. Cf. Matthew 19:11.

7.5 In Macedonia. See Acts of the Apostles, 16, 9. ― Our flesh, the lower, natural man, as opposed to the spirit, the superior, supernatural man. ― Fights, against the enemies of the Gospel. ― fears: apprehensions, concerns for the Churches, especially for that of Corinth.

7.6 With the arrival of Tite. See 2 Corinthians 2:13.

7.10 See 1 Peter 2:19. God's Sadnesscaused by love of God and Justice; the sadness of the worldcaused by love of the world and for human reasons. ― a salutary repentance, which one does not regret: which provides eternal contentment.

8.4 this ministry in favor of the saintsThis refers to sending alms to Jerusalem, for Christians poor of Jerusalem (see Romans 15:26; 1 Corinthians 16:1).

8.6 These are still alms. Cf. 1 Corinthians 16:1.

8.8 Others, Christians from Macedonia (verses 1-4).

8.15 See Exodus 16:18. The one who had gathered, etc. This refers to the manna that the Israelites gathered in the desert.

8.18 Many believe that the one Saint Paul is referring to here is Silas. See Acts 15:22.

8.21 See Romans 12:17.

8.22 our brother. It is unknown who it was.

9.1 alms and their distribution.

9.2 The Macedonians. In the first century AD, the Roman province of Macedonia comprised ancient Macedonia, Thessaly, Epirus, and part of Illyria. Achaea included the rest of ancient Greece.

9.7 See Ecclesiasticus, 35, 11.

9.9 See Psalm 111:9. Justice. This word here means, as in Psalms 111:9, from which this quotation is taken, and in several other places in Scripture, charity, generosity, alms.

9.12 But the dispensation. See Acts of the Apostles, 8, 4. ― From this generosity. These were the alms that were to be collected in Corinth and taken to Jerusalem. To the saints. See Acts of the Apostles, 9, 13.

9.14 Meaning: The Jewish Christians of Jerusalem, aided by you, will pray for you, and in their prayers their gratitude will inspire in them a tender friendship for you; they will understand that Jews and Gentiles are truly brothers in Jesus Christ: and this because of grace, etc., of faith, the source of charity, which they will see shining in you (verse 13).

10.2 Let us walk ; That is to say, we drive, we live.

10.4 The weapons of the Apostles' militia were the knowledge that God gave them of the truths of the Gospel, the spiritual authority with which he had clothed them, and the gift of miracles.

10.13 See Ephesians 4:7. Saint Paul means that he will not boast of having traveled the whole world to preach the Gospel, of having converted millions of men, etc., but that he will glory in his mission, which has extended only as far as Corinth.

10.17 See Jeremiah 9:23; 1 Corinthians 1:31.

11.2 From a God-like jealousy ; That is to say, the strongest, most vehement jealousy. It is known that the Hebrews used the name of God to express the superlative in its highest degree. Others translate: Out of zeal for God ; That is to say, the jealousy I feel for you is solely for God.

11.3 See Genesis 3:4. The snake. The demon in the form of a serpent.

11.4 you tolerate it very well ; St. Thomas: «You would very well tolerate being deceived by them,« says the Apostle, »if their preaching were better than ours, but it is not. For «I consider that I have done no less than the great Apostles,» that is, Peter and John, whom they considered great. And he compares himself to the great Apostles, firstly because Paul had less of a reputation than they did among the Corinthians, these Apostles having been with Jesus, which was not the case with Paul. And also because the false apostles claimed to have been sent by them; thus, by showing himself to be like the great Apostles, he destroys the error of the Corinthians and confounds the false apostles. And not only did he do nothing less than them, but he did much more: »1 Corinthians 15:10: I worked harder than all of them.’”

11.9 From Macedonia. See Acts of the Apostles, 16, 9.

11.10 It is in me ; That is to say, he is a witness to me. — In the regions of Achaea, of ancient Greece, except for Thessaly.

11.12 what I do, I preach to you free of charge. See verse 10.

11.18 So many people : my opponents. ― According to the flesh, man's natural inclinations. ― I will glorify myself also in the same way, in the sense of verse 17. Saint John Chrysostom means here according to the flesh external advantages, nobility of origin, wealth, eloquence, etc.

11.19 The reproach was tinged with irony: if the Corinthians were truly wise and sensible, would they have so readily listened to the boasts of false teachers?

11.21 The Apostle does not specifically consider it a shame for him not to have mistreated the Corinthians, as the false apostles had done, but, with a sharp irony, he shows that he is inferior to these false apostles in only one thing, in the evil they have done.

11.24 See Deuteronomy 25:3. — Since the law forbade exceeding forty blows, the Jews, so as not to be mistaken, had fixed it at thirty-nine.

11.25 See Acts of the Apostles, 14, 18; 16, 22; 27, 41.

11.29 He even takes an interest in each individual follower. Is one of them...? weak In faith or virtue, Paul humbles himself to his own weakness in order to encourage and strengthen him. without being consumed by fire, a pain that consumes him.

11.30 My weakness ; That is to say, what appears weak, base, contemptible in me. Cf. 2 Corinthians 12:5, 9-10.

11.32 See Acts of the Apostles, 9, 24. ― In Damascus. See Acts of the Apostles, 9, 2.― Aretas. This name was borne by several kings of Petraean Arabia. The one in question here is likely Aretas Aeneas, who ascended the throne in 7 BC. He gave his daughter in marriage to Herod Antipas, the murderer of Saint John the Baptist. Antipas having repudiated this princess to appease Herodias (see Matthew 14:3), Aretas gave her the war and inflicted a bloody defeat upon him. When Saint Paul converted in Damascus, Aretas was master of that city and had it administered by a governor. It is not known whether it had fallen into his power when he had done the war to Herod or if it had been given to him by the Romans.

12.2 See Acts of the Apostles9, 3. — Although the soul ordinarily exercises its operations through the body, it is beyond doubt, however, that God can cause the soul, remaining united to the body, to nevertheless have an exercise independent of it. The third heaven is apparently what the Apostle refers to in verse 4 by the word heaven, or the abode of the blessed. As for the name of third heaven, This is not a rabbinical reverie as has been claimed; it finds its justification in these words of the Savior: In my Father's house are many rooms.. Happiness in heaven is proportionate to the merits of the saints. God was therefore able to reveal to the Apostle the one whom He reserves for the greatest merit.

12.07 a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan to strike me. Given that St. Paul had many enemies and knew that his letters were also read by them, it is unlikely that this thorn in the flesh was a weakness or a sin that St. Paul could not overcome. All sorts of hypotheses have been put forward to explain what this "thorn" might be. In light of the cases of great Catholic mystics, such as St. Padre Pio, who was physically struck by the devil, we believe that the phrase "an angel of Satan to strike me" should be understood literally. Such an ordeal is likely to help St. Paul remain humble, without implying that he committed any sin. We recall that following the miracle of Pentecost, the apostles were confirmed in grace and never again fell into mortal sin. St. Peter denied Jesus, but this was before Pentecost, the day of the foundation of the Roman Catholic Church.

12.19 before God, in Christ: without jealousy or vanity, as befits a Christian who lives the life of Christ.

13.1 See Deuteronomy 19:15; Matthew 18:16; John 8:17; Hebrews 10:28.

13.4 due to its weakness : that of the flesh with which he was clothed as a man, and especially as a willing victim for the sins of the world. ― by the power of God who resurrected and glorified him; who will manifest himself among you Or against you Paul, in his union with Christ, is, like him, both weak and strong.