{Some ancient authorities read For.}But I determined this for myself, that I would not come again to you with sorrow.
For if I make you sorry, who then is he that maketh me glad but he that is made sorry by me?
And I wrote this very thing, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.
For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be made sorry, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
But if any hath caused sorrow, he hath caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I press not too heavily) to you all.
Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by {Greek: the more.}the many;
so that contrariwise ye should {Some ancient authorities omit rather.}rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his overmuch sorrow.
Wherefore I beseech you to confirm your love toward him.
For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, {Some ancient authorities read whereby.}whether ye are obedient in all things.
But to whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for what I also have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes have I forgiven it in the {Or, person}presence of Christ;
that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Now when I came to Troas for the {Greek: good tidings: see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel of Christ, and when a door was opened unto me in the Lord,
I had no relief for my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went forth into Macedonia.
But thanks be unto God, who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest through us the savor of his knowledge in every place.
For we are a sweet savor of Christ unto God, in them that {Or, are being saved}are saved, and in them that {Or, are perishing}perish;
to the one a savor from death unto death; to the other a savor from life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
For we are not as the many, {Or, making merchandise of the word of God. Compare 2 Peter 2:3}corrupting the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in Christ.
Querverweise zu 2. Korinther 2,17 2Kor 2,17
but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
For our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ.
And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light.
It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule {Or, at their hands}by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
how I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly, and from house to house,
that think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers forgat my name for Baal.
The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw to the wheat? saith Jehovah.
Is not my word like fire? saith Jehovah; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith Jehovah, that steal my words every one from his neighbor.
Behold, I am against the prophets, saith Jehovah, that {Hebrew: take.}use their tongues, and say, He saith.
Behold, I am against them that prophesy lying dreams, saith Jehovah, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting: yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; neither do they profit this people at all, saith Jehovah.
For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God.
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust from them made shipwreck concerning the faith:
of whom is Hymenæus and Alexander; whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.
But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,
through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, {Or, seared}branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron;
forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth.
The husbandman that laboreth must be the first to partake of the fruits.
Consider what I say; for the Lord shall give thee understanding in all things.
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my {See marginal note on chapter 1:8.}gospel:
wherein I suffer hardship unto bonds, as a malefactor; but the word of God is not bound.
Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Faithful is the {Or, saying: for if &c.}saying: For if we died with him, we shall also live with him:
if we endure, we shall also reign with him: if we shall deny him, he also will deny us:
if we are faithless, he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself.
Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them in the sight of {Many ancient authorities read God.}the Lord, that they strive not about words, to no profit, to the subverting of them that hear.
Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, {Or, holding a straight course in the word of truth Or, rightly dividing the word of truth}handling aright the word of truth.
But shun profane babblings: for they will proceed further in ungodliness,
and their word will {Or, spread}eat as doth a gangrene: of whom is Hymenæus and Philetus;
men who concerning the truth have {Greek: missed the mark. 1 Timothy 1:6.}erred, saying that {Some ancient authorities read a resurrection.}the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some.
For the time will come when they will not endure the {Greek: healthful.}sound {Or, teaching}doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts;
and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.
whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in {Or, sects of perdition}destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of.
And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
For many deceivers are gone forth into the world, even they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
Look to yourselves, that ye {Or, destroy}lose not the things which {Many ancient authorities read ye.}we have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward.
Whosoever {Or, take the lead Compare 3 John 9.}goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son.
If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting:
for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works.
For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old {Or, set forth}written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying {Or, the only Master, and our Lord Jesus Christ}our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.
So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.
But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest {Many authorities, some ancient read thy wife}the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my {Greek: bondservants.}servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole {Greek: inhabited earth.}world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that {See marginal note on chapter 3:9}worshipped his image: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone: