text: BkData['2Co'] = {
  bigTitle: '<sub>The Second Epistle of Paul<br>to the</sub>Corinthians',
  intro: [
  ['Author', 'The apostle Paul ({2Co1:1|1:1}).'],
  ['Time of Writing', 'Approximately A.D. 60, before the Epistle to the Romans was written; see notes {Act20:1^1|1<sup>1</sup>} and {Act20:3^1|3<sup>1</sup>} in {Act20|Acts 20}.'],
  ['Place of Writing', 'Macedonia ({2Co2:13|2:13} and {2Co2:13^2|note 2}; {2Co7:5|7:5}-{2Co7:6|6}; {2Co8:1|8:1}; {2Co9:2|9:2}, {2Co9:4|4}).'],
  ['Recipients', 'The church of God in Corinth, with all the saints in the whole of Achaia ({2Co1:1|1:1}).'],
  ],
  subject: 'The New Covenant Ministry and Its Ministers',
  verses: {
  '1:1': 'Paul, an [a]apostle of Christ Jesus through the [1]will of God, and [b]Timothy the brother, to the [2c]church of God which is [3]in Corinth, [4]with all the saints who are in the whole of [5d]Achaia:',
  '1:2': '[a]Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.',
  '1:3': '[a]Blessed be the [b]God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of [1]compassions and God of all [2c]comfort;',
  '1:4': 'Who [a]comforts us in all our [b]affliction that we may be [1]able to comfort those who are in every affliction through the [c]comforting with which we ourselves are comforted by God.',
  '1:5': 'For even as the [1a]sufferings of [2]the Christ abound unto us, so through [2]the Christ our comfort also abounds.',
  '1:6': 'But whether we are [a]afflicted, it is for your comforting and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comforting, which operates in the endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer.',
  '1:7': 'And our hope for you is firm, knowing that as you are partakers of the [a]sufferings, so also <I>you</I> <I>are</I> of the comfort.',
  '1:8': 'For we do not want you to be [a]ignorant, brothers, of our affliction which befell <I>us</I> in [b]Asia, that we were excessively [1c]burdened, beyond <I>our</I> power, so that we [2d]despaired even of [3]living.',
  '1:9': '[1]Indeed we ourselves had the [2]response of [a]death in ourselves, that we should [b]not base our [c]confidence on ourselves but [d]on [3]God, who [e]raises the dead;',
  '1:10': 'Who has [a]delivered us out of so great a death, and [1]will deliver <I>us</I>; in whom we have [b]hoped that He will also yet deliver <I>us</I>,',
  '1:11': 'If you also [1]help in <I>this</I> by [a]petition on our behalf, that for the [2]gift to us through many, [b]thanks may be given by many [3]persons on our behalf.',
  '1:12': 'For our boasting is this, the testimony of our [1a]conscience, that in [2]singleness and [3b]sincerity of God, not in [4]fleshly [c]wisdom but in the [5d]grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.',
  '1:13': 'For no other things do we write to you than what you read or even know; and I hope that you will know unto the end,',
  '1:14': 'Even as also you know us [a]in part, that we are your [b]boast, just as you also are [c]ours in the [1d]day of our Lord Jesus.',
  '1:15': 'And in this confidence I intended to [a]come to you previously that you might have [1]double [b]grace,',
  '1:16': 'And through you to pass through into [1a]Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you and be sent forward by you into [b]Judea.',
  '1:17': 'This therefore intending, did I then use fickleness? Or the things which I purpose, do I purpose [a]according to the flesh, so that with me there should be Yes, yes and No, no?',
  '1:18': '[1]But as God is [a]faithful, our [2b]word toward you is not yes and no.',
  '1:19': '[1]For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you through us, through me and [2]Silvanus and Timothy, did not become yes and no, but <I>our</I> <I>word</I> has become [a]yes in Him.',
  '1:20': '[1]For as many [a]promises of God as <I>there</I> <I>are</I>, in [2]Him is the [3]Yes; therefore also through [2]Him is [4]the [b]Amen to God, [5]for [c]glory through [6]us <I>to</I> <I>God</I>.',
  '1:21': '[1]But the One who [2]firmly attaches [3]us [4]with you unto [5]Christ and has [6a]anointed us is God,',
  '1:22': 'He who has also [1a]sealed us and given the Spirit in our [2]hearts as a [3b]pledge.',
  '1:23': 'But I call on God as a [a]witness [1]against my [b]soul that to [2c]spare you I have not yet [d]come to Corinth.',
  '1:24': 'Not that we [a]lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with <I>you</I> for your joy; for by [1]faith you [b]stand.',
  '2:1': 'But I [1]determined this for myself, that I would not [a]come again to you in [b]sorrow.',
  '2:2': 'For if I cause you sorrow, who then is the one who makes me glad, except the one who is made sorrowful by me?',
  '2:3': 'And I [1a]wrote this very thing <I>to</I> <I>you</I> that when I come I would [b]not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice, having [c]confidence in you all that my joy is <I>the</I> <I>joy</I> of you all.',
  '2:4': 'For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I [a]wrote to you through many [b]tears, not that you would be made sorrowful but that you would know the [c]love which I have more abundantly toward you.',
  '2:5': 'But if anyone has caused [a]sorrow, he has not caused me to sorrow, but [b]in part (lest I [1]lay <I>too</I> <I>heavy</I> a burden) all of you.',
  '2:6': 'Sufficient for such a one is this [a]punishment by the majority,',
  '2:7': 'So that on the contrary you should rather [1a]forgive and comfort <I>him</I>, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with excessive sorrow.',
  '2:8': 'Therefore I exhort you to [1]confirm <I>your</I> [a]love toward him.',
  '2:9': 'For to this end also I [a]wrote, that I might [1]know your [2]approvedness, whether you are [b]obedient in all things.',
  '2:10': 'But whom you [1a]forgive anything, I also [1]<I>forgive</I>; for also what I have [2]forgiven, if I have [2]forgiven anything, <I>it</I> <I>is</I> for your sake in the [3]person of Christ;',
  '2:11': 'That we may not be taken advantage of by [1a]Satan, for we are not [b]ignorant of his [2c]schemes.',
  '2:12': '[1]Furthermore, when I came to [a]Troas for the gospel of Christ and a [b]door was open to me [2]in the Lord,',
  '2:13': 'I had no rest in my [1a]spirit, for I did not find [b]Titus my brother; but taking leave of them, I went forth into [2c]Macedonia.',
  '2:14': 'But [a]thanks be to God, who always [1]leads [2]us in [b]triumph in [3]the Christ and manifests the [4c]savor of the [d]knowledge of Him through [5]us in every place.',
  '2:15': 'For we [1]are a [a]fragrance of Christ to God in those who are being [b]saved and in those who are [c]perishing:',
  '2:16': 'To some a [a]savor out of death [1]unto [b]death, and to the others a savor out of life [1]unto [c]life. And who is [2d]sufficient for these things?',
  '2:17': 'For we are not like the many, [1a]adulterating the word of God for profit; but as out of [b]sincerity, but as out of God, before God we [2]speak in Christ.',
  '3:1': 'Are we beginning again to [a]commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some do, [b]letters of commendation to you or from you?',
  '3:2': 'You are [1]our [a]letter, inscribed in [2]our hearts, known and read by all men,',
  '3:3': 'Since you are being manifested that you are a [1]letter of Christ [2]ministered by us, inscribed not with ink but [3]with the [a]Spirit of the [b]living God; not in [c]tablets of stone but in tablets of [4d]hearts of flesh.',
  '3:4': 'And such [a]confidence we have through Christ toward God,',
  '3:5': 'Not that we are [1a]sufficient of ourselves to [2]account anything as from ourselves; but our [3]sufficiency is [b]from God,',
  '3:6': 'Who has also made us [a]sufficient as [b]ministers of a [c]new covenant, <I>ministers</I> not of the [1]letter but of the [2d]Spirit; for the [3]letter kills, but the [4e]Spirit gives life.',
  '3:7': 'Moreover if the [1]ministry of [a]death, engraved in [b]stone in letters, came about in [2c]glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to gaze at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, <I>a</I> <I>glory</I> which was being done away with,',
  '3:8': 'How shall the [1a]ministry of the [b]Spirit not be more in [2]glory?',
  '3:9': 'For if there is glory with the ministry of [1a]condemnation, much more the ministry of [2b]righteousness [3]abounds with glory.',
  '3:10': 'For also that which has been [1]glorified [2]in this respect [3]has not been glorified on account of the surpassing glory.',
  '3:11': 'For if that which was [1]being done away with was [2]through [a]glory, much more that which remains is in [b]glory.',
  '3:12': 'Therefore since we have such [1]hope, we use much [2a]boldness,',
  '3:13': 'And <I>are</I> not like Moses, <I>who</I> put a [a]veil on his face so that the sons of Israel would not gaze [1]at the end of that which was being done away with.',
  '3:14': 'But their [1a]thoughts were [b]hardened; for until the present day the same veil remains at the [c]reading of the old covenant, [2]it not being unveiled <I>to</I> <I>them</I> that <I>the</I> <I>veil</I> is being done away with in Christ.',
  '3:15': 'Indeed unto this day, whenever [1]Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart;',
  '3:16': 'But whenever [1]<I>their</I> <I>heart</I> turns to the Lord, the [a]veil is taken away.',
  '3:17': '[1]And the [2]Lord is the [3a]Spirit; and where the [4b]Spirit of the Lord is, there is [5c]freedom.',
  '3:18': '[1]But [2]we all with [3]unveiled face, [4a]beholding and reflecting like a [5b]mirror the [6c]glory of the Lord, are [7]being [d]transformed into the [8]same [e]image [9]from glory to [f]glory, even as [10]from the [11]Lord Spirit.',
  '4:1': '[1]Therefore having [2]this [a]ministry as we have been shown [3b]mercy, we do [c]not lose heart;',
  '4:2': 'But we have renounced the hidden things of [a]shame, not walking in [b]craftiness nor [1c]adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of the [2d]truth [e]commending ourselves to every [f]conscience of men before God.',
  '4:3': 'And even if our gospel is [1]veiled, it is [a]veiled in those who are [b]perishing,',
  '4:4': 'In whom the [1a]god of [b]this age has [2c]blinded the [3d]thoughts of the unbelievers that the [4e]illumination of the gospel of the [f]glory of Christ, who is the [g]image of God, might not [5]shine <I>on</I> <I>them</I>.',
  '4:5': '[1]For we do not [a]preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as [2b]Lord, and ourselves as your [3c]slaves for Jesus&rsquo; sake.',
  '4:6': '[1]Because the God who said, Out of [a]darkness [b]light shall shine, is the One who shined [2]in [3]our [c]hearts to [4d]illuminate the knowledge of the [e]glory of God in the [5]face of Jesus Christ.',
  '4:7': '[1]But we have this [2a]treasure in earthen [b]vessels that the [3c]excellency of the [d]power may be of God and not out of us.',
  '4:8': '<I>We</I> <I>are</I> [1]pressed on [a]every side but not [2]constricted; unable to find a way out but not [b]utterly without a way out;',
  '4:9': '[1a]Persecuted but not [2b]abandoned; [3]cast down but [c]not [4]destroyed;',
  '4:10': 'Always bearing about [a]in the body the [1b]putting to [c]death of Jesus [2]that the [3]life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.',
  '4:11': 'For we who are alive are always being delivered unto [a]death for Jesus&rsquo; sake that the [b]life of [1]Jesus also may be manifested in our [c]mortal [2]flesh.',
  '4:12': 'So then [a]death operates in us, but [1]life in you.',
  '4:13': 'And having the [1]same [2a]spirit of [b]faith according to that which is written, [c]&ldquo;I believed, therefore I spoke,&rdquo; we also believe, therefore we also speak,',
  '4:14': 'Knowing that He who [a]raised the Lord Jesus will [1b]raise us also with Jesus and will [c]make <I>us</I> stand before <I>Him</I> with you.',
  '4:15': 'For [a]all things are [b]for your sakes that the [1c]grace which has abounded through the greater number may cause the [d]thanksgiving to abound to the [e]glory of God.',
  '4:16': 'Therefore we do [a]not lose heart; but though our [1b]outer man is [2]decaying, yet our [1c]inner <I>man</I> is being [3d]renewed day by day.',
  '4:17': 'For our [a]momentary lightness of [1]affliction works out for us, [2]more and more surpassingly, an [3]eternal weight of [4b]glory,',
  '4:18': 'Because we do not regard the [1]things which are [a]seen but the [2]things which are [b]not seen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are [c]eternal.',
  '5:1': '[1]For we know that if our [2]earthly [3a]tabernacle dwelling is taken down, we have a [4]building [5]from God, a [6]dwelling [b]not made with hands, [c]eternal, [7d]in the heavens.',
  '5:2': 'For also in [1]this we [a]groan, longing to be [2]clothed upon with our [3]dwelling place [4]from heaven,',
  '5:3': 'If indeed, being clothed, we will not be found [1a]naked.',
  '5:4': 'For also, we who are in this tabernacle groan, being [1a]burdened, [2]in that we do not desire to be unclothed, but clothed upon, that [3]what is [b]mortal may be [4c]swallowed up by life.',
  '5:5': 'Now He who has [1]wrought us for this very thing is God, who has given to us the Spirit as a [2a]pledge.',
  '5:6': 'Therefore being always of good courage and knowing that while we are [1]at home in the body, we are [1]abroad from the Lord',
  '5:7': '(For we [1]walk by [a]faith, not by [2b]appearance)&mdash;',
  '5:8': 'We are of good courage then and are well pleased rather [1]to be [a]abroad from the body and at home with the Lord.',
  '5:9': 'Therefore also we are [1]determined, whether [2]at home or abroad, to gain the honor of being [a]well pleasing to Him.',
  '5:10': '[1]For we must all be [a]manifested before the [2b]judgment seat of Christ, that each one may [3c]receive the things <I>done</I> [4]through the body according to what he has practiced, whether good or [5]bad.',
  '5:11': '[1]Knowing therefore the [2a]fear of the Lord, we [3]persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; yet I hope that we are made manifest also in your [b]consciences.',
  '5:12': 'We are not again [a]commending ourselves to you, but <I>so</I> <I>speak</I> in order to give you an opportunity to [b]boast on our behalf, that you may [1]have <I>an</I> <I>answer</I> for those who are [c]boasting in [d]outward [2]appearance and not in [3e]heart.',
  '5:13': 'For whether we were [1a]beside ourselves, <I>it</I> <I>was</I> to God; or whether we are [2b]sober-minded, <I>it</I> <I>is</I> [c]for you.',
  '5:14': 'For the [1a]love of Christ [2]constrains us because we [3]have judged this, that [4b]One died for all, [5]therefore [c]all died;',
  '5:15': 'And He [a]died for all that those who [b]live may [1]no longer live to themselves but [2c]to Him who died for them and has been raised.',
  '5:16': '[1]So then we, from now on, [2]know no one according to the [a]flesh; even though we have [2]known Christ [b]according to the flesh, yet now we [2]know <I>Him</I> <I>so</I> no longer.',
  '5:17': '[1]So then if anyone is [2a]in Christ, <I>he</I> <I>is</I> a [3b]new creation. The [4c]old things have [d]passed away; [5]behold, [6]they have become [e]new.',
  '5:18': 'But [1]all things are out from God, who has [a]reconciled us to Himself through Christ and has given to us the [b]ministry of reconciliation;',
  '5:19': 'Namely, that God [a]in Christ was reconciling the [b]world to Himself, [c]not accounting their offenses to them, and has put in us the [1]word of reconciliation.',
  '5:20': 'On behalf of Christ then we are [1a]ambassadors, as God [b]entreats <I>you</I> through us; we beseech <I>you</I> on behalf of Christ, Be [2]reconciled to God.',
  '5:21': 'Him who did [1]not know sin He made [2a]sin on our behalf that we might become the [3b]righteousness of God [4]in Him.',
  '6:1': '[1]And working [2]together with <I>Him</I>, we also [3a]entreat you not to receive the [4b]grace of God in vain;',
  '6:2': 'For He says, [a]&ldquo;In an [b]acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.&rdquo; Behold, now is the [1]well-[c]acceptable time; behold, now is the [d]day of [2]salvation.',
  '6:3': '[1]We give no occasion of stumbling in anything that the [2]ministry may not be faulted,',
  '6:4': 'But in everything we [a]commend ourselves as [b]ministers of God, in much [1c]endurance, in [d]afflictions, in [2e]necessities, in [f]distresses,',
  '6:5': 'In [a]stripes, in [b]imprisonments, in [c]tumults, in [d]labors, in [1e]watchings, in [2]fastings;',
  '6:6': 'In pureness, in [1a]knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in a [b]holy [2]spirit, in [c]unfeigned [1]love,',
  '6:7': 'In the [a]word of truth, in the [b]power of God; through the [1c]weapons of righteousness [2]on the right and on the left,',
  '6:8': 'Through [1]glory and [a]dishonor, through [2b]evil report and good report; as [3c]deceivers and yet [d]true;',
  '6:9': 'As [1]unknown and yet well known; as [2a]dying and yet behold we [b]live; as [3]being disciplined and yet [c]not being put to death;',
  '6:10': 'As [1]made [a]sorrowful yet always [b]rejoicing; as [2]poor yet [c]enriching many; as [3d]having nothing and yet possessing [e]all things.',
  '6:11': 'Our mouth is [1a]opened to you, Corinthians; our heart is [1b]enlarged.',
  '6:12': 'You are not constricted in us, but you are [1]constricted in your [2a]inward parts.',
  '6:13': 'But for a [1]recompense in kind, I speak as to [2a]children, you also [3]be enlarged.',
  '6:14': '[1]Do not become [2a]dissimilarly yoked with unbelievers. For what [3b]partnership do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what [c]fellowship does [d]light have [4]with [e]darkness?',
  '6:15': 'And what concord does [a]Christ have [1]with Belial? Or what part does a believer have with an [b]unbeliever?',
  '6:16': 'And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the [a]temple of the [1b]living God, even as God said, [c]&ldquo;I will dwell among them and walk among <I>them</I>; and [d]I will be their God, and they will be My people.&rdquo;',
  '6:17': 'Therefore [a]&ldquo;come out from their midst and be [1]separated, says the Lord, and do not touch [2]what is [b]unclean; and I will [3]welcome you&rdquo;;',
  '6:18': '&ldquo;And I will be [1]a [a]Father to you, and you will be [2b]sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty.&rdquo;',
  '7:1': '[1]Therefore since we have [2]these promises, beloved, let us [a]cleanse ourselves from all [3]defilement of flesh and of [b]spirit, [4]perfecting [c]holiness in the [5d]fear of God.',
  '7:2': '[1a]Make room for us; we have [2b]wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken [c]advantage of no one.',
  '7:3': 'I do not say <I>this</I> to condemn <I>you</I>, for I have said before that you are [1]in our hearts for <I>our</I> dying together and <I>our</I> living together.',
  '7:4': 'Great is my [a]boldness toward you, great is my [b]boasting on your behalf; I am filled with [1c]comfort, I overflow with [1d]joy in all our [e]affliction.',
  '7:5': 'For even when we came into [a]Macedonia, our [1]flesh had no rest, but <I>we</I> <I>were</I> [b]afflicted in everything; without were [c]fightings, within were fears.',
  '7:6': 'But He who [a]comforts those who are [1]downcast, <I>that</I> <I>is</I>, God, [2b]comforted us by the [3]coming of [c]Titus;',
  '7:7': 'And not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted because of you, declaring to us your [a]longing, your lamentation, your [b]zeal for me, so that I [c]rejoiced the more.',
  '7:8': 'For though I caused you [a]sorrow by the [1]letter, I do not regret <I>it</I>. Even if I [2]did regret <I>it</I> (for I see that that letter, even if for an hour, [3]caused you sorrow),',
  '7:9': 'Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to [1]repentance; for you were made [2a]sorrowful according to God, that in nothing you might suffer loss from us.',
  '7:10': 'For sorrow according to God works [a]repentance unto [1]salvation, <I>which</I> <I>is</I> without regret; but the [b]sorrow of the world works out death.',
  '7:11': 'For behold this very thing, your being made sorrowful according to God, what [1a]earnestness it has [2]worked out in you, [3]indeed <I>what</I> [4]defense, indeed <I>what</I> [5]indignation, indeed <I>what</I> [6]fear, indeed <I>what</I> [7b]longing, indeed <I>what</I> [8c]zeal, indeed <I>what</I> [9d]punishment! In everything you have commended yourselves to be pure in [10]the matter.',
  '7:12': 'So then, though I [a]wrote to you, <I>it</I> <I>was</I> not for the sake of [1]him who did the wrong, nor for the sake of [2]him who was wronged, but for the sake of [3]manifesting to you before God your earnestness for us.',
  '7:13': 'Because of this we have been [a]comforted. And in addition to our comfort, we [b]rejoiced [1]more abundantly over the joy of [2]Titus, because his [3]spirit has been [c]refreshed by all of you.',
  '7:14': 'For if in anything I [a]boasted to him on your behalf, I have not been put to shame; on the contrary, as we spoke all things in truth to you, so also our boasting before Titus turned out to be the truth.',
  '7:15': 'And his [1]affections are abundantly toward you, he remembering the [a]obedience of you all, how you received him with [b]fear and trembling.',
  '7:16': 'I [a]rejoice that in everything I [1]have boldness because of you.',
  '8:1': 'Furthermore we make known to you, brothers, the [1a]grace of God which has been given in the churches of [b]Macedonia,',
  '8:2': 'That in much [1]proving of affliction the abundance of their joy and the depth of their [a]poverty abounded unto the riches of their [2b]liberality;',
  '8:3': 'That according to <I>their</I> power, I testify, and beyond <I>their</I> power, [a]of their own accord,',
  '8:4': 'With much entreaty they besought of us the [1]grace and the fellowship of the [a]ministry to the saints;',
  '8:5': 'And <I>this</I>, not as we had hoped, but they [a]gave themselves [1]first to the Lord, [2]and to us [3]through the will of God.',
  '8:6': 'So we entreated [a]Titus that, even as he began before, so also he would complete for you this [1b]grace [2]as well.',
  '8:7': 'But just as you [a]abound in everything, in faith and in [1]word and in [b]knowledge and in all [2c]earnestness and in [3]the love in you [4]from us, abound in this [5]grace also.',
  '8:8': 'I am [a]not speaking by way of command but through the earnestness of others, proving also the genuineness of your love.',
  '8:9': 'For you know the [1a]grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, for your sakes He became poor in order that you, because of His poverty, might become [b]rich.',
  '8:10': 'And I give <I>my</I> [1a]opinion in this matter, for this is profitable for you who were the first to begin [b]a year ago not only to do <I>this</I> but even to intend to do <I>this</I>.',
  '8:11': 'But now complete also the doing, so that as <I>there</I> <I>was</I> the [a]eagerness in intending, so also <I>there</I> <I>would</I> <I>be</I> the completing out of what you [b]have.',
  '8:12': 'For if the eagerness is there, it is acceptable according to whatever one has, not according to what he does not have.',
  '8:13': 'For <I>it</I> <I>is</I> not that to others <I>there</I> <I>would</I> <I>be</I> relief, <I>yet</I> to you affliction,',
  '8:14': 'But <I>it</I> <I>is</I> out of equality; at the present time your abundance for their [a]lack that their abundance also may be for your lack, so that there may be equality;',
  '8:15': 'As it is written, [1a]&ldquo;He who <I>gathered</I> much had no excess, and he who <I>gathered</I> little had no lack.&rdquo;',
  '8:16': 'But [a]thanks be to God who puts the same [1b]earnestness on your behalf in the heart of [c]Titus,',
  '8:17': 'Because he not only received the [1a]entreaty, but being more earnest, he also went forth [b]of his own accord to you.',
  '8:18': 'And we sent together with him the [a]brother whose praise in the gospel is throughout [b]all the churches,',
  '8:19': 'And not only <I>this</I>, but who has also been selected by the churches as our fellow traveler in this [1a]grace which is being ministered by us, to the [b]glory of the Lord Himself and <I>to</I> <I>demonstrate</I> <I>our</I> [c]eagerness;',
  '8:20': '[1]Avoiding this, that anyone should find fault with us in this [2]abundance which is being ministered by us.',
  '8:21': 'For we [1]exercise foresight for what is honorable not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men.',
  '8:22': 'And we sent with them [1]our brother, whom we have proved to be [2]diligent in many things many times, yet now much more [2]diligent because of the great [a]confidence <I>he</I> <I>has</I> toward you.',
  '8:23': 'Whether concerning [a]Titus, <I>he</I> <I>is</I> my [b]partner and [c]fellow worker for you; or our brothers, <I>they</I> <I>are</I> [1]apostles of the churches, <I>they</I> <I>are</I> Christ&rsquo;s glory.',
  '8:24': 'Show therefore to them, in the face of the churches, the proof of your love and of our [a]boasting on your behalf.',
  '9:1': 'For concerning the [a]ministry to the saints, it is superfluous for me to [b]write to you;',
  '9:2': 'For I know your [a]eagerness, of which I [b]boast on your behalf to the Macedonians, that [1]Achaia has been prepared since [c]last year; and your zeal has stirred up the greater number <I>of</I> <I>them</I>.',
  '9:3': 'But I sent the [a]brothers that our boasting on your behalf might not be made void in this respect, that, as I said, you might be prepared;',
  '9:4': 'Lest, if the [a]Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we, not to mention you, be put to shame in this [1b]confidence.',
  '9:5': 'Therefore I thought it necessary to entreat the brothers to go before to you and make ready beforehand your previously promised [1a]blessing, that thus this might be ready [2]as a blessing and not [2]as <I>a</I> <I>matter</I> <I>of</I> covetousness.',
  '9:6': 'But <I>take</I> <I>note</I> <I>of</I> this: He who [a]sows sparingly shall also sparingly reap; and he who sows with [1]blessings shall also with [2]blessings reap;',
  '9:7': 'Each one as he has purposed in his heart, [a]not out of sorrow or out of [1]necessity, for [2]God loves a [3]cheerful giver.',
  '9:8': 'And God is able to make [1]all grace abound unto you, that, in everything always having all sufficiency, you may [a]abound unto every good work;',
  '9:9': 'Even as it is written, [a]&ldquo;He has [1b]scattered abroad; he has given to the [2c]poor; his [3]righteousness abides forever.&rdquo;',
  '9:10': 'Now [1]He who bountifully supplies [a]seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and cause the fruits of your righteousness to increase.',
  '9:11': 'You in everything are being [a]enriched unto all [1]liberality, which works out through us [b]thanksgiving to God,',
  '9:12': 'Because the [a]ministry of this [1]service is not only filling up the [b]lack of the saints, but is also abounding through many thanksgivings to God.',
  '9:13': 'They, through the [1]approving of this ministry, are [a]glorifying God <I>based</I> upon the subjection unto the gospel of Christ that <I>issues</I> from your [b]confession, and upon the [c]liberality of the [2d]fellowship to them and to all;',
  '9:14': 'While in petition on your behalf they also long after you on account of the [1]surpassing [2]grace of God upon you.',
  '9:15': '[a]Thanks be to God for His [1]indescribable [2b]gift!',
  '10:1': '[1]But I myself, Paul, [a]entreat you through the [2b]meekness and [3]gentleness of Christ, who <I>(as</I> <I>you</I> <I>say</I>) in [c]person am [4d]base among you, but while absent am [5e]bold toward you,',
  '10:2': 'I beseech <I>you</I> that when [a]present I would not have to be [b]bold in the confidence with which I count myself, to dare do to some who count us as ones who are walking [c]according to flesh.',
  '10:3': 'For though we walk [1]in flesh, we do not [a]war according to flesh;',
  '10:4': 'For the [a]weapons of our [b]warfare are [1]not fleshly but [2c]powerful before God for the [d]overthrowing of strongholds,',
  '10:5': 'As we overthrow [1a]reasonings and every [2b]high thing rising up against the knowledge of God, and take [c]captive every [1d]thought unto the [e]obedience of Christ.',
  '10:6': 'And we are ready to [1a]punish all disobedience when your [2b]obedience is fulfilled.',
  '10:7': 'You look at things [a]according to <I>their</I> appearance. If someone [1]has confidence in himself to be [b]of Christ, let him take account of this again concerning himself, that even as he is [c]of Christ, [d]so also are we.',
  '10:8': 'For even if I should [a]boast somewhat more abundantly concerning our [b]authority, which the Lord has given for [1c]building <I>you</I> up and not for overthrowing you, I will not be put to shame.',
  '10:9': 'I say this so as not to seem as if I am terrifying you through my letters,',
  '10:10': 'Because while his letters, <I>someone</I> says, are weighty and strong, his [a]bodily presence is [1b]weak and his [c]speech [2]contemptible.',
  '10:11': 'Let such a one take account of this, that such as we are in word by letters when absent, such also <I>we</I> <I>are</I> in deed when present.',
  '10:12': 'For we do not [a]dare to class or compare ourselves with any of those who [b]commend themselves; but they, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.',
  '10:13': 'But we will [1]not [a]boast beyond <I>our</I> measure but [2]according to the measure of the [3]rule which the God of measure has [b]apportioned to us, to reach even as far as you.',
  '10:14': 'For we are not [1]extending ourselves beyond our bounds, as if we did not reach you, for we were the first to [a]come even as far as unto you in the [b]gospel of Christ.',
  '10:15': '<I>We</I> <I>are</I> [a]not boasting beyond <I>our</I> measure in [b]others&rsquo; labors, but have the hope, as your faith is increasing, to be [1]magnified in you according to our rule unto abundance,',
  '10:16': 'So that we may announce the gospel unto those parts beyond you, not so that we may boast in another man&rsquo;s rule in things <I>already</I> prepared.',
  '10:17': 'But he who [a]boasts, let him boast in the Lord;',
  '10:18': 'For <I>it</I> <I>is</I> not the one who [a]commends himself who is [b]approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.',
  '11:1': 'I wish that you would [a]bear with me in a little [1b]foolishness; but indeed you do bear with me.',
  '11:2': 'For I am jealous over you with a [1a]jealousy of God; for I [b]betrothed you to one husband to [c]present <I>you</I> <I>as</I> a pure [2d]virgin to Christ.',
  '11:3': 'But I fear lest somehow, as the [a]serpent [b]deceived [c]Eve by his [d]craftiness, your [1e]thoughts would be corrupted from the [2f]simplicity and the [g]purity toward Christ.',
  '11:4': 'For if indeed he who comes preaches [1a]another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or you receive a [1b]different spirit, which you have not received, or a [1c]different gospel, which you have not accepted, you [d]bear [2]well with <I>him</I>.',
  '11:5': 'But I count myself to be inferior to the [1a]super-apostles in nothing.',
  '11:6': 'But even if I am a [1]layman in [a]speech, yet I am not in [b]knowledge; indeed in every way we have made <I>this</I> [c]manifest in all things to you.',
  '11:7': 'Or did I commit a sin, abasing myself that you might be exalted, because I announced the gospel of God to you [a]free of charge?',
  '11:8': 'I robbed other churches, taking wages for the ministry to you.',
  '11:9': 'And when I was present with you and [a]lacked, I was not a [b]burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from [c]Macedonia [d]filled up my lack, and in everything I kept myself from being [e]burdensome to you, and will keep <I>myself</I>.',
  '11:10': 'The [1]truthfulness of Christ is in me, that this [a]boasting shall not be stopped as it regards me in the regions of [b]Achaia.',
  '11:11': 'Why? Because I do not [a]love you? God [b]knows.',
  '11:12': 'But what I do, I also will do, that I may cut off the opportunity of those desiring an opportunity, that in the thing in which they boast, they may be found even as we.',
  '11:13': 'For such ones are [1a]false apostles, deceitful [b]workers, [2]transfiguring themselves into apostles of Christ.',
  '11:14': 'And no wonder, for [1a]Satan himself transfigures himself into an [2b]angel of light.',
  '11:15': 'Therefore it is no great thing if also his ministers transfigure themselves into [1]ministers of righteousness, whose [a]end will be according to their works.',
  '11:16': 'Again I say, Let no one think me to be [a]foolish; but if otherwise, accept me even as if I were foolish, that I also may [b]boast a little.',
  '11:17': 'What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord but as if in [a]foolishness, in this [1b]confidence of boasting.',
  '11:18': 'Since many [a]boast according to the [b]flesh, I also will [c]boast.',
  '11:19': 'For you [a]bear gladly with [b]fools because you <I>yourselves</I> are [1]wise.',
  '11:20': 'For you bear <I>it</I> if anyone [a]enslaves you, if anyone [b]devours <I>you</I>, if anyone [1]takes <I>you</I>, if anyone [c]lifts himself up, if anyone beats you in the face.',
  '11:21': '[1]By way of self-disparagement I say <I>this</I>, [2]Supposedly we ourselves were [a]weak. But in whatever anyone <I>else</I> is daring, I speak in [b]foolishness, I also am [c]daring.',
  '11:22': '[1a]Hebrews are they? I also. [1b]Israelites are they? I also. The [1c]seed of Abraham are they? I also.',
  '11:23': '[a]Ministers of Christ are they? I speak as being [1b]beside myself, I more so! In [c]labors more abundantly, in [d]imprisonments more abundantly, in [e]stripes [2]excessively, in [f]deaths often.',
  '11:24': 'Under <I>the</I> <I>hands</I> <I>of</I> the Jews five times I received [a]forty <I>stripes</I> less one;',
  '11:25': 'Three times I was beaten with [1]rods, once I was [a]stoned, [2]three times I was [b]shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep;',
  '11:26': 'In journeys often, in dangers of [1]rivers, in dangers of [2]robbers, in dangers from <I>my</I> [a]race, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the [b]city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers in the sea, in dangers among [3c]false brothers;',
  '11:27': 'In [a]labor and hardship; in [1]watchings often; in [2b]hunger and thirst; in [2c]fastings often; in [3]cold and [4d]nakedness&mdash;',
  '11:28': 'Apart from the things which <I>have</I> [1]not <I>been</I> <I>mentioned</I>, <I>there</I> <I>is</I> <I>this</I>: the crowd <I>of</I> <I>cares</I> pressing upon me daily, the [2]anxious concern for [a]all the churches.',
  '11:29': 'Who is [a]weak, and I am not weak? Who is [b]stumbled, and [1]I myself do not [2]burn?',
  '11:30': 'If I must [a]boast, I will boast of the [1]things of my [b]weakness.',
  '11:31': 'The [a]God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is [b]blessed forever, [c]knows that I am [d]not lying.',
  '11:32': 'In [a]Damascus, the [1]governor under Aretas the king [b]guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me;',
  '11:33': 'And in a basket I was [a]lowered through a window, through the wall, and escaped his hands.',
  '12:1': 'To [a]boast is [1]necessary, <I>though</I> indeed not [b]expedient; yet I will [2]come to [3c]visions and [d]revelations of the Lord.',
  '12:2': 'I know a [1]man [a]in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body I do not know, or outside the body I do not know; God [b]knows) such a one was [2]caught away [3]to the [4]third heaven.',
  '12:3': '[1]And I know such a man (whether in the body or [2]outside the body, I do not know; God knows),',
  '12:4': 'That he was caught away into [1]Paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is [a]not allowed for a man to speak.',
  '12:5': 'On behalf of such a one I will [a]boast, but on behalf of myself I will not [b]boast, except in my [c]weaknesses.',
  '12:6': 'For if I desire to [a]boast, I will not be foolish, for I will [b]speak the truth; but I refrain lest anyone account of me <I>something</I> above what he [c]sees me <I>to</I> <I>be</I> or [d]hears from me.',
  '12:7': 'And because of the [1]transcendence of the revelations, in order that I might not be exceedingly [a]lifted up, there was given to me a [2b]thorn in the flesh, a messenger of [c]Satan, that he might [3]buffet me, in order that I might not be exceedingly lifted up.',
  '12:8': 'Concerning this I entreated the Lord [a]three times that it might depart from me.',
  '12:9': 'And He has said to me, My [1a]grace is sufficient for you, for My [2b]power is perfected in [c]weakness. Most gladly therefore I will rather boast in my weaknesses that the [d]power of Christ might [3e]tabernacle over me.',
  '12:10': 'Therefore I am [1]well pleased in [a]weaknesses, in [2]insults, in [3b]necessities, in [c]persecutions and [4d]distresses, on behalf of Christ; for when I am [5e]weak, then I am [5]powerful.',
  '12:11': 'I have become [a]foolish; you yourselves have compelled me. For <I>it</I> <I>is</I> I <I>who</I> should have been [b]commended by you; for in nothing am I inferior to the [1c]super-apostles, even though I am [d]nothing.',
  '12:12': 'Indeed the [1]signs of an [a]apostle were wrought among you in all [b]endurance by [2c]signs and [3]wonders and [4]works of power.',
  '12:13': 'For what is there in which you were [1]treated in a manner inferior to the rest of the churches, except that I myself was not a [a]burden to you? [2]Graciously forgive me this [2]injustice!',
  '12:14': 'Behold, this [a]third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden; for I do [b]not seek what is yours but you. For the [c]children ought not to store up for the parents, but the [d]parents for the children.',
  '12:15': 'But I, I will most gladly [1]spend and [2a]be utterly spent on behalf of your souls. If I [b]love you more abundantly, am I loved less?',
  '12:16': 'But [1]let it be <I>so</I>! I did [a]not burden you; but, <I>as</I> <I>some</I> <I>of</I> <I>you</I> <I>say</I>, being [2]crafty, I took you by guile.',
  '12:17': 'Did I take [a]advantage of you through anyone whom I have sent [b]to you?',
  '12:18': 'I entreated [a]Titus and sent with <I>him</I> the [b]brother. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not walk in the same [1c]spirit? In the same [d]steps?',
  '12:19': 'All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. [1a]Before God [b]in Christ we speak; but all things, beloved, <I>are</I> for your [c]building up.',
  '12:20': 'For I [a]fear that perhaps when I come, I may find you not such as I wish, and I may be found by you not such as you wish; that perhaps <I>there</I> <I>may</I> <I>be</I> [1b]strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, [c]selfish ambitions, [2]slanders, [3]whisperings, [4]demonstrations of being puffed up, [5d]tumults;',
  '12:21': 'That when I come again my God may humble me before you and I may mourn over many who have [a]sinned before and who have not [b]repented of the [c]uncleanness and [d]fornication and licentiousness which they have practiced.',
  '13:1': 'This [a]third time I am coming to you; at the mouth of two or three [b]witnesses shall every word be established.',
  '13:2': 'I have previously said and I say beforehand, when I was present the second time and being [a]absent now, to those who have [b]sinned before and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will [c]not spare,',
  '13:3': 'Since you seek a proof of the Christ who is speaking in me, who is not weak unto you but is [1a]powerful in you.',
  '13:4': 'For indeed He was [a]crucified out of [1]weakness, but He [b]lives [2]by the power of God. For indeed [3]we are [c]weak in Him, but we will [d]live together with Him [2]by the [e]power of God <I>directed</I> toward you.',
  '13:5': 'Test yourselves whether you are in the [1]faith; [2]prove yourselves. Or do you not realize about yourselves that [3]Jesus Christ is [a]in you, unless you are [4b]disapproved?',
  '13:6': 'But I hope that you will know that [1]we are not disapproved.',
  '13:7': 'Now we pray to God that you do nothing wrong, [1]not that we may appear approved, but that you yourselves may do what is good and we may be as if disapproved.',
  '13:8': '[1]For we are not able <I>to</I> <I>do</I> anything against the [2]truth but <I>rather</I> for the truth.',
  '13:9': 'For we rejoice whenever we are [1a]weak and you are powerful; this also we pray for, your [2b]perfecting.',
  '13:10': 'Therefore I write these things while being [a]absent in order that when [b]present I would not <I>have</I> <I>to</I> use [c]severity, according to the [d]authority which the Lord has given me for [e]building up and not for overthrowing.',
  '13:11': 'Finally, brothers, [1a]rejoice, be [2]perfected, be [3]comforted, [4b]think the same thing, be [5]at [c]peace; and the [d]God of [6]love and peace will be with you.',
  '13:12': 'Greet one another with a [1a]holy kiss.',
  '13:13': '[a]All the saints greet you.',
  '13:14': 'The [1a]grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the [b]love of God and the [c]fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.',
  },
  outlines: {
  '1:1': [
  {lv:1, text:"Introduction", vrefs:"1:1&ndash;2:11", pt:"I."},
  {lv:2, text:"Greeting", vrefs:"1:1-2", pt:"A."},
  ],
  '1:3': [
  {lv:2, text:"The comfort of God", vrefs:"1:3-11", pt:"B."},
  {lv:3, text:"Comforted to comfort", vrefs:"vv. 3-4", pt:"1."},
  ],
  '1:5': [
  {lv:3, text:"Pressed down unto despair", vrefs:"vv. 5-11", pt:"2."},
  ],
  '1:12': [
  {lv:2, text:"The apostles&rsquo; boasting", vrefs:"1:12-14", pt:"C."},
  ],
  '1:15': [
  {lv:2, text:"Concerning the apostle&rsquo;s coming", vrefs:"1:15&ndash;2:11", pt:"D."},
  {lv:3, text:"Being one with Christ", vrefs:"1:15-22", pt:"1."},
  ],
  '1:23': [
  {lv:3, text:"The reasons for the delay", vrefs:"1:23&ndash;2:11", pt:"2."},
  {lv:4, text:"To spare the Corinthians", vrefs:"1:23-24", pt:"a."},
  ],
  '2:1': [
  {lv:4, text:"Not to come in sorrow", vrefs:"2:1-11", pt:"b."},
  ],
  '2:12': [
  {lv:1, text:"The ministry of the new covenant", vrefs:"2:12&ndash;3:11", pt:"II."},
  {lv:2, text:"Its triumph and effect", vrefs:"2:12-17", pt:"A."},
  ],
  '3:1': [
  {lv:2, text:"Its function and competency", vrefs:"3:1-6", pt:"B."},
  ],
  '3:7': [
  {lv:2, text:"Its glory and superiority", vrefs:"3:7-11", pt:"C."},
  ],
  '3:12': [
  {lv:1, text:"The ministers of the new covenant", vrefs:"3:12&ndash;7:16", pt:"III."},
  {lv:2, text:"Constituted by and with the Lord as the life-giving and transforming Spirit", vrefs:"3:12-18", pt:"A."},
  ],
  '4:1': [
  {lv:2, text:"Conducting themselves for the shining of the gospel of Christ", vrefs:"4:1-6", pt:"B."},
  ],
  '4:7': [
  {lv:2, text:"Living a crucified life for the manifestation of the resurrection life by the power of the treasure in the earthen vessels", vrefs:"4:7-18", pt:"C."},
  ],
  '5:1': [
  {lv:2, text:"Longing to be clothed upon with the transfigured body", vrefs:"5:1-8", pt:"D."},
  ],
  '5:9': [
  {lv:2, text:"Making it their aim to please the Lord by living to Him", vrefs:"5:9-15", pt:"E."},
  ],
  '5:16': [
  {lv:2, text:"Commissioned with the ministry of reconciliation for the Lord&rsquo;s new creation", vrefs:"5:16-21", pt:"F."},
  ],
  '6:1': [
  {lv:2, text:"Working together with God by an all-fitting life", vrefs:"6:1&ndash;7:16", pt:"G."},
  {lv:3, text:"The work of the reconciling ministry", vrefs:"6:1-2", pt:"1."},
  ],
  '6:3': [
  {lv:3, text:"The adequate life of the reconciling ministry", vrefs:"6:3-13", pt:"2."},
  ],
  '6:14': [
  {lv:3, text:"A frank exhortation of the reconciling ministry", vrefs:"6:14&ndash;7:1", pt:"3."},
  ],
  '7:2': [
  {lv:3, text:"The intimate concern of the apostles&rsquo; ministering life", vrefs:"7:2-16", pt:"4."},
  ],
  '8:1': [
  {lv:1, text:"The apostle&rsquo;s fellowship concerning the ministry to the needy saints", vrefs:"8:1&ndash;9:15", pt:"IV."},
  {lv:2, text:"The grace from four parties", vrefs:"8:1-15", pt:"A."},
  ],
  '8:16': [
  {lv:2, text:"Exercising foresight for what is honorable", vrefs:"8:16-24", pt:"B."},
  ],
  '9:1': [
  {lv:2, text:"Giving as a blessing, not as covetousness", vrefs:"9:1-5", pt:"C."},
  ],
  '9:6': [
  {lv:2, text:"Sowing for reaping the fruits of righteousness", vrefs:"9:6-15", pt:"D."},
  ],
  '10:1': [
  {lv:1, text:"Paul&rsquo;s vindication of his apostolic authority", vrefs:"10:1&ndash;13:10", pt:"V."},
  {lv:2, text:"By the way of his warring", vrefs:"10:1-6", pt:"A."},
  ],
  '10:7': [
  {lv:2, text:"By the measure of God&rsquo;s rule", vrefs:"10:7-18", pt:"B."},
  ],
  '11:1': [
  {lv:2, text:"By his jealousy for Christ", vrefs:"11:1-15", pt:"C."},
  ],
  '11:16': [
  {lv:2, text:"By his compelled boasting", vrefs:"11:16&ndash;12:18", pt:"D."},
  {lv:3, text:"Of his status, labor, and afflictions", vrefs:"11:16-33", pt:"1."},
  ],
  '12:1': [
  {lv:3, text:"Of the Lord&rsquo;s vision and revelation to him", vrefs:"12:1-10", pt:"2."},
  ],
  '12:11': [
  {lv:3, text:"Of the signs of his apostleship", vrefs:"12:11-18", pt:"3."},
  ],
  '12:19': [
  {lv:2, text:"By the authority given to him", vrefs:"12:19&ndash;13:10", pt:"E."},
  ],
  '13:11': [
  {lv:1, text:"Conclusion", vrefs:"13:11-14", pt:"VI."},
  {lv:2, text:"Final exhortations", vrefs:"vv. 11-12", pt:"A."},
  ],
  '13:13': [
  {lv:2, text:"Greeting", vrefs:"v. 13", pt:"B."},
  ],
  '13:14': [
  {lv:2, text:"Blessing", vrefs:"v. 14", pt:"C."},
  ],
  },
  notesRefs: {
  '1:1': [
  {sup:"a", word:"apostle", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 1:1"},
  {sup:1, word:"will", lines:["See {1Co1:1^2|note 1<sup>2</sup>} in {1Co1|1&nbsp;Cor. 1}."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"Timothy", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 16:10"},
  {sup:"2c", word:"church", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 1:2", lines:["See {1Co1:2^1|note 2<sup>1</sup>} in {1Co1|1&nbsp;Cor. 1}."]},
  {sup:3, word:"in", lines:["See {1Co1:2^2|note 2<sup>2</sup>} in {1Co1|1&nbsp;Cor. 1}."]},
  {sup:4, word:"with", lines:["See {1Co1:2^7|note 2<sup>7</sup>} in {1Co1|1&nbsp;Cor. 1}."]},
  {sup:"5d", word:"Achaia", vrefs:"Acts 18:27; 19:21; Rom. 15:26; 1&nbsp;Cor. 16:15; 2&nbsp;Cor. 9:2; 11:10; 1&nbsp;Thes. 1:7-8", lines:["A province of the Roman Empire south of Macedonia. It constituted the greater part of today&rsquo;s Greece, where the city of Corinth is."]},
  ],
  '1:2': [
  {sup:"a", word:"Grace", vrefs:"Rom. 1:7"},
  ],
  '1:3': [
  {sup:"a", word:"Blessed", vrefs:"Eph. 1:3; 1&nbsp;Pet. 1:3"},
  {sup:"b", word:"God", vrefs:"Rom. 15:6"},
  {sup:1, word:"compassions", lines:["Or, mercies, pity, sympathy."]},
  {sup:"2c", word:"comfort", vrefs:"Rom. 15:5", lines:["Comfort implies being cheered. A title such as the Father of compassions and God of all comfort is ascribed here to God because this Epistle is one of comfort and encouragement, written by the apostle after he had been comforted and encouraged by the repentance of the Corinthian believers. The rebuking and condemning in the first Epistle to the Corinthians were intended to cause the Corinthian believers to turn back to and stress Christ; the comfort and encouragement in this Epistle were intended to bring them to experience and enjoy Christ."]},
  ],
  '1:4': [
  {sup:"a", word:"comforts", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:6-7"},
  {sup:"b", word:"affliction", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:8; 4:8, 17"},
  {sup:1, word:"able", lines:["We must first experience God&rsquo;s comforting; then we are able to comfort others with the comfort from God that we have experienced.","The first Epistle to the Corinthians was the apostle&rsquo;s argument, an argument that defeated and subdued the distracted and confused Corinthians. Now the second Epistle brought them back into the experience of Christ, who was the subject of his argument in the first Epistle. Hence, the second Epistle is more experiential, more subjective, and deeper than the first. In the first, Christ, the Spirit with our spirit, the church, and the gifts are covered as the major subjects. In the second, Christ, the Spirit with our spirit, and the church are developed further, but the gifts are not even mentioned. The gifts are replaced in this book by the ministry, which is constituted with, and produced and formed by, the experiences of the riches of Christ gained through sufferings, consuming pressures, and the killing work of the cross. This Epistle gives us a pattern, an example, of how the killing of the cross works, how Christ is wrought into our being, and how we become the expression of Christ. These processes constitute the ministers of Christ and produce the ministry for God&rsquo;s new covenant. The first Epistle deals negatively with the gifts; the second speaks positively about the ministry. The church needs the ministry much more than the gifts. The ministry is for ministering the Christ whom we have experienced, whereas the gifts are just for teaching the doctrines concerning Christ. Not the gifts but the ministry produced and formed by the experience of the sufferings, the afflictions, of Christ is the proof that the apostles are ministers of Christ."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"comforting", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:4"},
  ],
  '1:5': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"sufferings", vrefs:"Phil. 3:10; Col. 1:24", lines:["Not sufferings for Christ but Christ&rsquo;s own sufferings as shared by His disciples ({Mat20:22|Matt. 20:22}; {Phi3:10|Phil. 3:10}; {Col1:24|Col. 1:24}; {1Pe4:13|1&nbsp;Pet. 4:13})."]},
  {sup:2, word:"the", lines:["The Christ here is a designation of the condition of Christ; it is not a name (Darby). Here it refers to the suffering Christ, who suffered afflictions for His Body according to God&rsquo;s will. The apostles participated in the sufferings of such a Christ, and through such a Christ they received comfort."]},
  ],
  '1:6': [
  {sup:"a", word:"afflicted", vrefs:"Eph. 3:13"},
  ],
  '1:7': [
  {sup:"a", word:"sufferings", vrefs:"Rom. 8:17; Phil. 1:29"},
  ],
  '1:8': [
  {sup:"a", word:"ignorant", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 12:1"},
  {sup:"b", word:"Asia", vrefs:"Acts 19:23-32; 1&nbsp;Cor. 15:32"},
  {sup:"1c", word:"burdened", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 5:4", lines:["I.e., weighed down, pressed down. The same Greek word as in {2Co5:4|5:4}."]},
  {sup:"2d", word:"despaired", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:8", lines:["In Greek the same word as for utterly without a way out in {2Co4:8|4:8}."]},
  {sup:3, word:"living", lines:["Or, life."]},
  ],
  '1:9': [
  {sup:1, word:"Indeed", lines:["In this book the apostle is presented as a pattern of a person living Christ in five aspects for the church: (1) not basing his confidence on himself but on God, who raises the dead ({2Co1:9|v. 9}), which includes related matters such as conducting himself in the world not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God ({2Co1:12|v. 12}) and being one with the unchanging Christ of the faithful God (vv. {2Co1:18|18}-{2Co1:20|20}); (2) being attached to Christ, anointed and sealed by His Spirit, and captured, subdued, and led by Him to scatter His savor (vv. {2Co1:21|21}-{2Co1:22|22}; {2Co2:14|2:14}-{2Co2:16|16}); (3) being sufficient of Christ as the spiritual alphabet to write living letters with the life-giving Spirit of the living God ({2Co3:3|3:3}-{2Co3:6|6}); (4) having the shining of the glory of the new covenant ({2Co3:7|3:7}-{2Co3:11|11}); and (5) being transformed into the image of the Lord from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit, by beholding and reflecting like a mirror His glory with unveiled face ({2Co3:16|3:16}-{2Co3:18|18})."]},
  {sup:2, word:"response", lines:["Or, answer. When the apostles were under the pressure of affliction, despairing even of life, they might have asked themselves what the issue of their suffering would be. The answer or response was &ldquo;death.&rdquo; This led them to the vital decision not to base their confidence on themselves but on God, who raises the dead."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"death", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 15:31; 2&nbsp;Cor. 4:11-12"},
  {sup:"b", word:"not", vrefs:"Luke 9:23"},
  {sup:"c", word:"confidence", vrefs:"Phil. 3:3"},
  {sup:"d", word:"on", vrefs:"Psa. 25:2; 26:1; Jer. 17:5, 7"},
  {sup:3, word:"God", lines:["The experience of death ushers us into the experience of resurrection. Resurrection is the very God, who resurrects the dead. The working of the cross terminates our self that we may experience God in resurrection. The experience of the cross always issues in the enjoyment of the God of resurrection. Such experience produces and forms the ministry (vv. {2Co1:4|4}-{2Co1:6|6}). This is further described in {2Co4:7|4:7}-{2Co4:12|12}."]},
  {sup:"e", word:"raises", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:14"},
  ],
  '1:10': [
  {sup:"a", word:"delivered", vrefs:"Rom. 15:31; 2&nbsp;Pet. 2:9"},
  {sup:1, word:"will", lines:["Referring to the immediate future (indicating continuity)."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"hoped", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Tim. 4:10"},
  ],
  '1:11': [
  {sup:1, word:"help", lines:["Or, work together. This must refer to the believers&rsquo; coordinating with and rendering help in God&rsquo;s deliverance and the apostles&rsquo; hope mentioned in the preceding verse."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"petition", vrefs:"Phil. 1:19; Philem. 22"},
  {sup:2, word:"gift", lines:["Referring to the grace given ({2Co1:12|v. 12}), the resurrected Christ Himself, who is the grace that the apostles enjoyed in the experience of resurrection out of death (vv. {2Co1:9|9}-{2Co1:10|10}). This is the gift of grace, which is different from the gifts of abilities mentioned in {1Co12|1&nbsp;Cor. 12} and {1Co14|14}. The gift of grace is inward for life, and the gifts of abilities are outward for function."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"thanks", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:15; 9:11-12"},
  {sup:3, word:"persons", lines:["Lit., faces; implying that thanks are given by cheerful countenances."]},
  ],
  '1:12': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"conscience", vrefs:"Acts 23:1; 2&nbsp;Tim. 1:3; Rom. 9:1", lines:["We must have a pure conscience ({2Ti1:3|2&nbsp;Tim. 1:3}), a conscience without offense ({Act24:16|Acts 24:16}), that can bear a testimony to what we are and do."]},
  {sup:2, word:"singleness", lines:["Or, simplicity. Some MSS read, holiness. The apostles&rsquo; situation of death forced them to be simple, that is, not to base their confidence on themselves or on their natural human ability to work out a solution to their difficult situation. This was the testimony of their conscience and was their confidence ({2Co1:15|v. 15})."]},
  {sup:"3b", word:"sincerity", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:17", lines:["A divine virtue, a virtue of what God is. To conduct ourselves in such a virtue means to experience God Himself. Hence, to conduct ourselves in such a virtue is to be in the grace of God (later in the verse)."]},
  {sup:4, word:"fleshly", lines:["I.e., human wisdom in the flesh. This equals ourselves, just as the grace of God equals God Himself."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"wisdom", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 2:4, 5, 13; James 3:15"},
  {sup:"5d", word:"grace", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 15:10; 2&nbsp;Cor. 12:9", lines:["God for our enjoyment (see {1Co15:10^1|note 10<sup>1</sup>} in {1Co15|1&nbsp;Cor. 15}). Grace here is the gift in {2Co1:11|v. 11}, which the apostles received for the experience of resurrection in their sufferings."]},
  ],
  '1:14': [
  {sup:"a", word:"in", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:5"},
  {sup:"b", word:"boast", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 5:12"},
  {sup:"c", word:"ours", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 9:3; 1&nbsp;Cor. 15:31; Phil. 2:16; 1&nbsp;Thes. 2:19"},
  {sup:"1d", word:"day", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 1:8", lines:["See {1Co3:13^1|note 13<sup>1</sup>} in {1Co3|1&nbsp;Cor. 3}."]},
  ],
  '1:15': [
  {sup:"a", word:"come", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 4:19"},
  {sup:1, word:"double", lines:["Lit., second; referring to the double grace bestowed by the apostle&rsquo;s coming to Corinth twice, once in this verse and again in the next verse. Through the apostle&rsquo;s coming, the grace of God, that is, the imparting of God as the life supply and spiritual enjoyment, was bestowed on the believers. His two comings would bring them a double portion of such grace."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"grace", vrefs:"Rom. 1:11; Philem. 22"},
  ],
  '1:16': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"Macedonia", vrefs:"Acts 19:21; 20:1; 1&nbsp;Cor. 16:5", lines:["A province of the Roman Empire, north of Achaia. The cities of Philippi and Thessalonica were in Macedonia."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"Judea", vrefs:"Acts 19:21"},
  ],
  '1:17': [
  {sup:"a", word:"according", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:2-3"},
  ],
  '1:18': [
  {sup:1, word:"But", lines:["But gives a contrast. In the preceding verse the apostle referred to the charge that he was a man of yes and no. In this verse he defended himself by saying that because God is faithful, the word of their preaching was not yes and no. Hence, they were not fickle persons of yes and no. Their being was according to their preaching. They lived according to what they preached."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"faithful", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 1:9"},
  {sup:"2b", word:"word", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:17", lines:["The word of the apostles&rsquo; preaching ({1Co1:18|1&nbsp;Cor. 1:18}), their message concerning Christ ({2Co1:19|v. 19})."]},
  ],
  '1:19': [
  {sup:1, word:"For", lines:["For introduces the reason for what is mentioned in the preceding verse. God is faithful, never changing, especially in His promises concerning Christ. Hence, the word the apostles preached concerning Christ was likewise never changing, because the very Christ whom God promised in His faithful word and whom they preached in their gospel did not become yes and no. Rather, in Him is yes. Since the Christ whom they preached according to God&rsquo;s promises did not become yes and no, the word they preached concerning Him was not yes and no. Not only their preaching but also their living was according to what Christ is. They preached Christ and lived Him. They were not men of yes and no but men who were the same as Christ."]},
  {sup:2, word:"Silvanus", lines:["I.e., Silas. See {Act15:22|Acts 15:22}; {Act18:5|18:5}."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"yes", vrefs:"Heb. 13:8"},
  ],
  '1:20': [
  {sup:1, word:"For", lines:["Again, for introduces the reason for what is mentioned in the preceding verse. Christ, whom the faithful God promised and whom the sincere apostles preached, did not become yes and no, did not change, because in Him is the Yes of all the promises of God, and through Him is the apostles&rsquo; and the believers&rsquo; Amen to God for His glory."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"promises", vrefs:"Rom. 15:8; Gal. 3:17; Eph. 2:12; Heb. 6:13; 10:23"},
  {sup:2, word:"Him", lines:["Christ. "]},
  {sup:3, word:"Yes", lines:["Christ is the Yes, the incarnate answer, the fulfillment of all the promises of God to us."]},
  {sup:4, word:"the", lines:["The Amen given by us through Christ to God (cf. {1Co14:16|1&nbsp;Cor. 14:16}). Christ is the Yes, and we say Amen to this Yes before God."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"Amen", vrefs:"Rev. 3:14; 1&nbsp;Cor. 14:16"},
  {sup:5, word:"for", lines:["When we say Amen before God to the fact that Christ is the Yes, the fulfillment, of all the promises of God, God is glorified through us."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"glory", vrefs:"Eph. 3:21"},
  {sup:6, word:"us", lines:["Referring not only to the apostles, who preached Christ according to God&rsquo;s promises, but also to the believers, who received Christ according to the apostles&rsquo; preaching. Through us there is glory unto God when we say Amen to Christ as the great Yes of all God&rsquo;s promises."]},
  ],
  '1:21': [
  {sup:1, word:"But", lines:["The apostles, who preached Christ according to God&rsquo;s promises and lived Christ according to their preaching, and the believers, who received Christ according to the apostles&rsquo; preaching, are joined to Christ, becoming one with Him, through whom they say Amen before God to the great Yes of God&rsquo;s promises, which is Christ Himself. But it is not they but God who attaches them all together unto Christ. Their being one with Christ is of God and by God, not of themselves and by themselves."]},
  {sup:2, word:"firmly", lines:["Lit., establishes. God establishes the apostles with the believers in Christ. This means that God firmly attaches the apostles together with the believers unto Christ, the anointed One. Hence, the apostles and the believers are one not only with Christ, the anointed One, but also with one another, sharing the anointing that Christ has received of God."]},
  {sup:3, word:"us", lines:["I.e., the apostles with the believers have been attached to Christ, the anointed One. This shows that the apostles ranked themselves with the believers in being attached to Christ by the anointing Spirit, not considering themselves a special group separate from the believers in God&rsquo;s all-inclusive salvation."]},
  {sup:4, word:"with", lines:["I.e., together with."]},
  {sup:5, word:"Christ", lines:["I.e., the anointed One ({Dan9:26|Dan. 9:26}, lit.)."]},
  {sup:"6a", word:"anointed", vrefs:"1&nbsp;John 2:20, 27; Luke 4:18; Psa. 133:2; Exo. 30:25, 30", lines:["Since we have been attached by God to Christ, the anointed One, we are spontaneously anointed with Him by God."]},
  ],
  '1:22': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"sealed", vrefs:"Eph. 1:13; 4:30", lines:["The anointing in the preceding verse is the sealing. Since God has anointed us with Christ, He has also sealed us in Him. See {Eph1:13^1|note 13<sup>1</sup>} in {Eph1|Eph. 1}."]},
  {sup:2, word:"hearts", lines:["The Spirit, the earnest of God as our portion, is a foretaste to us; thus, here it says that He is in our hearts. {Rom5:5|Romans 5:5} and {Gal4:6|Gal. 4:6} refer to the matter of love and, hence, speak of the Spirit in our heart. But {Rom8:16|Rom. 8:16} refers to the work of the Spirit, since it says that the Spirit witnesses with our spirit. Our heart is a loving organ, but our spirit is a working one."]},
  {sup:"3b", word:"pledge", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 5:5; Eph. 1:14", lines:["The seal is a mark that marks us out as God&rsquo;s inheritance, God&rsquo;s possession, as those who belong to God. The pledge is an earnest, guaranteeing that God is our inheritance, or possession, and belongs to us (see {Eph1:14^1|note 14<sup>1</sup>} in {Eph1|Eph. 1}). The Spirit within us is the pledge, an earnest, of God as our portion in Christ.","God&rsquo;s attaching us to Christ issues in three things: (1) an anointing that imparts God&rsquo;s elements into us; (2) a sealing that forms the divine elements into an impression to express God&rsquo;s image; and (3) a pledging that gives us a foretaste as a sample and guarantee of the full taste of God. Through these three experiences of the anointing Spirit, with the experience of the cross, the ministry of Christ is produced."]},
  ],
  '1:23': [
  {sup:"a", word:"witness", vrefs:"Rom. 1:9; Phil. 1:8"},
  {sup:1, word:"against", lines:["Lit., upon. The apostle called on, or asked, God to be a witness against his soul, that is, against himself, should he speak falsely."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"soul", vrefs:"Heb. 4:12; 1&nbsp;Cor. 2:14"},
  {sup:"2c", word:"spare", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 13:2", lines:["The apostle would not come to visit the Corinthian believers with a rod for discipline, but in love and a spirit of meekness for building ({1Co4:21|1&nbsp;Cor. 4:21}). In order to avoid any unpleasant feeling, he refrained from coming. He treated them leniently and would not come to them in sorrow ({2Co2:1|2:1}). He did not like to lord it over their faith but wished to be a fellow worker with them for their joy ({2Co1:24|v. 24}). This was the truth. He called on God to witness to this for him."]},
  {sup:"d", word:"come", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:15"},
  ],
  '1:24': [
  {sup:"a", word:"lord", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Pet. 5:3"},
  {sup:1, word:"faith", lines:["For the believers to stand in the objective faith ({1Co16:13|1&nbsp;Cor. 16:13} and {1Co16:13^2|note 2}), subjective faith is needed. Lording it over their subjective faith weakens it, but being a fellow worker with them for their joy strengthens it."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"stand", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 15:1; 16:13"},
  ],
  '2:1': [
  {sup:1, word:"determined", lines:["The same Greek word as for judged."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"come", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 4:21"},
  {sup:"b", word:"sorrow", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:5; 7:8-10"},
  ],
  '2:3': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"wrote", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:9", lines:["In the first Epistle."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"not", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:20-21"},
  {sup:"c", word:"confidence", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:22; Gal. 5:10; 2&nbsp;Thes. 3:4"},
  ],
  '2:4': [
  {sup:"a", word:"wrote", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:8, 12"},
  {sup:"b", word:"tears", vrefs:"Acts 20:19"},
  {sup:"c", word:"love", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:11; 12:15"},
  ],
  '2:5': [
  {sup:"a", word:"sorrow", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:2"},
  {sup:"b", word:"in", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:14"},
  {sup:1, word:"lay", lines:["I.e., apply pressure too heavily, press too heavily, say too much. The apostle said here that the offender caused in part all the church to sorrow. He said &ldquo;in part&rdquo; lest he press too heavily, lest he say too much. This indicates that he was a tender, cautious, and considerate person."]},
  ],
  '2:6': [
  {sup:"a", word:"punishment", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Tim. 5:20"},
  ],
  '2:7': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"forgive", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:10; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13", lines:["Or, deal graciously with."]},
  ],
  '2:8': [
  {sup:1, word:"confirm", lines:["I.e., formally prove by sure evidence."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"love", vrefs:"Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:14"},
  ],
  '2:9': [
  {sup:"a", word:"wrote", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:3, 4"},
  {sup:1, word:"know", lines:["Know your approvedness means put you to the test."]},
  {sup:2, word:"approvedness", lines:["Or, tested character."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"obedient", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:15; 10:6"},
  ],
  '2:10': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"forgive", vrefs:"cf. John 20:23", lines:["Or, deal graciously with."]},
  {sup:2, word:"forgiven", lines:["Or, dealt graciously with."]},
  {sup:3, word:"person", lines:["Lit., face; as in {2Co4:6|4:6}. The part around the eyes; the look as the index of the inward thoughts and feelings, which shows forth and manifests the whole person. This indicates that the apostle was one who lived and acted in the presence of Christ, according to the index of His whole person, expressed in His eyes. The first section, {2Co1:1|1:1}&mdash;{2Co2:11|2:11}, is a long introduction to this Epistle, which follows the apostle&rsquo;s first Epistle to the disorderly believers in Corinth. After receiving information that they had repented ({2Co7:6|7:6}-{2Co7:13|13}) through their accepting of his rebukes in the first Epistle, he was comforted and encouraged. Thus, he wrote this Epistle to comfort and encourage them in a very personal, tender, and affectionate way, in such a way that this Epistle can be considered to some extent his autobiography. In it we see a person who lived Christ according to what he wrote concerning Him in his first Epistle, in the closest and most intimate contact with Him, acting according to the index of His eyes; a person who was one with Christ, full of Christ, and saturated with Christ; a person who was broken and even terminated in his natural life, softened and flexible in his will, affectionate yet restricted in his emotion, considerate and sober in his mind, and pure and genuine in his spirit toward the believers for their benefit, that they might experience and enjoy Christ as he did for the fulfillment of God&rsquo;s eternal purpose in the building up of Christ&rsquo;s Body."]},
  ],
  '2:11': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"Satan", vrefs:"Luke 22:31; 1&nbsp;Pet. 5:8", lines:["This discloses that the evil one, Satan, is behind the scenes in everything and works in everything."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"ignorant", vrefs:"cf. Matt. 13:25, 28"},
  {sup:"2c", word:"schemes", vrefs:"Eph. 6:11", lines:["I.e., plans, plots, devices, designs, wiles, intentions, purposes."]},
  ],
  '2:12': [
  {sup:1, word:"Furthermore", lines:["In addition to what he mentioned in vv. {2Co2:10|10}-{2Co2:11|11}, the apostle also told the Corinthian believers of his concern for them. Although in Troas a door had been opened to him, even in the Lord, he had no rest in his spirit when he did not find Titus, whom he was anxious to meet to gain information concerning the effect of his first Epistle among the Corinthians. Then he left Troas and went forth to Macedonia ({2Co2:13|v. 13}), being anxious to meet Titus to obtain the information. This showed his great affection for the Corinthians. His concern for the church was much greater than his concern for the preaching of the gospel."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"Troas", vrefs:"Acts 16:8; 20:6; 2&nbsp;Tim. 4:13"},
  {sup:"b", word:"door", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 16:9"},
  {sup:2, word:"in", lines:["Or, by the Lord; i.e., not by human effort."]},
  ],
  '2:13': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"spirit", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 16:18; Rom. 1:9; Psa. 77:3, 6; Dan. 7:15; Ezek. 3:14", lines:["This indicates that the apostle was one who lived and acted in his spirit, as indicated in {1Co16:18|1&nbsp;Cor. 16:18}."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"Titus", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:6"},
  {sup:"2c", word:"Macedonia", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:16; 7:5; 8:1; 9:2, 4", lines:["This Epistle was written in Macedonia after Paul&rsquo;s stay in Ephesus on the third journey of his ministry ({2Co8:1|8:1}; {Act20:1|Acts 20:1})."]},
  ],
  '2:14': [
  {sup:"a", word:"thanks", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 15:57; 2&nbsp;Cor. 8:16; 9:15"},
  {sup:1, word:"leads", lines:["&ldquo;The verb here used&mdash;means to lead a man as a captive in a triumphal procession; the full phrase means to lead captive in a triumph over the enemies of Christ.&mdash;God is celebrating His triumph over His enemies; Paul (who had been so great an opponent of the gospel) is a captive following in the train of the triumphal procession, yet (at the same time, by a characteristic change of metaphor) an incense-bearer, scattering incense (which was always done on these occasions) as the procession moves on. Some of the conquered enemies were put to death when the procession reached the Capitol; to them the smell of the incense was &lsquo;an odor of death unto death&rsquo;; to the rest who were spared, &lsquo;an odor of life unto life&rsquo;&rdquo; (Conybeare). (The same metaphor is used in {Col2:15|Col. 2:15}.) God always leads the apostles in such a triumphant way for their ministry.","In the second section of this Epistle, {2Co2:12|2:12}&mdash;{2Co7:16|7:16}, the apostle spoke about his and his co-workers&rsquo; ministry. He first likened their ministry to a celebration of Christ&rsquo;s victory. Their move in their ministry for Christ was like a triumphal procession going from one place to another under God&rsquo;s leading. He and his co-workers were Christ&rsquo;s captives, bearing the fragrant incense of Christ, for His triumphant glory. They had been conquered by Christ and had become His captives in the train of His triumph, scattering the fragrance of Christ from place to place. This was their ministry for Him."]},
  {sup:2, word:"us", lines:["As conquered and captured captives in the train of Christ&rsquo;s triumph, celebrating and participating in Christ&rsquo;s triumph. The apostles were such captives; their move as captives of Christ in their ministry for Him was God&rsquo;s celebration of Christ&rsquo;s victory over His enemies."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"triumph", vrefs:"Col. 2:15"},
  {sup:3, word:"the", lines:["See {2Co1:5^2|note 5<sup>2</sup>} in {2Co1|ch. 1}."]},
  {sup:"4c", word:"savor", vrefs:"Psa. 45:8; S.S. 1:3; Eph. 5:2; cf. Phil. 4:18", lines:["&ldquo;According to the Greek usage, savor and knowledge are in apposition, so that the knowledge of Christ is symbolized as an odor communicating its nature and efficacy through the apostle&rsquo;s work&rdquo; (Vincent)."]},
  {sup:"d", word:"knowledge", vrefs:"Phil. 3:8"},
  {sup:5, word:"us", lines:["As incense-bearers, scattering the savor of the knowledge of Christ in His triumphant ministry as in a triumphal procession. The apostles were incense-bearers in the ministry of Christ as well as captives in the train of His triumph."]},
  ],
  '2:15': [
  {sup:1, word:"are", lines:["The apostles, being permeated with Christ, became a fragrance of Christ. They were not merely a sweet savor produced by Christ, but Christ Himself was the savor being exhaled in their life and work to God, both in those who were being saved, as a savor out of life unto life, and in those who were perishing, as a savor out of death unto death."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"fragrance", vrefs:"cf. S.S. 4:10, 11, 13-14, 16"},
  {sup:"b", word:"saved", vrefs:"Acts 2:47; 1&nbsp;Cor. 15:2"},
  {sup:"c", word:"perishing", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:3; 1&nbsp;Cor. 1:18"},
  ],
  '2:16': [
  {sup:"a", word:"savor", vrefs:"cf. 1&nbsp;Pet. 2:7-8"},
  {sup:1, word:"unto", lines:["I.e., resulting in death&mdash;resulting in life. Referring to the effect of the apostles&rsquo; ministry in two different aspects on different persons. It is a matter of life and death! Only the captives of God in Christ, who are saturated with Christ by the Spirit, are sufficient and qualified for this ({2Co3:5|3:5}-{2Co3:6|6})."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"death", vrefs:"Acts 13:46"},
  {sup:"c", word:"life", vrefs:"Acts 13:48"},
  {sup:"2d", word:"sufficient", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:5-6", lines:["Or, competent, qualified, fit, worthy. The same Greek word as in {2Co3:5|3:5}."]},
  ],
  '2:17': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"adulterating", vrefs:"cf. 2&nbsp;Cor. 4:2", lines:["The Greek word means retailing, hawking. Originally, it referred to the selling of inferior items at high prices in a tricky way by peddlers who were of low class. Many engaged in this kind of hawking, adulterating the word of God for their profit, but the apostles did not. Out of sincerity and out of God in their ministry, they spoke in Christ the word of God in the sight of God. How sincere and genuine were the apostles in their ministry!"]},
  {sup:"b", word:"sincerity", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:12"},
  {sup:2, word:"speak", lines:["I.e., minister the word of God."]},
  ],
  '3:1': [
  {sup:"a", word:"commend", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:2; 5:12; 10:12"},
  {sup:"b", word:"letters", vrefs:"Acts 18:27; 1&nbsp;Cor. 16:3"},
  ],
  '3:2': [
  {sup:1, word:"our", lines:["The believers were the fruit of the apostles&rsquo; labor, commending the apostles and their ministry to others. Thus, they became the apostles&rsquo; living letter of commendation, written by the apostles with the indwelling Christ as the content in every part of their inner being."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"letter", vrefs:"cf. 1&nbsp;Cor. 9:2"},
  {sup:2, word:"our", lines:["The Corinthian believers, as the apostles&rsquo; living letter of commendation, were inscribed in the apostles&rsquo; hearts; thus, they were carried by the apostles and could not possibly be severed from the apostles. They were in the apostles&rsquo; hearts ({2Co7:3|7:3}), brought by them everywhere as their living commendation."]},
  ],
  '3:3': [
  {sup:1, word:"letter", lines:["A letter of Christ is written with Christ as the content to convey and express Christ. All Christ&rsquo;s believers should be such a living letter of Christ, that others may read and know Christ in their beings."]},
  {sup:2, word:"ministered", lines:["I.e., written by the ministry of the apostles. The apostles were filled with Christ, so that their ministry spontaneously ministered Christ to those whom they contacted, inscribing Christ in their hearts and making them living letters that conveyed Christ. That the letters were inscribed both in the apostles&rsquo; hearts ({2Co3:2|v. 2}) and in the believers&rsquo; hearts ({2Co3:3|v. 3}) shows that the proper new covenant ministry, described in this book, always writes something both in the hearts of those who receive the ministry and in the hearts of those who minister. This kind of ministry is in the way of life, with the life-giving Spirit as the essence of the writing (see {2Co3:6|v. 6} and {2Co3:3^3|note 3<sup>3</sup>})."]},
  {sup:3, word:"with", lines:["The Spirit of the living God, who is the living God Himself, is not the instrument, like a pen, but the element, like ink used in writing, with which the apostles minister Christ as the content for the writing of living letters that convey Christ."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"Spirit", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:6, 17, 18"},
  {sup:"b", word:"living", vrefs:"Matt. 16:16; 1&nbsp;Tim. 3:15; Heb. 3:12"},
  {sup:"c", word:"tablets", vrefs:"Exo. 24:12; Deut. 4:13"},
  {sup:"4d", word:"hearts", vrefs:"Heb. 8:10; Prov. 3:3; 7:3", lines:["Our heart, composed of our conscience (the leading part of our spirit), our mind, our emotion, and our will, is the tablet in which the living letters of Christ are written with the living Spirit of God. This implies that Christ is written into every part of our inner being with the Spirit of the living God to make us His living letters, that He may be expressed and read by others in us."]},
  ],
  '3:4': [
  {sup:"a", word:"confidence", vrefs:"Eph. 3:12"},
  ],
  '3:5': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"sufficient", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:16", lines:["See {2Co2:16^2|note 16<sup>2</sup>} in {2Co2|ch. 2}."]},
  {sup:2, word:"account", lines:["Or, reckon, evaluate."]},
  {sup:3, word:"sufficiency", lines:["Or, competency, qualification. The living God Himself is the sufficiency, competency, and qualification of the apostles&rsquo; ministry for God&rsquo;s New Testament economy, which is to dispense Christ into God&rsquo;s chosen people for the building up of Christ&rsquo;s Body."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"from", vrefs:"cf. 1&nbsp;Cor. 15:10; Matt. 10:20"},
  ],
  '3:6': [
  {sup:"a", word:"sufficient", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:16"},
  {sup:"b", word:"ministers", vrefs:"Eph. 3:7; Col. 1:23, 25"},
  {sup:"c", word:"new", vrefs:"Jer. 31:31; Luke 22:20; 1&nbsp;Cor. 11:25; Heb. 8:8, 13; 9:15"},
  {sup:1, word:"letter", lines:["The written code of the law."]},
  {sup:"2d", word:"Spirit", vrefs:"Rom. 2:29; 7:6", lines:["The Spirit of the living God, with whom the apostles ministered Christ into the believers to make them the living letters of Christ ({2Co3:3|v. 3}). Unlike the Mosaic ministry for the Old Testament, the apostolic ministry for the New Testament is not of dead letters but of the living Spirit, who gives life."]},
  {sup:3, word:"letter", lines:["The letter of the law, which only requires of man. It is unable to supply man with life ({Gal3:21|Gal. 3:21}). Because of man&rsquo;s inability to fulfill the requirements of the law, the law kills man ({Rom7:9|Rom. 7:9}-{Rom7:11|11})."]},
  {sup:"4e", word:"Spirit", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 15:45; John 6:63", lines:["The Spirit, the ultimate expression of the processed Triune God, who became a life-giving Spirit ({1Co15:45|1&nbsp;Cor. 15:45}), imparts the divine life, even God Himself, into the believers and the apostles, making them ministers of a new covenant, the covenant of life. Hence, their ministry is one constituted with the Triune God of life by His life-giving Spirit."]},
  ],
  '3:7': [
  {sup:1, word:"ministry", lines:["The ministry of the old covenant, a covenant of the dead letter, which kills."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"death", vrefs:"Rom. 7:9, 11, 13"},
  {sup:"b", word:"stone", vrefs:"Exo. 34:1; Deut. 10:1-3"},
  {sup:"2c", word:"glory", vrefs:"Exo. 34:29-35; cf. 2&nbsp;Cor. 4:6", lines:["The glory that shone temporarily and only on Moses&rsquo; face ({Exo34:29|Exo. 34:29}, {Exo34:35|35})."]},
  ],
  '3:8': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"ministry", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:1; 5:18", lines:["The apostolic ministry of the new covenant, a covenant of the living Spirit, who gives life."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"Spirit", vrefs:"Gal. 3:5"},
  {sup:2, word:"glory", lines:["The glory of God manifested in the face of Christ, which is God Himself shining forever in the hearts of the apostles ({2Co4:6|4:6}), surpassing the glory of the Mosaic ministry of the old covenant ({2Co3:10|v. 10})."]},
  ],
  '3:9': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"condemnation", vrefs:"Rom. 3:20; 5:13, 20; 7:7", lines:["The ministry of the old covenant became one of death ({2Co3:7|v. 7}) because the old covenant brought in condemnation unto death ({Rom5:13|Rom. 5:13}, {Rom5:18|18}, {Rom5:20|20}-{Rom5:21|21}). Hence, it was also the ministry of condemnation."]},
  {sup:"2b", word:"righteousness", vrefs:"Rom. 1:17; 3:21-22; 5:17, 19, 21", lines:["The ministry of the new covenant is a ministry of the Spirit who gives life (vv. {2Co3:8|8}, {2Co3:6|6}), because the new covenant brings in God&rsquo;s righteousness unto life ({Rom5:18|Rom. 5:18}, {Rom5:21|21}). Hence, it is also the ministry of righteousness, the ministry of justification. The focus of the ministry of the new covenant is thus both the Spirit as the life supply, and righteousness, the living out and genuine expression of Christ (the image of God), who as the Spirit is our life ({2Co3:17|v. 17})."]},
  {sup:3, word:"abounds", lines:["The apostolic ministry of the new covenant not only has glory but also abounds with the glory of God, which surpasses the glory of the Mosaic ministry of the old covenant ({2Co3:10|v. 10})."]},
  ],
  '3:10': [
  {sup:1, word:"glorified", lines:["Temporarily in the shining of Moses&rsquo; face."]},
  {sup:2, word:"in", lines:["I.e., in the fact that the glory of the ministry of the law was a temporary glory shining on Moses&rsquo; face. In this respect it was being done away with on account of the surpassing glory. Because of the glory of the new covenant ministry (which is the glory of God, even God Himself, manifested in the face of Christ forever, surpassing the temporary glory of the old covenant ministry, which was shining on Moses&rsquo; face), the temporary glory of the ministry of the law disappeared and no longer exists."]},
  {sup:3, word:"has", lines:["I.e., was being done away with ({2Co3:7|v. 7})."]},
  ],
  '3:11': [
  {sup:1, word:"being", lines:["I.e., in the process of being abolished through the spreading of the new covenant ministry."]},
  {sup:2, word:"through", lines:["Verses {2Co3:7|7}-{2Co3:11|11} show the inferiority of the glory of the Mosaic ministry, the ministry of the law, a ministry of condemnation and death, and the superiority of the apostolic ministry, the ministry of grace, a ministry of righteousness and the Spirit. The former was through glory in a temporary way; the latter remains in glory forever.","In {2Co2:12|2:12}-{2Co2:17|17} the apostle spoke of the triumph and effect of the apostolic ministry. In vv. {2Co3:1|1}-{2Co3:6|6} of this chapter he spoke of its function and competency, and in vv. {2Co3:7|7}-{2Co3:11|11}, of its glory and superiority."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"glory", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:7, 9"},
  {sup:"b", word:"glory", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:8-10"},
  ],
  '3:12': [
  {sup:1, word:"hope", lines:["I.e., the hope that the shining glory of the new covenant ministry will remain forever. The apostles&rsquo; having hope was in contrast to Moses&rsquo; lacking hope because of the fading glory of his old covenant ministry of the law, which was being done away with ({2Co3:13|v. 13})."]},
  {sup:"2a", word:"boldness", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:4; Eph. 6:19", lines:["The Greek word implies speaking. In contrast to Moses, who covered his face with a veil ({2Co3:13|v. 13}), the apostles had the boldness to speak openly and freely concerning their ministry, not hiding, not dissembling."]},
  ],
  '3:13': [
  {sup:"a", word:"veil", vrefs:"Exo. 34:33, 35"},
  {sup:1, word:"at", lines:["While Moses spoke the word of God to the sons of Israel, he kept his glorified face unveiled. But after speaking, he veiled his face ({Exo34:29|Exo. 34:29}-{Exo34:33|33}) lest they see the end of his ministry, which was passing away. He did not want them to behold the termination of his ministry of the law, which was being done away with."]},
  ],
  '3:14': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"thoughts", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:4; Isa. 6:9-10", lines:["&ldquo;Originally, things which proceed out of the mind.&mdash;{Phi4:7|Phil. 4:7}&mdash;{2Co2:11|2&nbsp;Cor. 2:11}. Hence, derivatively, the minds themselves&rdquo; (Vincent)."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"hardened", vrefs:"Mark 6:52; Rom. 11:7-8, 25"},
  {sup:"c", word:"reading", vrefs:"Acts 13:15; 15:21"},
  {sup:2, word:"it", lines:["It refers to the fact that the veil is being done away with in Christ. Since this fact had not been unveiled to the sons of Israel, their thoughts were hardened and their minds were blinded. The veil is being done away with in Christ through the new covenant economy, yet it still remains on their heart when they read the old covenant ({2Co3:15|v. 15})."]},
  ],
  '3:15': [
  {sup:1, word:"Moses", lines:["Referring to Moses&rsquo; writings, the Pentateuch ({Joh5:47|John 5:47})."]},
  ],
  '3:16': [
  {sup:1, word:"their", lines:["This indicates that when their heart is away from the Lord, the veil lies on their heart. When their heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Actually, their turned-away heart is the veil. To turn their heart to the Lord is to take away the veil."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"veil", vrefs:"Isa. 25:7"},
  ],
  '3:17': [
  {sup:1, word:"And", lines:["Or, furthermore, in addition. When the heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. In addition to this, furthermore, the Lord is the Spirit, who would give us freedom. Since the Lord is the Spirit, when the heart turns to Him, the veil is taken away and the heart is freed from the bondage of the letter of the law."]},
  {sup:2, word:"Lord", lines:["According to the context of this section, which begins at {2Co2:12|2:12}, the Lord here must refer to Christ the Lord ({2Co2:12|2:12}, {2Co2:14|14}-{2Co2:15|15}, {2Co2:17|17}; {2Co3:3|3:3}-{2Co3:4|4}, {2Co3:14|14}, {2Co3:16|16}; {2Co4:5|4:5}). This then is a strong word in the Bible, telling us emphatically that Christ is the Spirit. &ldquo;The Lord Christ of {2Co3:16|v. 16} is the Spirit who pervades and animates the new covenant of which we are ministers ({2Co3:6|v. 6}), and the ministration of which is with glory ({2Co3:8|v. 8}). Compare {Rom8:9|Rom. 8:9}-{Rom8:11|11}; {Joh14:16|John 14:16}, {Joh14:18|18}&rdquo; (Vincent). &ldquo;The Lord of {2Co3:16|v. 16}, is the Spirit&mdash; which giveth life, {2Co3:6|v. 6}: meaning, &lsquo;the Lord,&rsquo; as here spoken of, &lsquo;Christ,&rsquo; &lsquo;is the Spirit,&rsquo; is identical with the Holy Spirit&mdash;Christ, here, is the Spirit of Christ&rdquo; (Alford). &ldquo;All that transforming and indwelling Spirit is Christ Himself. &lsquo;The Lord is the Spirit&rsquo;&rdquo; (Williston Walker)."]},
  {sup:"3a", word:"Spirit", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 15:45; John 7:39; Rev. 2:7; 22:17", lines:["The Spirit, who is the ultimate expression of the Triune God, was not yet in {Joh7:39|John 7:39}, because at that time Jesus had not yet been glorified. He had not yet finished the process that He, as the embodiment of God, had to pass through. After His resurrection, that is, after the finishing of all the processes, such as incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection, that the Triune God had to pass through in man for His redemptive economy, He became a life-giving Spirit ({1Co15:45|1&nbsp;Cor. 15:45}). In the New Testament, this life-giving Spirit is called &ldquo;the Spirit&rdquo; ({Rom8:16|Rom. 8:16}, {Rom8:23|23}, {Rom8:26|26}-{Rom8:27|27}; {Gal3:2|Gal. 3:2}, {Gal3:5|5}, {Gal3:14|14}; {Gal6:8|6:8}; {Rev2:7|Rev. 2:7}; {Rev3:22|3:22}; {Rev14:13|14:13}; {Rev22:17|22:17}), the Spirit who gives us the divine life ({2Co3:6|v. 6}; {Joh6:63|John 6:63}) and frees us from the bondage of the law."]},
  {sup:"4b", word:"Spirit", vrefs:"Gal. 4:6", lines:["The Spirit of the Lord is the Lord Himself, with whom is freedom."]},
  {sup:"5c", word:"freedom", vrefs:"John 8:32; Gal. 5:1", lines:["Freedom from the letter of the law under the veil ({Gal2:4|Gal. 2:4}; {Gal5:1|5:1})."]},
  ],
  '3:18': [
  {sup:1, word:"But", lines:["But indicates that we believers are different from the children of Israel. They were veiled, but we with unveiled face behold and reflect like a mirror the glory of the Lord and are thus being transformed into the same image as the Lord from glory to glory."]},
  {sup:2, word:"we", lines:["The apostles, who, as the examples and representatives of all believers, are the ministers of Christ. In vv. {2Co3:8|8}-{2Co3:9|9} the glory is related to the ministry of the new covenant. Here the glory is related to the apostles, the ministers of the new covenant. This shows that the ministry of the new covenant is not merely an activity carried out by the new covenant ministers; rather, it is what the new covenant ministers are. They are one with their ministry, for the same invisible glory saturates and pervades both their work and their being, so that there is no difference between the two."]},
  {sup:3, word:"unveiled", lines:["In contrast to the veiled mind, the veiled heart (vv. {2Co3:14|14}-{2Co3:15|15}). That our face is unveiled means that our heart has turned to the Lord, so that the veil has been taken away, and the Lord as the Spirit has freed us from the bondage, the veiling, of the law, so that there is no more insulation between us and the Lord."]},
  {sup:"4a", word:"beholding", vrefs:"Psa. 27:4", lines:["To behold the glory of the Lord is to see the Lord ourselves; to reflect the glory of the Lord is to enable others to see Him through us."]},
  {sup:"5b", word:"mirror", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 13:12", lines:["We are like mirrors beholding and reflecting the glory of the Lord. This being the case, our face should be fully unveiled that we may see well and reflect properly."]},
  {sup:"6c", word:"glory", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:7; 4:4, 6; John 1:14; 2&nbsp;Pet. 1:17; Heb. 2:9", lines:["I.e., the glory of the Lord, the resurrected and ascended One, who as both God and man passed through incarnation, human living on the earth, and crucifixion, entered into resurrection, accomplished full redemption, and became a life-giving Spirit. As the life-giving Spirit, He dwells in us to make Himself and all that He has accomplished, obtained, and attained real to us, that we may be one with Him and be transformed into the same image as the Lord from glory to glory."]},
  {sup:7, word:"being", lines:["When we with unveiled face are beholding and reflecting the glory of the Lord, He infuses us with the elements of what He is and what He has done. Thus we are being transformed metabolically to have His life shape by His life power with His life essence; that is, we are being transfigured, mainly by the renewing of our mind ({Rom12:2|Rom. 12:2}), into His image. Being transformed indicates that we are in the process of transformation."]},
  {sup:"d", word:"transformed", vrefs:"Rom. 12:2"},
  {sup:8, word:"same", lines:["The image of the resurrected and glorified Christ. To be transformed into the same image is to be conformed to the resurrected and glorified Christ, to be made the same as He is ({Rom8:29|Rom. 8:29})."]},
  {sup:"e", word:"image", vrefs:"Col. 3:10; Heb. 1:3; 1&nbsp;Cor. 15:49"},
  {sup:9, word:"from", lines:["I.e., from one degree of glory to another. This indicates an ongoing process in life in resurrection."]},
  {sup:"f", word:"glory", vrefs:"Heb. 2:10"},
  {sup:10, word:"from", lines:["From indicates that the transformation is proceeding from the Spirit rather than being caused by Him."]},
  {sup:11, word:"Lord", lines:["The Lord Spirit may be considered a compound title like the Father God and the Lord Christ. Again, this expression strongly proves and confirms that the Lord Christ is the Spirit and the Spirit is the Lord Christ. In this chapter, this Spirit is revealed as the inscribing Spirit ({2Co3:3|v. 3}), the Spirit who gives life ({2Co3:6|v. 6}), the ministering Spirit ({2Co3:8|v. 8}), the freeing Spirit ({2Co3:17|v. 17}), and the transforming Spirit ({2Co3:18|v. 18}). Such an all-inclusive Spirit is crucial to the ministers of Christ and to their ministry for God&rsquo;s new covenant economy.","After speaking about the ministry of the new covenant, the apostle spoke about the ministers of the new covenant. From {2Co3:12|v. 12} through {2Co3:18|v. 18} he depicted the new covenant ministers as persons whose hearts have turned to the Lord, whose faces are unveiled, who are enjoying the Lord as the Spirit, freeing them from the bondage of the law, and who are being transformed into the image of the Lord by beholding and reflecting Him. Through such a process of transformation they are constituted ministers of Christ by the Spirit with the elements of Christ&rsquo;s person and work. Hence, their person is constituted of and with Christ, and their ministry is to minister Christ to others, infusing them with the all-inclusive Christ as the indwelling, life-giving Spirit. All believers should imitate such ministers to be the same kind of person and to accomplish the same kind of ministry."]},
  ],
  '4:1': [
  {sup:1, word:"Therefore", lines:["In {2Co3:12|3:12}-{2Co3:18|18} the apostle depicted how the ministers of the new covenant are constituted. In this chapter, from {2Co4:1|v. 1} through {2Co4:6|v. 6} he went on to tell how they as the ministers of the new covenant conducted themselves for the carrying out of their ministry; from {2Co4:7|v. 7} through {2Co4:18|v. 18} he described the kind of life they lived, a life that made them one with their ministry. This chapter mentions several aspects of their experience that correspond with and confirm what was spoken in {2Co3|ch. 3} concerning the ministry of the new covenant: (1) the peace the apostle experienced as a result of the manifestation of life in the midst of turmoil in vv. {2Co4:8|8}-{2Co4:9|9} corresponds with the righteousness as the fruit of peace ({Jam3:18|James 3:18}), i.e., the expression of the image of God in a proper and orderly way, mentioned in {2Co3:9|3:9}; (2) the life in vv. {2Co4:10|10}-{2Co4:12|12} corresponds with the Spirit in {2Co3:6|3:6}, {2Co3:8|8}, {2Co3:17|17}-{2Co3:18|18}; (3) being renewed in {2Co4:16|v. 16} corresponds with being transformed in {2Co3:18|3:18}; and (4) the eternal weight of glory in {2Co4:17|v. 17} corresponds with the degrees of glory in {2Co3:18|3:18}."]},
  {sup:2, word:"this", lines:["The ministry described in {2Co2:12|2:12}&mdash;{2Co3:18|3:18}, that is, the unique ministry common to all the apostles of Christ. Although they are many, they have only one ministry&mdash;the ministry of the new covenant for the accomplishing of God&rsquo;s New Testament economy. All the apostles&rsquo; works are to carry out this unique ministry, the ministering of Christ to people for the building up of His Body."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"ministry", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:8; 5:18; Acts 20:24; Rom. 11:13; 1&nbsp;Tim. 1:12; Eph. 4:12"},
  {sup:"3b", word:"mercy", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 7:25; 1&nbsp;Tim. 1:13", lines:["See {1Ti1:13^3|note 13<sup>3</sup>} in {1Ti1|1&nbsp;Tim. 1}."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"not", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:16"},
  ],
  '4:2': [
  {sup:"a", word:"shame", vrefs:"Rom. 6:21"},
  {sup:"b", word:"craftiness", vrefs:"Eph. 4:14"},
  {sup:"1c", word:"adulterating", vrefs:"cf. 2&nbsp;Cor. 2:17", lines:["The original meaning of the Greek word was to ensnare; later, to corrupt, as in the adulterating of gold or wine. The meaning is narrower than adulterating in {2Co2:17|2:17}, which adds the sense for gain&rsquo;s sake."]},
  {sup:"2d", word:"truth", vrefs:"John 1:14, 17; 8:32; 14:6; 17:17; Col. 1:5; 1&nbsp;Tim. 2:4; 3:15; Eph. 4:24", lines:["The truth is another expression for the word of God ({Joh17:17|John 17:17} and {Joh17:17^1|notes}). It means the reality, denoting all the real things revealed in God&rsquo;s word, which are mainly Christ as the reality of all the things of God. The manifestation of the truth refers to the apostles&rsquo; living of Christ. When they lived Christ, who is the truth ({Joh14:6|John 14:6}), they manifested the truth. As Christ was lived out of them, the truth was manifested in them. By this, they commended themselves to every conscience of men before God. The apostles behaved themselves not in the way of adulterating the word of God but in the way of manifesting the truth for the shining of the gospel of the glory of Christ, by the excellent power of the priceless treasure, the very Christ who entered into them and became their content ({2Co4:7|v. 7}) through the enlightenment of God&rsquo;s shining ({2Co4:6|v. 6})."]},
  {sup:"e", word:"commending", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:1"},
  {sup:"f", word:"conscience", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 5:11-12"},
  ],
  '4:3': [
  {sup:1, word:"veiled", lines:["Veiled by old concepts, especially the concept concerning the law ({2Co3:14|3:14}-{2Co3:15|15}). In principle, anything such as philosophy, religion, or cultural traditions that hinders people from apprehending the gospel of Christ is a veil. Hence, the preaching of Christ must unveil them, just as in photography the cover is removed from the lens that it might take in the view."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"veiled", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:14, 15; cf. Matt. 13:15"},
  {sup:"b", word:"perishing", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 1:18; 2&nbsp;Cor. 2:15"},
  ],
  '4:4': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"god", vrefs:"John 12:31; Eph. 2:2", lines:["Satan, the deceiver, the ruler of the present age, who dominates today&rsquo;s world and hunts for man&rsquo;s worship by blinding his mind and his thoughts."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"this", vrefs:"Rom. 12:2; Gal. 1:4"},
  {sup:"2c", word:"blinded", vrefs:"Matt. 15:14; 23:16, 17, 19, 24; John 9:40; 12:40; Isa. 6:10", lines:["I.e., has veiled men&rsquo;s understanding."]},
  {sup:"3d", word:"thoughts", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:14", lines:["Or, minds. See {2Co3:14^1|note 14<sup>1</sup>} in {2Co3|ch. 3}."]},
  {sup:"4e", word:"illumination", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:6", lines:["Christ as the image of God is the effulgence of His glory ({Heb1:3|Heb. 1:3}). Hence, the gospel of Christ is the gospel of His glory that illuminates and shines forth. Satan, the god of this age, has blinded the thoughts and the minds of the unbelievers so that the illumination of the gospel of Christ&rsquo;s glory might not shine into their hearts. This is similar to a camera lens&rsquo;s being covered so that the light cannot shine into the camera to bring in the image. It is also like a blind man, or a man with his eyes veiled, into whom the light of the sun is unable to shine."]},
  {sup:"f", word:"glory", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:8-11, 18"},
  {sup:"g", word:"image", vrefs:"Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3"},
  {sup:5, word:"shine", lines:["The Greek word means (1) to see distinctly, to discern, and (2) to shine."]},
  ],
  '4:5': [
  {sup:1, word:"For", lines:["This explains why the apostles&rsquo; gospel, which is the gospel of the glory of Christ, should not have been veiled: they did not preach, exalt, themselves but Christ Jesus as Lord of all, and they conducted themselves as the believers&rsquo; slaves for Jesus&rsquo; sake."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"preach", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 1:23"},
  {sup:"2b", word:"Lord", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 8:6; 12:3", lines:["Christ Jesus as Lord comprises Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever ({Rom9:5|Rom. 9:5}), the eternal Word incarnated to be a man ({Joh1:14|John 1:14}), Jesus crucified as a man to be our Savior ({Act4:10|Acts 4:10}-{Act4:12|12}) and resurrected to be the Son of God ({Act13:33|Acts 13:33}), and Christ exalted to be the Lord ({Act2:36|Acts 2:36}), even the Lord of all men ({Act10:36|Acts 10:36}; {Rom10:12|Rom. 10:12}; {Joh20:28|John 20:28}; {1Co12:3|1&nbsp;Cor. 12:3}), who is the image of God, the effulgence of God&rsquo;s glory ({Heb1:3|Heb. 1:3}). This is the very content of the gospel. Hence, the gospel is the gospel of the glory of Christ, which illuminates, radiates, and shines in the heart of man ({2Co4:6|v. 6}). If man&rsquo;s heart is not veiled with anything or blinded by Satan, the god of this age, man can see the illumination of the gospel ({2Co4:4|v. 4})."]},
  {sup:"3c", word:"slaves", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 9:19", lines:["In contrast to Lord. The apostles exalted Christ as Lord but considered themselves merely slaves to serve the believers."]},
  ],
  '4:6': [
  {sup:1, word:"Because", lines:["This explains what is mentioned in the preceding verse. The apostles preached Christ as Lord and themselves as the believers&rsquo; slaves because the very God who commanded light to shine out of darkness had shined in their hearts. His shining in the universe produced the old creation. Now His shining in their hearts made them a new creation. Therefore, in their preaching they were able to exalt Christ as the Lord, and in their ministry, to conduct themselves as slaves of the believers. What they did for Christ and what they were to the believers were the issue of God&rsquo;s shining. God&rsquo;s shining produces the new covenant ministers and their ministry."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"darkness", vrefs:"Matt. 4:16; 6:23; John 1:5; 8:12; 12:35, 46; Acts 26:18; 2&nbsp;Cor. 6:14; Eph. 5:8; 6:12; Col. 1:13; 1&nbsp;Thes. 5:5; 1&nbsp;Pet. 2:9; 1&nbsp;John 1:5; 2:8"},
  {sup:"b", word:"light", vrefs:"Gen. 1:3"},
  {sup:2, word:"in", lines:["In our hearts is much deeper than on the skin of Moses&rsquo; face ({2Co3:7|3:7}; {Exo34:29|Exo. 34:29}-{Exo34:30|30}). This presents a comparison between the glory of the apostolic ministry of the gospel and that of the Mosaic ministry of the law. In the heart is related to the inner life, whereas on the skin of the face has nothing to do with the inner life. The glory of the old covenant is on the surface, but the glory of the new covenant has great depth."]},
  {sup:3, word:"our", lines:["The apostles&rsquo; hearts. The apostles represent all the believers of the new covenant."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"hearts", vrefs:"cf. 2&nbsp;Pet. 1:19"},
  {sup:"4d", word:"illuminate", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:4", lines:["The illumination here, which refers to the shining of God&rsquo;s light on others out from those whose hearts have been enlightened by God, corresponds with the manifestation in {2Co4:2|v. 2} and is the same as the shining in {Mat5:16|Matt. 5:16} and {Phi2:15|Phil. 2:15}. God shines in our hearts that we may shine on others so that they may have the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, that is, the knowledge of Christ, who expresses and declares God ({Joh1:18|John 1:18})."]},
  {sup:"e", word:"glory", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:8-11, 18; cf. 2&nbsp;Cor. 3:7"},
  {sup:5, word:"face", lines:["The face of Jesus Christ is in comparison with the face of Moses ({2Co3:7|3:7}). The glory of the gospel in the face of Jesus Christ is much superior to the glory of the law in the face of Moses. The former shines in the face of One through whom grace and reality came, issuing in righteousness and the Spirit&mdash;life ({2Co3:8|3:8}-{2Co3:9|9}); the latter shone in the face of one through whom the law was given ({Joh1:17|John 1:17}), resulting in condemnation and death ({2Co3:7|3:7}, {2Co3:9|9}). The shining of God in our hearts is to illumine us that we may know not the glory on Moses&rsquo; face but the glory in Christ&rsquo;s face; it is to enlighten us that we may know not the law of Moses of the old covenant but the gospel of Christ of the new covenant. The glory of God manifested in the face of Jesus Christ is the God of glory expressed through Jesus Christ, and it is Jesus Christ, who is the effulgence of the glory of God ({Heb1:3|Heb. 1:3}); to know Him is to know the God of glory."]},
  ],
  '4:7': [
  {sup:1, word:"But", lines:["God&rsquo;s shining in our hearts brings into us a treasure, the Christ of glory, who is the embodiment of God to be our life and our everything. But we who contain this treasure are earthen vessels, worthless and fragile. A priceless treasure is contained in worthless vessels! This has made the worthless vessels ministers of the new covenant with a priceless ministry. This has been accomplished by the divine power in resurrection. The excellency of the power is surely of God and not out of us.","In the apostles&rsquo; speaking concerning their ministry for God&rsquo;s new covenant, five very significant and expressive metaphors were used to illustrate how they, as the ministers of the new covenant, and their ministry were constituted, how they behaved and lived, and how their ministry was carried out:","(1) Captives in a triumphal procession for the celebration of Christ&rsquo;s victory ({2Co2:14|2:14a});","(2) Incense-bearers to scatter the fragrance of Christ ({2Co2:14|2:14b}-{2Co2:16|16});","(3) Letters written with Christ as the content ({2Co3:1|3:1}-{2Co3:3|3});","(4) Mirrors beholding and reflecting the glory of Christ in order to be transformed into His glorious image ({2Co3:18|3:18});","(5) Earthen vessels to contain the Christ of glory as the excellent treasure ({2Co4:7|v. 7}). These vessels are like today&rsquo;s camera, into which Christ the figure enters through the flash of God&rsquo;s shining (vv. {2Co4:4|4}, {2Co4:6|6})."]},
  {sup:"2a", word:"treasure", vrefs:"cf. Matt. 6:21; 13:44", lines:["This treasure, the indwelling Christ, in us, the earthen vessels, is the divine source of the supply for the Christian life. It is by the excellent power of this treasure that the apostles as the ministers of the new covenant were capable of living a crucified life that the resurrection life of Christ, whom they ministered, might be manifested. Thus, they manifested the truth ({2Co4:2|v. 2}) for the shining of the gospel."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"vessels", vrefs:"Rom. 9:21, 23; cf. Lam. 4:2; 2&nbsp;Tim. 2:20"},
  {sup:"3c", word:"excellency", vrefs:"cf. Phil. 3:8", lines:["Or, transcendence, surpassing greatness, exceeding greatness."]},
  {sup:"d", word:"power", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 2:4; Eph. 1:19; 3:7, 20; Col. 1:29"},
  ],
  '4:8': [
  {sup:1, word:"pressed", lines:["Or, afflicted. The description of their life, from this verse through {2Co4:18|v. 18}, shows that the apostles lived a crucified life in resurrection, or lived the resurrection life under the killing of the cross, for the carrying out of their ministry."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"every", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:5"},
  {sup:2, word:"constricted", lines:["Or, restricted."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"utterly", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:8"},
  ],
  '4:9': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"Persecuted", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Tim. 3:11-12; Matt. 5:10-12; cf. Acts 8:1, 3; Gal. 1:13, 23; 1&nbsp;Tim. 1:13", lines:["Or, pursued (by enemies)."]},
  {sup:"2b", word:"abandoned", vrefs:"Heb. 13:5", lines:["Or, deserted, forsaken; lit., left behind (in some terrible plight)."]},
  {sup:3, word:"cast", lines:["Or, struck down."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"not", vrefs:"cf. Prov. 24:16; Micah 7:8"},
  {sup:4, word:"destroyed", lines:["I.e., killed. The same Greek word as for perishing in {2Co4:3|v. 3}."]},
  ],
  '4:10': [
  {sup:"a", word:"in", vrefs:"Phil. 1:20"},
  {sup:"1b", word:"putting", vrefs:"Rom. 8:36", lines:["I.e., the killing, the deadening; referring to the working of death, the working of the cross, which the Lord Jesus suffered and went through. In our experience this is a kind of suffering, persecution, or dealing that comes upon us for the sake of Jesus, for the sake of the Body of Christ, and for the sake of the new covenant ministry. This does not refer to sufferings and troubles that are common to all human beings in the old creation, such as illness or calamity, or to punishment, correction, or discipline suffered because of sins, mistakes, or failure to fulfill one&rsquo;s responsibility. This putting to death of Jesus consumes our natural man, our outward man, our flesh, so that our inward man may have the opportunity to develop and be renewed ({2Co4:16|v. 16})."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"death", vrefs:"Rom. 6:5, 8; Phil. 3:10"},
  {sup:2, word:"that", lines:["In order that, with the result that. The killing of the cross results in the manifestation of the resurrection life. This daily killing is for the release of the divine life in resurrection."]},
  {sup:3, word:"life", lines:["The resurrection life, which the Lord Jesus lived and expressed through the working of the cross."]},
  ],
  '4:11': [
  {sup:"a", word:"death", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 4:9; 15:31; 2&nbsp;Cor. 1:9; 6:9; 2&nbsp;Tim. 2:11"},
  {sup:"b", word:"life", vrefs:"Acts 3:15; 5:20; Col. 3:4; Rom. 5:10; 6:4; 1&nbsp;John 1:2"},
  {sup:1, word:"Jesus", lines:["The title Jesus in these two verses implies that the apostles lived a life like the one the Lord Jesus lived on earth. The Lord&rsquo;s life was a life under the killing of the cross for the manifestation of the resurrection life, a life lived in such a way that His person was one with His ministry and His life was His ministry ({Joh6:14|John 6:14}-{Joh6:15|15}; {Joh12:13|12:13}, {Joh12:19|19}, {Joh12:23|23}-{Joh12:24|24})."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"mortal", vrefs:"Rom. 8:11; 2&nbsp;Cor. 5:4; 1&nbsp;Cor. 15:53-54"},
  {sup:2, word:"flesh", lines:["The use of flesh and body interchangeably in vv. {2Co4:10|10} and {2Co4:11|11} indicates that our mortal flesh is our fallen body."]},
  ],
  '4:12': [
  {sup:"a", word:"death", vrefs:"John 12:24; 1&nbsp;Cor. 15:36; John 2:19"},
  {sup:1, word:"life", lines:["When we are under the killing of the Lord&rsquo;s death, His resurrection life is imparted through us into others. The impartation of life into others is always the issue of our suffering the killing of the cross."]},
  ],
  '4:13': [
  {sup:1, word:"same", lines:["The same spirit as set forth in the words quoted later in this verse."]},
  {sup:"2a", word:"spirit", vrefs:"Rom. 8:4-6", lines:["&ldquo;Not distinctly the Holy Spirit,&mdash;but still not merely a human disposition: the indwelling Holy Spirit penetrates and characterizes the whole renewed man&rdquo; (Alford). &ldquo;Spirit of faith: not distinctly the Holy Spirit, nor, on the other hand, a human faculty or disposition, but blending both&rdquo; (Vincent). The spirit of faith is the Holy Spirit mingled with our human spirit. We must exercise such a spirit to believe and to speak, like the psalmist, the things we have experienced of the Lord, especially His death and resurrection. Faith is in our spirit, which is mingled with the Holy Spirit, not in our mind. Doubts are in our mind. Here spirit indicates that it is by the mingled spirit that the apostles lived a crucified life in resurrection for the carrying out of their ministry."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"faith", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:24; 5:7"},
  {sup:"c", word:"I", vrefs:"Psa. 116:10"},
  ],
  '4:14': [
  {sup:"a", word:"raised", vrefs:"Acts 2:24; 1&nbsp;Cor. 6:14"},
  {sup:"1b", word:"raise", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:9; 1&nbsp;Cor. 15:52; 1&nbsp;Thes. 4:14, 16", lines:["This indicates that the apostles considered themselves dead persons ({2Co1:9|1:9}), for they were always being delivered unto death for the Lord&rsquo;s purpose ({2Co4:11|v. 11})."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"make", vrefs:"Col. 1:22, 28; Jude 24"},
  ],
  '4:15': [
  {sup:"a", word:"all", vrefs:"Rom. 8:28"},
  {sup:"b", word:"for", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:6; 5:13"},
  {sup:"1c", word:"grace", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:11; 1&nbsp;Cor. 15:10", lines:["Grace, according to the context, is the very Christ, who lived in the apostles as their life and life supply for them to live a crucified life for the manifestation of the resurrection life that they might carry out their ministry for God&rsquo;s new covenant. See {1Co15:10^1|note 10<sup>1</sup>} in {1Co15|1&nbsp;Cor. 15}."]},
  {sup:"d", word:"thanksgiving", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 9:11-12"},
  {sup:"e", word:"glory", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:20; 8:19"},
  ],
  '4:16': [
  {sup:"a", word:"not", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:1"},
  {sup:"1b", word:"outer", vrefs:"cf. Rom. 6:6; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9", lines:["The outer man consists of the body as its organ with the soul as its life and person. The inner man consists of the regenerated spirit as its life and person with the renewed soul as its organ. The life of the soul must be denied ({Mat16:24|Matt. 16:24}-{Mat16:25|25}), but the faculties of the soul&mdash;the mind, will, and emotion&mdash;must be renewed and uplifted by being subdued ({2Co10:4|10:4}-{2Co10:5|5}) so that they can be used by the spirit, the person of the inner man."]},
  {sup:2, word:"decaying", lines:["Or, being consumed, being wasted away, being worn out. By the continued killing, the working of death, our outer man, that is, our material body with its animating soul ({1Co15:44|1&nbsp;Cor. 15:44} and {1Co15:44^1|note}), is being consumed and worn out."]},
  {sup:"1c", word:"inner", vrefs:"Eph. 3:16; cf. Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10", lines:["See {2Co4:16^1|note 16<sup>1</sup>}."]},
  {sup:"3d", word:"renewed", vrefs:"Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23; Col. 3:10; Titus 3:5", lines:["By being nourished with the fresh supply of the resurrection life. As our mortal body, our outer man, is being consumed by the killing work of death, our inner man, that is, our regenerated spirit with the inward parts of our being ({Jer31:33|Jer. 31:33}; {Heb8:10|Heb. 8:10}; {Rom7:22|Rom. 7:22}, {Rom7:25|25}), is being metabolically renewed day by day with the supply of the resurrection life."]},
  ],
  '4:17': [
  {sup:"a", word:"momentary", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Pet. 1:6; 5:10"},
  {sup:1, word:"affliction", lines:["Referring to the putting to death, the working of the cross ({2Co4:10|v. 10})."]},
  {sup:2, word:"more", lines:["Lit., excessively unto excess."]},
  {sup:3, word:"eternal", lines:["In contrast to momentary lightness."]},
  {sup:"4b", word:"glory", vrefs:"Rom. 8:18; 2&nbsp;Tim. 2:10; Heb. 2:10", lines:["The expression of God as resurrection life. Glory is in contrast to affliction."]},
  ],
  '4:18': [
  {sup:1, word:"things", lines:["Things of the temporary affliction."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"seen", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 5:7; Rom. 8:24"},
  {sup:2, word:"things", lines:["Things of the eternal glory."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"not", vrefs:"Heb. 11:1, 13"},
  {sup:"c", word:"eternal", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 5:1"},
  ],
  '5:1': [
  {sup:1, word:"For", lines:["For indicates that what is to be mentioned is an explanation of what was spoken in {2Co4:13|4:13}-{2Co4:18|18}. In this chapter the apostle tells us of the apostles&rsquo; aspiration for the redemption of their bodies (vv. {2Co5:1|1}-{2Co5:8|8}; {Rom8:23|Rom. 8:23}), their ambition, their determination, to please the Lord (vv. {2Co5:9|9}-{2Co5:15|15}), and their commission from the Lord for His new creation (vv. {2Co5:16|16}-{2Co5:21|21})."]},
  {sup:2, word:"earthly", lines:["Not made of earth but on the earth."]},
  {sup:"3a", word:"tabernacle", vrefs:"Isa. 38:12; 2&nbsp;Pet. 1:13-14", lines:["I.e., our physical body, in which our person dwells and which is not only for our living but also for our worshipping God (cf. {1Co6:19|1&nbsp;Cor. 6:19})."]},
  {sup:4, word:"building", lines:["A building with a foundation, in contrast to the tabernacle, which had no foundation. This building is our resurrected, transfigured body, the spiritual body mentioned in {1Co15|1&nbsp;Cor. 15}, and is in contrast to the dying, physical, natural body that we have today."]},
  {sup:5, word:"from", lines:["Lit., out of."]},
  {sup:6, word:"dwelling", lines:["Our spiritual body ({1Co15:44|1&nbsp;Cor. 15:44})."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"not", vrefs:"Mark 14:58"},
  {sup:"c", word:"eternal", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:18"},
  {sup:"7d", word:"in", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Pet. 1:4", lines:["In contrast to earthly, i.e., on the earth."]},
  ],
  '5:2': [
  {sup:1, word:"this", lines:["Referring to tabernacle in {2Co5:1|v. 1}."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"groan", vrefs:"Rom. 8:23"},
  {sup:2, word:"clothed", lines:["I.e., to have our body transfigured and conformed to the body of Christ&rsquo;s glory. The apostles were longing for this."]},
  {sup:3, word:"dwelling", lines:["Referring to the dwelling in the heavens in the preceding verse."]},
  {sup:4, word:"from", lines:["Lit., out of."]},
  ],
  '5:3': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"naked", vrefs:"cf. Gen. 3:7, 10; Rev. 3:18; 16:15", lines:["I.e., without a body. A dead person, being disembodied, is naked, without a body as a covering before God. The apostles were expecting to be transfigured in their bodies, to be clothed with a spiritual body to meet the Lord before they died and were disembodied, that they might not be found naked."]},
  ],
  '5:4': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"burdened", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:8", lines:["I.e., Weighed down, depressed, oppressed."]},
  {sup:2, word:"in", lines:["The apostles groaned in the desire not to be unclothed, disembodied, that is, in the desire not to die but to be clothed, to put on the spiritual body, that is, to have their body transfigured ({Phi3:21|Phil. 3:21}), to have their body redeemed ({Rom8:23|Rom. 8:23})."]},
  {sup:3, word:"what", lines:["Our mortal body ({2Co4:11|4:11}; {Rom8:11|Rom. 8:11}; {1Co15:53|1&nbsp;Cor. 15:53})."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"mortal", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:11"},
  {sup:"4c", word:"swallowed", vrefs:"Isa. 25:8; 1&nbsp;Cor. 15:53-54", lines:["The death in our mortal body is swallowed up by resurrection life. Through this our body will be transfigured ({1Co15:54|1&nbsp;Cor. 15:54})."]},
  ],
  '5:5': [
  {sup:1, word:"wrought", lines:["Or, fashioned, shaped, prepared, made fit. God has wrought us, fashioned us, shaped us, prepared us, made us fit, for the very purpose that our mortal body might be swallowed up by His resurrection life. Thus our entire being will be saturated with Christ. God has given us the Spirit as the pledge, the earnest, the foretaste, the guarantee, of this wonderful and marvelous part of His complete salvation, which He has prepared for us in Christ."]},
  {sup:"2a", word:"pledge", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:14", lines:["See {2Co1:22^3|note 22<sup>3</sup>} in {2Co1|ch. 1}."]},
  ],
  '5:6': [
  {sup:1, word:"at", lines:["Our body is in the material realm; the Lord is in the spiritual realm. In this sense we are abroad from the Lord when we are at home in our body."]},
  ],
  '5:7': [
  {sup:1, word:"walk", lines:["The apostles regulated their lives and conducted themselves by faith, as mentioned in {Heb11|Heb. 11}, not by that which was seen. It was in this way that they realized they were away from the Lord while they were in their physical body. This corresponds with the word in {2Co4:18|4:18}."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"faith", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:13; John 20:29; 1&nbsp;Pet. 1:8"},
  {sup:"2b", word:"appearance", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:18", lines:["I.e., that which is seen; hence, sight."]},
  ],
  '5:8': [
  {sup:1, word:"to", lines:["I.e., to die, thus being released from the material realm to be with the Lord in the spiritual realm. The apostles, who were always being persecuted unto death ({2Co1:8|1:8}-{2Co1:9|9}; {2Co4:11|4:11}; {2Co11:23|11:23}; {1Co15:31|1&nbsp;Cor. 15:31}), were well pleased rather to die that they might be released from their confining body to be at home with the Lord in a better realm ({Phi1:23|Phil. 1:23})."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"abroad", vrefs:"Phil. 1:23"},
  ],
  '5:9': [
  {sup:1, word:"determined", lines:["Zealous with a strong aim, striving earnestly to be well pleasing to the Lord."]},
  {sup:2, word:"at", lines:["I.e., living and thus remaining in the body, or dying and thus being with the Lord."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"well", vrefs:"Col. 1:10; 1&nbsp;Thes. 4:1; Rom. 12:1-2"},
  ],
  '5:10': [
  {sup:1, word:"For", lines:["For points to the reason for the determination mentioned in {2Co5:9|v. 9}."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"manifested", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 3:13; cf. 2&nbsp;Cor. 5:11"},
  {sup:"2b", word:"judgment", vrefs:"Rom. 14:10", lines:["Where Christ will judge His believers at His coming back, not concerning their eternal salvation but concerning their dispensational reward ({1Co4:4|1&nbsp;Cor. 4:4}-{1Co4:5|5}; {1Co3:13|3:13}-{1Co3:15|15}). See {Rom14:10^1|note 10<sup>1</sup>} in {Rom14|Rom. 14}."]},
  {sup:"3c", word:"receive", vrefs:"Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12", lines:["&ldquo;The technical word for receiving wages&rdquo; (Alford)."]},
  {sup:4, word:"through", lines:["While we are still at home in the body, we should do things through it to please the Lord that we may be rewarded by the Lord at His coming."]},
  {sup:5, word:"bad", lines:["Or, worthless."]},
  ],
  '5:11': [
  {sup:1, word:"Knowing", lines:["I.e., being conscious of fearing the Lord. Therefore indicates that this consciousness is due to the judgment seat of Christ mentioned in {2Co5:10|v. 10}."]},
  {sup:"2a", word:"fear", vrefs:"Psa. 2:11; Acts 9:31; Heb. 12:28; Phil. 2:12", lines:["Not the Lord&rsquo;s being fearsome but our fearing the Lord."]},
  {sup:3, word:"persuade", lines:["The apostles, conscious of fearing the Lord, persuaded men concerning their integrity, concerning what kind of persons they were, toward both God and men. They did not need to persuade God, for what they were had already been made manifest to God; yet, the apostles hoped that they had been made manifest also in the believers&rsquo; consciences."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"consciences", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:2"},
  ],
  '5:12': [
  {sup:"a", word:"commending", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:1; 4:2"},
  {sup:"b", word:"boast", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:14"},
  {sup:1, word:"have", lines:["I.e., have words to answer those who are boasting."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"boasting", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:18"},
  {sup:"d", word:"outward", vrefs:"Gal. 6:12"},
  {sup:2, word:"appearance", lines:["Lit., face. The outward appearance of the Judaizers."]},
  {sup:"3e", word:"heart", vrefs:"Rom. 2:29", lines:["Where the sincerity and reality of the virtues are."]},
  ],
  '5:13': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"beside", vrefs:"Mark 3:21; Acts 26:24-25", lines:["I.e., mad, as a fool, for God&rsquo;s glory ({Act26:24|Acts 26:24}-{Act26:25|25}). The apostles&rsquo; ecstasy was not an excitement out of folly, but it was to God and with God for His glory."]},
  {sup:"2b", word:"sober-minded", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Tim. 3:2; 2&nbsp;Tim. 1:7", lines:["Self-controlled in love for others&rsquo; good."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"for", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:15"},
  ],
  '5:14': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"love", vrefs:"Rom. 8:35", lines:["The love of Christ toward us, which was manifested on the cross through His dying for us ({Gal2:20|Gal. 2:20})."]},
  {sup:2, word:"constrains", lines:["The Greek word means to press on&mdash;from all sides, to hold&mdash;to one end, to forcibly limit, to confine to one object within certain bounds, to shut up to one line and purpose (as in a narrow, walled road). (The same Greek word is used in {Luk4:38|Luke 4:38}; {Luk12:50|12:50}; {Act18:5|Acts 18:5}; {Phi1:23|Phil. 1:23}.) In such a way the apostles were constrained by the love of Christ to live to Him."]},
  {sup:3, word:"have", lines:["I.e., have concluded (probably at the time of conversion)."]},
  {sup:"4b", word:"One", vrefs:"Rom. 5:19", lines:["Christ&rsquo;s loving death is the motivating factor in the apostles&rsquo; being constrained to live a loving life for Him."]},
  {sup:5, word:"therefore", lines:["Since Christ died as our Substitute, suffering the sentence of death on behalf of us all, in the eyes of God we all died. Hence, we do not need to die as has been reserved for men ({Heb9:27|Heb. 9:27})."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"all", vrefs:"Col. 2:20; 3:3; Gal. 2:20"},
  ],
  '5:15': [
  {sup:"a", word:"died", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Thes. 5:10"},
  {sup:"b", word:"live", vrefs:"John 14:19; 6:57; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:21"},
  {sup:1, word:"no", lines:["Christ&rsquo;s death not only saves us from death so that we do not need to die, but also causes us, through His resurrection, to live no longer to ourselves but to Him."]},
  {sup:"2c", word:"to", vrefs:"Rom. 14:7-8; Gal. 2:19", lines:["Living to the Lord is deeper in significance than living for the Lord. Living for the Lord implies that I and the Lord are still two; living to the Lord indicates that I am one with the Lord, as the wife is one with the husband in married life."]},
  ],
  '5:16': [
  {sup:1, word:"So", lines:["Since the apostles judged that Christ&rsquo;s death made us all, through His resurrection, a new man, a man not according to the flesh, they would no longer know anyone according to the flesh. They had known Christ in that way, but now they knew Him so no longer."]},
  {sup:2, word:"know", lines:["The first know refers to the inward, subjective consciousness; known and the second know refer to the outward, objective knowledge. See {Rom6:6^1|note 6<sup>1</sup>} in {Rom6|Rom. 6}."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"flesh", vrefs:"Col. 2:11; Phil. 3:3; Rom. 8:4-8"},
  {sup:"b", word:"according", vrefs:"Rom. 1:3; John 1:14; Matt. 13:54-57; John 1:45-46; 6:42; 7:41, 52"},
  ],
  '5:17': [
  {sup:1, word:"So", lines:["This confirms what is mentioned in the preceding verse. The apostles would no longer know anyone according to the flesh, because anyone who is in Christ is a new creation; the old things of the flesh have passed away through the death of Christ, and all has become new in Christ&rsquo;s resurrection."]},
  {sup:"2a", word:"in", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 1:30; Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27-28; 2&nbsp;Cor. 12:2", lines:["To be in Christ is to be one with Him in life and nature. This is of God through our faith in Christ ({1Co1:30|1&nbsp;Cor. 1:30}; {Gal3:26|Gal. 3:26}-{Gal3:28|28})."]},
  {sup:"3b", word:"new", vrefs:"Gal. 6:15; Eph. 2:15; 4:24; Col. 3:10", lines:["The old creation does not have the divine life and nature, but the new creation, constituted of the believers, who are born again of God, does ({Joh1:13|John 1:13}; {Joh3:15|3:15}; {2Pe1:4|2&nbsp;Pet. 1:4}). Hence, the believers are a new creation ({Gal6:15|Gal. 6:15}), not according to the old nature of the flesh but according to the new nature of the divine life."]},
  {sup:"4c", word:"old", vrefs:"cf. Rom. 6:6; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9; 2&nbsp;Cor. 3:14; Heb. 8:13; Matt. 9:16-17; 1&nbsp;Cor. 5:7-8; 2&nbsp;Pet. 1:9; Heb. 1:11", lines:["Or, ancient."]},
  {sup:"d", word:"passed", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:11, 13, 14; Matt. 5:18; Rev. 21:1"},
  {sup:5, word:"behold", lines:["A call to watch the marvelous change of the new creation."]},
  {sup:6, word:"they", lines:["Referring to the old things."]},
  {sup:"e", word:"new", vrefs:"Titus 3:5; Rom. 6:4; cf. Ezek. 36:26; 2&nbsp;Cor. 3:6; John 13:34; Acts 2:13; 1&nbsp;Cor. 5:7; Heb. 10:20; Rev. 21:1-2, 5"},
  ],
  '5:18': [
  {sup:1, word:"all", lines:["Referring to all the positive things mentioned in vv. {2Co5:14|14}-{2Co5:21|21}, of which God is the Originator and Initiator. It is of God that Christ died to save us from death that we might live to Him. It is of God that we have become a new creation in Christ. It is of God that Christ was made sin for us that we might become God&rsquo;s righteousness in Him. It is of God that He reconciled the world to Himself. And it is of God that the apostles are made ambassadors of Christ, commissioned to represent Him for the reconciling of men to God, that men may become God&rsquo;s righteousness and a new creation for the fulfillment of God&rsquo;s eternal purpose."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"reconciled", vrefs:"Rom. 5:10-11; Col.1:20"},
  {sup:"b", word:"ministry", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:8; 4:1"},
  ],
  '5:19': [
  {sup:"a", word:"in", vrefs:"Col. 2:9"},
  {sup:"b", word:"world", vrefs:"John 3:16; 1:29"},
  {sup:"c", word:"not", vrefs:"Rom. 4:8"},
  {sup:1, word:"word", lines:["The word is for the ministry ({2Co5:18|v. 18})."]},
  ],
  '5:20': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"ambassadors", vrefs:"Eph. 6:20; Gal. 4:14", lines:["The apostles were commissioned with a definite ministry, to represent Christ to accomplish God&rsquo;s purpose."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"entreats", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 6:1"},
  {sup:2, word:"reconciled", lines:["In the preceding verse it was the world that was reconciled to God; in this verse it is the believers, who have already been reconciled to God and are to be reconciled further to God. This clearly indicates that two steps are required for men to be fully reconciled to God. The first step is to reconcile sinners to God from sin. For this purpose Christ died for our sins ({1Co15:3|1&nbsp;Cor. 15:3}) that they might be forgiven by God. This is the objective aspect of Christ&rsquo;s death. In this aspect He bore our sins on the cross that they might be judged by God upon Him for us. The second step is to reconcile believers living in the natural life to God from the flesh. For this purpose Christ died for us&mdash;the persons&mdash;that we might live to Him in the resurrection life (vv. {2Co5:14|14}-{2Co5:15|15}). This is the subjective aspect of Christ&rsquo;s death. In this aspect He was made sin for us to be judged and done away with by God that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. By the two aspects of His death He has fully reconciled God&rsquo;s chosen people to God. These two steps of reconciliation are clearly portrayed by the two veils of the tabernacle. The first veil is called &ldquo;the screen&rdquo; ({Exo26:37|Exo. 26:37}). A sinner who was brought to God through the reconciliation of the propitiating blood entered into the Holy Place by passing this screen. This typifies the first step of reconciliation. The second veil ({Exo26:31|Exo. 26:31}-{Exo26:35|35}; {Heb9:3|Heb. 9:3}) still separated him from God, who was in the Holy of Holies. This veil needed to be rent that the sinner might be brought to God in the Holy of Holies. This is the second step of reconciliation. The Corinthian believers had been reconciled to God, having passed through the first veil and having entered into the Holy Place. Yet they still lived in the flesh. They needed to pass the second veil, which had been rent already ({Mat27:51|Matt. 27:51}; {Heb10:20|Heb. 10:20}), to enter into the Holy of Holies to live with God in their spirit ({1Co6:17|1&nbsp;Cor. 6:17}). The goal of this Epistle was to bring them there that they might be persons in the spirit ({1Co2:15|1&nbsp;Cor. 2:15}), in the Holy of Holies. This was what the apostle meant by saying, &ldquo;Be reconciled to God.&rdquo; This was to present them full-grown in Christ ({Col1:28|Col. 1:28})."]},
  ],
  '5:21': [
  {sup:1, word:"not", lines:["Christ did not know sin in an experiential way by contact or personal experience (cf. {Joh8:46|John 8:46}; {1Pe2:22|1&nbsp;Pet. 2:22}; {Heb4:15|Heb. 4:15}; {Heb7:26|7:26})."]},
  {sup:"2a", word:"sin", vrefs:"Rom. 8:3; Isa. 53:10; John 1:29; Heb. 9:26", lines:["Sin came from Satan, who rebelled against God ({Isa14:12|Isa. 14:12}-{Isa14:14|14}). This sin, which came out of the evil one, entered into man ({Rom5:12|Rom. 5:12}) and made man not only a sinner but sin itself under God&rsquo;s judgment. Hence, when Christ became a man in the flesh ({Joh1:14|John 1:14}), He was made sin (not sinful) on our behalf to be judged by God ({Rom8:3|Rom. 8:3}) that we might become God&rsquo;s righteousness in Him."]},
  {sup:"3b", word:"righteousness", vrefs:"Rom. 1:17; 3:21; 10:3-4; Phil. 3:9; Rom. 4:25", lines:["Righteousness issues from God for His administration ({Psa89:14|Psa. 89:14}; {Psa97:2|97:2}; {Isa32:1|Isa. 32:1}). This righteousness is Christ to be our righteousness ({1Co1:30|1&nbsp;Cor. 1:30}), making us God&rsquo;s righteousness in Him (not making us righteous before God). Through Christ&rsquo;s redemption, man, who is a sinner and is even sin, is made God&rsquo;s righteousness, being reconciled to the righteous God, and is made a new creation living to God for His eternal purpose. The apostles are commissioned to minister such a Christ, with all the glorious issues of His marvelous achievement, to His believers, who are the members that form His Body. Praise and glory be to Him forever!"]},
  {sup:4, word:"in", lines:["In union with Him, not only positionally but also organically in resurrection. We were enemies of God ({Col1:21|Col. 1:21}) by becoming sin, which came from Satan, who rebelled against God. Christ was made sin for us by becoming one with us through being incarnated in the flesh. Through His death He was condemned in the flesh as sin for us by God that we might be one with Him in His resurrection to be God&rsquo;s righteousness. By this righteousness we, the enemies of God, could be and have been reconciled to God (vv. {2Co5:18|18}-{2Co5:20|20}; {Rom5:10|Rom. 5:10})."]},
  ],
  '6:1': [
  {sup:1, word:"And", lines:["And here indicates a continuation. In the last part of {2Co5|ch. 5} ({2Co5:16|5:16}-{2Co5:21|21}) the apostle told us that they, the ministers of the new covenant, had been commissioned with the ministry of reconciliation for the Lord&rsquo;s new creation. From this verse to the end of {2Co7|ch. 7} he continued by telling us how they worked. They worked together with God by a life (not by any gift) that was all-sufficient and all-mature, able to fit all situations, that is, able to endure any kind of treatment, to accept any kind of environment, to work in any kind of condition, and to take any kind of opportunity, for the carrying out of their ministry."]},
  {sup:2, word:"together", lines:["The apostles not only were commissioned by God with their ministry but also were working together with Him. They were God&rsquo;s co-workers ({1Co3:9|1&nbsp;Cor. 3:9})."]},
  {sup:"3a", word:"entreat", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 5:20", lines:["This is the work of reconciliation, as mentioned in {2Co5:20|5:20}."]},
  {sup:"4b", word:"grace", vrefs:"Heb. 12:15", lines:["See {1Co15:10^1|note 10<sup>1</sup>} in {1Co15|1&nbsp;Cor. 15}. The grace of God always brings us back to Him. Not to receive the grace of God in vain, according to the context, means not to remain in any condition that is a distraction from God, but to be brought back to Him."]},
  ],
  '6:2': [
  {sup:"a", word:"In", vrefs:"Isa. 49:8"},
  {sup:"b", word:"acceptable", vrefs:"Luke 4:19"},
  {sup:1, word:"well-acceptable", lines:["This refers to the time of our being reconciled to God, when He well accepts us."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"acceptable", vrefs:"Psa. 69:13"},
  {sup:"d", word:"day", vrefs:"Heb. 3:13"},
  {sup:2, word:"salvation", lines:["Referring to reconciliation, according to the context, which is continued from the end of {2Co5|ch. 5}."]},
  ],
  '6:3': [
  {sup:1, word:"We", lines:["From here to the end of {2Co7|ch. 7} the apostle depicted a life that was all-fitting for the carrying out of their ministry."]},
  {sup:2, word:"ministry", lines:["The ministry of the new covenant ({2Co3:8|3:8}-{2Co3:9|9}; {2Co4:1|4:1})."]},
  ],
  '6:4': [
  {sup:"a", word:"commend", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:2"},
  {sup:"b", word:"ministers", vrefs:"cf. 1&nbsp;Cor. 4:1"},
  {sup:"1c", word:"endurance", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:12; 2&nbsp;Tim. 3:10", lines:["Endurance is the first qualification for the all-fitting life of the new covenant ministers. This refers not merely to a kind of patience but to the ability to endure suffering in tribulation, whether pressure, oppression, persecution, poverty, or any kind of trial."]},
  {sup:"d", word:"afflictions", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:4; Col. 1:24"},
  {sup:"2e", word:"necessities", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:10", lines:["The Greek word denotes constraints, urgent needs that press heavily, indicating a shortage of daily necessities such as food, lodging, or clothing."]},
  {sup:"f", word:"distresses", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:10"},
  ],
  '6:5': [
  {sup:"a", word:"stripes", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:23-24; Acts 16:23"},
  {sup:"b", word:"imprisonments", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:23"},
  {sup:"c", word:"tumults", vrefs:"Acts 17:5; 19:23"},
  {sup:"d", word:"labors", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:23, 27; 1&nbsp;Cor. 4:12"},
  {sup:"1e", word:"watchings", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:27", lines:["I.e., sleeplessnesses, as occurred in {Act16:25|Acts 16:25}; {Act20:7|20:7}-{Act20:11|11}, {Act20:31|31}; and {2Th3:8|2&nbsp;Thes. 3:8}."]},
  {sup:2, word:"fastings", lines:["Because of the lack of food. See {2Co11:27^2|note 27<sup>2</sup>} in {2Co11|ch. 11}."]},
  ],
  '6:6': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"knowledge", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:6", lines:["Knowledge is a matter of the mind; love, a matter of the heart."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"holy", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:1; 1&nbsp;Thes. 5:23"},
  {sup:2, word:"spirit", lines:["Referring to the apostles&rsquo; regenerated spirit. With stripes on the body ({2Co6:5|v. 5}), knowledge in the mind, and love in the heart, the entire being of the apostles, including body, soul, and spirit, was exercised in their living for the carrying out of their ministry."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"unfeigned", vrefs:"Rom. 12:9"},
  ],
  '6:7': [
  {sup:"a", word:"word", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:2; Eph. 1:13; Col. 1:5; 2&nbsp;Tim. 2:15"},
  {sup:"b", word:"power", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 2:4-5"},
  {sup:"1c", word:"weapons", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:4; Rom. 13:12; cf. Eph. 6:11-17; 1&nbsp;Thes. 5:8", lines:["This indicates that the apostles&rsquo; life for their ministry was a life in the battle, fighting for God&rsquo;s kingdom. Weapons of righteousness are used for fighting that we may be right with God and men according to the righteousness of God ({Mat6:33|Matt. 6:33}; {Mat5:6|5:6}, {Mat5:10|10}, {Mat5:20|20})."]},
  {sup:2, word:"on", lines:["Weapons on the right hand, such as the sword, are offensive; those on the left hand, such as the shield, are defensive."]},
  ],
  '6:8': [
  {sup:1, word:"glory", lines:["Glory is from God and those who love Him; dishonor is from the devil and those who follow him."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"dishonor", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 4:10"},
  {sup:"2b", word:"evil", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:16; 1&nbsp;Cor. 4:13; Rom. 3:8", lines:["An evil report comes from the opposers and persecutors ({Mat5:11|Matt. 5:11}); a good report comes from the believers and those who receive the truth preached and taught by the apostles."]},
  {sup:"3c", word:"deceivers", vrefs:"cf. Matt. 27:63", lines:["As deceivers in the eyes of the Judaizers and the people of other religions and philosophies, but true in the eyes of those who love the truth of God."]},
  {sup:"d", word:"true", vrefs:"cf. 2&nbsp;Cor. 4:2; 1&nbsp;Thes. 2:3"},
  ],
  '6:9': [
  {sup:1, word:"unknown", lines:["As unknown in the sense of not displaying themselves, but well known in the sense of witnessing to the truth of God."]},
  {sup:"2a", word:"dying", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:8-9; 4:10-12; 1&nbsp;Cor. 15:31; Rom. 8:36", lines:["As dying in suffering persecutions ({2Co1:8|1:8}-{2Co1:10|10}; {2Co4:11|4:11}; {1Co15:31|1&nbsp;Cor. 15:31}), but living in the Lord&rsquo;s resurrection ({2Co4:10|4:10}-{2Co4:11|11})."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"live", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:10-11; John 14:19; 2&nbsp;Tim. 2:11"},
  {sup:3, word:"being", lines:["As being disciplined in the opposers&rsquo; superficial realization, but not being put to death in the sovereign care of the Lord."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"not", vrefs:"cf. Psa. 118:18"},
  ],
  '6:10': [
  {sup:1, word:"made", lines:["As made sorrowful by the negative conditions of the churches ({2Co11:28|11:28}), yet always rejoicing in the sufficient grace and resurrection life of Christ ({2Co12:9|12:9}-{2Co12:10|10})."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"sorrowful", vrefs:"John 16:22"},
  {sup:"b", word:"rejoicing", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:7; Phil. 1:18"},
  {sup:2, word:"poor", lines:["As poor in material things, yet enriching many in spiritual riches ({Eph3:8|Eph. 3:8})."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"enriching", vrefs:"Prov. 13:7; 2&nbsp;Cor. 8:9"},
  {sup:"3d", word:"having", vrefs:"Acts 3:6", lines:["As having nothing in a human way, but possessing all things in the divine economy."]},
  {sup:"e", word:"all", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 3:21; Rom. 8:32"},
  ],
  '6:11': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"opened", vrefs:"Eph. 6:19; Ezek. 33:22", lines:["The apostles, all-mature and all-fitting, as depicted in vv. {2Co6:3|3}-{2Co6:10|10}, had their mouths opened and their hearts enlarged to the believers. With an enlarged heart they were able to embrace all believers regardless of their condition, and with an opened mouth they were free to speak to all believers frankly concerning the real situation into which they had been misled. This kind of openness and enlargement is needed to reconcile, to bring back, the misled or distracted believers to God."]},
  {sup:"1b", word:"enlarged", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:2; Psa. 119:32", lines:["See {2Co6:11^1|note 11<sup>1</sup>}."]},
  ],
  '6:12': [
  {sup:1, word:"constricted", lines:["The Corinthian believers, being childish ({2Co6:13|v. 13}), were constricted, contracted, in their inward parts toward the apostles. All children are very narrow in their affection and easily offended by those who correct them."]},
  {sup:"2a", word:"inward", vrefs:"Philem. 7, 20", lines:["The same Greek word as for affections in {2Co7:15|7:15}. See {Phi1:8^1|note 8<sup>1</sup>} in {Phi1|Phil. 1}."]},
  ],
  '6:13': [
  {sup:1, word:"recompense", lines:["The apostle wanted the Corinthian believers to give him a recompense&mdash;the same kind of enlarged heart, that they might receive him in their love."]},
  {sup:"2a", word:"children", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 4:14", lines:["This indicates (1) that the apostle considered the Corinthian believers childish, and (2) that in dealing with them he spoke as a father to his children."]},
  {sup:3, word:"be", lines:["To be enlarged requires growth and maturity in life, which the Corinthian believers lacked ({1Co3:1|1&nbsp;Cor. 3:1}, {1Co3:6|6}; {1Co14:20|14:20}). The apostle was laboring on them to make up the shortage. According to the context, which is continued from the end of {2Co5|ch. 5}, to be enlarged by growing and maturing in life is equivalent to being fully reconciled to God. Writing in this way, the apostle was carrying out his ministry of reconciling the believers, who were but halfway in being reconciled to God."]},
  ],
  '6:14': [
  {sup:1, word:"Do", lines:["This word was spoken by the apostle based on his mouth being opened and his heart being enlarged to the believers in {2Co6:11|v. 11}."]},
  {sup:"2a", word:"dissimilarly", vrefs:"cf. 1&nbsp;Cor. 7:39; Deut. 7:3; Josh. 23:12; Ezra 9:2", lines:["Dissimilarly means diversely, implying a difference in kind. This refers to {Deu22:10|Deut. 22:10}, which forbids the yoking together of two dissimilar animals. Believers and unbelievers are diverse peoples. Because of their divine nature and holy standing, the believers should not be yoked together with the unbelievers. This should be applied to all intimate relationships between believers and unbelievers, not only to marriage and business.","This word indicates that the Corinthian believers were dissimilarly yoked with unbelievers, not separated unto God from worldly people. This means that they were not fully reconciled to God. Hence, the apostle exhorted them not to be dissimilarly yoked with unbelievers but to be separated that they might be fully reconciled, brought back, to God."]},
  {sup:"3b", word:"partnership", vrefs:"Eph. 5:7, 11", lines:["The apostle used five illustrations to depict the difference between believers and unbelievers: (1) no partnership, no sharing together, between righteousness and lawlessness; (2) no fellowship, no communion, between light and darkness; (3) no concord, no harmony, between Christ and Belial; (4) no part, no portion, held by a believer with an unbeliever; and (5) no agreement, no consent, between the temple of God and idols. These illustrations also unveil the fact that the believers are righteousness, light, Christ, and the temple of God, and the unbelievers are lawlessness, darkness, Belial (Satan, the devil), and idols."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"fellowship", vrefs:"1&nbsp;John 1:6"},
  {sup:"d", word:"light", vrefs:"Eph. 5:8-9; 1&nbsp;John 1:7"},
  {sup:4, word:"with", lines:["Lit., toward."]},
  {sup:"e", word:"darkness", vrefs:"Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13; 1&nbsp;Pet. 2:9; 1&nbsp;John 1:6; Rom. 13:12"},
  ],
  '6:15': [
  {sup:"a", word:"Christ", vrefs:"cf. 1&nbsp;Cor. 10:20-21"},
  {sup:1, word:"with", lines:["Lit., toward."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"unbeliever", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 6:6"},
  ],
  '6:16': [
  {sup:"a", word:"temple", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19"},
  {sup:"1b", word:"living", vrefs:"Heb. 3:12", lines:["As the living God, God dwells among us and walks among us to be our God in a subjective way that we may partake of Him (see {1Ti3:15^3|note 15<sup>3</sup>} in {1Ti3|1&nbsp;Tim. 3}) and be His people, experiencing Him in a living way."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"I", vrefs:"Lev. 26:12; Exo. 25:8; 29:45-46"},
  {sup:"d", word:"I", vrefs:"Ezek. 37:27; Jer. 31:1"},
  ],
  '6:17': [
  {sup:"a", word:"come", vrefs:"Isa. 52:11; Ezek. 20:34, 41; Rev. 18:4"},
  {sup:1, word:"separated", lines:["This is to be brought back, to be reconciled, to God in a practical way ({2Co5:20|5:20}). To be brought back to God, to be reconciled to God, in a practical way requires us to be separated from all persons, things, and matters that do not belong to God."]},
  {sup:2, word:"what", lines:["Things that belong to lawlessness, darkness, Belial, and idols, as listed in vv. {2Co6:14|14}-{2Co6:16|16}."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"unclean", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:1"},
  {sup:3, word:"welcome", lines:["This is God&rsquo;s glad receiving of the believers who are brought back, fully reconciled, to Him."]},
  ],
  '6:18': [
  {sup:1, word:"a", lines:["God&rsquo;s being a Father to us and our being sons and daughters to Him are matters of life. They are deeper than His being our God and our being His people ({2Co6:16|v. 16})."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"Father", vrefs:"cf. 2&nbsp;Sam. 7:14"},
  {sup:"2b", word:"sons", vrefs:"Hosea 1:10; Isa. 43:6", lines:["This is the only instance in which the New Testament indicates that God has daughters. For the most part it tells us that the believers are sons of God."]},
  ],
  '7:1': [
  {sup:1, word:"Therefore", lines:["This indicates that this verse is a conclusion to the last part of {2Co6|ch. 6}, vv. {2Co6:14|14}-{2Co6:18|18}."]},
  {sup:2, word:"these", lines:["The promises mentioned in {2Co6:16|6:16}-{2Co6:18|18}."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"cleanse", vrefs:"1&nbsp;John 3:3"},
  {sup:3, word:"defilement", lines:["Defilement of flesh is related to being defiled by material things; defilement of spirit, to being defiled by things in the spiritual world, such as idols."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"spirit", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Thes. 5:23"},
  {sup:4, word:"perfecting", lines:["Holiness is separation unto God from all things other than Him (see notes {Rom1:2^3|2<sup>3</sup>} in {Rom1|Rom. 1} and {Eph1:4^3|4<sup>3</sup>} in {Eph1|Eph. 1}). To perfect holiness is to make this separation full and perfect, to have our entire being&mdash;spirit, soul, and body&mdash;fully and perfectly separated, sanctified, unto God ({1Th5:23|1&nbsp;Thes. 5:23}). This is to be fully reconciled to God."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"holiness", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Pet. 1:15"},
  {sup:"5d", word:"fear", vrefs:"Heb. 12:28", lines:["Not daring to touch things that do not belong to God or are not related to Him ({2Co6:17|6:17})."]},
  ],
  '7:2': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"Make", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 6:11, 13", lines:["The frank exhortation from {2Co6:14|6:14}&mdash;{2Co7:1|7:1} is given parenthetically to bring the distracted believers back to their holy God from their touching of defiling things that they might be fully reconciled to Him. Hence, this verse is actually a continuation of {2Co6:11|6:11}-{2Co6:13|13}, entreating the believers to have their heart enlarged toward the apostles, to make room for the apostles. From this verse to the end of this chapter, the apostle in his entreating expressed his intimate concern for the believers, that they might be consoled and encouraged to go on positively with the Lord after being fully reconciled to Him."]},
  {sup:"2b", word:"wronged", vrefs:"cf. Acts 20:33; 1&nbsp;Sam. 12:3-4", lines:["First, have wronged no one; then, have corrupted no one; and last, have taken advantage of no one."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"advantage", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:17"},
  ],
  '7:3': [
  {sup:1, word:"in", lines:["The expression of an intimate relationship."]},
  ],
  '7:4': [
  {sup:"a", word:"boldness", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:12"},
  {sup:"b", word:"boasting", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:12, 14; 8:24; 9:2; 2&nbsp;Thes. 1:4"},
  {sup:"1c", word:"comfort", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:6-7, 13; 1:4; 1&nbsp;Thes. 3:7", lines:["Lit., the comfort, the joy; pointing to the particular comfort, the particular joy, brought by Titus."]},
  {sup:"1d", word:"joy", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 6:10", lines:["See {2Co7:4^1|note 4<sup>1</sup>}."]},
  {sup:"e", word:"affliction", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:4; 4:8; Col. 1:24"},
  ],
  '7:5': [
  {sup:"a", word:"Macedonia", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:13"},
  {sup:1, word:"flesh", lines:["Referring to the outer man, which includes the body and the soul (see {2Co4:16^1|note 16<sup>1</sup>} in {2Co4|ch. 4})&mdash;the fightings without and the fears within involve the body and the soul. Having no rest in the flesh differs from having no rest in the spirit ({2Co2:13|2:13})."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"afflicted", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:8"},
  {sup:"c", word:"fightings", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:3; 1&nbsp;Cor. 15:32; 2&nbsp;Tim. 4:7"},
  ],
  '7:6': [
  {sup:"a", word:"comforts", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:4"},
  {sup:1, word:"downcast", lines:["Lit., humble; derivatively, downcast (because of oppressive circumstances)."]},
  {sup:"2b", word:"comforted", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:4, 13", lines:["Because of his deep concern for the Corinthian believers&rsquo; response to his first Epistle, the apostle, having had no rest in his spirit ({2Co2:13|2:13}) and even being heavily downcast, was anxious to see Titus to obtain information concerning the Corinthians&rsquo; response. Now Titus not only came but also brought glad news of their positive response. This was a great comfort to the apostle."]},
  {sup:3, word:"coming", lines:["Lit., presence. So also in the next verse."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"Titus", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:13; 7:13"},
  ],
  '7:7': [
  {sup:"a", word:"longing", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:11"},
  {sup:"b", word:"zeal", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:11"},
  {sup:"c", word:"rejoiced", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:9, 13, 16; 6:10"},
  ],
  '7:8': [
  {sup:"a", word:"sorrow", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:11; 2:2, 4"},
  {sup:1, word:"letter", lines:["Referring to the apostle&rsquo;s first Epistle to the Corinthians."]},
  {sup:2, word:"did", lines:["This indicates that the apostle was not only bold and frank in rebuking the believers in his first Epistle, but was also tender and soft toward them."]},
  {sup:3, word:"caused", lines:["This shows that the apostle&rsquo;s first Epistle to the believers had an effect on them."]},
  ],
  '7:9': [
  {sup:1, word:"repentance", lines:["This was the result the apostle sought in writing his first Epistle."]},
  {sup:"2a", word:"sorrowful", vrefs:"Psa. 38:18", lines:["The apostle&rsquo;s first Epistle made the Corinthians sorrowful according to God, not sorrowful for anything else. This indicates that they had been brought back, reconciled, to God."]},
  ],
  '7:10': [
  {sup:"a", word:"repentance", vrefs:"Rev. 2:5, 16; 3:3, 19"},
  {sup:1, word:"salvation", lines:["Referring to being reconciled to God ({2Co5:20|5:20}), resulting in more life, which is versus death. Through this the apostle saw the fruit of his first Epistle to the believers."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"sorrow", vrefs:"cf. Prov. 17:22"},
  ],
  '7:11': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"earnestness", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:7, 8, 16", lines:["Or, diligence. Referring to the earnest care of the repentant Corinthian believers toward the apostle, which arose because of his loving concern for their relationship with God and their condition before God. Formerly, they had been careless with regard to the apostle&rsquo;s concern; now in repentance they became careful and earnest regarding it. So also in {2Co7:12|v. 12}."]},
  {sup:2, word:"worked", lines:["Or, produced. All seven results produced by the repentant sorrow of the Corinthian believers, as listed in this verse, were a rich reaping from the apostle&rsquo;s first Epistle to them."]},
  {sup:3, word:"indeed", lines:["Occurring six times in this verse and meaning not only that, but also."]},
  {sup:4, word:"defense", lines:["Or, vindication, clearing of yourselves; referring to the Corinthian believers&rsquo; vindicating of themselves to Paul through Titus, proving their innocence regarding the offense."]},
  {sup:5, word:"indignation", lines:["Indignation at the offense and against the offender."]},
  {sup:6, word:"fear", lines:["Fear of the apostle, who might come with a rod ({1Co4:21|1&nbsp;Cor. 4:21})."]},
  {sup:"7b", word:"longing", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:7", lines:["Longing for the apostle. The repentant believers feared the apostle, yet they also had a longing for him."]},
  {sup:"8c", word:"zeal", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:7", lines:["Zeal to mete out a just punishment to the offender."]},
  {sup:"9d", word:"punishment", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:6", lines:["I.e., the meting out of justice, the doing of justice to all parties as disciplinary punishment ({2Co2:6|2:6}).","The last six results of the repentant sorrow that is according to God fall into three pairs, the first relating to the Corinthian believers&rsquo; feelings of shame, the second to the apostle, and the third to the offender (Bengel). Wuest&rsquo;s translation also indicates this by the expression &ldquo;Yes,&mdash;in fact,&rdquo; which is used three times as follows: &ldquo;Yes, verbal defense of yourselves, in fact, indignation, yes, fear, in fact, longing, yes, zeal, in fact, the meting out of disciplinary punishment.&rdquo;"]},
  {sup:10, word:"the", lines:["Referring to the matter of incest, which was condemned by the apostle in {2Co5|ch. 5} of the first Epistle."]},
  ],
  '7:12': [
  {sup:"a", word:"wrote", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:4"},
  {sup:1, word:"him", lines:["The incestuous brother ({1Co5:1|1&nbsp;Cor. 5:1})."]},
  {sup:2, word:"him", lines:["The father of the incestuous brother."]},
  {sup:3, word:"manifesting", lines:["The Corinthian believers did love the apostles and did have earnest care toward them, but they had been turned aside by false teachers. Hence, the apostle wrote the first Epistle to bring them back, that their love and earnest care toward the apostles might be made manifest to them."]},
  ],
  '7:13': [
  {sup:"a", word:"comforted", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:6"},
  {sup:"b", word:"rejoiced", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:7"},
  {sup:1, word:"more", lines:["This indicates that the apostle was very human and emotional in his ministering of life."]},
  {sup:2, word:"Titus", lines:["This major section, from {2Co2:12|2:12}&mdash;{2Co7:16|7:16}, concerning the apostles&rsquo; ministry of the new covenant and concerning themselves as the ministers of the new covenant, begins with the apostle&rsquo;s being anxious to meet Titus because of his loving concern for the Corinthian believers ({2Co2:13|2:13}), and ends with his being comforted and cheered by Titus&rsquo;s coming with positive news concerning the Corinthians."]},
  {sup:3, word:"spirit", lines:["This proves that even though the apostles were human and emotional, they still remained in their spirit in their ministering of life."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"refreshed", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 16:18"},
  ],
  '7:14': [
  {sup:"a", word:"boasted", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:4"},
  ],
  '7:15': [
  {sup:1, word:"affections", lines:["Lit., bowels. The same Greek word as for inward parts in {2Co6:12|6:12}. See {Phi1:8^1|note 8<sup>1</sup>} in {Phi1|Phil. 1}."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"obedience", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:9; 10:6"},
  {sup:"b", word:"fear", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 2:3; Phil. 2:12"},
  ],
  '7:16': [
  {sup:"a", word:"rejoice", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:7"},
  {sup:1, word:"have", lines:["Or, am confident in you. Now the apostle was encouraged by the Corinthian believers and could have confidence in them."]},
  ],
  '8:1': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"grace", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:12; 9:14; 13:14", lines:["See {1Co15:10^1|note 10<sup>1</sup>} in {1Co15|1&nbsp;Cor. 15}. By this grace, which is the resurrection life of Christ, the Macedonian believers overcame the usurpation of temporal and uncertain riches (see {1Co16:1^1|note 1<sup>1</sup>} in {1Co16|1&nbsp;Cor. 16}) and became generous in ministering to the needy saints."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"Macedonia", vrefs:"Acts 16:9; 2&nbsp;Cor. 1:16; 2:13"},
  ],
  '8:2': [
  {sup:1, word:"proving", lines:["See {2Co2:9|2:9} and {2Co2:9^2|note 2} there, and {2Co9:13^1|note 13<sup>1</sup>} in {2Co9|ch. 9}."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"poverty", vrefs:"cf. Mark 12:43-44"},
  {sup:"2b", word:"liberality", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 9:13", lines:["The same Greek word is used for singleness and simplicity. See {2Co1:12|1:12} and {Rom12:8|Rom. 12:8}."]},
  ],
  '8:3': [
  {sup:"a", word:"of", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:17"},
  ],
  '8:4': [
  {sup:1, word:"grace", lines:["The Macedonian believers besought of the apostles the grace that they might participate (have fellowship) in the ministry to the needy saints. They were not asked to have a share in this matter; rather, they begged for it. They considered it a grace that the apostles would allow them such a share."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"ministry", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 9:1; Rom. 15:25-26"},
  ],
  '8:5': [
  {sup:"a", word:"gave", vrefs:"cf. Rom. 12:1"},
  {sup:1, word:"first", lines:["The Lord wants the believers themselves much more than He wants what they have."]},
  {sup:2, word:"and", lines:["They gave themselves not only to the Lord but also to the apostles to be one with the apostles in the accomplishing of their ministry."]},
  {sup:3, word:"through", lines:["It was through the will of God, through the sovereign divine agent, that the believers gave themselves first to the Lord, and to the apostles."]},
  ],
  '8:6': [
  {sup:"a", word:"Titus", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:16, 23; 12:18"},
  {sup:"1b", word:"grace", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:7, 19; 1&nbsp;Cor. 16:3 and note", lines:["The act of giving."]},
  {sup:2, word:"as", lines:["This indicates that besides this grace, the grace of giving, Titus completed other things among the Corinthian believers."]},
  ],
  '8:7': [
  {sup:"a", word:"abound", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 9:8"},
  {sup:1, word:"word", lines:["Or, utterance."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"knowledge", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 1:5"},
  {sup:"2c", word:"earnestness", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:11", lines:["See {2Co7:11^1|note 11<sup>1</sup>} in {2Co7|ch. 7}."]},
  {sup:3, word:"the", lines:["Some MSS read, the love from you in us."]},
  {sup:4, word:"from", lines:["The love that was in the believers was infused into them from the apostles."]},
  {sup:5, word:"grace", lines:["The act of love shown in the giving of material things to the needy saints. The believers&rsquo; grace was the issue of God&rsquo;s grace, which was motivating them. In the fellowship concerning the ministry to the saints, the apostle referred to the grace of four parties: (1) the grace of God, which was given to the Macedonian believers to motivate them and enable them to give with liberality (vv. {2Co8:1|1}-{2Co8:2|2}); (2) the grace of the apostles, which allowed the believers to participate in the ministry to the needy saints ({2Co8:4|v. 4}); (3) the grace of the believers, which was their ministering of material things to the needy ones (vv. {2Co8:6|6}-{2Co8:7|7}); and (4) the grace of Christ, that He became poor that we might become rich ({2Co8:9|v. 9}). This indicates that the believers&rsquo; offering of material possessions to the Lord for any purpose should be absolutely a matter of grace, not of human maneuvering."]},
  ],
  '8:8': [
  {sup:"a", word:"not", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 7:6"},
  ],
  '8:9': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"grace", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:9; 13:14", lines:["It is grace to us that the Lord Jesus, being rich, became poor for our sakes. In the same principle, it is grace to others that we would sacrifice our material riches for their sakes."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"rich", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 6:10"},
  ],
  '8:10': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"opinion", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 7:25, 40", lines:["The apostle&rsquo;s opinion expressed the Lord&rsquo;s will and desire. See {1Co7:25^1|note 25<sup>1</sup>} in {1Co7|1&nbsp;Cor. 7}."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"a", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 9:2"},
  ],
  '8:11': [
  {sup:"a", word:"eagerness", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:19; 9:2"},
  {sup:"b", word:"have", vrefs:"Mark 12:44"},
  ],
  '8:14': [
  {sup:"a", word:"lack", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 9:12; Acts 4:34-35"},
  ],
  '8:15': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"He", vrefs:"Exo. 16:18", lines:["This quotation from {Exo16|Exo. 16} refers to God&rsquo;s heavenly way of balancing the supply of manna among His people, and is applied here to the ministering of material things to the needy saints. Manna was gathered for the daily supply of God&rsquo;s people; they had a sufficient supply no matter how much or how little they gathered. Gathering manna was their duty, and they were to do their duty without being greedy. In like manner, as children of God we should not be greedy or try to preserve our money for ourselves, for whether or not we give, the outcome will be the same, for God in His sovereignty is active to practice a heavenly balancing of the wealth among His people. The result is that He takes care of our daily needs, so that he who preserves much for himself has no excess and he who preserves little for himself has no lack."]},
  ],
  '8:16': [
  {sup:"a", word:"thanks", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:14"},
  {sup:"1b", word:"earnestness", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:11", lines:["Or, diligence. Referring to Paul&rsquo;s diligence, earnestness, toward the believers."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"Titus", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:6; 7:6"},
  ],
  '8:17': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"entreaty", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:6", lines:["The entreaty of the apostle."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"of", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:3"},
  ],
  '8:18': [
  {sup:"a", word:"brother", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:18"},
  {sup:"b", word:"all", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 7:17"},
  ],
  '8:19': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"grace", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:6, 7", lines:["See notes {2Co8:6^2|6<sup>2</sup>} and {2Co8:7^5|7<sup>5</sup>}."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"glory", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:15"},
  {sup:"c", word:"eagerness", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:11"},
  ],
  '8:20': [
  {sup:1, word:"Avoiding", lines:["Money, which is used very much by the devil to seduce man into dishonesty, is involved in the ministry of material things to the saints. In order to avoid being blamed through man&rsquo;s suspiciousness in this matter, the apostles sent with Titus a reputable brother as a witness."]},
  {sup:2, word:"abundance", lines:["The abundance of material gifts."]},
  ],
  '8:21': [
  {sup:1, word:"exercise", lines:["Or, take forethought for, consider in advance (as in {Rom12:17|Rom. 12:17}). This must be quoted from {Prv3:4|Prov. 3:4}, where the Septuagint reads, &ldquo;And exercise foresight for what is honorable in the sight of the Lord, and of men.&rdquo;"]},
  ],
  '8:22': [
  {sup:1, word:"our", lines:["Another faithful brother was sent with the two, that by the mouth of three witnesses a strong testimony might be established ({Mat18:16|Matt. 18:16}). This displayed the apostle Paul&rsquo;s carefulness in doing things."]},
  {sup:2, word:"diligent", lines:["Or, earnest."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"confidence", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:3"},
  ],
  '8:23': [
  {sup:"a", word:"Titus", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:6, 16"},
  {sup:"b", word:"partner", vrefs:"Philem. 17"},
  {sup:"c", word:"fellow", vrefs:"Phil. 2:25"},
  {sup:1, word:"apostles", lines:["Sent ones, those sent by the churches."]},
  ],
  '8:24': [
  {sup:"a", word:"boasting", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:4, 14; 9:2-3"},
  ],
  '9:1': [
  {sup:"a", word:"ministry", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:4; 9:12, 13; Rom. 15:25-26"},
  {sup:"b", word:"write", vrefs:"cf. 1&nbsp;Cor. 16:1-3"},
  ],
  '9:2': [
  {sup:"a", word:"eagerness", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:11, 19"},
  {sup:"b", word:"boast", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:24"},
  {sup:1, word:"Achaia", lines:["See {2Co1:1^5|note 1<sup>5</sup>} in {2Co1|ch. 1}."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"last", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:10"},
  ],
  '9:3': [
  {sup:"a", word:"brothers", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:18, 22"},
  ],
  '9:4': [
  {sup:"a", word:"Macedonians", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:1; Rom. 15:26"},
  {sup:"1b", word:"confidence", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:17", lines:["The Greek word denotes the groundwork on which some superstructure is founded; hence, foundation, ground; thence, confidence. The same Greek word as in {2Co11:17|11:17}."]},
  ],
  '9:5': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"blessing", vrefs:"cf. 2&nbsp;Cor. 9:13; 8:2", lines:["Or, bounty; a willing gift of generosity given as a blessing to others ({Gen33:11|Gen. 33:11}; {Jdg1:15|Judg. 1:15}; {Ezk34:26|Ezek. 34:26}; {Prv11:25|Prov. 11:25})."]},
  {sup:2, word:"as", lines:["Willing and generous giving makes the gift a blessing to the receiver; unwilling and grudging giving, withheld by a covetous heart, makes the gift a matter of covetousness to the giver."]},
  ],
  '9:6': [
  {sup:"a", word:"sows", vrefs:"cf. Gal. 6:7-9; Luke 6:38"},
  {sup:1, word:"blessings", lines:["Bountiful givings as blessings to the receivers."]},
  {sup:2, word:"blessings", lines:["Bountiful harvests as blessings from God to the givers."]},
  ],
  '9:7': [
  {sup:"a", word:"not", vrefs:"Deut. 15:10"},
  {sup:1, word:"necessity", lines:["I.e., by being forced or pressed."]},
  {sup:2, word:"God", lines:["From {Prv22:8|Prov. 22:8}, where the Septuagint reads, &ldquo;God blesses a cheerful and liberal man.&rdquo;"]},
  {sup:3, word:"cheerful", lines:["Or, hilarious, gleeful."]},
  ],
  '9:8': [
  {sup:1, word:"all", lines:["Every kind of grace. See {2Co8:6^2|note 6<sup>2</sup>} in {2Co8|ch. 8}."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"abound", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:7"},
  ],
  '9:9': [
  {sup:"a", word:"He", vrefs:"Psa. 112:9"},
  {sup:"1b", word:"scattered", vrefs:"Prov. 11:24-25; 1&nbsp;Tim. 6:18-19", lines:["As in sowing ({2Co9:6|v. 6})."]},
  {sup:"2c", word:"poor", vrefs:"Deut. 15:7, 9, 11; Prov. 19:17; 22:9; 28:27", lines:["The Greek word denotes one who is obliged to do menial work to eke out a living. It is not the common word for poor."]},
  {sup:3, word:"righteousness", lines:["Generous giving is, on the one hand, a blessing to the receivers, and, on the other hand, righteousness in the eyes of both God and man."]},
  ],
  '9:10': [
  {sup:1, word:"He", lines:["God cares for His children and feeds them in two ways: in the way of miracles, as shown by the manna, and in the way of natural law, as shown by sowing and reaping. Concerning both of these means of supply, God is the source. He is the One who sends the manna, and He is the One who supplies the seed for sowing and the bread for food. Having a deep realization of these facts and possessing a thorough knowledge of God&rsquo;s economy, the apostle had the assurance and the peace to encourage the impoverished saints in Macedonia ({2Co8:2|8:2}; {2Co9:2|9:2}) to give of what they had to meet the needs of others."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"seed", vrefs:"Isa. 55:10"},
  ],
  '9:11': [
  {sup:"a", word:"enriched", vrefs:"cf. 1&nbsp;Cor. 1:5"},
  {sup:1, word:"liberality", lines:["See {2Co8:2^2|note 2<sup>2</sup>} in {2Co8|ch. 8}. So also in {2Co8:13|v. 13}."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"thanksgiving", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:11"},
  ],
  '9:12': [
  {sup:"a", word:"ministry", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 9:1"},
  {sup:1, word:"service", lines:["Priestly service. See {Phi2:25^3|note 25<sup>3</sup>} in {Phi2|Phil. 2}."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"lack", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:14"},
  ],
  '9:13': [
  {sup:1, word:"approving", lines:["The approving by the needy saints in Judea of the Gentile believers&rsquo; ministry to them. The Greek word for approving means test, trial, experiment (see {2Co2:9|2:9} and {2Co2:9^1|note 1}); hence, approving, proof. This indicates that the ministry to the saints will be tested, tried, and approved by the saints to prove the generous character of the ministry."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"glorifying", vrefs:"Matt. 5:16; 1&nbsp;Pet. 2:12"},
  {sup:"b", word:"confession", vrefs:"Rom. 10:10; Heb. 3:1; 4:14; 10:23"},
  {sup:"c", word:"liberality", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:2; cf. 2&nbsp;Cor. 9:5"},
  {sup:"2d", word:"fellowship", vrefs:"Heb. 13:16", lines:["Or, communication (cf. contribute in {Rom12:13|Rom. 12:13}, and had fellowship in {Phi4:15|Phil. 4:15}). Referring to the ministry of supply, which was a fellowship between the Gentile believers and those in Judea."]},
  ],
  '9:14': [
  {sup:1, word:"surpassing", lines:["I.e., immeasurable."]},
  {sup:2, word:"grace", lines:["See notes {2Co8:1^1|1<sup>1</sup>} and {2Co8:6^2|6<sup>2</sup>} in {2Co8|ch. 8}."]},
  ],
  '9:15': [
  {sup:"a", word:"Thanks", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:14; 8:16"},
  {sup:1, word:"indescribable", lines:["Lit., not to be told thoroughly."]},
  {sup:"2b", word:"gift", vrefs:"James 1:17", lines:["I.e., the grace given to the believers."]},
  ],
  '10:1': [
  {sup:1, word:"But", lines:["But here indicates a contrast. In chs. {2Co8|8} and {2Co9|9} the apostle spoke pleasantly to the dear saints in Corinth, encouraging them to have fellowship in the ministry to the needy saints in Judea. Immediately after that, he desired to make himself more clear to them by vindicating, with a severe and unpleasant word, his apostleship, even his apostolic authority. This was needed because of the vague and clouded situation caused by the false, Judaistic apostles ({2Co11:11|11:11}-{2Co11:15|15}), whose teaching and assertion of what they were had distracted the Corinthian believers from the fundamental teachings of the authentic apostles, and especially from the proper realization of Paul&rsquo;s standing as an apostle."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"entreat", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:6; 9:5; Rom. 12:1"},
  {sup:"2b", word:"meekness", vrefs:"Matt. 11:29; 21:5; 1&nbsp;Cor. 4:21", lines:["To be meek is to be mild toward men, without resisting or disputing. This indicates that the apostle, being firmly attached to Christ ({2Co1:21|1:21}) and being one with Him, lived by Him, behaving in His virtues."]},
  {sup:3, word:"gentleness", lines:["Denoting humility, yieldingness, approachableness. See notes {Phi4:5^2|5<sup>2</sup>} in {Phi4|Phil. 4} and {1Ti3:3^3|3<sup>3</sup>} in {1Ti3|1&nbsp;Tim. 3}."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"person", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:10"},
  {sup:"4d", word:"base", vrefs:"Matt. 11:29; Zech. 9:9", lines:["A word used in ancient times by pagans to express contempt for the Christian virtue of humility."]},
  {sup:"5e", word:"bold", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:16; cf. 2&nbsp;Cor. 11:21", lines:["Or, of good courage. The apostle was bold, having courage to speak out in his Epistle the real situation."]},
  ],
  '10:2': [
  {sup:"a", word:"present", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 13:2, 10"},
  {sup:"b", word:"bold", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:12; 11:21"},
  {sup:"c", word:"according", vrefs:"Rom. 8:4"},
  ],
  '10:3': [
  {sup:1, word:"in", lines:["Being human, the apostles were still in flesh; hence, they walked in flesh. But, especially in spiritual warfare, they did not walk according to the flesh; they walked according to the spirit ({Rom8:4|Rom. 8:4})."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"war", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Tim. 1:18; Eph. 6:12"},
  ],
  '10:4': [
  {sup:"a", word:"weapons", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 6:7; Rom. 13:12; cf. Eph. 6:11-17; 1&nbsp;Thes. 5:8"},
  {sup:"b", word:"warfare", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Tim. 1:18; 2&nbsp;Tim. 4:7"},
  {sup:1, word:"not", lines:["Since spiritual warfare is not against flesh but against spiritual forces ({Eph6:12|Eph. 6:12}), the weapons should not be fleshly but spiritual. Such weapons are powerful to overthrow the strongholds of the enemy."]},
  {sup:"2c", word:"powerful", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 4:7; 13:3-4; 1&nbsp;Cor. 2:5; Rom. 15:19", lines:["I.e., powerful in God&rsquo;s view, divinely powerful; hence, exceedingly powerful."]},
  {sup:"d", word:"overthrowing", vrefs:"Jer. 1:10; cf. 2&nbsp;Cor. 10:8; 13:10"},
  ],
  '10:5': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"reasonings", vrefs:"Phil. 2:14", lines:["Reasonings and thoughts are in and of the mind. These are the strongholds of Satan, God&rsquo;s adversary, within the minds of those who are disobedient to God. Through the spiritual warfare, reasonings must be overthrown and every thought must be taken captive to obey Christ."]},
  {sup:"2b", word:"high", vrefs:"Isa. 2:11-12", lines:["The haughty things within the reprobate mentality that are against the knowledge of God. These too must be overthrown by the spiritual weapons that they might no longer rise up against the knowledge of God."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"captive", vrefs:"cf. Eph. 4:8"},
  {sup:"1d", word:"thought", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:3", lines:["See {2Co10:5^1|note 5<sup>1</sup>}."]},
  {sup:"e", word:"obedience", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 9:13"},
  ],
  '10:6': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"punish", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:11", lines:["This is a bold and severe word with a rebuke."]},
  {sup:"2b", word:"obedience", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:9; 7:15", lines:["Our obedience affords a base from which the Lord can deal with others&rsquo; disobedience."]},
  ],
  '10:7': [
  {sup:"a", word:"according", vrefs:"cf. 2&nbsp;Cor. 5:16"},
  {sup:1, word:"has", lines:["This indicates that to be of Christ is an important matter. It is vital to the Christian life and ministry."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"of", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 1:12"},
  {sup:"c", word:"of", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:23"},
  {sup:"d", word:"so", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 3:23"},
  ],
  '10:8': [
  {sup:"a", word:"boast", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:13, 15; 11:16-18; 12:1"},
  {sup:"b", word:"authority", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 13:10"},
  {sup:"1c", word:"building", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:19", lines:["Apostolic authority, in contrast to people&rsquo;s consideration in their natural concept, is not for ruling over the believers but for building them up."]},
  ],
  '10:10': [
  {sup:"a", word:"bodily", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:1"},
  {sup:"1b", word:"weak", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 13:4", lines:["See {1Co2:3^1|note 3<sup>1</sup>} in {1Co2|1&nbsp;Cor. 2}."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"speech", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:6; 1&nbsp;Cor. 1:17; 2:1, 4"},
  {sup:2, word:"contemptible", lines:["Or, of no account. Lit., made nothing of."]},
  ],
  '10:12': [
  {sup:"a", word:"dare", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:2"},
  {sup:"b", word:"commend", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:18; 3:1; 5:12"},
  ],
  '10:13': [
  {sup:1, word:"not", lines:["The apostle was bold, but not without limit. This shows that he was under the restriction of the Lord. His boasting was according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure, the ruling God, had apportioned to him."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"boast", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:8, 15"},
  {sup:2, word:"according", lines:["Paul&rsquo;s ministry to the Gentile world, including Corinth, was according to the measure of God ({Eph3:1|Eph. 3:1}-{Eph3:2|2}, {Eph3:8|8}; {Gal2:8|Gal. 2:8}). Hence, his boast was within this limit and, in contrast to that of the Judaizers, was not without measure."]},
  {sup:3, word:"rule", lines:["Lit., measuring rod. Like the rule of a carpenter."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"apportioned", vrefs:"cf. Rom. 12:3"},
  ],
  '10:14': [
  {sup:1, word:"extending", lines:["As the Judaizers did."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"come", vrefs:"Acts 18:1"},
  {sup:"b", word:"gospel", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 4:15; 15:1"},
  ],
  '10:15': [
  {sup:"a", word:"not", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:13"},
  {sup:"b", word:"others&rsquo;", vrefs:"Rom. 15:20"},
  {sup:1, word:"magnified", lines:["By being enlarged, increased. The apostles had the hope that through the growth of the Corinthian believers&rsquo; faith, the apostles&rsquo; ministry would be magnified (in the sense of being praised) by being enlarged and increased abundantly, yet still according to the rule, the measure, that God had apportioned to them."]},
  ],
  '10:17': [
  {sup:"a", word:"boasts", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 1:31"},
  ],
  '10:18': [
  {sup:"a", word:"commends", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:12"},
  {sup:"b", word:"approved", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 11:19; 2&nbsp;Tim. 2:15; cf. 1&nbsp;Cor. 9:27"},
  ],
  '11:1': [
  {sup:"a", word:"bear", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:4, 19-20"},
  {sup:"1b", word:"foolishness", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:16-17, 21; 12:11", lines:["Referring ironically to the apostle&rsquo;s forced self-vindication and boasting."]},
  ],
  '11:2': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"jealousy", vrefs:"Exo. 20:5", lines:["Like the jealousy of a husband over his wife."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"betrothed", vrefs:"Hosea 2:19-20"},
  {sup:"c", word:"present", vrefs:"Eph. 5:27"},
  {sup:"2d", word:"virgin", vrefs:"Rev. 14:4", lines:["To be the bride for the Bridegroom ({Joh3:29|John 3:29}), the wife of the Lamb ({Rev19:7|Rev. 19:7})."]},
  ],
  '11:3': [
  {sup:"a", word:"serpent", vrefs:"Gen. 3:1-6; Rev. 12:9, 15"},
  {sup:"b", word:"deceived", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Thes. 3:5; 1&nbsp;Tim. 2:14; 4:1; 2&nbsp;Pet. 3:17"},
  {sup:"c", word:"Eve", vrefs:"Gen. 3:20; 1&nbsp;Tim. 2:13"},
  {sup:"d", word:"craftiness", vrefs:"Eph. 4:14"},
  {sup:"1e", word:"thoughts", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:5", lines:["See {2Co3:14^1|note 14<sup>1</sup>} in {2Co3|ch. 3}."]},
  {sup:"2f", word:"simplicity", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 1:12; Eph. 6:5; Matt. 6:22", lines:["Or, singleness. Referring to the believers&rsquo; single-hearted loyalty, single-minded faithfulness, toward Christ. In the garden of Eden, Eve, the wife of Adam, was deceived by the serpent, Satan, through his questioning and undermining of God&rsquo;s word, and was thus carried away to the tree of knowledge and distracted from the simplicity of eating the tree of life ({Gen3:1|Gen. 3:1}-{Gen3:6|6}). Here the church in Corinth, the pure virgin betrothed to Christ, was being deceived by the Judaizers, the ministers of Satan ({2Co11:15|v. 15}), who were undermining God&rsquo;s word by preaching another Jesus, a different spirit, and a different gospel ({2Co11:4|v. 4}). Because of this undermining preaching, the apostle was fearful that the Corinthians would be distracted by the teachings of the Judaizers and would be separated from the genuine appreciation, love, and enjoyment of the precious person of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself as their life and their everything. The above-mentioned three things preached by the Judaizers, who intermingled with the believers, were of Satan."]},
  {sup:"g", word:"purity", vrefs:"Matt. 5:8; 2&nbsp;Tim. 2:22"},
  ],
  '11:4': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"another", vrefs:"cf. 1&nbsp;Cor. 3:11; Acts 4:12", lines:["Another Jesus means another person; a different spirit means a spirit of a different nature; and a different gospel means a gospel of a different kind."]},
  {sup:"1b", word:"different", vrefs:"Rom. 8:15; 1&nbsp;John 4:1, 3, 6", lines:["See {2Co11:4^1|note 4<sup>1</sup>}."]},
  {sup:"1c", word:"different", vrefs:"Gal. 1:6-9", lines:["See {2Co11:4^1|note 4<sup>1</sup>}."]},
  {sup:"d", word:"bear", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:1"},
  {sup:2, word:"well", lines:["Or, beautifully, ideally. Used here ironically. In {2Co11:1|v. 1} the apostle expressed his desire that the Corinthian believers, who were bearing with him, would bear more with him. Now in this verse he referred them to the fact that they were bearing beautifully with the false apostles. His idea here was, &ldquo;Since you bear with the false apostles so well, so beautifully, so ideally, please bear more with me.&rdquo;"]},
  ],
  '11:5': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"super-apostles", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:11; 11:13; Rev. 2:2; cf. 1&nbsp;Cor. 15:9-10", lines:["I.e., apostles in surpassing degree. An ironic reference to the false apostles, mentioned in {2Co11:13|v. 13} and in {2Co12:11|12:11}, who surpassed the degree of the genuineness of the apostles. The false apostles were the Judaizers who came to Corinth to preach another Jesus with a different spirit in a different gospel."]},
  ],
  '11:6': [
  {sup:1, word:"layman", lines:["One who is unlearned, not having the utterance derived from special training."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"speech", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:10"},
  {sup:"b", word:"knowledge", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 12:8"},
  {sup:"c", word:"manifest", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 5:11"},
  ],
  '11:7': [
  {sup:"a", word:"free", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 9:18; 1&nbsp;Thes. 2:9"},
  ],
  '11:9': [
  {sup:"a", word:"lacked", vrefs:"Phil. 4:12"},
  {sup:"b", word:"burden", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:13-14"},
  {sup:"c", word:"Macedonia", vrefs:"Acts 18:5; Phil. 4:15-16"},
  {sup:"d", word:"filled", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 16:17"},
  {sup:"e", word:"burdensome", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:16"},
  ],
  '11:10': [
  {sup:1, word:"truthfulness", lines:["As in {Rom3:7|Rom. 3:7} and {Rom15:8|15:8}, truthfulness is an attribute of Christ, as are meekness and gentleness in {2Co10:1|10:1}. Since the apostle lived by Christ, whatever Christ is became his virtue in his behavior."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"boasting", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 9:15; 2&nbsp;Cor. 11:16-18; 12:1"},
  {sup:"b", word:"Achaia", vrefs:"Acts 18:12, 27; 19:21"},
  ],
  '11:11': [
  {sup:"a", word:"love", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:15"},
  {sup:"b", word:"knows", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:31; 12:2-3; Rev. 2:2"},
  ],
  '11:13': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"false", vrefs:"Rev. 2:2", lines:["The super-apostles ({2Co11:5|v. 5}; {2Co12:11|12:11})."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"workers", vrefs:"Phil. 3:2"},
  {sup:2, word:"transfiguring", lines:["Or, fashioning, disguising (and so in vv. {2Co11:14|14}-{2Co11:15|15}). The false apostles, being deceitful, fashioned themselves into the appearance of the real apostles, who were true in every way."]},
  ],
  '11:14': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"Satan", vrefs:"Job 1:6; 2:1", lines:["This indicates that Satan is the source of the false apostles. They followed him in his deceitfulness to frustrate God&rsquo;s economy."]},
  {sup:"2b", word:"angel", vrefs:"Gal. 1:8", lines:["God is light, and His angels are of light. In contrast, Satan is darkness, and all his followers are in darkness. There is no fellowship between light and darkness ({2Co6:14|6:14})."]},
  ],
  '11:15': [
  {sup:1, word:"ministers", lines:["These are the true apostles, who carry the ministry of righteousness ({2Co3:9|3:9}). Whatever the ministers of Satan do is altogether unrighteous. Righteousness has no partnership with lawlessness ({2Co6:14|6:14})."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"end", vrefs:"Phil. 3:19"},
  ],
  '11:16': [
  {sup:"a", word:"foolish", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:1; 12:11"},
  {sup:"b", word:"boast", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:10"},
  ],
  '11:17': [
  {sup:"a", word:"foolishness", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:1"},
  {sup:"1b", word:"confidence", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 9:4", lines:["See {2Co9:4^1|note 4<sup>1</sup>} in {2Co9|ch. 9}."]},
  ],
  '11:18': [
  {sup:"a", word:"boast", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 5:12"},
  {sup:"b", word:"flesh", vrefs:"Gal. 6:12-13; 2&nbsp;Cor. 5:16"},
  {sup:"c", word:"boast", vrefs:"cf. Phil. 3:3-4; 1&nbsp;Cor. 1:31; Gal. 6:13-14"},
  ],
  '11:19': [
  {sup:"a", word:"bear", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:4"},
  {sup:"b", word:"fools", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:16; 1&nbsp;Cor. 4:10"},
  {sup:1, word:"wise", lines:["An ironic expression applied to the Corinthians."]},
  ],
  '11:20': [
  {sup:"a", word:"enslaves", vrefs:"Gal. 2:4; 4:1, 9; 5:1"},
  {sup:"b", word:"devours", vrefs:"Mark 12:40"},
  {sup:1, word:"takes", lines:["I.e., takes you as a prey (the same word as for caught in {Luk5:5|Luke 5:5})."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"lifts", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:7"},
  ],
  '11:21': [
  {sup:1, word:"By", lines:["This is ironic."]},
  {sup:2, word:"Supposedly", lines:["Lit., As though."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"weak", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:30; 12:5, 9, 10; 13:4, 9; 1&nbsp;Cor. 2:3"},
  {sup:"b", word:"foolishness", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:1, 16-17"},
  {sup:"c", word:"daring", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:2"},
  ],
  '11:22': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"Hebrews", vrefs:"Phil. 3:5; Exo. 3:18; cf. Acts 22:3", lines:["Verses {2Co11:22|22}-{2Co11:23|23} give a comparison between the apostle and the Judaizers, pointing out clearly that in addition to his needing to enjoy Christ as his life supply, implied in all the preceding chapters, a genuine minister of Christ needs to suffer in following the Lord. Anyone, like the Judaizers, who lacks these two qualifications must be recognized as a false apostle, a minister of Satan, regardless of his claims of apostolic authority (vv. {2Co11:13|13}-{2Co11:15|15})."]},
  {sup:"1b", word:"Israelites", vrefs:"Exo. 9:7; Lev. 23:42", lines:["See {2Co11:22^1|note 22<sup>1</sup>}."]},
  {sup:"1c", word:"seed", vrefs:"Gen. 12:7; Rom. 9:7; Gal. 3:16", lines:["See {2Co11:22^1|note 22<sup>1</sup>}."]},
  ],
  '11:23': [
  {sup:"a", word:"Ministers", vrefs:"Rom. 15:16; Col. 1:7; 1&nbsp;Tim. 4:6"},
  {sup:"1b", word:"beside", vrefs:"Acts 26:24; 2&nbsp;Cor. 5:13", lines:["Lit., out of my mind."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"labors", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:27; 6:5; 1&nbsp;Cor. 15:10"},
  {sup:"d", word:"imprisonments", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 6:5; Acts 16:23; Eph. 3:1; 2&nbsp;Tim. 1:8; Philem. 1, 9, 23; cf. Eph. 6:20; Phil. 1:7; Col. 4:3"},
  {sup:"e", word:"stripes", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 6:5"},
  {sup:2, word:"excessively", lines:["Lit., above measure."]},
  {sup:"f", word:"deaths", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 6:9; 1&nbsp;Cor. 15:31"},
  ],
  '11:24': [
  {sup:"a", word:"forty", vrefs:"Deut. 25:3"},
  ],
  '11:25': [
  {sup:1, word:"rods", lines:["While the stripes in {2Co11:24|v. 24} were meted out by the Jews, rods here were used by the Romans ({Act16:22|Acts 16:22}-{Act16:23|23})."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"stoned", vrefs:"Acts 14:19; cf. Acts 7:58; Matt. 23:37; John 8:59; 10:31-33; 11:8"},
  {sup:2, word:"three", lines:["These three instances, which do not include the shipwreck at Melita (universally recognized as Malta), are not recorded in the Acts."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"shipwrecked", vrefs:"Acts 27:41"},
  ],
  '11:26': [
  {sup:1, word:"rivers", lines:["Rivers that are subject to violent and sudden changes from the sudden swelling of mountain streams or the flooding of dry watercourses."]},
  {sup:2, word:"robbers", lines:["&ldquo;The tribes inhabiting the mountains between the table-land of Asia Minor and the coast were notorious for robbery&rdquo; (Vincent)."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"race", vrefs:"Acts 9:23; 13:50; 17:5; 18:12; 21:27; 23:12; 25:2-3; 1&nbsp;Thes. 2:14-15"},
  {sup:"b", word:"city", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:32; Acts 21:31"},
  {sup:"3c", word:"false", vrefs:"Gal. 2:4", lines:["Mainly the Judaizing Christians."]},
  ],
  '11:27': [
  {sup:"a", word:"labor", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:23; 1&nbsp;Thes. 2:9; 2&nbsp;Thes. 3:8"},
  {sup:1, word:"watchings", lines:["See {2Co6:5^1|note 5<sup>1</sup>} in {2Co6|ch. 6}."]},
  {sup:"2b", word:"hunger", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 4:11; Phil. 4:12", lines:["Since fastings is listed here with hardship, it must refer to involuntary fasting because of a lack of food. Such fasting differs from hunger. Hunger here may refer to a situation in which there is no way to obtain food; involuntary fasting may refer to a situation of poverty."]},
  {sup:"2c", word:"fastings", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 6:5", lines:["See {2Co11:27^2|note 27<sup>2</sup>}."]},
  {sup:3, word:"cold", lines:["Because of the weather and insufficient clothing."]},
  {sup:"4d", word:"nakedness", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 4:11", lines:["Referring to a state of being insufficiently clothed or naked because of scourging or shipwreck."]},
  ],
  '11:28': [
  {sup:1, word:"not", lines:["Have not been mentioned in vv. {2Co11:23|23}-{2Co11:27|27}."]},
  {sup:2, word:"anxious", lines:["Anxious care, or care. The same Greek word as for anxiety in {Mat13:22|Matt. 13:22} and in {1Pe5:7|1&nbsp;Pet. 5:7}."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"all", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:18"},
  ],
  '11:29': [
  {sup:"a", word:"weak", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 9:22"},
  {sup:"b", word:"stumbled", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 8:13"},
  {sup:1, word:"I", lines:["Or, I myself am not burned."]},
  {sup:2, word:"burn", lines:["Burn in sorrow and indignation over the cause of the stumbling."]},
  ],
  '11:30': [
  {sup:"a", word:"boast", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:16-17"},
  {sup:1, word:"things", lines:["Referring to the apostle&rsquo;s sufferings and hardships, which made him appear low, weak, and contemptible in the eyes of his adversaries. These things, not the strength of which his adversaries boasted, attested that he was a true apostle."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"weakness", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:21"},
  ],
  '11:31': [
  {sup:"a", word:"God", vrefs:"Rom. 15:6; Eph. 1:3; John 20:17"},
  {sup:"b", word:"blessed", vrefs:"Rom. 9:5; Rev. 5:13"},
  {sup:"c", word:"knows", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:11"},
  {sup:"d", word:"not", vrefs:"Rom. 9:1"},
  ],
  '11:32': [
  {sup:"a", word:"Damascus", vrefs:"Acts 9:2"},
  {sup:1, word:"governor", lines:["Lit., ethnarch."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"guarded", vrefs:"Acts 9:24"},
  ],
  '11:33': [
  {sup:"a", word:"lowered", vrefs:"Acts 9:25"},
  ],
  '12:1': [
  {sup:"a", word:"boast", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:10, 16-18"},
  {sup:1, word:"necessary", lines:["The apostle was forced to boast, because of the Corinthians&rsquo; folly. Though it was not expedient for him, it was necessary for their profit. For their building up, he had to boast, that they might be brought back to a sober and proper understanding concerning their relationship with the apostle."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"expedient", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 6:12; 10:23"},
  {sup:2, word:"come", lines:["Meaning that Paul would now come to boast of the visions and revelations that he had received from the Lord."]},
  {sup:"3c", word:"visions", vrefs:"Dan. 2:19; 7:2; Matt. 17:9; Luke 1:22; 24:23; Acts 2:17; 9:10, 12; 10:3; 11:5; 16:9; 18:9; 26:19; Rev. 9:17", lines:["Revelation is the putting aside of the veil, the unveiling of hidden things; vision is the scene, the view, seen at the unveiling. Many things concerning God&rsquo;s economy and administration in the universe were hidden. The Lord revealed, unveiled, these to the apostle, and he received visions of these hidden things."]},
  {sup:"d", word:"revelations", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:7; Dan. 2:19; 1&nbsp;Pet. 1:12; Luke 2:26; Matt. 16:17; Rom. 16:25; 1&nbsp;Cor. 2:10; 14:6, 26; Gal. 1:12, 16; Eph. 3:3; Rev. 1:1"},
  ],
  '12:2': [
  {sup:1, word:"man", lines:["The apostle ({2Co12:7|v. 7}), not as the old creation but as the new creation ({2Co5:17|5:17}). In this section the apostle desired to boast of the new creation in Christ by boasting of his weaknesses in the flesh, the old creation (vv. {2Co12:5|5}, {2Co12:9|9})."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"in", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 5:17; Gal. 3:27-28; Rom. 16:7"},
  {sup:"b", word:"knows", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:11"},
  {sup:2, word:"caught", lines:["The same Greek word as in {2Co12:4|v. 4}, {Act8:39|Acts 8:39}, and {1Th4:17|1&nbsp;Thes. 4:17}."]},
  {sup:3, word:"to", lines:["Lit., until within; i.e., as far as."]},
  {sup:4, word:"third", lines:["The visible clouds may be considered the first heaven, and the sky, the second heaven. The third heaven must be the heaven above the heavens, the highest heaven ({Deu10:14|Deut. 10:14}; {Psa148:4|Psa. 148:4}), where the Lord Jesus and God are today ({Eph4:10|Eph. 4:10}; {Heb4:14|Heb. 4:14}; {Heb1:3|1:3})."]},
  ],
  '12:3': [
  {sup:1, word:"And", lines:["The conjunction and is an important word here. It indicates that what is mentioned in vv. {2Co12:3|3} and {2Co12:4|4} and what is mentioned in the preceding verse are two different matters. {2Co12:2|Verse 2} tells us that the apostle was caught away to the third heaven. Now, vv. {2Co12:3|3} and {2Co12:4|4} tell us something further, that the apostle was caught away also to another place, into Paradise. This indicates strongly that Paradise is not the same as the third heaven in {2Co12:2|v. 2}; it refers to a place other than the third heaven."]},
  {sup:2, word:"outside", lines:["Some MSS read, apart from."]},
  ],
  '12:4': [
  {sup:1, word:"Paradise", lines:["The pleasant section of Hades, where the spirits of Abraham and all the just are, awaiting the resurrection ({Luk16:22|Luke 16:22}-{Luk16:23|23}, {Luk16:25|25}-{Luk16:26|26}), and where the Lord Jesus went after His death and stayed until His resurrection ({Luk23:43|Luke 23:43}; {Act2:24|Acts 2:24}, {Act2:27|27}, {Act2:31|31}; {Eph4:9|Eph. 4:9}; {Mat12:40|Matt. 12:40}). This Paradise differs from the Paradise in {Rev2:7|Rev. 2:7}, which will be the New Jerusalem in the millennium. In this section the apostle told of the exceeding greatness of the revelations he had received. In the universe there are mainly three sections: the heavens, the earth, and Hades, which is underneath the earth ({Eph4:9|Eph. 4:9}). As a man living on earth, the apostle knew the things of the earth. But men do not know the things either in the heavens or in Hades. The apostle, however, was brought away to both of these unknown places. Hence, he received visions and revelations of these hidden regions. For this reason he mentioned these two uttermost parts of the universe."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"not", vrefs:"cf. Rev. 10:4; Dan. 8:26; 12:4, 9"},
  ],
  '12:5': [
  {sup:"a", word:"boast", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 5:12; 10:8"},
  {sup:"b", word:"boast", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:9; 11:30"},
  {sup:"c", word:"weaknesses", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:10; 11:30; 1&nbsp;Cor. 2:3"},
  ],
  '12:6': [
  {sup:"a", word:"boast", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:16-17"},
  {sup:"b", word:"speak", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:14; Rom. 9:1"},
  {sup:"c", word:"sees", vrefs:"Phil. 4:9"},
  {sup:"d", word:"hears", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Tim. 1:13; 2:2"},
  ],
  '12:7': [
  {sup:1, word:"transcendence", lines:["Or, superabundance, exceeding greatness, excess."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"lifted", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:20"},
  {sup:"2b", word:"thorn", vrefs:"cf. Num. 33:55; Ezek. 28:24", lines:["&ldquo;Frequent in classical Greek in the sense of a pale or stake&rdquo; (Vincent), or a &ldquo;sharp pointed staff&rdquo; (Alford). Here it might refer to a kind of physical suffering, such as the trouble with his eyes (see {Gal4:15^2|note 15<sup>2</sup>} in {Gal4|Gal. 4})."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"Satan", vrefs:"Job 2:6-7; Luke 13:16; 1&nbsp;Cor. 5:5"},
  {sup:3, word:"buffet", lines:["To beat with clenched fist, differing from buffet in {1Co9:27|1&nbsp;Cor. 9:27}, which means to beat under the eye."]},
  ],
  '12:8': [
  {sup:"a", word:"three", vrefs:"Matt. 26:44"},
  ],
  '12:9': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"grace", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:9; 13:14; John 1:17", lines:["See {1Co15:10^1|note 10<sup>1</sup>} in {1Co15|1&nbsp;Cor. 15}. Sufferings and trials are often ordained by the Lord for us that we may experience Christ as grace and power. Hence, in spite of the apostle&rsquo;s entreaty, the Lord would not remove the thorn from the apostle."]},
  {sup:"2b", word:"power", vrefs:"Eph. 1:19-20; Phil. 3:10; 4:13; Isa. 40:29", lines:["For the sufficiency of the Lord&rsquo;s grace to be magnified, our sufferings are required; for the perfectness of the Lord&rsquo;s power to be shown forth, our weakness is needed. Hence, the apostle would most gladly boast in his weaknesses that the power of Christ might tabernacle over him. Grace is the supply, and power is the strength, the ability, of grace. Both are the resurrected Christ, who is now the life-giving Spirit dwelling in us ({1Co15:45|1&nbsp;Cor. 15:45}; {Gal2:20|Gal. 2:20}) for our enjoyment."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"weakness", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:5; 11:30"},
  {sup:"d", word:"power", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 2:4-5"},
  {sup:"3e", word:"tabernacle", vrefs:"Rev. 7:15", lines:["The Greek word for tabernacle over is a compound verb composed of two words. The first word means upon, and the second, to dwell in a tent, as in {Joh1:14|John 1:14} and {Rev21:3|Rev. 21:3}. The compound verb here means to fix a tent or a habitation upon. It portrays how the power of Christ, even Christ Himself, dwells upon us as a tent spread over us, overshadowing us in our weaknesses."]},
  ],
  '12:10': [
  {sup:1, word:"well", lines:["Or, well content; the same Greek word as in {Mat3:17|Matt. 3:17}."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"weaknesses", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 2:3; 9:22"},
  {sup:2, word:"insults", lines:["Or, mistreatments."]},
  {sup:"3b", word:"necessities", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 6:4", lines:["Or, constraints; i.e., urgent needs that press much. See {1Co7:26^2|note 26<sup>2</sup>} in {1Co7|1&nbsp;Cor. 7}."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"persecutions", vrefs:"Gal. 5:11; 6:12; 2&nbsp;Tim. 3:11"},
  {sup:"4d", word:"distresses", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 6:4", lines:["Lit., narrowness of room; hence, straits, difficulties, distresses."]},
  {sup:"5e", word:"weak", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 13:4", lines:["Weak in his old being; powerful in the overshadowing Christ."]},
  ],
  '12:11': [
  {sup:"a", word:"foolish", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:1, 16-17"},
  {sup:"b", word:"commended", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 3:1-2"},
  {sup:"1c", word:"super-apostles", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:5", lines:["See {2Co11:5^1|note 5<sup>1</sup>} in {2Co11|ch. 11}."]},
  {sup:"d", word:"nothing", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 3:7"},
  ],
  '12:12': [
  {sup:1, word:"signs", lines:["The attesting miracles that furnish credentials of apostleship."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"apostle", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 9:1-2"},
  {sup:"b", word:"endurance", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 6:4"},
  {sup:"2c", word:"signs", vrefs:"Rom. 15:18-19; Heb. 2:4", lines:["Attesting miracles."]},
  {sup:3, word:"wonders", lines:["Startling and awakening miracles."]},
  {sup:4, word:"works", lines:["Miracles that demonstrate God&rsquo;s power."]},
  ],
  '12:13': [
  {sup:1, word:"treated", lines:["Or, inferior to, weaker than."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"burden", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:9"},
  {sup:2, word:"Graciously", lines:["These are ironic expressions."]},
  ],
  '12:14': [
  {sup:"a", word:"third", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 13:1"},
  {sup:"b", word:"not", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 10:24, 33"},
  {sup:"c", word:"children", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 4:14-15"},
  {sup:"d", word:"parents", vrefs:"Prov. 19:14"},
  ],
  '12:15': [
  {sup:1, word:"spend", lines:["Meaning to spend what he has, referring to his possessions."]},
  {sup:"2a", word:"be", vrefs:"cf. 1&nbsp;Thes. 2:8", lines:["Meaning to spend what he is, referring to his being."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"love", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:11"},
  ],
  '12:16': [
  {sup:1, word:"let", lines:["I.e., let the former matter go."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"not", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 11:9"},
  {sup:2, word:"crafty", lines:["Some Corinthians charged the apostle with this. They said that he was crafty in making gain, that he was indemnifying himself by sending Titus to receive the collection for the poor saints."]},
  ],
  '12:17': [
  {sup:"a", word:"advantage", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:2"},
  {sup:"b", word:"to", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 9:5"},
  ],
  '12:18': [
  {sup:"a", word:"Titus", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:6, 16, 23"},
  {sup:"b", word:"brother", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 8:18, 22"},
  {sup:"1c", word:"spirit", vrefs:"Rom. 1:9; 2&nbsp;Cor. 2:13; 1&nbsp;Cor. 5:4", lines:["Our regenerated spirit indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This spirit governs, rules, directs, regulates, and leads us in our Christian walk ({Rom8:4|Rom. 8:4}). The apostles walked in such a spirit."]},
  {sup:"d", word:"steps", vrefs:"cf. Rom. 4:12"},
  ],
  '12:19': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"Before", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:17", lines:["In Christ points to the life by which the apostles spoke, and refers to the means and substance of their speaking. Before God points to the atmosphere in which the apostles spoke and refers to the sphere of their speaking."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"in", vrefs:"Rom. 9:1"},
  {sup:"c", word:"building", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:8; 13:10"},
  ],
  '12:20': [
  {sup:"a", word:"fear", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:3"},
  {sup:"1b", word:"strife", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 1:11; 3:3; Gal. 5:20", lines:["Or, debate, contention, quarrel."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"selfish", vrefs:"Phil. 2:3"},
  {sup:2, word:"slanders", lines:["Or, detractions, evil speakings."]},
  {sup:3, word:"whisperings", lines:["Secret slanders."]},
  {sup:4, word:"demonstrations", lines:["Inflated arrogance."]},
  {sup:"5d", word:"tumults", vrefs:"cf. 1&nbsp;Cor. 14:40", lines:["Or, disturbances."]},
  ],
  '12:21': [
  {sup:"a", word:"sinned", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 13:2"},
  {sup:"b", word:"repented", vrefs:"cf. 2&nbsp;Cor. 7:9-10"},
  {sup:"c", word:"uncleanness", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 7:1"},
  {sup:"d", word:"fornication", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 5:1"},
  ],
  '13:1': [
  {sup:"a", word:"third", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:14"},
  {sup:"b", word:"witnesses", vrefs:"Matt. 18:16"},
  ],
  '13:2': [
  {sup:"a", word:"absent", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 13:10"},
  {sup:"b", word:"sinned", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:21"},
  {sup:"c", word:"not", vrefs:"cf. 2&nbsp;Cor. 1:23; 1&nbsp;Cor. 4:21"},
  ],
  '13:3': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"powerful", vrefs:"Eph. 1:19", lines:["Christ was powerful in the believers while He was speaking in the apostle. This was indeed a strong and subjective proof to the believers that Christ was speaking in the apostle."]},
  ],
  '13:4': [
  {sup:"a", word:"crucified", vrefs:"Phil. 2:7-8"},
  {sup:1, word:"weakness", lines:["Weakness of the body; the same as in {2Co10:10|10:10}. For Himself, Christ did not need to be weak in any way, but for accomplishing redemption on our behalf, He was willing to be weak in His body that He might be crucified. However, after being resurrected, He now lives by the power of God."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"lives", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 6:14; 1&nbsp;Pet. 3:18; Rom. 1:4; Rev. 1:18"},
  {sup:2, word:"by", lines:["Lit., out of."]},
  {sup:3, word:"we", lines:["The apostles followed the pattern of Christ and were willing to be weak in the organic union with Him that they might live with Him a crucified life. Thus they would live together with Him by the power of God directed toward the believers. Apparently, they were weak toward the believers; actually they were powerful."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"weak", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:10"},
  {sup:"d", word:"live", vrefs:"Rom. 6:4-5, 8; John 14:19; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:21"},
  {sup:"e", word:"power", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 2:4-5"},
  ],
  '13:5': [
  {sup:1, word:"faith", lines:["The objective faith ({Act6:7|Acts 6:7}; {1Ti1:19|1&nbsp;Tim. 1:19} and {1Ti1:19^3|note 3}). If one is in the objective faith, he surely has the subjective faith, believing in Christ and the entire content of God&rsquo;s New Testament economy. This is what the apostle asked the Corinthians to test."]},
  {sup:2, word:"prove", lines:["To test is to determine one&rsquo;s condition; to prove is to verify that one meets the qualifications for a particular status."]},
  {sup:3, word:"Jesus", lines:["As long as a believer realizes that Jesus Christ is in him, he is qualified, approved, as a genuine member of Christ."]},
  {sup:"a", word:"in", vrefs:"Rom. 8:10; Col. 1:27; John 14:20; Gal. 2:20; 4:19"},
  {sup:"4b", word:"disapproved", vrefs:"cf. 1&nbsp;Cor. 9:27", lines:["I.e., disqualified."]},
  ],
  '13:6': [
  {sup:1, word:"we", lines:["By this word the apostle turned to himself and the other apostles, indicating that they, having Christ living and speaking in them, were fully qualified and not disapproved, especially among the troublesome Corinthians. The apostle earnestly hoped that they might recognize this and have no further questions about him."]},
  ],
  '13:7': [
  {sup:1, word:"not", lines:["This indicates that the believers&rsquo; doing good proved the qualifications and teaching of the apostles. However, the apostle did not care to use this as a ground for exercising his apostolic authority to discipline them; he cared for their doing good that they might be established and built up."]},
  ],
  '13:8': [
  {sup:1, word:"For", lines:["For indicates that {2Co13:8|v. 8} is an explanation of what is mentioned in the preceding verse. The apostle expected the Corinthian believers to do good, but not so that the apostles would appear approved. To edify the believers to do good is for the truth, but for the apostles to cause themselves to appear approved and to defend themselves to the believers ({2Co12:19|12:19}) is against the truth. The Lord would not enable the apostles to do this; hence, they were not able to do it."]},
  {sup:2, word:"truth", lines:["The reality of the contents of the faith. See {1Ti2:4^2|note 4<sup>2</sup>} in {1Ti2|1&nbsp;Tim. 2}."]},
  ],
  '13:9': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"weak", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 12:5, 9-10; 1&nbsp;Cor. 4:10", lines:["To be weak here is the same as to appear disapproved. When the apostles appeared disapproved, they were weak in administering discipline to the believers. When the believers did good, they were powerful and made the apostles powerless to discipline them. The apostles rejoiced over this and prayed for this, i.e., for the believers&rsquo; perfecting."]},
  {sup:"2b", word:"perfecting", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 13:11; Eph. 4:12", lines:["Or, restoring. Implying repairing, adjusting, putting in order again, mending; perfectly joining together (cf. {1Co1:10|1&nbsp;Cor. 1:10} and {1Co1:10^4|note 4}), thoroughly equipping, well furnishing; thus, perfecting, completing, educating. The apostles prayed for the Corinthians that they might be restored, put in order again, and thoroughly equipped and edified to grow in life for the building up of the Body of Christ."]},
  ],
  '13:10': [
  {sup:"a", word:"absent", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 13:2"},
  {sup:"b", word:"present", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 2:3"},
  {sup:"c", word:"severity", vrefs:"Titus 1:13; cf. 1&nbsp;Cor. 4:21"},
  {sup:"d", word:"authority", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:8"},
  {sup:"e", word:"building", vrefs:"2&nbsp;Cor. 10:8; 12:19"},
  ],
  '13:11': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"rejoice", vrefs:"Phil. 3:1", lines:["Since the apostles were rejoicing ({2Co13:9|v. 9}), they were able to exhort the believers also to rejoice. This was not to be done in their natural life but in the Lord ({Phi3:1|Phil. 3:1}; {Phi4:4|4:4}; {1Th5:16|1&nbsp;Thes. 5:16})."]},
  {sup:2, word:"perfected", lines:["Or, completed thoroughly. I.e., repaired or adjusted, put in order again, mended, perfectly joined together; thus, restored. In Greek this word is the root of the word for perfecting in {2Co13:9|v. 9} and in {Eph4:12|Eph. 4:12}."]},
  {sup:3, word:"comforted", lines:["The apostles were comforted by the God of all comfort ({2Co1:3|1:3}-{2Co1:6|6}). The Corinthians were very discouraged by the apostle&rsquo;s first Epistle to them. Now, in the second Epistle, he comforted them with the comfort of God ({2Co7:8|7:8}-{2Co7:13|13})."]},
  {sup:"4b", word:"think", vrefs:"Phil. 2:2; Rom. 12:16; 15:5", lines:["Thinking the same thing must have been the main thing in which the distracted and confused Corinthians needed to be perfected, adjusted, put in order, and restored, as the apostle had exhorted in his first Epistle ({1Co1:10|1&nbsp;Cor. 1:10})."]},
  {sup:5, word:"at", lines:["At peace with one another, and probably with God also."]},
  {sup:"c", word:"peace", vrefs:"Mark 9:50; Rom. 12:18"},
  {sup:"d", word:"God", vrefs:"1&nbsp;John 4:8, 16; Rom. 15:33; Phil. 4:9"},
  {sup:6, word:"love", lines:["The Corinthians were lacking in love ({1Co8:1|1&nbsp;Cor. 8:1}; {1Co13:1|13:1}-{1Co13:3|3}, {1Co13:13|13}; {1Co14:1|14:1}) and were short of peace because they were disturbed by the distracting teachings and confusing concepts. Hence, the apostle wished that the God of love and peace would be with them for their adjusting and perfecting. They needed to be filled with the love and peace of God that they might walk according to love ({Rom14:15|Rom. 14:15}; {Eph5:2|Eph. 5:2}) and have peace with one another ({Rom14:19|Rom. 14:19}; {Heb12:14|Heb. 12:14})."]},
  ],
  '13:12': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"holy", vrefs:"Rom. 16:16", lines:["A kiss of pure love without any contaminating mixture."]},
  ],
  '13:13': [
  {sup:"a", word:"All", vrefs:"Phil. 4:22"},
  ],
  '13:14': [
  {sup:"1a", word:"grace", vrefs:"Rom. 16:20; 1&nbsp;Cor. 16:23; Gal. 6:18; Rev. 22:21", lines:["The grace of the Lord is the Lord Himself as life to us for our enjoyment ({Joh1:17|John 1:17} and {Joh1:17^1|note 1}; {1Co15:10|1&nbsp;Cor. 15:10} and {1Co15:10^1|note 1}), the love of God is God Himself ({1Jo4:8|1&nbsp;John 4:8}, {1Jo4:16|16}) as the source of the grace of the Lord, and the fellowship of the Spirit is the Spirit Himself as the transmission of the grace of the Lord with the love of God for our participation. These are not three separate matters but three aspects of one thing, just as the Lord, God, and the Holy Spirit are not three separate Gods but three &ldquo;hypostases&mdash;of the one same undivided and indivisible&rdquo; God (Philip Schaff). The Greek word for hypostasis (used in {Heb11:1|Heb. 11:1}&mdash;see {Heb11:1^2|note 2} there), the singular form of hypostases, refers to a support under, a support beneath, i.e., something underneath that supports, a supporting substance. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are the hypostases, the supporting substances, that compose the one Godhead.","The love of God is the source, since God is the origin; the grace of the Lord is the course of the love of God, since the Lord is the expression of God; and the fellowship of the Spirit is the impartation of the grace of the Lord with the love of God, since the Spirit is the transmission of the Lord with God, for our experience and enjoyment of the Triune God&mdash;the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with Their divine virtues. Here the grace of the Lord is mentioned first because this book is on the grace of Christ ({2Co1:12|1:12}; {2Co4:15|4:15}; {2Co6:1|6:1}; {2Co8:1|8:1}, {2Co8:9|9}; {2Co9:8|9:8}, {2Co9:14|14}; {2Co12:9|12:9}). Such a divine attribute of three virtues&mdash;love, grace, and fellowship&mdash;and such a Triune God of the three divine hypostases&mdash;the Father, the Son, and the Spirit&mdash;were needed by the distracted and confused yet comforted and restored Corinthian believers. Hence, the apostle used all these divine and precious things in one sentence to conclude his lovely and dear Epistle.","This verse is strong proof that the trinity of the Godhead is not for the doctrinal understanding of systematic theology but for the dispensing of God Himself in His trinity into His chosen and redeemed people. In the Bible the Trinity is never revealed merely as a doctrine. It is always revealed or mentioned in regard to the relationship of God with His creatures, especially with man, who was created by Him, and more particularly with His chosen and redeemed people. The first divine title used in the divine revelation, Elohim in Hebrew, a title used in relation to God&rsquo;s creation, is plural in number ({Gen1:1|Gen. 1:1}), implying that God, as the Creator of the heavens and the earth for man, is triune. Concerning His creation of man in His own image, after His own likeness, He used the plural pronouns Us and Our, referring to His trinity ({Gen1:26|Gen. 1:26}) and implying that He would be one with man and express Himself through man in His trinity. Later, in {Gen3:22|Gen. 3:22} and {Gen11:7|11:7} and {Isa6:8|Isa. 6:8}, He referred to Himself again and again as Us in regard to His relationship with man and with His chosen people.","In order to redeem fallen man that He might again have the position to be one with man, He became incarnated ({Joh1:1|John 1:1}, {Joh1:14|14}) in the Son and through the Spirit ({Luk1:31|Luke 1:31}-{Luk1:35|35}) to be a man, and lived a human life on the earth, also in the Son ({Luk2:49|Luke 2:49}) and by the Spirit ({Luk4:1|Luke 4:1}; {Mat12:28|Matt. 12:28}). At the beginning of the Son&rsquo;s ministry on the earth, the Father anointed the Son with the Spirit ({Mat3:16|Matt. 3:16}-{Mat3:17|17}; {Luk4:18|Luke 4:18}) in order that He might reach men and bring them back to Him. Just before He was crucified in the flesh and resurrected to become the life-giving Spirit ({1Co15:45|1&nbsp;Cor. 15:45}), He unveiled His mysterious trinity to His disciples in plain words ({Joh14|John 14}&mdash;{Joh17|17}), stating that the Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son ({Joh14:9|John 14:9}-{Joh14:11|11}), that the Spirit is the transfiguration of the Son ({Joh14:16|John 14:16}-{Joh14:20|20}), that the three, coexisting and coinhering simultaneously, are abiding with the believers for their enjoyment ({Joh14:23|John 14:23}; {Joh17:21|17:21}-{Joh17:23|23}), and that all that the Father has is the Son&rsquo;s and all that the Son possesses is received by the Spirit to be declared to the believers ({Joh16:13|John 16:13}-{Joh16:15|15}). Such a Trinity is altogether related to the dispensing of the processed God into His believers ({Joh14:17|John 14:17}, {Joh14:20|20}; {Joh15:4|15:4}-{Joh15:5|5}) that they may be one in and with the Triune God ({Joh17:21|John 17:21}-{Joh17:23|23}).","After His resurrection He charged His disciples to disciple the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit ({Mat28:19|Matt. 28:19}); that is, He charged the disciples to bring the believing ones into the Triune God, into an organic union with the processed God, who had passed through incarnation, human living, and crucifixion and had entered into resurrection. Based on such an organic union, the apostle, at the conclusion of this divine Epistle to the Corinthians, blessed them with the blessed Divine Trinity in the participation in the Son&rsquo;s grace with the Father&rsquo;s love through the Spirit&rsquo;s fellowship. In this Divine Trinity, God the Father operates all things in all the members in the church, which is the Body of Christ, through the ministries of the Lord, God the Son, by the gifts of God the Spirit ({1Co12:4|1&nbsp;Cor. 12:4}-{1Co12:6|6}).","The entire divine revelation in the book of Ephesians concerning the producing, existing, growing, building up, and fighting of the church as the Body of Christ is composed of the divine economy, the dispensing of the Triune God into the members of the Body of Christ. {Eph1|Chapter 1} of Ephesians unveils that God the Father chose and predestinated these members in eternity ({Eph1:4|Eph. 1:4}-{Eph1:5|5}), that God the Son redeemed them ({Eph1:6|Eph. 1:6}-{Eph1:12|12}), and that God the Spirit, as a pledge, sealed them ({Eph1:13|Eph. 1:13}-{Eph1:14|14}), thus imparting Himself into His believers for the formation of the church, which is the Body of Christ, the fullness of the One who fills all in all ({Eph1:18|Eph. 1:18}-{Eph1:23|23}). {Eph2|Chapter 2} shows us that in the Divine Trinity all the believers, both Jewish and Gentile, have access unto God the Father, through God the Son, in God the Spirit ({Eph2:18|Eph. 2:18}). This indicates that the three coexist and coinhere simultaneously, even after all the processes of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. In {2Co3|ch. 3} the apostle prayed that God the Father would grant the believers to be strengthened through God the Spirit into their inner man, that Christ, God the Son, may make His home in their hearts, that is, occupy their entire being, that they may be filled unto all the fullness of God ({Eph3:14|Eph. 3:14}-{Eph3:19|19}). This is the climax of the believers&rsquo; experience of and participation in God in His trinity. {Eph4|Chapter 4} portrays how the processed God as the Spirit, the Lord, and the Father is mingled with the Body of Christ ({Eph4:4|Eph. 4:4}-{Eph4:6|6}) so that all the members of the Body may experience the Divine Trinity. {Eph5|Chapter 5} exhorts the believers to praise the Lord, God the Son, with the songs of God the Spirit, and give thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son, to God the Father ({Eph5:19|Eph. 5:19}-{Eph5:20|20}). This is to praise and thank the processed God in His divine trinity for our enjoyment of Him as the Triune God. {Eph6|Chapter 6} instructs us to fight the spiritual warfare by being empowered in the Lord, God the Son, putting on the whole armor of God the Father, and wielding the sword of God the Spirit ({Eph6:10|Eph. 6:10}, {Eph6:11|11}, {Eph6:17|17}). This is the believers&rsquo; experience and enjoyment of the Triune God even in the spiritual warfare.","The apostle Peter, in his writing, confirmed that God is triune for the believers&rsquo; enjoyment, referring the believers to the election of God the Father, the sanctification of God the Spirit, and the redemption of Jesus Christ, God the Son, accomplished by His blood ({1Pe1:2|1&nbsp;Pet. 1:2}). And John the apostle strengthened the revelation that the Divine Trinity is for the believers&rsquo; participation in the processed Triune God. In the book of Revelation he blessed the churches in different localities with grace and peace from God the Father, Him who is and who was and who is coming, and from God the Spirit, the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from God the Son, Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth ({Rev1:4|Rev. 1:4}-{Rev1:5|5}). John&rsquo;s blessing given to the churches indicated also that the processed Triune God, in all He is as the eternal Father, in all He is able to do as the sevenfold intensified Spirit, and in all He has attained and obtained as the anointed Son, is for the believers&rsquo; enjoyment, that they may be His corporate testimony as the golden lampstands ({Rev1:9|Rev. 1:9}, {Rev1:11|11}, {Rev1:20|20}).","Thus, it is evident that the divine revelation of the trinity of the Godhead in the holy Word, from Genesis through Revelation, is not for theological study but for the apprehending of how God in His mysterious and marvelous trinity dispenses Himself into His chosen people, that we as His chosen and redeemed people may, as indicated in the apostle&rsquo;s blessing to the Corinthian believers, participate in, experience, enjoy, and possess the processed Triune God now and for eternity. Amen."]},
  {sup:"b", word:"love", vrefs:"Rom. 5:5; Jude 21"},
  {sup:"c", word:"fellowship", vrefs:"1&nbsp;Cor. 1:9; 1&nbsp;John 1:3, 6"},
  ],
  },
  };