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2 Corinthians Chapter 2

2 Corinthians Chapter 2

(Underlining marks a quotation/allusion. [Brackets] mark a textual variant.fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)

Glossary

Note: this glossary is currently a work in progress; entries that do not expand will be added as time permits

Ages/of ages
“ages” and “of ages” are the Greek words “αἰών” (aión, noun form) and “αἰώνιος” (aiónios, adjective form) respectively.  The adjective form is typically translated “eternal”, as in “eternal life”. The noun form refers to a whole time period, (Keizer, “Life Time Entirety”) such as a person’s lifetime (an older Greek sense), an age/epoch (e.g., 2 Cor 4:4), or even time in its entirety, making its meaning similar to “forever” (e.g., John 14:16). The adjective form is similarly context-dependent, and the New Testament context often dictates a meaning similar to “forever” (but not always: e.g. 2 Tim 1:9).  Alternately or additionally, it can indicate the quality of a time period — indicating greatness/severity — like the English idiom “of ages” (e.g. “battle of the ages”). Thus, “of ages” was chosen for the adjective form so that both the time and quality senses remain visible.

Clean/unclean

Covenant

Faith

Flesh

Forgive/forgiveness

Grace
The Greek word is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace”, “gift”, or “thanks”. It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place. The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis). A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron. The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful” by giving thanks in this way. Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation. A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons. The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met. New Testament usage typically casts God the Father as a Heavenly Patron, to whom Christians should be grateful and faithful because of the gifts He has given us. (e.g. salvation, provision, protection, etc.)

Holy

Justification

Law (Torah)

Make purification

Pure/Impure

Purification offering
In the Old Testament, this is typically the Hebrew “חַטָּ֖את” (khat-tat); in the New Testament, it’s typically “περὶ ἁμαρτίας” (peri hamartias), which is what the Septuagint (an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek) used to translate the Hebrew. It’s traditionally translated “sin offering”, but that translation has less support in high-level scholarship. The Hebrew word can mean “sin”, but it can also mean “purification” (e.g. Numbers 8:7). This offering was used to purify uncleanness, whether or not a sin was committed. Thus, it was required even when no sin was committed, such as after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8), for certain diseases (Leviticus 14), etc. High-level, peer-reviewed scholarship dedicated to the field (e.g. Milgrom, Levine, Gane, Sklar, Wright, Gorman, etc.) is largely united on the “purification offering” understanding. The BOS Bible has aligned itself with that high-level, peer-reviewed scholarship in its translation.

Ransom

Redemption

Repent/repentance

Righteous/righteousness

Salvation/save

Soul
“soul” is the Greek word “ψυχή/psuché” and Hebrew word “נֶפֶשׁ/nephesh”. The BOS Bible translates these words as “soul” for consistency, and so the full meaning of “soul” isn’t obscured by different translations in different places. They closely overlap in meaning and are typically translated “soul” or “life”. They refer to the animating force of a living thing, and thus can also refer to its life, or to the whole of any person or creature, including animals (e.g. fish in Revelation 8:9 and Genesis 1). They are frequently used as an emphatic reference to a person’s whole self, including longings, deep emotions, and inner life. (e.g. Ps 42:11) Note: while “soul” has significant overlap in meaning with “spirit”, the words have distinct meanings and usages throughout scripture. For example, lions tear apart a soul in Psalm 7:2, and a “dead soul” is mentioned in Leviticus 21:11; “spirit” has no analogous usages, and it returns to God at death (Ecc 12:7; Acts 7:59). The adjective forms of soul and spirit are contrasted in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15; see also: Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Sin

Click to Collapse the Glossary
Grief and forgiveness

(Parallel teachings: Matthew 18:15-35)
(Thematic parallels: 1 Corinthians 5; see note on verse 6)

  • 1 For I decided this within myself, not to come to you in grief again.
  • 2 For if I grieve you, what man is even making me glad except the man being grieved by me?
  • 3 And I wrote this same thing so that having come, I wouldn’t have grief from men who ought to make me rejoice, *trusting in all of you that my joy is the joy of you all.
  • 4 For I wrote to you from much inward affliction and anguish of heart, through many tears.  Not so that you might be grieved, but so that you might know the ^love that I have more abundantly for you.
  • 5 But if someone has grieved anyone, it wasn’t me that he has grieved; but he has grieved all of you in part (so that I wouldn’t make this point burdensome).
  • 6 This punishment by the majorityfn“the majority” is literally “the more part”. Note: “This punishment by the majority” is likely a reference to Church discipline which Jesus set forth in Matthew 18:15-20.  In Paul’s previous letter to the Corinthians, he mentioned an immoral man who was sleeping with his father’s wife.  Paul told the Corinthians to put him out of the church and shun him (as Jesus directed in Matthew 18).  This was a “punishment by the majority” and Paul says that’s sufficient. Some modern commentators instead believe this refers to a personal offence against Paul. is sufficient for such a man.
  • 7 So on the contrary, you are rather to freely forgive and to comfort him, lest somehow such a man be swallowed by more abundant grief.
  • 8 For this reason, I urge you to confirm your ^love to him.
  • 9 For I also wrote for this reason: so that I might test you and know the result,fn“test you and… …the result ” is one word in Greek.  It properly refers to the process or result of a test/trial, and can include the evidence used to come to the result. whether you’re obedient in all things.
  • 10 And whomever you freely forgive for anything, I do also.  And for whatever I have freely forgiven (if I have freely forgiven anything), it’s for your sake in the presence of the Anointed,
  • 11 so that we aren’t taken advantage of by Satan, for we aren’t ignorant of his schemes. CFThematic parallels: 1 Corinthians 7:5; Ephesians 6:11
Opportunity and victory

(Parallel accounts: Acts 20:1–3)
(Thematic parallels: 1 Corinthians 4:9-13)

  • 12 And having come to Troas for the good news of the Anointed, a door has also been opened for me in the Lord. CFThematic parallels: 1 Corinthians 16:8-9; Colossians 4:3
  • 13 But I don’t *have rest in my spirit because of me not finding Titus my brother.  But having bid them farewell, I departed into Macedonia.
  • 14 But thanks be to God, the One always leading us in a triumphal processionfn“leading… …in a triumphal procession” is one word in Greek.  It properly refers to a victor parading around to celebrate their victory and displaying the defeated enemy as part of the procession. in the Anointed, and making the aroma of the knowledge of Him obvious through us in every place. CFThematic parallels: Colossians 2:15; Ephesians 5:2
  • 15 For we are a sweet fragrance of the Anointed to Godfnquotation/allusion to Genesis 8:21; Exodus 29:18; Leviticus 1:9 (also quoted/alluded to by Eph 5:2; Phil 4:18) in the men being saved and in the men perishing,
  • 16 to whom an aroma from death indeed leads into death, and to whom an aroma from life leads into life. CFParallel teachings: 1 Corinthians 1:18-24 And who is fit for these things?
  • 17 For we aren’t like the many who are peddling a corruptedfn“peddling a corrupted” is one word in Greek. It refers to a huckster selling/peddling products, often a tainted or low quality version of the product for sordid gain (e.g. selling watered-down wine as full strength wine). version of the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak before God in the Anointed. CFParallel teachings: 1 Thessalonians 2:3-6

 

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