UTN uW Translation Notes:

2 Corinthians 7 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

4. Paul’s ministry (2:14–7:4) * Join with fellow believers, not unbelievers (6:11–7:4)5. Paul rejoices about Titus’ visit to the Corinthians (7:5–16)

Special Concepts in this Chapter

Boasting

In 7:4, 14, Paul refers to how he boasts about the Corinthians. What he means is that he tells people about how wonderful and great he thinks they are. It is important to indicate that Paul is not describing the Corinthians as better than they actually are. Rather, Paul indicates in 7:14 that what he says about them is actually true. Use a word or phrase that refers to saying good things that are true about someone else. (See: boast)

Encouragement and comfort

The words for “encouragement” and “comfort” are very closely related. Sometimes it is not clear whether Paul is focusing more on encouragement (which implies urging someone to act) or more on comfort (which implies making someone feel better). If you have a word or phrase that can indicate both comfort and encouragement, you could use it in this chapter. Otherwise, consider which emphasis the context implies. Generally, the ULT models one option, and the UST models the other option. (See: comfort)

The previous letter

In 7:8–12, Paul refers to a letter that he had already written and sent to the Corinthians. He has already referred to this letter in chapter 2. While a few scholars think this letter is 1 Corinthians, most likely we do not have this previous letter. Paul acknowledges that this previous letter might have “grieved” them, but he wants them to know that he wrote the letter to help them do what was right. In your translation, make sure that these verses refer to a letter that Paul previously wrote, not to 2 Corinthians.

Grief and sorrow

The words for being “grieved” and for “sorrow” are very closely related. Paul uses these words to refer to being hurt or feeling upset about something. Paul distinguishes between two kinds of sorrow: one that is with respect to God, godly sorrow; the other is with respect to the world, worldly sorrow. If possible, use a word or words that are general enough to refer to both kinds of sorrow.

Other Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter

Exclusive “we”

Throughout this chapter, Paul uses the words “we,” “us,” and “our” to refer to himself and those who work with him. He does not include the Corinthians except in 7:1. You should assume that Paul only means himself and his fellow workers unless a note specifies otherwise. (See: figs-exclusive)

Switches between first person singular and first person plural

Throughout this chapter, Paul switches between singular forms (“I”) and plural forms (“we”) of the first person. These switches are probably not just stylistic. Rather, they indicate when Paul is referring just to himself and when he is referring to himself and those who serve with him. If possible, preserve these switches in your translation.

What happened in Corinth

In this chapter, Paul continues to refer to something that happened in Corinth, something he already discussed in chapter 2. However, Paul gives even less details here than he did in chapter 2 about what happened. What we know is that a person, probably a man from the Corinthians’ group, did something wrong and hurt some of the Corinthians and possibly also hurt Paul. In response, Paul wrote a severe letter that “grieved” the Corinthians. Paul also sent Titus to Corinth to make sure that everything was resolved. In this chapter, Paul especially focuses on how happy he was to hear what Titus told him about how the Corinthians responded. Avoid providing more details in this chapter than Paul does, but make sure that your translation generally refers to events like these.