2 Corinthians 7:4

 

2 Corinthians 7:4

(KJV) Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

(1611 KJV) Great is my boldnesse of speach toward you, great is my glorying of you, I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding ioyfull in all our tribulation.

(1587 Geneva Bible) I vse great boldnesse of speach toward you: I reioyce greatly in you: I am filled with comfort, and am exceeding ioyous in all our tribulation.

(1526 Tyndale) I am very bolde over you and reioyce greatly in you. I am filled with comforte and am excadinge ioyouse in all oure tribulacions.

 

Counterfeit Versions

(CEB) I have every confidence in you. I’m terribly proud of you. I’m filled with encouragement. I’m overwhelmed with happiness while in the middle of our problems.

(CEV) I trust you completely. I am always proud of you, and I am greatly encouraged. In all my trouble I am still very happy.

(CSB) I am very frank with you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in all our afflictions.

(1899 Douay-Rheims RC) Great is my confidence for you, great is my glorying for you. I am filled with comfort: I exceedingly abound with joy in all our tribulation.

(ESV) I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.

(GNB) I am so sure of you; I take such pride in you! In all our troubles I am still full of courage; I am running over with joy.

(HCSB) I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I am overcome with joy in all our afflictions.

(THE MESSAGE) I have, in fact, the greatest confidence in you. If only you knew how proud I am of you! I am overwhelmed with joy despite all our troubles.

(NASV) Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.

(NCV) I feel very sure of you and am very proud of you. You give me much comfort, and in all of our troubles I have great joy.

(NIRV) I have great faith in you. I am very proud of you. I am very happy. Even with all our troubles, my joy has no limit.

(NIV) I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

(NLV) I trust you and am proud of you. You give me much comfort and joy even when I suffer.

(NLT) I have the highest confidence in you, and I take great pride in you. You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles.

(RSV) I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. With all our affliction, I am overjoyed.

(NAB-Roman Catholic) I have great confidence in you, I have great pride in you; I am filled with encouragement, I am overflowing with joy all the more because of all our affliction.

 

Textus Receptus - Traditional Text

πολλη μοι παρρησια προς υμας πολλη μοι καυχησις υπερ υμων πεπληρωμαι τη παρακλησει υπερπερισσευομαι τη χαρα επι παση τη θλιψει ημων

 

Hort-Westcott - Critical Text

πολλη μοι παρρησια προς υμας πολλη μοι καυχησις υπερ υμων πεπληρωμαι τη παρακλησει υπερπερισσευομαι τη χαρα επι παση τη θλιψει ημων

 

Corrupted Manuscripts

None

 

Published Greek Texts with Corruptions

None

 

Affected Teachings

Here is a verse where the modern version translators have taken a Greek word and completely mistranslated it for this verse. The word behind boldness in the King James Bible is “παρρησια“ (parrhesia) which is translated as “boldness, frankness, openly, fearlessness, or outspokenness.” In several verses in the King James Bible the word is translated as “confidence,” they are: Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 10:35; 1 John 2:28; 1 John 3:21; and 1 John 5:14. The five uses of “confidence” in these verses are all aimed toward our confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 4:16, we are told: (Heb 4:16 KJV) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 uses the same word for “boldly” and that is why we can have such confidence because of the salvation which is wrought in Christ. The modern versions twist the use of “confidence” and use it in a way that Paul has confidence in man. Paul’s confidence was always in Christ and not men. (Phil 3:3 KJV) For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. There were times when Paul did have confidence in the Christians who were walking with Christ in obedience.

 

Our weekly verse is focused upon the fact that Paul spoke with them in boldness when he was absent from them. (2 Cor 10:10 KJV) For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. Paul had spoken very frankly to the Corinthians because of their continual disobedience yet because of the fact that they had become obedient, Paul was now glorying in them. Paul knew that his relationship with the Corinthians was such that he could use great boldness of speech without fear of being misunderstood or rejected by them. Paul boasts in them because as he has stated in the past that they are his crown as they will someday be in Heaven with him. Paul is completely comforted because he had drawn much inspiration from their lives and this resulted in Paul being joyful in times of tribulation. Notice that Paul stated he was joyful and not happy. Joy is something which comes from inside because of our relationship to Christ but happiness is determined by outward circumstances. Happiness can change in a moment while joy is a stable tenet of Christianity. To change “boldness of speech” to “confidence” constitutes a very bad translational error and changes the meaning of the passage.

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