2 Corinthians 1 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

The salutation 1:1–2

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy the brother,independent — the senders — the contested title asserted first, grounded in God's will

to the church of God that is in Corinth,phrase modifier — the addressees — God's church, not a faction's

together with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:phrase modifier — the circle widened to the whole province

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.independent — the fixed blessing — Father and Lord one source

The benediction — the God of all comfort 1:3–7

vv. 3–4 — the berakah: comfort received, comfort made transitive

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,independent — the berakah in place of a thanksgiving — verbless

the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,phrase modifier — double apposition — raḥămîm-mercies; the section's keyword sounded

who comforts us in all our affliction,participial — on ὁ θεός — God's habitual comforting

so that we may be able to comfort those in any affliction through the comfortpurpose — εἰς τό + infinitive — comfort given to be passed on

with which we ourselves are comforted by God.relative — attracted relative (ἧς) — the channel is the supply

vv. 5–7 — the proportion: sufferings and comfort overflow together, and you share both

For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us,comparative — ὅτι + καθώς — the ground opens as a proportion; leans on the οὕτως line below

so also through Christ our comfort overflows.cause — the apodosis carries the ὅτι-ground of v. 4 — Christ the channel of both

And if we are afflicted,conditional — first εἴτε — leans on the ὑπέρ line below

it is for your comfort and salvation;independent — verbless apodosis — his loss, their gain

if we are comforted,conditional — second εἴτε — the alternative reaches the same goal

it is for your comfort,independent — verbless apodosis — the same ὑπέρ

which is at work in the endurance of the same sufferingsparticipial — attributive — comfort as operative power, proved in endurance

that we also suffer.relative — attracted relative (ὧν) — one lot shared by apostle and church

And our hope for you is firm,independent — verbless — the blessing's settled conclusion

since we know that as you are sharers in the sufferings,participial — causal participle with its ὅτι-content — the ὡς half of a correlation

so also in the comfort.comparative — the οὕτως half — elliptical: sharers again

The affliction in Asia — the God who raises the dead 1:8–11

vv. 8–9 — the crushing in Asia and its design: trust unlearned from self

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction that befell us in Asia,independent — the disclosure formula — fresh, weighty news

that we were burdened beyond measure, beyond our strength,content — epexegetic ὅτι — the affliction spelled out

so that we despaired even of life;purpose — ὥστε + infinitive — actual result (no result key; filed as purpose)

Indeed, we ourselves had the sentence of death within ourselves,independent — ἀλλά emphatic — the inward death-verdict (ἀπόκριμα)

so that we might not be trusting in ourselvespurpose — the design of the crisis — self-reliance broken

but in God who raises the dead —phrase modifier — elliptical counterpart — the resurrection God, the true footing

vv. 10–11 — delivered, and to be delivered — your prayers joined in

who delivered us from so great a death and will deliver us;relative — past rescue the pledge of future — ῥύσεται read with the editions

in him we have set our hoperelative — second relative on the same antecedent — hope fixed (perfect)

that he will yet deliver us,content — the content of the hope — deliverance yet again

as you also join in helping us by your prayer,participial — genitive absolute — the Corinthians folded into the rescue

so that from many faces thanks may be given through many on our behalf for the gift granted to us.purpose — the goal — thanksgiving multiplied; πρόσωπον ('faces/persons') left in its density

The boast of sincerity 1:12–14

For this is our boast:independent — the cataphoric αὕτη — the boast about to be defined

the testimony of our conscience,phrase modifier — apposition — the boast is an inner verdict

that with godly sincerity and purity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we conducted ourselves in the world,content — the conscience's content — ἁπλότητι read (SBLGNT/THGNT) against NA28's ἁγιότητι

and still more toward you.phrase modifier — the comparative coda — Corinth saw it most

For we write you nothing other than what you read or also understand;independent — the γάρ ground — no hidden meaning; the read/understand wordplay

and I hopeindependent — the hope verb — singular, personal

that you will understand fully to the end,content — the content of the hope — understanding made complete and lasting

as you have also understood us in part,comparative — the partial recognition already won

that we are your boastcontent — what full understanding will grasp — mutual boasting

just as you also are ours on the day of our Lord Jesus.comparative — καθάπερ — elliptical reciprocity, vindicated on the Day

The changed plans defended — God's Yes in Christ 1:15–22

vv. 15–17 — the double-visit plan, and the charge of fickleness

And in this confidence I intended to come to you first,independent — the imperfect ἐβουλόμην — a plan formed, then altered

so that you might have a second grace,purpose — the aim — a doubled benefit

and to pass through you into Macedonia,content — the route, leg one — complementary infinitive

and again from Macedonia to come to you,content — leg two — the return visit

and to be sent on by you to Judea.content — leg three — προπέμπω, the church as sponsor of the journey

So when I was intending this,participial — sentence-opening participle — leans on the question below

did I then act with fickleness?independent — μήτι — expects 'no'

Or do I plan what I plan according to the flesh,independent — the charge sharpened — planning κατὰ σάρκα

so that with me it should be 'Yes, yes' and 'No, no' at once?purpose — the fleshly planner's mark — a word that affirms and denies together

vv. 18–20 — the oath: God's Yes in Christ, the church's Amen

But God is faithful:independent — verbless oath-asseveration

our word to you is not 'Yes and No.'content — what the oath guarantees — no self-cancelling word

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ,independent — the subject suspended — the predicate waits two lines

who was proclaimed among you through us —participial — the founding proclamation

through me and Silvanus and Timothy —phrase modifier — the 'us' named — the founding trio (Acts 18:5)

was not 'Yes and No,'independent — the predicate arrives — no ambiguity in the proclaimed one

but in him it has become 'Yes.'independent — perfect γέγονεν — the Yes stands established

For as many as are the promises of God,relative — fronted correlative — leans on the Ναί line below

in him is the 'Yes';independent — verbless — every promise affirmed in Christ

therefore also through him is the 'Amen,' to God for glory through us.independent — the church's answering word — worship routed through Christ and the ministry

vv. 21–22 — the God who confirms: anointed, sealed, the Spirit as down payment

Now the one who establishes us with you in Christ and who anointed us is God,independent — verbless predication — βεβαιῶν echoes βεβαία (v. 7); χρίσας puns on Χριστόν

who also sealed usparticipial — the seal — ownership, authentication, protection

and gave the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.participial — the ἀρραβών — the Spirit as first installment; genitive of apposition

Why he did not come — sparing, not lording 1:23–24

But I call God as witness against my own soul,independent — the oath — Paul's life staked on the truth

that it was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth.content — the real reason — mercy, not vacillation; φειδόμενος causal

Not that we lord it over your faith —independent — οὐχ ὅτι — the disclaimer: 'sparing' is not lordship

rather, we are fellow workers for your joy;independent — the counter-thesis — συνεργοί, alongside not above

for by faith you stand firm.cause — the ground — their own faith is their footing (perfect ἑστήκατε)

Analysis. 2 Corinthians 1 opens verbless — superscription, grace-and-peace, berakah — and then runs on παράκλησις: from the flush-left Εὐλογητός line a chain descends (the Father-of-mercies apposition, the ὁ παρακαλῶν participle, the εἰς τό purpose, the attracted ἧς relative), and 'comfort' recurs ten times in five verses, so the shape itself shows comfort received becoming comfort passed on. Verse 6 is drawn as two olive εἴτε protases leaning forward onto verbless ὑπέρ-apodoses — whichever way Paul's lot falls, the line beneath reads 'for your comfort.' In vv. 8–11 the disclosure verb carries a deepening stair: ὅτι-content, ὥστε-result, then from the death-sentence clause a second stair descends through ἐπὶ τῷ θεῷ to the double relative ὅς / εἰς ὅν and, five levels down, the genitive absolute of the Corinthians' prayers with the many-faces thanksgiving beneath — rescue rendered as one long dependent chain. The travel-plans panel is diatribe-like: the μήτι and ἤ questions sit flush left, and πιστὸς δὲ ὁ θεός answers as a verbless oath. Cruxes the layout takes a side on: v. 5's ὅτι is causal, its ground carried by the οὕτως line; v. 8's ὅτι is read as the content of the disclosure (epexegetic of the affliction), not causal; the ὥστε result infinitive is filed under the purpose key for want of a result type; v. 12 prints ἁπλότητι (SBLGNT/THGNT) against NA28's ἁγιότητι; v. 17's doubled τὸ Ναὶ ναὶ καὶ τὸ Οὒ οὔ is read as the self-cancelling Yes-and-No of a fickle word, not an allusion to the dominical 'let your yes be yes'; v. 19 is drawn as a suspended subject — the Son announced, the preachers appended, the predicate arriving two lines later; v. 20's ὅσαι line is a fronted correlative leaning on the verbless 'in him is the Yes'; and v. 21's ὁ βεβαιῶν … θεός is verbless predication — God the answer to every participle of establishing, anointing, sealing, and down payment.