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2 Corinthians 1:21

in 2 Corinthians 1

Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us,

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God;

KJV

Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;

This verse in 2 Corinthians 1

Commentary

17 notes on this verse

A commentator

Ambrose of Milan

On the Sacraments, Book 6, Chapter 2 · Written before 397.

Having received the sacraments, you have fully understood everything that you were baptized in the name of the Trinity. In all that we have done, the mystery of the Trinity has been preserved. Everywhere, there is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one operation, one sanctification, although some things may seem special. How? God who anointed you, and sealed you, and placed the Holy Spirit in your heart. Therefore, you have received the Holy Spirit in your heart.

This site's exposition

God who establishes both us and you

on 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ, where every verb names God: He anointed us, placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts. The word for pledge is arrabon, a commercial term for a down payment that guarantees the full sum to come, and Paul uses it again at 5:5. The Spirit in the heart is God's own guarantee, given as a pledge of what is to come.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers5 voices

A commentator

Tertullian

On Baptism · Written before 220.

proposed

But if repentance is a thing human, its baptism must necessarily be of the same nature: else, if it had been celestial, it would have given both the Holy Spirit and remission of sins. But none either pardons sins or freely grants the Spirit save God only. Even the Lord Himself said that the Spirit would not descend on any other condition, but that He should first ascend to the Father.

A commentator

Clement of Rome

Letter to the Corinthians (Clement) · Written before 99.

proposed

For this reason righteousness and peace are now far departed from you, inasmuch as every one abandons the fear of God, and has become blind in His faith, neither walks in the ordinances of His appointment, nor acts a part becoming a Christian, but walks after his own wicked lusts, resuming the practice of an unrighteous and ungodly envy, by which death itself entered into the world. [Wisdom 2:24]

A commentator

John Chrysostom

BAPTISMAL INSTRUCTIONS 11.27 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

After these words, after the renunciation of the devil and the covenant with Christ, inasmuch as you have henceforth become his very own and have nothing in common with that evil one, he straightway bids you to be marked and places on your forehead the sign of the cross. That savage beast is shameless, and when he hears those words, he grows more wild—as we might expect—and desires to assault you on sight. Hence God anoints your countenance and stamps thereon the sign of the cross. In this way God holds in check all the frenzy of the Evil One, for the devil will not dare to look on such a sight. Just as if he had beheld the rays of the sun and had leaped away, so will his eyes be blinded by the sight of your face and he will depart. For through the chrism the cross is stamped on you.… And that you may again know that it is not a man but God himself who anoints you by the hand of the priest, listen to St. Paul when he says: "It is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ, who has anointed us."

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily 3 on 2 Corinthians · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

"Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God; Who also sealed us, and gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." Again, from the past He stablisheth the future. For if it is He that establisheth us in Christ; (i.e., who suffereth us not to be shaken from the faith which is in Christ;) and He that anointed us and gave the Spirit in our hearts, how shall He not give us the future things? For if He gave the principles and the foundations, and the root and the fount, (to wit, the true knowledge of Him, the partaking of the Spirit,) how shall He not give the things that come of these: for if for the sake of these those are given, much more will he supply those. And if to such as were enemies he gave these, much more when now made friends will He "freely give" to them those. Wherefore He said not simply "the Spirit," but named "earnest," that from this thou mightest have a good hope of the whole as well. For did He not purpose to give the whole, He would never have chosen to give "the earnest" and to waste it without object or result. And observe Paul's candor. For why need I say, saith he, that the truth of the promises standeth not in us? The fact of your standing unwavering and fixed is not in us, but this too is of God; "for" saith he, "He who stablisheth us is God." It is not we who strengthen you: for even we also need Him that stablisheth. So then let none imagine that the Preaching is hazardous in us. He hath undertaken the whole, He cared for the whole. And what is, "anointed," and "sealed?" Gave the Spirit by Whom He did both these things, making at once prophets and priests and kings, for in old times these three sorts were anointed. But we have now not one of these dignities, but all three preeminently. […]

A commentator

Ambrosiaster

COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES · Written before 384.

proposed

Paul is saying that Christ confirms the Gentiles in the faith promised to the Jews, because he has made us both one.
10 more voices on this verse

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on 2 Corinthians · Written before 1274.

proposed

Then when he says, but it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, the Apostle proves that he has not lied by the efficient cause. For although a man by his free will can employ his tongue for speaking …

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on 2 Corinthians · Written before 1107.

proposed

Having said above that God will fulfill His promises, he now confirms this. That you and I, your teacher, stand firm in faith in Christ, he says, was given by God, Who also anointed us and sealed us, that is, made us prophets, kings, and …

The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

I say, to the glory of God - For it is God alone that is able to fulfil these promises. That establisheth us - Apostles and teachers. With you - All true believers.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

They are confirmed by the Holy Spirit. He does establish Christians in the faith of the gospel; he has anointed them with his sanctifying grace, which in scripture is often compared to oil; he has sealed them, for their security and confirmation; and he is given as an earnest in their hearts,

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

The illumination of the Spirit is an earnest of everlasting life; and the comforts of the Spirit are an earnest of everlasting joy. Note, The veracity of God, the mediation of Christ, and the operation of the Spirit, are all engaged that the promises shall be sure to all the seed, and the accomplishment of them shall be to the glory of God (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture

Now he which stablisheth us with you,.... Two things are in this verse ascribed to God.

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

Now he which stablisheth us - He who makes us firm (ὁ βέβαιῶν ἡμᾶς ho bebaiōn hēmas); that is, he who has confirmed us in the hopes of the gospel, and who gives us grace to be faithful, and firm in our promises. The object of this is to trace all to God, and to prevent the appearance of self-confidence, or of boasting. Paul had dwelt at length on his own fidelity and veracity. He had taken pains to prove that he was not inconstant and fickle-minded.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

stablisheth us . . . in Christ--that is, in the faith of Christ--in believing in Christ. anointed us--As "Christ" is the "Anointed" (which His name means), so "He hath anointed (Greek, "chrisas") us," ministers and believing people alike, with the Spirit (2Co 1:22;

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Now he which stablisheth us with you - It is God that has brought both us and you to this sure state of salvation through Christ; and he has anointed us, giving us the extraordinary influences of the Holy Ghost, that we might be able effectually to administer this Gospel to your salvation. Through this unction we know and preach the truth, and are preserved by it from dissimulation and falsity of every kind.

The words behind it

12 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Isaiah 61:1

    The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty…

    it leads to

    • Luke 4:18–19

      “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight…

    • Luke 7:22

      So He replied, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and…

    • Isaiah 42:7

      to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.

    • Matthew 11:5

      The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

    • Psalms 147:3

      He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

  • Through

    1 Peter 5:10

    And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish…

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 4:17

      For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.

    • 2 Thessalonians 3:3

      But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

    • 1 Peter 1:6–7

      In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials

Where this verse is studied

On this page

About 2 Corinthians

The Crown of Thorns, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Crown of Thorns, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
This page draws on 16 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture, Corinthians; Ambrose of Milan, On the Sacraments, Book 6, Chapter 2; Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians; Clement of Rome, Letter to the Corinthians (Clement); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, BAPTISMAL INSTRUCTIONS 11.27; John Chrysostom, Homily 3 on 2 Corinthians; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, On Baptism; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Corinthians.