New Testament

The Second Letter to the Corinthians

The Second Letter to the Corinthians is the eighth of the 27 books of the New Testament: 13 chapters and 255 verses.

About 2 Corinthians · Letter to a community

Second Corinthians is Paul's most personal letter, written after a painful breach with the Corinthian church and a fragile reconciliation, while rival teachers questioned his credentials. In it he defends his apostleship by inverting every boast: his sufferings, his weakness, the thorn in his flesh, treasure carried in earthen vessels. It was written to finish the reconciliation, to gather a collection for the poor of Jerusalem, and to teach that God's power is made perfect in weakness — the letter closest to Paul's own heart.

2 Corinthians in Bless
Testament	New Testament — book 8 of 27, 54 of 73 in the Bible
Canon	Protocanonical (in every Christian canon)
Chapters	13
Verses	255, as Bless numbers them
Latin	Clementine Vulgate, 12 of 13 chapters
Bp. Challoner	Summaries of all 13 chapters · 12 notes
Catechism	69 paragraphs cite it

Chapter by chapter

All 13 chapters, in brief.

Bishop Richard Challoner’s summary of each chapter, from his revision of the Douay-Rheims (1749–52). Open a chapter for the full text.

2 Corinthians 1
24 verses
He speaks of his troubles in Asia. His not coming to them was not out of levity. The constancy and sincerity of his doctrine.
2 Corinthians 2
17 verses
He grants a pardon to the incestuous man upon his doing penance.
2 Corinthians 3
18 verses
He needs no commendatory letters. The glory of the ministry of the New Testament.
2 Corinthians 4
18 verses
The sincerity of his preaching. His comfort in his afflictions.
2 Corinthians 5
21 verses
He is willing to leave his earthly mansion to be with the Lord. His charity to the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 6
18 verses
He exhorts them to a correspondence with God's grace and not to associate with unbelievers.
2 Corinthians 7
16 verses
The apostle's affection for the Corinthians. His comfort and joy on their account.
2 Corinthians 8
24 verses
He exhorts them to contribute bountifully to relieve the poor of Jerusalem.
2 Corinthians 9
15 verses
A further exhortation to almsgiving. The fruits of it.
2 Corinthians 10
18 verses
To stop the calumny and boasting of false apostles, he set forth the power of his apostleship.
2 Corinthians 11
33 verses
He is forced to commend himself and his labours, lest the Corinthians should be imposed upon by the false apostles.
2 Corinthians 12
21 verses
His raptures and revelations, His being buffeted by Satan. His fear for the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 13
13 verses
He threatens the impenitent, to provoke them to penance.

Bp. Richard Challoner · chapter summaries

In the comments

What the saints said.

3 quotations from 3 saints linked to passages of 2 Corinthians in Bless. Each names the work it comes from.

St. Clare of Assisi · on 2 Corinthians 3:18

On this theme

Place your mind before the mirror of eternity; place your soul in the brilliance of glory; place your heart in the figure of the divine substance, and transform your whole being into the image of the Godhead itself through contemplation.

Letter to Agnes of Prague, 3, 1238

St. John Vianney · on 2 Corinthians 4:5

On this theme

The priest is not a priest for himself; he is a priest for you.

Catechism on the Priesthood, c. 1850

St. Athanasius · on 2 Corinthians 8:9

On this theme

He took what is ours to give us what is His.

On the Incarnation, 8, c. 318

Coming up

Read at Mass.

From October 29, 2026 to October 28, 2027, 2 Corinthians is read at the principal Mass on 27 days in the US calendar. The next 8 readings:

Date	Celebration	Reading	Citation
Sat, Nov 7, 2026	Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time	Alleluia	2 Corinthians 8:9
Fri, Jan 22, 2027	Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children	Alleluia	2 Corinthians 5:19
Wed, Feb 10, 2027	Ash Wednesday	Second Reading	2 Corinthians 5:20—6:2
Mon, Feb 15, 2027	Monday of the First Week of Lent	Verse before the Gospel	2 Corinthians 6:2b
Sat, Feb 20, 2027	Saturday of the First Week of Lent	Verse before the Gospel	2 Corinthians 6:2b
Mon, May 24, 2027	Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time	Alleluia	2 Corinthians 8:9
Sun, Jun 6, 2027 computed	Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time	Second Reading	2 Corinthians 4:13—5:1
Mon, Jun 7, 2027 computed	Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	2 Corinthians 1:1-7
Tue, Jun 8, 2027 computed	Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	2 Corinthians 1:18-22
Wed, Jun 9, 2027 computed	Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	2 Corinthians 3:4-11
Thu, Jun 10, 2027 computed	Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	2 Corinthians 3:15—4:1, 3-6
Sat, Jun 12, 2027 computed	Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	2 Corinthians 5:14-21
Sun, Jun 13, 2027 computed	Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time	Second Reading	2 Corinthians 5:6-10
Mon, Jun 14, 2027 computed	Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	2 Corinthians 6:1-10
Tue, Jun 15, 2027 computed	Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	2 Corinthians 8:1-9
Wed, Jun 16, 2027 computed	Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Thu, Jun 17, 2027 computed	Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	2 Corinthians 11:1-11
Fri, Jun 18, 2027 computed	Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30
Sat, Jun 19, 2027 computed	Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time	Alleluia	2 Corinthians 8:9
Sat, Jun 19, 2027 computed	Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time	First Reading	2 Corinthians 12:1-10
Sun, Jun 20, 2027 computed	Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time	Second Reading	2 Corinthians 5:14-17
Sun, Jun 27, 2027 computed	Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time	Second Reading	2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15
Thu, Jul 1, 2027 computed	Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time	Alleluia	2 Corinthians 5:19
Sun, Jul 4, 2027 computed	Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time	Second Reading	2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar (principal Mass, first option). Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.