The passage
      v1. The living God has acted toward lost humanity in Jesus Christ to give life so that we might live no longer to ourselves, but live for God, 5:15. Paul and his team labor to this end. He now calls upon his readers to accept "God's grace" (God's free gift of the benefits of Christ's death and resurrection) operative through his ministry. He is calling upon them to accept "his gospel" and his ministry. Obviously, the Corinthians made an initial response to the gospel, but "their practice did not measure up to their profession as Christians, their lives were so inconsistent as to constitute a denial of the logical implications of the gospel, namely that Christ died for them so that they may no longer live to themselves but to his glory", Hughes.
      v2. The Bible quotation Paul uses here reminds the Corinthians that they can now share in the blessings foretold by Isaiah - salvation and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. The implication is that they are in danger of missing out on God's "favor". By failing to accept the authority of Paul's teaching, the church has negated the message of salvation.
      v3. Paul's deep desire that the Corinthians accept his ministry, is already evident in the integrity of his mission. Paul and his team have sought to give no offense. In fact, in every way they have sought to commend the gospel by their behavior, cf. 1Cor.1:17, 9:27.
      v4-5. In fact, the behavior of the apostolic team lines up with the way "God's servants" have always behaved in the face of difficult circumstances. Paul now describes these external circumstances:
        "endurance" - hanging-in-there in the face of trouble, Rom.5:3, James 1:3.
        "afflictions" - the troubles promised by Christ, John 16:33.
        "hardships" - testing circumstances that cannot be avoided. Especially those caused by preaching the gospel, 1Cor.9:16.
        "distresses" - calamities, situations of utter perplexity.
        "in beatings etc." - the full range of troubles.
      v6. Having described the external circumstances of his life (from a human perspective, signs of weakness or even of hidden sin, but in truth signs of a prophet), Paul describes the inner moral characteristics of his life. This list of qualities includes the phrase, "in the Holy Spirit." Translated literally, "in holy spirit" may be a reference to the person of the Holy Spirit, but in such a list of Christian qualities it must mean something like behaving "with a spirit of holiness", ie. possessing spiritual graces. The list concludes with "love".
      v7. Paul now turns to his work as a preacher and defines it:
        "truthful speech" - literally a "word of truth", "message of truth."
        "power of God" - it wasn't Paul's eloquence, but the powerful operation of the Spirit of God which made the gospel effective.
        "weapons of righteousness" - more rightly, "with the armor of righteousness", ie. the armor supplied by God. cf. Rom.6:13, 13:12.
      v8-10. Paul now describes a standard twofold response to his gospel ministry - acceptance and rejection. He then goes on to describe the paradoxical life he has lived - "having nothing, possessing everything."
      v11. The NIV does not translate this verse well. What Paul is saying is something like, "I have gotten off the track, I have left the point I wanted to make to you (in v1), so let me say right from the heart what I want to say to you."
      v12. The original Greek is very difficult, but the NIV gets the point over. Paul has not withheld his affection from the Corinthians, rather they have rejected it.
      v13. Paul then repeats his appeal made in v1 (repeated again in 7:2). He calls on the Corinthians to accept his apostolic ministry, and thus, the message of truth.

Glory and dishonor
      The gospel is sometimes explained in terms of blessings in the here and now - a success gospel. "Believe in Jesus and all your worries will fade away."
      Most believers will testify that their troubles have multiplied since becoming Christians. Jesus never promised that if we believe in him our life will by "joy, joy, joy". No, the Christian walk is both glory and dishonor. There is a sense where our life is lived possessing everything, but having nothing. We will have to carry this tension with us always while in this "mortal frame." Doing the splits is not easy, but it is how we must live life - one foot in heaven and one on earth.

v2
      legei (legw) gar "For he says" - thus says [the Lord]. Possibly "scripture says", but "God says" is better. The subject is unstated.
      Isaiah 49:8 LXX
      kairw dektw "In the time of my favor" - an acceptable time. The time when God extends his grace to mankind, or in general terms, a happy time.
      ephkousa (epakouw) aor. "I heard" - hear, listen to, particularly in the context of prayer.
      ebohqhsa (bohqew) aor. ind. act. "I helped" - This is a completed action on God's part.
      euprosdektoV adj. "[now is the time of God's] favour" - the favorable/welcome [time]. The word is stronger than the root word "acceptable".
      nun "now" - We don't have to wait for the day of God's favour; it is here.

v3
      mhdemian en mhdeni "no" - in no way at all. Double negative to emphasize that Paul has at least made sure that his ministry has in no way tripped up the Corinthians ("stumbling block" in the sense of undermining their salvation).
      proskophn (h) "stumbling block" - something to trip over/against
      iJna mh "so that ..... [will] not [be discredited]" - Forming a negated purpose clause, "in order that not" = "lest our ministry be discredited."
      mwmhqh (mwmaomai) subj. "discredited" - find fault or defect, blamed. Blamed by whom? The Corinthians found fault in Paul and his ministry, but what is important is that Paul and his ministry is not found wanting and thus discredited in God's sight.

v4
      alla "rather" - but. Adversative, as NIV.
      sunistanonteV (sunisthmi) pres. part. "show" - recommend, commend, but also show or prove, and sometimes hold or bring together. Attendant circumstance participle identifying action accompanying the main verb "we put", v3. Here, Paul may be saying that his "great endurance" etc. proves him to be God's servant, but it is more likely he means that as God's servant, his "great endurance" etc. commends him, and such commendation is of far more value than letters of introduction from approved church representatives etc.
      qliyesin (iV ewV) "troubles" - afflictions ...... pressure
      anagkaiV (h) "hardships" - anguish, necessities. Plural and therefore, possibly "tortures".
      stenocwriaiV (a) "distress" - distress. The word has the sense of crushed, confined.

v5
      plhgaiV (h) "beatings" - beatings, wound.
      fulakaiV (h) "imprisonments"
      akatastasiaiV (a) "riots" - mobbed, disorders
      kopoiV (oV) "hard work" - heavy labor. Reflecting Paul's practice of working for his own keep.
      agupniaiV (a) "sleepless nights" - Lit. watchings
      nhsteiaiV (a) "hunger" - Lit. fasting. Here obviously of going hungry, probably not by choice due to spiritual discipline.

v6
      gnwsei (iV ewV) "understanding" - knowledge. "Christian insight and tact, a conscious sensitivity to God's will", Kelly.
      en pneumati aJgiw/ "in the Holy Spirit" - in purity of spirit. It is very unlikely that in a list of moral qualities Paul would drop in the third person of the Trinity. The reference here is most likely similar to 1Cor.7:34, "pure in both body and spirit."

v7
      dikaiosunhV (h) "[with weapons of] righteousness [in the right hand and in the left]" - [through the armor] of righteousness [to right and left]. The meaning of "righteousness" is always difficult to discern. Paul may mean the righteousness that is ours (incorporated) in Christ, or he may mean his own moral behavior, his honesty etc. An honorable life dulls the barbs of criticism. The Lord has armed Paul to stand against the assault of his enemies.

v8
      atimiaV (a) "dishonor" - disgrace, rejected
      eufhmiaV (a) "praise" - good report
      planoi (oV) "regarded as imposters" - deceivers. "Regarded as" is assumed, although "deceivers" could be a facetious comment, eg. "crafty fellow that I am", 12:16.

v9
      agnooumenoi (agnoew) "regarded as unknown" - unrecognized, not worth knowing, poss. "without proper credentials", Plummer; "of whom nothing was known", Leitzmann; "not recognized as an apostle", Barrett.
      idou zwmen "we live on" - behold we live. "We are alive." The idea is probably theological in that Paul has died in Christ and is now alive in him.
      paideuomenoi (paideuw) "beaten" - chastise, punish, discipline. The idea here probably comes from Paul's dying and living in Christ. In Christ we are vicariously punished and condemned by grace through faith, but do not die in that Christ pays the penalty for our sins. It is also possible that Paul has in mind the chastisement that comes our way at the hand of God, a punishment that does not lead to death.

v10
      lupoumenoi (lupew) pres. pas. part. "sorrowful" - cause pain or grief. pas. = be sorry, be grieved. Paul often expresses his grief at the spiritual state of his mission churches. He is burdened by their failings.
      mhden econteV (ecw) pres. part. "possessing nothing" - having nothing. Paul may be emphasizing a material poverty, but he is more likely expressing a theological idea, namely that all possessions are but dust and in Christ that truth is realized. At the same time, in Christ we possess everything eternal, that which remains.

v11
      To stoma hJmwn anewgen "We have spoken freely" - our mouth has opened / stands open [to you Corinthians]. "I have let my tongue run away with me", Barrett, ie. got off the track. It could also mean he has spoken openly, with straightforward speech.
      peplatuntai (platunw) "opened wide" - has been enlarged, widened. "My heart is wide open to you", "there is lots of room in my heart for you."

v12
      ou stenocwreisqe (stenocwrew) "We are not withholding [our affections from you]" - restrict, crowd, crush, ...... pas. = restrained, restricted. Lit. "you are not being restrained, squeezed for space", ie. Paul and the team are not cutting the Corinthians off from their affections for them. It's the other way around.
      splagcnoiV (ov) "affection" - bowels, guts, innards.... The bowels are seen as the seat of emotions whereas the heart is seen as the seat of reason. These days we use the word "heart" as the seat of emotions, affections.