2 Corinthians 1:13-24

1:13 For we do not write you anything other than what ¹  you can read and also understand. But I hope that you will understand completely ²  1:14 just as also you have partly understood us, that we are your source of pride just as you also are ours ³  in the day of the Lord Jesus. ⁴  1:15 And with this confidence I intended to come to you first so that you would get a second opportunity to see us, ⁵  1:16 and through your help to go on into Macedonia and then from Macedonia to come back ⁶  to you and be helped on our way into Judea by you. 1:17 Therefore when I was planning to do this, I did not do so without thinking about what I was doing, did I? ⁷  Or do I make my plans ⁸  according to mere human standards ⁹  so that I would be saying ¹⁰  both “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 1:18 But as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 1:19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one who was proclaimed among you by us – by me and Silvanus ¹¹  and Timothy – was not “Yes” and “No,” but it has always been “Yes” in him. 1:20 For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God. 1:21 But it is God who establishes ¹²  us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, ¹³  1:22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment. ¹⁴ 

Why Paul Postponed His Visit

1:23 Now I appeal to God as my witness, ¹⁵  that to spare ¹⁶  you I did not come again to Corinth. ¹⁷  1:24 I do not mean that we rule over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because by faith you stand firm. ¹⁸ 

¹ tn Grk “than the things.”

² tn Grk “to the end,” a Greek idiom for “fully,” “totally,” “completely.”

³ tn Grk “that we are your boast even as you are our boast.”

⁴ tc ‡ On the wording “the Lord Jesus” (τοῦ κυρίου ᾿Ιησοῦ, tou kuriou Ihsou) there is some variation in the extant witnesses: ἡμῶν (Jhmwn, “our”) is found after κυρίου in several significant witnesses (א B F G P 0121 0243 6 33 81 1739 1881 2464 al lat co); the pronoun is lacking from Ì^46vid A C D Ψ Ï. Although in Paul “our Lord Jesus Christ” is a common expression, “our Lord Jesus” is relatively infrequent (cf., e.g., Rom 16:20; 2 Cor 1:14; 1 Thess 2:19; 3:11, 13; 2 Thess 1:8, 12). “The Lord Jesus” occurs about as often as “our Lord Jesus” (cf. 1 Cor 11:23; 16:23; 2 Cor 4:14; 11:31; Eph 1:15; 1 Thess 4:2; 2 Thess 1:7; Phlm 5). Thus, on balance, since scribes would tend to expand on the text, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic. NA²⁷ places the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.

⁵ tn Grk “a second grace,” “a second favor” (used figuratively of a second visit by Paul).

⁶ tn Grk “come again.”

⁷ tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative answer. This is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ question “did I?” at the end of the sentence.

⁸ tn Grk “the things that I plan, do I plan (them).”

⁹ tn Grk “according to the flesh.”

¹⁰ tn Grk “so that with me there should be.”

¹¹ sn Silvanus is usually considered to be the same person as Silas (L&N 93.340).

¹² tn Or “strengthens.”

¹³ tn Grk “But he who establishes us together with you in Christ and anointed us is God.”

¹⁴ tn Or “first installment,” “pledge,” “deposit.”

¹⁵ tn Grk “I call upon God as witness against my soul.” Normally this implies an appeal for help (L&N 33.176).

¹⁶ tn Here φειδόμενος (feidomeno") has been translated as a telic participle.

¹⁷ sn Paul had promised to come again to visit (see 2 Cor 1:15, 24) but explains here why he had changed his plans.

¹⁸ tn Or “because you stand firm in the faith.”