2 Corinthians 1:12

Paul Defends His Changed Plans

1:12 For our reason for confidence ¹  is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives ²  and sincerity which are from God ³  – not by human wisdom ⁴  but by the grace of God – we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more ⁵  toward you.

2 Corinthians 1:17

1:17 Therefore when I was planning to do this, I did not do so without thinking about what I was doing, did I? ⁶  Or do I make my plans ⁷  according to mere human standards ⁸  so that I would be saying ⁹  both “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?

2 Corinthians 2:3

2:3 And I wrote this very thing to you, ¹⁰  so that when I came ¹¹  I would not have sadness from those who ought to make me rejoice, since I am confident in you all that my joy would be yours.

2 Corinthians 4:4

4:4 among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe ¹²  so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel ¹³  of Christ, ¹⁴  who is the image of God.

2 Corinthians 7:8

7:8 For even if I made you sad ¹⁵  by my letter, ¹⁶  I do not regret having written it ¹⁷  (even though I did regret it, ¹⁸  for ¹⁹  I see that my letter made you sad, ²⁰  though only for a short time).

2 Corinthians 7:11

7:11 For see what this very thing, this sadness ²¹  as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, ²²  what indignation, ²³  what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, ²⁴  what punishment! ²⁵  In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

2 Corinthians 8:7

8:7 But as you excel ²⁶  in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you ²⁷  – make sure that you excel ²⁸  in this act of kindness ²⁹  too.

2 Corinthians 8:19

8:19 In addition, ³⁰  this brother ³¹  has also been chosen by the churches as our traveling companion as we administer this generous gift ³²  to the glory of the Lord himself and to show our readiness to help. ³³ 

2 Corinthians 9:5

9:5 Therefore I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go to you in advance and to arrange ahead of time the generous contribution ³⁴  you had promised, so this may be ready as a generous gift ³⁵  and not as something you feel forced to do. ³⁶ 

2 Corinthians 9:13

9:13 Through the evidence ³⁷  of this service ³⁸  they will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession in the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your sharing ³⁹  with them and with everyone.

2 Corinthians 12:2

12:2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows) was caught up to the third heaven.

2 Corinthians 12:13-14

12:13 For how ⁴⁰  were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this injustice! 12:14 Look, for the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you, because I do not want your possessions, but you. For children should not have ⁴¹  to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

[1:12]  ¹ tn Or “for boasting.”

[1:12]  ² tc Two viable variants exist at this place in the text: ἁγιότητι (Jagiothti, “holiness”) vs. ἁπλότητι (Japlothti, “pure motives”). A confusion of letters could well have produced the variant (TCGNT 507): In uncial script the words would have been written agiothti and aplothti. This, however, does not explain which reading created the other. Overall ἁπλότητι, though largely a Western-Byzantine reading (א² D F G Ï lat sy), is better suited to the context; it is also a Pauline word while ἁγιότης (Jagioth") is not. It also best explains the rise of the other variants, πραότητι (praothti, “gentleness”) and {σπλάγχνοις} (splancnoi", “compassion”). On the other hand, the external evidence in favor of ἁγιότητι is extremely strong (Ì⁴⁶ א* A B C K P Ψ 0121 0243 33 81 1739 1881 al co). This diversity of mss provides excellent evidence for authenticity, but because of the internal evidence listed above, ἁπλότητι is to be preferred, albeit only slightly.

[1:12]  ³ tn Grk “pure motives and sincerity of God.”

[1:12]  ⁴ tn Or “not by worldly wisdom.”

[1:12]  ⁵ tn Or “and especially.”

[1:17]  ⁶ 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.

[1:17]  ⁷ tn Grk “the things that I plan, do I plan (them).”

[1:17]  ⁸ tn Grk “according to the flesh.”

[1:17]  ⁹ tn Grk “so that with me there should be.”

[2:3]  ¹¹ tn The words “to you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[2:3]  ¹² sn So that when I came. Regarding this still future visit by Paul, see 2 Cor 12:14; 13:1.

[4:4]  ¹⁶ tn Or “of unbelievers.”

[4:4]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “the gospel of the glory”; δόξης (doxhs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[4:4]  ¹⁸ tn Or “so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ would not be evident to them” (L&N 28.37).

[7:8]  ²¹ tn Grk “if I grieved you.”

[7:8]  ²² sn My letter. Paul is referring to the “severe” letter mentioned in 2 Cor 2:4.

[7:8]  ²³ tn Grk “I do not regret”; direct objects in Greek must often be supplied from the context. Here one could simply supply “it,” but since Paul is referring to the effects of his previous letter, clarity is improved if “having written it” is supplied.

[7:8]  ²⁴ tn Grk “I did regret”; the direct object “it” must be supplied from the context.

[7:8]  ²⁵ tc A few important mss (Ì^46c B D* it sa) lack γάρ (gar, “for”), while the majority of witnesses have it (א C D¹ F G Ψ 0243 33 1739 1881 Ï sy bo). Even though Ì^46* omits γάρ, it has the same sense (viz., a subordinate clause) because it reads the participle βλέπων (blepwn, “seeing”; the Vulgate does the same). A decision is difficult because although the overwhelming external evidence is on the side of the conjunction, the lack of γάρ is a significantly harder reading, for the whole clause is something of an anacoluthon. Without the conjunction, the sentence reads more harshly. This would fit with Paul’s “vehemence of spirit” (A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament, 435) that is found especially in 2 Corinthians and Galatians. However, the mss that omit the conjunction are prone to such tendencies at times. In this instance, the conjunction should probably stand.

[7:8]  ²⁶ tn Grk “my letter grieved you.”

[7:11]  ²⁶ tn Grk “this very thing, to be grieved.”

[7:11]  ²⁷ tn The words “of yourselves” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[7:11]  ²⁸ sn What indignation refers to the Corinthians’ indignation at the offender.

[7:11]  ²⁹ tn Or “what zeal.”

[7:11]  ³⁰ sn That is, punishment for the offender.

[8:7]  ³¹ tn Grk “as you abound.”

[8:7]  ³² tc The reading “the love from us that is in you” is very difficult in this context, for Paul is here enumerating the Corinthians’ attributes: How is it possible for them to excel “in the love from us that is in you”? Most likely, because of this difficulty, several early scribes, as well as most later ones (א C D F G Ψ [33] Ï lat), altered the text to read “your love for us” (so NIV; Grk ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐν ἡμῖν ἀγάπῃ [ex Jumwn en Jhmin agaph]). The reading ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐν ὑμῖν ἀγάπῃ (ex Jhmwn en Jumin agaph) is found, however, in excellent and early witnesses (Ì⁴⁶ B 0243 6 104 630 1175 1739 1881 co). As the harder reading it explains the rise of the other reading. What, then, is the force of “in the love from us that is in you”? Most likely, Paul is commending the Corinthians for excelling in deriving some inspiration from the apostles’ love for them.

[8:7]  ³³ tn Grk “you abound.”

[8:7]  ³⁴ tn Grk “this grace.”

[8:19]  ³⁶ tn Grk “gospel, and not only this, but.” Here a new sentence was started in the translation.

[8:19]  ³⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the brother mentioned in v. 18) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:19]  ³⁸ tn That is, the offering or collection being taken to assist impoverished Christians.

[8:19]  ³⁹ tn The words “to help” are not in the Greek text but are implied (see L&N 25.68).

[9:5]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “the blessing.”

[9:5]  ⁴² tn Grk “a blessing.”

[9:5]  ⁴³ tn Grk “as a covetousness”; that is, a gift given grudgingly or under compulsion.

[9:13]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “proof,” or perhaps “testing” (NRSV).

[9:13]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “ministry.”

[9:13]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “your partnership”; Grk “your fellowship.”

[12:13]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “For in what respect.”

[12:14]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “children ought not,” but this might give the impression that children are not supposed to support sick or aging parents in need of help. That is not what Paul is saying. His point is that children should not have to pay their parent’s way.