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 11:4

11:4 For if someone comes and proclaims ⁶  another Jesus different from the one we proclaimed, ⁷  or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, ⁸  or a different gospel than the one you accepted, ⁹  you put up with it well enough! ¹⁰ 

2 Corinthians 12:9

12:9 But ¹¹  he said to me, “My grace is enough ¹²  for you, for my ¹³  power is made perfect ¹⁴  in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly ¹⁵  about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in ¹⁶  me.

[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.”

[11:4]  ⁶ tn Or “preaches.”

[11:4]  ⁷ tn Grk “another Jesus whom we have not proclaimed.”

[11:4]  ⁸ tn Grk “a different spirit which you did not receive.”

[11:4]  ⁹ tn Grk “a different gospel which you did not accept.”

[11:4]  ¹⁰ tn Or “you endure it very well.”

[12:9]  ¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” because of the contrast implicit in the context.

[12:9]  ¹² tn Or “is sufficient.”

[12:9]  ¹³ tc The majority of later mss (א² A^c D¹ Ψ 0243 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï) as well as some versional witnesses include the pronoun “my” here, but the omission of the pronoun has excellent external support (Ì^46vid א* A* B D* F G latt). Scribes probably added the pronoun for clarity, making the obvious referent explicit. This would also make “power” more parallel with “my grace.” Though the original text probably did not include “my,” scribes who added the word were following the sense of Paul’s statement.

[12:9]  ¹⁴ tn Or “my power comes to full strength.”

[12:9]  ¹⁵ tn “Most gladly,” a comparative form used with superlative meaning and translated as such.

[12:9]  ¹⁶ tn Or “may rest on.”