2 Corinthians 3:3

3:3 revealing ¹  that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, ²  written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets ³  but on tablets of human hearts.

2 Corinthians 12:18

12:18 I urged Titus to visit you ⁴  and I sent our ⁵  brother along with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? ⁶  Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit? Did we not behave in the same way? ⁷ 

2 Corinthians 13:10

13:10 Because of this I am writing these things while absent, so that when I arrive ⁸  I may not have to deal harshly with you ⁹  by using my authority – the Lord gave it to me for building up, not for tearing down!

[3:3]  ¹ tn Or “making plain.”

[3:3]  ² tn Grk “cared for by us,” an expression that could refer either to the writing or the delivery of the letter (BDAG 229 s.v. διακονέω 1). Since the following phrase refers to the writing of the letter, and since the previous verse speaks of this “letter” being “written on our [Paul’s and his companions’] hearts” it is more probable that the phrase “cared for by us” refers to the delivery of the letter (in the person of Paul and his companions).

[3:3]  ³ sn An allusion to Exod 24:12; 31:18; 34:1; Deut 9:10-11.

[12:18]  ⁴ tn The words “to visit you” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, and must be supplied for the modern reader.

[12:18]  ⁵ tn Grk “the.”

[12:18]  ⁶ tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative answer, indicated by the ‘tag’ question “did he?” at the end of the clause.

[12:18]  ⁷ tn Grk “[Did we not walk] in the same tracks?” This is an idiom that means to imitate someone else or to behave as they do. Paul’s point is that he and Titus have conducted themselves in the same way toward the Corinthians. If Titus did not take advantage of the Corinthians, then neither did Paul.

[13:10]  ⁷ tn Grk “when I am present,” but in the context of Paul’s third (upcoming) visit to Corinth, this is better translated as “when I arrive.”

[13:10]  ⁸ tn The words “with you” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.