²³ But ^(A)I call God to witness against me—it was ^(B)to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth.

²⁰ (In what I am writing to you, ^(A)before God, I do not lie!)

²¹ What do you wish? ^(A)Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?

^9 (A)For God is my witness, ^(B)whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, ^(C)that without ceasing I mention you

¹⁰ For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come ^(A)I may not have to be ^(B)severe in my use of ^(C)the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

^2 (A)I warned ^(B)those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that ^(C)if I come again I will not spare them—

⁸ For ^(A)God is my witness, ^(B)how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

²⁰ For I fear that perhaps ^(A)when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.

^6 (A)being ready to punish every disobedience, ^(B)when your obedience is complete.

^7 (C)Look at what is before your eyes. ^(D)If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as ^(E)he is Christ's, ^(F)so also are we. ⁸ For even if I boast a little too much of ^(G)our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. ⁹ I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. ¹⁰ For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but ^(H)his bodily presence is weak, and ^(I)his speech of no account.” ¹¹ Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.