2 Corinthians 1:15-2:2

New King James Version

Sparing the Church

¹⁵ And in this confidence ^(A)I intended to come to you before, that you might have ^(B)a second benefit— ¹⁶ to pass by way of you to Macedonia, ^(C)to come again from Macedonia to you, and be helped by you on my way to Judea. ¹⁷ Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan ^(D)according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? ¹⁸ But as God is ^(E)faithful, our ^[a]word to you was not Yes and No. ¹⁹ For ^(F)the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, ^(G)Silvanus, and ^(H)Timothy—was not Yes and No, ^(I)but in Him was Yes. ^20 (J)For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. ²¹ Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and ^(K)has anointed us is God, ²² who ^(L)also has sealed us and ^(M)given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

²³ Moreover ^(N)I call God as witness against my soul, ^(O)that to spare you I came no more to Corinth. ²⁴ Not ^(P)that we ^[b]have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for ^(Q)by faith you stand.

Paul Urges Forgiveness

2 But I determined this within myself, ^(R)that I would not come again to you in sorrow. ² For if I make you ^(S)sorrowful, then who is he who makes me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me?