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23 I egō · de call epikaleō God theos as a witness martys · ho against epi · ho my emos soul psychē, that hoti it was to spare pheidomai you hymeis that I did erchomai not come erchomai again ouketi to eis Corinth Korinthos. 24 Not ou that hoti we are ruling kyrieuō over your hymeis · ho faith pistis, but alla we are eimi workers synergos with you for ho your hymeis joy chara; for gar by ho faith pistis you have stood histēmi firm .

So gar I decided krinō this houtos within myself emautou, not to come erchomai to pros you hymeis again palin with en sorrow lypē. For gar if ei I egō cause you hymeis sorrow lypeō, then kai who tis is there ho to make me egō glad euphrainō except ei mē the ho one made sorrowful lypeō by ek me egō? And kai I wrote graphō this houtos very thing autos so that hina when I came erchomai, I would echō not have echō sorrow lypē from apo those hos who ought dei to make me egō rejoice chairō, having confidence peithō in epi you hymeis all pas that hoti · ho my emos joy chara would be eimi the joy of you hymeis all pas. For gar out ek of much polys distress thlipsis and kai anguish synochē of heart kardia I wrote graphō to you hymeis, with dia many polys tears dakryon, not ou to hina cause you sorrow lypeō but alla to hina let you know ginōskō the ho love agapē that hos I have echō especially perissoterōs for eis you hymeis.

Why Paul Postponed His Visit

23 Now I appeal to God as my witness,[a] that to spare[b] you I did not come again to Corinth.[c] 24 I do not mean that we rule over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.[d] So[e] I made up my own mind[f] not to pay you another painful visit.[g] For if I make you sad, who would be left to make me glad[h] but the one I caused to be sad? And I wrote this very thing to you,[i] so that when I came[j] 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. For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not to make you sad, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you.[k]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 1:23 tn Grk “I call upon God as witness against my soul.” Normally this implies an appeal for help (L&N 33.176).
  2. 2 Corinthians 1:23 tn Here φειδόμενος (pheidomenos) has been translated as a telic participle.
  3. 2 Corinthians 1:23 sn Paul had promised to come again to visit (see 2 Cor 1:15, 24) but explains here why he had changed his plans.
  4. 2 Corinthians 1:24 tn Or “because you stand firm in the faith.”
  5. 2 Corinthians 2:1 tc Although usually δέ (de, “now”; found in א A C D1 F G Ψ 0285 M lat) should take precedent over γάρ (gar) in textually disputed places in the corpus Paulinum, the credentials for γάρ here are not easily dismissed (P46 B 0223 0243 33 1739 1881 al); here it is the preferred reading, albeit slightly.
  6. 2 Corinthians 2:1 tn Or “I decided this for myself.”
  7. 2 Corinthians 2:1 tn Grk “not to come to you again in sorrow.”sn Paul was not speaking absolutely about not making another visit, but meant he did not want to come to the Corinthians again until the conflict he mentioned in 2 Cor 2:4-11 was settled.
  8. 2 Corinthians 2:2 tn Or “to cheer me up.” L&N 25.131 translates this “For if I were to make you sad, who would be left to cheer me up?”
  9. 2 Corinthians 2:3 tn The words “to you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
  10. 2 Corinthians 2:3 sn So that when I came. Regarding this still future visit by Paul, see 2 Cor 12:14; 13:1.
  11. 2 Corinthians 2:4 tn Or “the love that I have in great measure for you.”