2 Corinthians 1:23-24
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Paul’s Change of Plan. 23 (A)But I call upon God as witness, on my life, that it is to spare you that I have not yet gone to Corinth.[a] 24 Not that we lord it over your faith; rather, we work together for your joy, for you stand firm in the faith.
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- 1:23–24 I have not yet gone to Corinth: some suppose that Paul received word of some affair in Corinth, which he decided to regulate by letter even before the first of his projected visits (cf. 2 Cor 1:16). Others conjecture that he did pay the first visit, was offended there (cf. 2 Cor 2:5), returned to Ephesus, and sent a letter (2 Cor 2:3–9) in place of the second visit. The expressions to spare you (2 Cor 1:23) and work together for your joy (2 Cor 1:24) introduce the major themes of the next two paragraphs, which are remarkable for insistent repetition of key words and ideas. These form two clusters of terms in the English translation: (1) cheer, rejoice, encourage, joy; (2) pain, affliction, anguish. These clusters reappear when Paul resumes treatment of this subject in 2 Cor 7:5–16.
2 Corinthians 1:23-24
New International Version
23 I call God as my witness(A)—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you(B) that I did not return to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over(C) your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.(D)
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