2 Korintus 2:4

2:4 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. ¹ 

2 Korintus 2:9

2:9 For this reason also I wrote you: ²  to test you to see ³  if you are obedient in everything.

2 Korintus 2:2

2:2 For if I make you sad, who would be left to make me glad ⁴  but the one I caused to be sad?

1 Korintus 7:8

7:8 To the unmarried and widows I say that it is best for them to remain as I am.

1 Korintus 7:12

7:12 To the rest I say – I, not the Lord ⁵  – if a brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is happy to live with him, he should not divorce her.

¹ tn Or “the love that I have in great measure for you.”

² tn The word “you” is not in the Greek text, but is implied (as an understood direct object).

³ tn Grk “to know the proof of you,” that is, to know if the Corinthians’ obedience to Paul as an apostle was genuine (L&N 72.7).

⁴ 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?”

⁵ sn I, not the Lord. Here and in v. 10 Paul distinguishes between his own apostolic instruction and Jesus’ teaching during his earthly ministry. In vv. 12-16, Paul deals with a situation about which the Lord gave no instruction in his earthly ministry.