2 Korintus 8:3

8:3 For I testify, they gave according to their means and beyond their means. They did so voluntarily, ¹ 

2 Korintus 1:23

Why Paul Postponed His Visit

1:23 Now I appeal to God as my witness, ²  that to spare ³  you I did not come again to Corinth. ⁴ 

2 Korintus 13:1

Paul’s Third Visit to Corinth

13:1 This is the third time I am coming to visit ⁵  you. By the testimony ⁶  of two or three witnesses every matter will be established. ⁷ 

2 Korintus 1:12

Paul Defends His Changed Plans

1:12 For our reason for confidence ⁸  is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives ⁹  and sincerity which are from God ¹⁰  – not by human wisdom ¹¹  but by the grace of God – we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more ¹²  toward you.

2 Korintus 12:19

12:19 Have you been thinking all this time ¹³  that we have been defending ourselves to you? We are speaking in Christ before God, and everything we do, dear friends, is to build you up. ¹⁴ 

[8:3]  ¹ tn Or “spontaneously.”

[1:23]  ² tn Grk “I call upon God as witness against my soul.” Normally this implies an appeal for help (L&N 33.176).

[1:23]  ³ tn Here φειδόμενος (feidomeno") has been translated as a telic participle.

[1:23]  ⁴ sn Paul had promised to come again to visit (see 2 Cor 1:15, 24) but explains here why he had changed his plans.

[1:23]  map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[13:1]  ⁵ tn The word “visit” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[13:1]  ⁶ tn Grk “By the mouth.”

[13:1]  ⁷ sn A quotation from Deut 19:15 (also quoted in Matt 18:16; 1 Tim 5:19).

[1:12]  ⁸ tn Or “for boasting.”

[1:12]  ⁹ tc Two viable variants exist at this place in the text: ἁγιότητι (Jagiothti, “holiness”) vs. ἁπλότητι (Japlothti, “pure motives”). A confusion of letters could well have produced the variant (TCGNT 507): In uncial script the words would have been written agiothti and aplothti. This, however, does not explain which reading created the other. Overall ἁπλότητι, though largely a Western-Byzantine reading (א² D F G Ï lat sy), is better suited to the context; it is also a Pauline word while ἁγιότης (Jagioth") is not. It also best explains the rise of the other variants, πραότητι (praothti, “gentleness”) and {σπλάγχνοις} (splancnoi", “compassion”). On the other hand, the external evidence in favor of ἁγιότητι is extremely strong (Ì⁴⁶ א* A B C K P Ψ 0121 0243 33 81 1739 1881 al co). This diversity of mss provides excellent evidence for authenticity, but because of the internal evidence listed above, ἁπλότητι is to be preferred, albeit only slightly.

[1:12]  tn Or “sincerity.” The two terms translated “pure motives” (ἁπλότης, Japloth") and “sincerity” (εἰλικρίνεια, eilikrineia) are close synonyms.

[1:12]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “pure motives and sincerity of God.”

[1:12]  ¹¹ tn Or “not by worldly wisdom.”

[1:12]  ¹² tn Or “and especially.”

[12:19]  ¹³ tc The reading “all this time” (πάλαι, palai) is found in several early and important Alexandrian and Western witnesses including א* A B F G 0243 6 33 81 365 1175 1739 1881 lat; the reading πάλιν (palin, “again”) is read by א² D Ψ 0278 Ï sy bo; the reading οὐ πάλαι (ou palai) is read by Ì⁴⁶, making the question even more emphatic. The reading of Ì⁴⁶ could only have arisen from πάλαι. The reading πάλιν is significantly easier (“are you once again thinking that we are defending ourselves?”), for it softens Paul’s tone considerably. It thus seems to be a motivated reading and cannot easily explain the rise of πάλαι. Further, πάλαι has considerable support in the Alexandrian and Western witnesses, rendering it virtually certain as the original wording here.

[12:19]  ¹⁴ tn Or “for your strengthening”; Grk “for your edification.”