Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version I call God as my witness—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. New Living Translation Now I call upon God as my witness that I am telling the truth. The reason I didn’t return to Corinth was to spare you from a severe rebuke. English Standard Version But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. Berean Standard Bible I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. Berean Literal Bible But I call God as witness upon my soul, that sparing you, I have not yet come to Corinth. King James Bible Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. New King James Version Moreover I call God as witness against my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth. New American Standard Bible But I call God as witness to my soul, that it was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth. NASB 1995 But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. NASB 1977 But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth. Legacy Standard Bible But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. Amplified Bible But I call on God as my soul’s witness, that it was to spare you [pain and discouragement] that I did not come again to Corinth— Christian Standard Bible I call on God as a witness, on my life, that it was to spare you that I did not come to Corinth. Holman Christian Standard Bible I call on God as a witness, on my life, that it was to spare you that I did not come to Corinth. American Standard Version But I call God for a witness upon my soul, that to spare you I forbare to come unto Corinth. Contemporary English Version God is my witness that I stayed away from Corinth, just to keep from being hard on you. English Revised Version But I call God for a witness upon my soul, that to spare you I forbare to come unto Corinth. GOD'S WORD® Translation I appeal to God as a witness on my behalf, that I stayed away from Corinth because I wanted to spare you. Good News Translation I call God as my witness--he knows my heart! It was in order to spare you that I decided not to go to Corinth. International Standard Version I call upon God as a witness on my behalf that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. Majority Standard Bible I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. NET Bible Now I appeal to God as my witness, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. New Heart English Bible But I call God as a witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. Webster's Bible Translation Moreover, I call God for a witness upon my soul, that to spare you I have not as yet come to Corinth. Weymouth New Testament But as for me, as my soul shall answer for it, I appeal to God as my witness, that it was to spare you pain that I gave up my visit to Corinth. World English Bible But I call God for a witness to my soul, that to spare you, I didn’t come to Corinth. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd I call on God for a witness on my soul, that sparing you, I did not come to Corinth yet; Berean Literal Bible But I call God as witness upon my soul, that sparing you, I have not yet come to Corinth. Young's Literal Translation And I for a witness on God do call upon my soul, that sparing you, I came not yet to Corinth; Smith's Literal Translation And I call upon God a witness upon my soul, that, sparing you, I came no more to Corinth. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleBut I call God to witness upon my soul, that to spare you, I came not any more to Corinth: Catholic Public Domain Version But I call God as a witness to my soul, that I was lenient with you, in that I did not return to Corinth: New American Bible But I call upon God as witness, on my life, that it is to spare you that I have not yet gone to Corinth. New Revised Standard Version But I call on God as witness against me: it was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleMoreover I testify to God concerning myself, that it was because I wanted to spare you, that I did not come to Corinth. Aramaic Bible in Plain English But I am testifying to God concerning myself: Because I had pity for you, I did not come to Qorinthus, NT Translations Anderson New TestamentBut I call on God as a witness against my soul, that wishing to spare you, I did not go to Corinth; Godbey New Testament But I call God to witness to my soul, that sparing you I did not yet come into Corinth: Haweis New Testament But I appeal to God as a witness unto my soul, that to spare you I have not yet come to Corinth: Mace New Testament I call God to witness, and may I die if it is not true, that the reason of my not coming yet to Corinth, was to avoid using any severity towards you. Weymouth New Testament But as for me, as my soul shall answer for it, I appeal to God as my witness, that it was to spare you pain that I gave up my visit to Corinth. Worrell New Testament But I invoke God as a witness upon my soul, that, as sparing you, I came not yet to Corinth. Worsley New Testament But I call God to witness on my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth: Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Paul's Change of Plans…22placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come. 23 I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. 24Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy, because it is by faith that you stand firm.… Cross References 1 Corinthians 4:21 Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and with a gentle spirit? 1 Corinthians 15:31 I face death every day, brothers, as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. Galatians 1:20 I assure you before God that what I am writing to you is no lie. Philippians 1:8 God is my witness how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. Romans 1:9 God, whom I serve with my spirit in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 1 Thessalonians 2:5 As you know, we never used words of flattery or any pretext for greed. God is our witness! 1 Thessalonians 2:10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless our conduct was among you who believed. 2 Corinthians 11:31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying. 2 Corinthians 12:19 Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you? We speak before God in Christ, and all of this, beloved, is to build you up. 2 Corinthians 13:2 I already warned you the second time I was with you. So now in my absence I warn those who sinned earlier and everyone else: If I return, I will not spare anyone, 2 Corinthians 13:10 This is why I write these things while absent, so that when I am present I will not need to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down. Matthew 5:34-37 But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; / or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. / Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. ... James 5:12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment. Deuteronomy 10:20 You are to fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name. 1 Samuel 12:5 Samuel said to them, “The LORD is a witness against you, and His anointed is a witness today, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is a witness,” they replied. Treasury of Scripture Moreover I call God for a record on my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth. I call. 2 Corinthians 1:18 But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. 2 Corinthians 11:11,31 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth… Romans 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; that. 2 Corinthians 2:1-3:18 But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness… 2 Corinthians 10:2,6-11 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh… 2 Corinthians 12:20 For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: Jump to Previous Appeal Corinth Forbare Moreover Order Pain Pity Record Refrained Soul Spare Sparing Time Visit WitnessJump to Next Appeal Corinth Forbare Moreover Order Pain Pity Record Refrained Soul Spare Sparing Time Visit Witness2 Corinthians 1 1. Paul salutes the Corinthians;3. he encourages them against troubles, 5. by the comforts and deliverances which God had given him, 8. so particularly in his late danger in Asia. 12. And calling both his own conscience and theirs, 15. he excuses his not coming to them, as proceeding not of lightness, 23. but of his care for them. I call God as my witness This phrase underscores the seriousness and sincerity of Paul's statement. In the ancient world, calling upon God as a witness was a solemn act, akin to taking an oath. The Greek word for "witness" is "martys," which implies someone who can testify to the truth. Paul is invoking God to affirm his integrity and the truthfulness of his intentions. This reflects the deep relationship Paul had with God, where he could confidently call upon Him to validate his actions and motives. that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth I came not as yet.--Better, I came no more--i.e., not a second time after his first visit. The Greek adverb cannot possibly mean "not yet." Verse 23. - Moreover I call God for a record; rather, But I call God for a witness. At this point, to 2 Corinthians 2:4, he enters for the first time on the kindly reasons which had led him to forego his intended earlier visit. He uses a similar adjuration in 2 Corinthians 11:31; and although these appeals (comp. 1 Corinthians 15:31; Romans 1:9; Galatians 1:20) may be due in part to the emotional fervour of his temperament, yet he would hardly have resorted to them in this self defence, if the calumnies of his enemies had not gained much credence. The French proverb, Qui s'excuse s'accuse, is often grossly abused. The refutation of lies and slanders is often a duty, not because they injure us, but because, by diminishing our usefulness, they may injure others. Upon my soul. Not "to take vengeance on my soul if I lie," but to confirm the appeal of its honesty and integrity. By the use of such "oaths for confirmation," St. Paul, no less than other apostles, shows that he understood our Lord's rule, "Let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay," as applying to the principle of simple and unvarnished truthfulness of intercourse, which requires no further confirmation; but not as a rigid exclusion of the right to appeal to God in solemn cases and for good reasons. To spare you. This postponement of the intended visit was a sign of .forbearance, for which they should have been grateful. After all that he had heard of them, if he had come at all, it could only have been "with a rod" (1 Corinthians 4:21). I came not as yet. The rendering is erroneous. It literally means "I no longer came," i.e. I forbore to come as I had intended.Parallel Commentaries ... Greek IἘγὼ (Egō) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I. call ἐπικαλοῦμαι (epikaloumai) Verb - Present Indicative Middle - 1st Person Singular Strong's 1941: (a) To call (name) by a supplementary (additional, alternative) name, (b) mid: To call upon, appeal to, address. God Θεὸν (Theon) Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very. as ἐπὶ (epi) Preposition Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at. my ἐμὴν (emēn) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 1st Person Singular Strong's 1699: My, mine. From the oblique cases of ego; my. witness μάρτυρα (martyra) Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular Strong's 3144: A witness (judicially) or figuratively (genitive case); by analogy, a 'martyr'. that [it was in order] ὅτι (hoti) Conjunction Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because. to spare φειδόμενος (pheidomenos) Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 5339: To spare, abstain, forbear. Of uncertain affinity; to be chary of, i.e. to abstain or to treat leniently. you ὑμῶν (hymōn) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. [that] I did not return ἦλθον (ēlthon) Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular Strong's 2064: To come, go. to εἰς (eis) Preposition Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases. Corinth. Κόρινθον (Korinthon) Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Strong's 2882: Corinthus, a city of Greece. Links 2 Corinthians 1:23 NIV2 Corinthians 1:23 NLT 2 Corinthians 1:23 ESV 2 Corinthians 1:23 NASB 2 Corinthians 1:23 KJV 2 Corinthians 1:23 BibleApps.com 2 Corinthians 1:23 Biblia Paralela 2 Corinthians 1:23 Chinese Bible 2 Corinthians 1:23 French Bible 2 Corinthians 1:23 Catholic Bible NT Letters: 2 Corinthians 1:23 But I call God for a witness (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor) |
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