📖WEB · 2 Corinthians 1:23
What does 2 Corinthians 1:23 mean?
"But I call God for a witness to my soul, that I didn’t come to Corinth to spare you."
— 2 Corinthians 1:23 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
For however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen”, to the glory of God through us.
Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God;
who also sealed us, and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.
But I call God for a witness to my soul, that I didn’t come to Corinth to spare you.
Not that we control your faith, but are fellow workers with you for your joy. For you stand firm in faith.
Explanation
Paul begins this statement with a solemn oath: he calls on God himself as a witness to what is going on in his own soul, his innermost being. He is making clear that what follows is not a casual remark but something he is willing to stake his integrity before God on. The specific point he swears to is this: the reason he had not yet come to Corinth, despite earlier promising to do so, was in order to spare the Corinthians — not because he was fickle, cowardly, or indifferent toward them.
The context is important for understanding why Paul feels the need for such a strong declaration. Paul had originally planned a visit to Corinth (mentioned earlier in this same letter, 2 Corinthians 1:15-16), but he changed his plans. Some in the Corinthian church seized on this change as evidence that Paul was unreliable, that he said one thing and did another, or that his word could not be trusted — perhaps even implying he was afraid to face them. Paul writes
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