2 Corinthians 1:23

WEB

²³But I call God for a witness to my soul, that to spare you, I didn’t come to Corinth.

KJV

²³Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.

BSB

²³I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.

FBV

²³I call God as my witness that it was to avoid causing you pain that I chose not to come to Corinth.

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Extra References

Galatians 1:20

²⁰Now about the things which I write to you, behold,^[+] before God, I’m not lying.

1 Corinthians 4:21

²¹What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?

Romans 1:9

⁹For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers,

²I have warned previously, and I warn again, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, I write to those who have sinned before now and to all the rest that if I come again, I will not spare,

2 Corinthians 13:10

¹⁰For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not deal sharply when present, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.

2 Corinthians 12:20

²⁰For I am afraid that perhaps when I come, I might find you not the way I want to, and that I might be found by you as you don’t desire, that perhaps there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, or riots,

Philippians 1:8

⁸For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:6-11

⁶and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience is made full.

⁷Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that even as he is Christ’s, so we also are Christ’s. ⁸For even if I boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for casting you down, I will not be ashamed, ⁹that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters. ¹⁰For, “His letters”, they say, “are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised.” ¹¹Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.

2 Corinthians 10:2

²Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

2 Corinthians 11:11

¹¹Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows.