2 Corinthians 1:23 (LSB)

Passage

But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth.

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 1:21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,

2 Corinthians 1:22 who also sealed us and gave the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts.

2 Corinthians 1:23 But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth.

2 Corinthians 1:24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "call", "witness", "soul", "spare", "come", "again", and "corinth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "call" and "witness", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "who also sealed us and gave the..." into verse 24's "Not that we lord it over your...", so "call" and "witness" belong inside that flow. In 2 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "call" and "witness" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.