2 Corinthians 1:23 (WEB)

Passage

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

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 us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.

2 Corinthians 1:23 But I call God for a witness to my soul, that I didn’t come to Corinth to spare you.

2 Corinthians 1:24 Not that we control your faith, but are fellow workers with you for your joy. For you stand firm in faith.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "call", "witness", "soul", "didn", "come", "corinth", and "spare". 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 us..." into verse 24's "Not that we control your faith but...", 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.