2 Corinthians 13:2

Contextual Overview

¹ This will be my third time to visit you. And remember, "For every complaint there must be two or three people to say that they know it is true." ¹ This is the third time I am coming to you. Any charge must be sustained by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹ Now come I the thyrd tyme vnto you In the mouth of two or thre witnesses shall every thinge stonde. ¹ This is the third time I am coming to you. "At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word established." ¹ This is the third time that I am coming to you. ON THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY MATTER SHALL BE CONFIRMED. ¹ I will come to you for the third time. "Every case must be proved by two or three witnesses." ¹ This is the third time I am coming to you. At the mouth of two witnesses or three shall every word be established. ¹ This [is] the third [time] I am coming to you: By the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. ¹ This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹ This is the third time I am coming to you. "At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word established."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

told: 2 Corinthians 1:23, 2 Corinthians 10:1, 2 Corinthians 10:2, 2 Corinthians 10:8-11, 2 Corinthians 12:20, 1 Corinthians 4:19-21, 1 Corinthians 5:5

being: 2 Corinthians 13:10

heretofore: 2 Corinthians 12:21

Reciprocal: Joshua 3:10 - Hereby ye Proverbs 26:3 - General Jeremiah 1:13 - the second time Acts 5:5 - hearing 1 Corinthians 4:21 - shall 1 Corinthians 5:3 - as absent 2 Corinthians 2:3 - lest 2 Corinthians 10:6 - in 2 Corinthians 10:11 - such Galatians 1:9 - so Philippians 4:4 - again Titus 3:10 - after 2 Peter 3:1 - second epistle 3 John 1:10 - I will

Cross-References

Genesis 13:1
So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

Genesis 13:1
And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South.

Genesis 13:1
So Abram, his wife, and Lot left Egypt, taking everything they owned, and traveled to southern Canaan.

Genesis 13:1
So Abram went up from Egypt into the Negev. He took his wife and all his possessions with him, as well as Lot.

Genesis 13:1
And Abram returned from Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.

Genesis 13:1
Abram went up out of Egypt: he, his wife, all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South.

Genesis 13:1
So Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot [his nephew] with him, into the Negev (the South country of Judah).

Genesis 13:1
Therfore Abram stiede fro Egipt, he, and his wijf, and alle thingis that he hadde; and Loth stiede with hym, to the south coost.

Genesis 13:1
And Abram goeth up from Egypt (he and his wife, and all that he hath, and Lot with him) towards the south;

Genesis 13:1
So Abram went up out of Egypt into the Negev-he and his wife and all his possessions-and Lot was with him.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I told you before, and foretell you as if I were present a second time,.... He means, that he had in his former epistle faithfully told them of their evils, and admonished them for them; and now he sends to them a second time before his coming, and again admonishes them, as if he was upon the spot with them; so that they had, as before, three witnesses, also a first and second admonition; which, should they be without success, he must proceed further:

and being absent now, I write to them which heretofore have sinned; before he wrote his first epistle, of which he had information, and had faithfully reproved and admonished them; see 2 Corinthians 12:21.

And to all other; that might since be drawn into a compliance with sinful practices, through their example; or as the Arabic version renders it, "to the rest of the congregation"; who would be witnesses for him, and against them, that he had admonished them a first, and a second time: and by his present writing declares,

that if I come again; for, not knowing what might fall out to prevent him, though he was bent upon coming, and ready for it, nor what was the will of God about it, he does not choose to be positive in the matter; and therefore writes conditionally, and with a guard, and no doubt with a submission to the divine will:

I will not spare; this was the reason why as yet he had not been at Corinth, because he was willing to spare them; see 2 Corinthians 1:23 being loath to come to severities, if gentler methods would take effect; but now having used all proper means, he is at a point, aud determined not to spare, but to use his apostolical rod, or that power which the Lord had given him in an extraordinary way, as an extraordinary officer, to punish incorrigible offenders, in such manner as the incestuous person, and Hymenaeus and Philetus had been used by him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I told you before - That I would not spare offenders; that I would certainly punish them. He had intimated this before in the First Epistle 1Co 4:21; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13.

And foretell you - Now apprise you of my fixed determination to punish every offender as he deserves.

As if I were present, the second time - The mention of the second time here proves that Paul had been with them but once before. He had formed the resolution to go to them, but had been disappointed. The time when he had been with them is recorded in Acts 18:1 ff. He now uses the same language to them which he says he would use if he were with them, as he had expected to be, the second time. See the remarks of Paley on this passage, referred to above.

And being absent - see the note on 1 Corinthians 5:3.

To them which have heretofore sinned - To all the offenders in the church. They had supposed that he would not come to them 1 Corinthians 4:18, or that if he came he would not dare to inflict punishment, 2 Cor. 9-11. They had, therefore, given themselves greater liberty, and had pursued their own course, regardless of his authority and commands.

I will not spare - I will punish them. They shall not escape.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Corinthians 13:2. I told you before, c.] As Calmet maintains that Paul had already been twice at Corinth, it is well to hear his reasons: "St. Paul came to Corinth the latter end of the year of our Lord 52, and remained there eighteen months, Acts 18:1, c. He came there a second time in the year 55, but stayed only a short time, as he had to return speedily to Ephesus, 1 Corinthians 16:7 hence it is that St. Luke makes no mention of this second journey in the Acts. Finally he determined to visit them a third time; as in effect he did about the year 57. Of his second voyage to Corinth, which is not mentioned in the Acts, he speaks expressly in this verse."

I do not see sufficient evidence to induce me to subscribe to this opinion of Calmet. I believe the apostle had been but once before at Corinth; and this matter is set in a clear point of view by Dr. Paley. See the Introduction, sec. xi.

I will not spare — I will inflict the proper punishment on every incorrigible offender. It does appear, from all the apostle's threatenings, that he was possessed of a miraculous power, by which he could inflict punishment on offenders; that he could deliver the body to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus, 1 Corinthians 4:21; 1 Corinthians 5:5. What he says he told them before probably relates to 1 Corinthians 4:21: Shall I come with a rod, &c.