For 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.
Parallel Translations
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For 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.
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Therfore write I these thinges beynge absent lest when I am present I shuld vse sharpenes accordinge to the power which the Lorde hath geven me to edifie and not to destroye.
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Therefore write I these thinges being absent, least when I am present, I should vse sharpenesse, according to the power which the Lord hath giuen mee, to edification, and not to destruction.
Cross-references (8)
Passages linked to 2 Corinthians 13:10 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 2 Corinthians 10:8 For 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,
- 2 Corinthians 2:3 And I wrote this very thing to you, so that, when I came, I wouldn’t have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy would be shared by all of you.
- Titus 1:13 This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
- 1 Corinthians 4:21 What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
- 2 Corinthians 10:2 Yes, 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 13:8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
- 2 Corinthians 12:20-21 For I am afraid that by any means, 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 by any means there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, or riots, that again when I come my God would humble me before you, and I would mourn for many of those who have sinned before now, and not repented of the uncleanness, sexual immorality, and lustfulness which they committed.
- 2 Corinthians 13:2 I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, 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;
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (16 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 10. According to the power In the first place,…
10. According to the power In the first place, he arms the strictness of which he speaks, with the authority of God, that it may not appear to be thunder without lightning, or a rashly excited onset. Farther, he lets them know, that he would rather employ his power to another purpose, for which it was peculiarly designed — the promoting of their edification. “I shall not rashly have recourse to cruel remedies, nor will I give indulgence to my passion, but will simply execute the commission that the Lord has given me.”
When he speaks of power given him for edification, and not for destruction, he employs these terms for a somewhat different purpose from what he had done previously in 2 Corinthians 10:8. For in that passage there was a commendation of the Gospel from the advantage it yields — because what is for our advantage is wont to be agreeable, and is willingly received by us. Here, however, he simply means to declare, that although he might justly inflict upon the Corinthians a severe blow, yet it was much more his inclination to exercise his power for their advantage, than for their destruction — the former being its proper design. For as the Gospel, in its own nature, is the power of God unto salvation, (Romans 1:16,) and an odor of life unto life, (2 Corinthians 2:15, 16,) but in a way of contingency, is an odor of death; so the authority, which is conferred upon the Ministers of it, ought to be salutary to the hearers. If, on the other hand, it turns out to their condemnation, that is contrary to its nature. The meaning, therefore, is this: “Do not, through your own fault, allow that to turn to your destruction, which God has appointed for salvation.” In the mean time, the Apostle admonishes all pastors by his example, in what manner they should limit the use of their power.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 10 Therefore I write these things being absent, lest…
10 Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.
Ver. 10. And not to destruction] Unless by accident; or, if to the destruction of the flesh, it is that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus, 1Co 5:5. {See Trapp on "1Co 5:5"} {See Trapp on "2Co 10:8"}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain The apostle here lets them know with how much…
The apostle here lets them know with how much tenderness he dealt with them; and whereas they might have charged him with sharpness in his letters, he assures them, that he therefore had so wrote, that he might prevent sharper dealings with them when he should come to them, by their hearkening to the admonitions of his letter; for otherwise, he tells them, that after he came he must deal more sharply with them in the execution of that power with which Christ had intrusted him. Yet he further tells them, that that power was for their good, not for their harm; for their edification, not for their destruction: which is the same with what he had said, 2Co 10:8, and in the verse immediately preceding.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain As if the apostle had said, "Verily I write…
As if the apostle had said, "Verily I write thus to you, being absent, purposely, to reclaim you, lest being present, I should be forced to use some sharpness towards you, according to the power which the Lord hath given me, tending to your edification always, and not at any time to your destruction."
Observe here, With what tenderness the apostle treats these offenders; he tells them, the sharpness and severity in his letters (if they accounted it such) was upon a kind design, to prevent sharpness and severity in his dealings with them, when he came amongst them; yet withal, he assures them, that if matters should come to an extremity, that he must be forced to exercise his apostolical power, in cutting the contumacious off from the church’s communion; he would exercise it with a tender regard to their good, not their hurt; for their edification, and not willingly to their destruction.
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Learn we, from the apostle’s practice, to execute the censures of the church with great tenderness and affection, with great pity and compassion, with extraordinary dread and caution; not with rashness and indiscretion, or upon every light and trivial occasion, but like a tender-hearted father, with a rod in our hands, and tears in our eyes.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Therefore I write these things being absent,.... Assuring them…
Therefore I write these things being absent,.... Assuring them of his power and authority, expressing his concern for their welfare, earnestly desiring that they might be kept from evil, and perform good works; and that they might be in a more honourable, orderly, and comfortable situation, whilst he was absent from them, and before he came among them:
lest, being present, I should use sharpness; meaning severe reproofs and censures, or rather the exercise of the apostolic rod:
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according to the power the Lord haft given me, to edification, and not to destruction; by striking persons dead, as Ananias and Sapphira were by Peter; or by delivering them up to Satan to have corporeal punishment inflicted on them, as were Hymenaeus and Philetus, and the incestuous person by the Apostle Paul; which, though it was for the destruction of the flesh, yet for the salvation of their souls, and for the good, use, and edification of the rest of the society, that they might take warning thereby, and shun the evils which were the occasion of such severity.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 10. Therefore I write these things] I only…
Verse 10. Therefore I write these things] I only threaten you now, by this epistle, to put you on your guard, and lead you to reformation before I visit you that I may not then have to use sharpness, αποτομια, a cutting off, employing thus my apostolical authority to inflict punishment; a power which God has given me, rather to be employed in your edification than in your destruction.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Therefore I write these things ... - This is…
Therefore I write these things ... - This is a kind of apology for what he had said, and especially for the apparently harsh language which he had felt himself constrained to use. He had reproved them; he had admonished them of their faults; he had threatened punishment, all of which was designed to prevent the necessity of severe measures when he should be with them.
Lest being present I should use sharpness - In order that when I come I may not have occasion to employ severity; see the sentiment explained in the note on 2Co 10:2.
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According to the power ... - That I may not use the power with which Christ has invested me for maintaining discipline in his church. The same form of expression is found in 2Co 10:8; see the note on that place.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain We write this for the edification of Christ’s mystical…
We write this for the edification of Christ’s mystical body, and to cause all men to enter; not for its destruction, and to compel many to abandon it.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Therefore--because I wish the "sharpness" to be in my…
Therefore--because I wish the "sharpness" to be in my letters rather than in deeds [CHRYSOSTOM].
edification . . . not to destruction--for building up . . . not for casting down. To "use sharpness" would seem to be casting down, rather than building up; therefore he prefers not to have to use it.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 10. Therefore—In consequence of this wish.
10. Therefore—In consequence of this wish.
These things—Especially the severe rebukes from 2Co_10:1, to this point.
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Sharpness— Severity of reproof. His letter would prepare their minds for his presence.
Edification… destruction—So 2Co_10:8. For the very reason that his power was given for building up, not tearing down, he wrote severely, in order to forestall his being obliged to act severely. They might compel him to tear down in order to build up.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 10. lest being present I should use sharpness] See…
10. lest being present I should use sharpness] See ch. 2Co_1:23, and 2Co_13:2.
power] Rather, authority, as in ch. 2Co_10:8.
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to edification] See note on 1Co_8:1. Also ch. 2Co_12:19, and especially 2Co_10:8, the words in which St Paul here repeats.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (10) Therefore I write these things being absent .…
(10) Therefore I write these things being absent . . .—The words speak of an inner conflict, in which love has triumphed, not without pain, over feelings of bitterness and indignation. The storm has passed, and the sky is again clear. He does not recall what he has written, but he explains and half-apologises for it. It was better to speak with severity than to act. But even had it been necessary to act, as at one time he thought it would be, he wished them to understand that even then his aim would have been, as it was now, to restore them to their true completeness in Christ; not to inflict punishment for the sake of punishing, or as a mere display of power.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain I should use sharpness. The word rendered "sharpness" is…
I should use sharpness. The word rendered "sharpness" is an adverb, like our "abruptly" or "precipitately." The only other passage of the New Testament where it occurs is Tit_1:13; but the substantive apotomia occurs in Rom_11:22 for "severity."
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 10. Therefore I write these things, etc. He writes…
10. Therefore I write these things, etc. He writes in order that he may not have to use sharpness when he comes, or the power which God has given for upbuilding, not for destruction.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain For this cause I write these things while absent,…
For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not when present deal sharply, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for casting down . [Here Paul amplifies the thought of verses 7 and 8. If the Corinthians are only perfected in strength, if they are mighty in faith and righteousness, he is content to be looked upon as weak by them; and therefore to spare himself the pains of disciplining them at his coming, he has taken the milder method of doing so by letter. For it indeed pained him to use divine power in tearing down a Church, when that power was given him for the purpose of building up churches. In short, Paul was content that they should look upon him as no apostle it all, provided they could do so without any injury to themselves. He was zealous for his apostolic authority over them, because without his guiding power they would make shipwreck of the faith.]
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 13:10 Paul did not want to deal severely with…
13:10 Paul did not want to deal severely with the Corinthians by punishing the offenders (12:21). He wanted to exercise his apostolic authority in a positive way, but his ministry required him both to strengthen and to tear . . . down (cp. Jer 1:10). • to strengthen you (or to build you up): This is Paul’s favorite expression for a stable Christian community (see Eph 4:12), in which the Lord lives both in and among the believers (2 Cor 13:5).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.