23 But ^qI call God to witness against me—it was ^rto spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth.

1 For I made up my mind ^unot to make another painful visit to you.

3 And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, ^wfor I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all.

20 For I fear that perhaps ^hwhen I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.

2 ^mI warned ⁿthose who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that ^oif I come again I will not spare them—

10 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come ^zI may not have to be ^asevere in my use of ^bthe authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.