2Cor 1:12-14 | NET2full | STEP | For our reason for confidence is this: The testimony of our conscience , that with pure motives and sincerity which are from God — not by human wisdom but by the grace of God —we conducted ourselves in the world , and all the more toward you .

2 Corinthians 1:12-14

Paul Defends His Changed Plans

12 For our reason for confidence ^{▼▼tn Or “for boasting.”} is this: The testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives ^{▼▼tc Two viable variants exist at this place in the text: ἁγιότητι (hagiotēti, “holiness”) vs. ἁπλότητι (haplotēti, “pure motives”). A confusion of letters could well have produced the variant (TCGNT 507): In majuscule script the words would have been written agiothti and aplothti. This, however, does not explain which reading created the other. Overall ἁπλότητι, though largely a Western-Byzantine reading (א2 D F G Maj lat sy), is better suited to the context; it is also a Pauline word while ἁγιότης (hagiotēs) is not. It also best explains the rise of the other variants, πραότητι (praotēti, “gentleness”) and σπλάγχνοις (splanchnois, “compassion”). On the other hand, the external evidence in favor of ἁγιότητι is extremely strong (P46 א* A B C K P Ψ 0121 0243 33 81 1739 1881 al co). This diversity of mss provides excellent evidence for authenticity, but because of the internal evidence listed above, ἁπλότητι is to be preferred, albeit only slightly.} ^{▼▼tn Or “sincerity.” The two terms translated “pure motives” (ἁπλότης, haplotēs) and “sincerity” (εἰλικρίνεια, eilikrineia) are close synonyms.} and sincerity which are from God ^{▼▼tn Grk “pure motives and sincerity of God.”} —not by human wisdom ^{▼▼tn Or “not by worldly wisdom.”} but by the grace of God—we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more ^{▼▼tn Or “and especially.”} toward you. 13 For we do not write you anything other than what ^{▼▼tn Grk “than the things.”} you can read and also understand. But I hope that you will understand completely ^{▼▼tn Grk “to the end,” a Greek idiom for “fully,” “totally,” “completely.”} 14 just as also you have partly understood us, that we are your source of pride just as you also are ours ^{▼▼tn Grk “that we are your boast even as you are our boast.”} in the day of the Lord Jesus. ^{▼▼tc ‡ On the wording “the Lord Jesus” (τοῦ κυρίου ᾿Ιησοῦ, tou kuriou Iēsou) there is some variation in the extant witnesses: ἡμῶν (hēmōn, “our”) is found after κυρίου in several significant witnesses (א B F G P 0121 0243 6 33 81 1739 1881 2464 al lat co); the pronoun is lacking from P46vid A C D Ψ Maj. Although in Paul “our Lord Jesus Christ” is a common expression, “our Lord Jesus” is relatively infrequent (cf., e.g., Rom 16:20; 2 Cor 1:14; 1 Thess 2:19; 3:11, 13; 2 Thess 1:8, 12). “The Lord Jesus” occurs about as often as “our Lord Jesus” (cf. 1 Cor 11:23; 16:23; 2 Cor 4:14; 11:31; Eph 1:15; 1 Thess 4:2; 2 Thess 1:7; Phlm 5). Thus, on balance, since scribes would tend to expand on the text, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic. NA28 places the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.}