2 Cor. 1:12. but by the grace of God, we lived in the world,
That is, according to the God-given wisdom, the signs and miracles that occurred by the grace of God. And the greatest consolation is when someone has within himself the testimony that he does everything not by human strength, but by the grace of God. And they lived this way not only in Corinth, but in the whole world.
2 Cor. 1:12. especially among you.
In what way? For the apostle preached the Gospel to them not only with signs, but also without any recompense on their part. Notice how he attributes his own actions to the grace of God.
2 Cor. 1:13. And we write to you nothing other than what you read or understand,
Since the apostle seemed to have said much about himself, lest anyone say this is self-praise, he says: we write to you what you read in the present epistle and what you already know even without this. For the knowledge you previously received about me does not contradict my epistles. Some, however, understood this as follows: we write to you what you read, that is, what you recall; for reading is recollection, or higher knowledge. And why, he says, do I speak of what you remember, of what you know belongs to us and needs no reminder, as something already known?
2 Cor. 1:13. and that, as I hope, you will fully understand,
2 Cor. 1:14. just as you have also already partially understood.
He places everything upon God. I hope, he says, in God that you know us to be such as our epistles and our past life show us to be. "As also you have acknowledged us in part," that is, you know from experience, because we have already in part presented to you certain proofs of a virtuous life. He said this out of modesty.
2 Cor. 1:14. That we shall be your boast, just as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What then will you know? That your boast, that is, that I am such that I can give you reason to boast of me, that you have such a teacher who teaches nothing human, nothing harmful, nothing deceitful. Then, lest it seem that he says this about himself out of boasting, he makes the boast mutual and says: and you will be my boast; for I will boast that I had such disciples, not wavering, not yielding to the seductions of the false apostles. When will we boast of one another? Both now, but especially on that day. For even now many see the slanders and reproaches that we endure, and perhaps even slander us, but then, when everything will be revealed, it will be manifest concerning me that I am not such as the calumny of the false apostles represents me to be, and you likewise will be our boast, because you did not join the deceivers.
2 Cor. 1:15. And in this confidence I intended to come to you sooner,
With what confidence? With the fact that I am not conscious of anything bad in myself, that I am your boast, that I conducted myself not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, and that, finally, you are witnesses of all this for me. That is why I intended "to come to you."
2 Cor. 1:15. so that you might receive grace a second time.
That is, a double joy: one from the first epistle, and another from my presence.
2 Cor. 1:16. And to pass through you into Macedonia,
In the first epistle he said: "I will come to you when I pass through Macedonia" (1 Cor. 16:5), but here he says: "I intended to come to you earlier." What then? Does he contradict himself? No. For although I wrote otherwise, he says, I nevertheless strove and desired to come to you before I would see Macedonia. So far was I from being negligent in coming to you and delaying the fulfillment of my promise, that I even desired to come earlier.
2 Cor. 1:16. From Macedonia then to come to you again; and you would send me on my way to Judea.
In the first epistle he said indefinitely: "that you may send me on my way, wherever I go" (1 Cor. 16:6), fearing that, having said he would go to Judea, and then, being compelled by the Spirit to go to another place, he might appear to be a liar. But now, when he did not manage to come to them, he boldly says that he wanted them to send him on his way to Judea; but it was God's will that I not come to you at all and not be sent on my way by you to Judea. Listen to what follows.
2 Cor. 1:17. Having such an intention, did I act with fickleness? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me it is "yes, yes" and "no, no"?
Here he more clearly defends himself regarding the delay, saying that he wished to come to them, but why did he not come? Is it because I am fickle and inconstant, deciding now one way, now another? No. Or do I desire according to the flesh, that is, in a human manner, and am guided by my own will, so that whatever I decide myself, I carry out, whether it be yes or no? Not at all. But I am under the direction of the Spirit and do not have the authority to go where I wish, but where He commands. Therefore, with me "yes" often does not remain "yes," for this is not pleasing to the Spirit, and "no" does not remain "no," for what I deny, the Spirit commands. Observe the wisdom: how that which the slanderers made a pretext for reproach — namely, that he did not come although he had promised — he turns into praise, saying that he does not have authority over himself, but the Spirit leads him wherever it is pleasing to Him. What then? Did he make the promise without the assistance of the Spirit, but out of ignorance of the future? Out of ignorance, for he did not know all things. Thus he also prayed sometimes for what was unprofitable, for example, for the removal of temptations (2 Cor. 12:7–9). And in the Acts there is an example that this was beneficial, so that people would not regard the apostles as gods, as happened with the Lycaonians (Acts 14:11).
2 Cor. 1:18. God is faithful, that our word to you was not "yes" and "no."
He refutes an objection that arises. Someone could quite rightly say: if what you say is unreliable, and you often say "yes" but it turns out to be "no," then we fear that your teaching and your preaching may be the same — "yes" and "no," that is, inconstant and unreliable. In refutation of this objection, he says that the promise to come to them was his own affair, and therefore it was not fulfilled; but as for the preaching, it is the work of God, and what is from God is inaccessible to falsehood. Therefore he also said: "God is faithful," that is, true, and since He is true, His word to you, preached by us, is neither inconstant nor unreliable, sometimes "yes" and sometimes "no."
2 Cor. 1:19. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not "yes" and "no"; but in Him was "yes."
Finally he says what word was not "yes" and "no." He Whom we preached to you was not "yes" and "no," that is, one thing was not preached now and another thing now, but it was "yes," that is, what was preached was firm and without wavering. He also lists many of those who preached, presenting their testimony as worthy of belief and at the same time teaching humility, for he presents his disciples as co-teachers.