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Verse

2 Corinthians 1:24

ESV Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith.
NIV Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.
NASB Not that we domineer over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm.
CSB I do not mean that we lord it over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because you stand firm in your faith.
NLT But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.
KJV Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

What does 2 Corinthians 1:24 mean?

Paul has revealed why he did not return from Macedonia to Corinth, at least as quickly as he had originally planned. He wished to spare them in some way. The details are revealed in the following chapter, but Paul was sparing them from discipline he would need to enforce because of their potential sinfulness.

It is not Paul's desire, nor that of his co-workers, to lord their authority over the Corinthians. It would be within Paul's rights to do so, as Christ's apostle. He was the one who established their congregation in the first place. Paul simply did not want it to come to that. Instead, these leaders would rather work with the Corinthians, for their joy, as they stand firm in their faith. The following chapter will show what changed in Corinth, making it possible for Paul to return without needing to bring Christian discipline over one specific issue.
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