But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in {a} heaviness.

(a) Causing grief among you, which he would have done if he had come to them before they had repented.

People's New Testament

2:1 The Two Covenants Compared

SUMMARY OF II CORINTHIANS 2:

Paul's Letter of Commendation. The New Covenant and the Covenant of the Letter; or the Law and. the Gospel. The First Written on Tables of Stone; Is a Ministration of. Death; Was Glorious, but Now Done Away With. That Which Remaineth, The New Covenant, Far More Glorious. The Veil Over the Face of Moses a Type of the Blindness of. Israel. The Transforming Power of the Gospel.

That I would not come again to you in heaviness. With sorrow (Revised Version). See 2Co 1:23. He desired not to come to rebuke, but to rejoice with them. This verse seems to point to a time when he had come in heaviness. It is generally admitted now by commentators that he did make such a visit, probably while preaching at Ephesus, running across the sea, a voyage of two or three days, for a short visit. This visit seems to be proved by 2Co 12:14,21 13:01 See Conybeare and Howson, Vol. II, p. 27.

Wesley's Notes

2:1 In grief - Either on account of the particular offender, or of the church in general.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 2

2Co 2:1-17. Reason Why He Had Not Visited Them on His Way to Macedonia; the Incestuous Person Ought Now to Be Forgiven; His Anxiety to Hear Tidings of Their State from Titus, and His Joy When at Last the Good News Reaches Him.

1. with myself-in contrast to "you" (2Co 1:23). The same antithesis between Paul and them appears in 2Co 2:2.

not come again . in heaviness-"sorrow"; implying that he had already paid them one visit in sorrow since his coming for the first time to Corinth. At that visit he had warned them "he would not spare if he should come again" (see on [2304]2Co 13:2; compare 2Co 12:14; 13:1). See [2305]Introduction to the first Epistle. The "in heaviness" implies mutual pain; they grieving him, and he them. Compare 2Co 2:2, "I make you sorry," and 2Co 2:5, "If any have caused grief (sorrow)." In this verse he accounts for having postponed his visit, following up 2Co 1:23.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

2:1-4 The apostle desired to have a cheerful meeting with them; and he had written in confidence of their doing what was to their benefit and his comfort; and that therefore they would be glad to remove every cause of disquiet from him. We should always give pain unwillingly, even when duty requires that it must be given.

Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Chapter 2

In this chapter the apostle proceeds in the account of the reasons why he did not come to Corinth (v. 1-4). Then he writes concerning the incestuous person who lay under censure; and gives direction for restoring him, together with the reasons for their so doing (v. 5-11), and afterwards informs them of his labours and success in preaching the gospel in several places (v. 12-17).

Verses 1-4

In these verses, 1. The apostle proceeds in giving an account of the reason why he did not come to Corinth, as was expected; namely, because he was unwilling to grieve them, or be grieved by them, v. 1,2. He had determined not to come to them in heaviness, which yet he would have done had he come and found scandal among them not duly animadverted upon: this would have been cause of grief both to him and them, for their sorrow or joy at meeting would have been mutual. If he had made them sorry, that would have been a sorrow to himself, for there would have been none to have made him glad. But his desire was to have a cheerful meeting with them, and not to have it embittered by any unhappy occasion of disagreeing. 2. He tells them it was to the same intent that he wrote his former epistle, v. 3, 4. (1) That he might not have sorrow from those of whom he ought to rejoice; and that he had written to them in confidence of their doing what was requisite, in order to their benefit and his comfort. The particular thing referred to, as appears by the following verses, was the case of the incestuous person about whom he had written in the first epistle, ch. 5. Nor was the apostle disappointed in his expectation. (2.) He assures them that he did not design to grieve them, but to testify his love to them, and that he wrote to them with much anguish and affliction in his own heart, and with great affection to them. He had written with tears, that they might know his abundant love to them. Note, [1.] Even in reproofs, admonitions, and acts of discipline, faithful ministers show their love. [2.] Needful censures, and the exercise of church-discipline towards offenders, are a grief to tender-spirited ministers, and are administered with regret.