2 Corinthians 1:12

For our reason for confidence ¹  is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives ²  and sincerity which are from God ³  – not by human wisdom ⁴  but by the grace of God – we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more ⁵  toward you.

Jos 24:14; Job 13:15; Job 23:10-12; Job 27:5,6; Job 31:1-40; Ps 7:3-5; Ps 44:17-21; Isa 38:3; Ac 24:16; Ro 9:1; Ro 16:18,19; 1Co 2:4,5,13; 1Co 4:4; 1Co 5:8; 1Co 15:10; 2Co 1:17; 2Co 2:17; 2Co 4:2; 2Co 8:8; 2Co 10:2-4; 2Co 11:3; 2Co 12:15-19; Ga 6:4; Eph 6:14; Php 1:10; 1Ti 1:5,19,20; Tit 2:7; Heb 13:18; Jas 3:13-18; Jas 4:6; 1Pe 3:16,21; 1Jo 3:19-22

¹ tn Or “for boasting.”

² tc Two viable variants exist at this place in the text: ἁγιότητι (Jagiothti, “holiness”) vs. ἁπλότητι (Japlothti, “pure motives”). A confusion of letters could well have produced the variant (TCGNT 507): In uncial 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 Ï lat sy), is better suited to the context; it is also a Pauline word while ἁγιότης (Jagioth") is not. It also best explains the rise of the other variants, πραότητι (praothti, “gentleness”) and {σπλάγχνοις} (splancnoi", “compassion”). On the other hand, the external evidence in favor of ἁγιότητι is extremely strong (Ì⁴⁶ 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, Japloth") and “sincerity” (εἰλικρίνεια, eilikrineia) are close synonyms.

³ tn Grk “pure motives and sincerity of God.”

⁴ tn Or “not by worldly wisdom.”

⁵ tn Or “and especially.”