2 Corinthians 2:4

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not to make you sad, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • 2 Cor 7:12 : 12 So then, even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong, or on account of the one who was wronged, but to reveal to you your eagerness on our behalf before God.
  • 2 Cor 11:2 : 2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
  • 2 Cor 12:15 : 15 Now I will most gladly spend and be spent for your lives! If I love you more, am I to be loved less?
  • Phil 3:18 : 18 For many live, about whom I have often told you, and now, with tears, I tell you that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
  • Lev 19:17-18 : 17 You must not hate your brother in your heart. You must surely reprove your fellow citizen so that you do not incur sin on account of him. 18 You must not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the children of your people, but you must love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
  • Ps 119:136 : 136 Tears stream down from my eyes, because people do not keep your law.
  • Prov 27:5-6 : 5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.
  • Jer 13:15-17 : 15 Then I said to the people of Judah,“Listen and pay attention! Do not be arrogant! For the LORD has spoken. 16 Show the LORD your God the respect that is due him. Do it before he brings the darkness of disaster. Do it before you stumble into distress like a traveler on the mountains at twilight. Do it before he turns the light of deliverance you hope for into the darkness and gloom of exile. 17 But if you will not pay attention to this warning, I will weep alone because of your arrogant pride. I will weep bitterly, and my eyes will overflow with tears because you, the LORD’s flock, will be carried into exile.”
  • Luke 19:41-44 : 41 Jesus Weeps for Jerusalem under Judgment Now when Jesus approached and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying,“If you had only known on this day, even you, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and surround you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will demolish you– you and your children within your walls– and they will not leave within you one stone on top of another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”
  • Rom 9:2-3 : 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed– cut off from Christ– for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen,
  • 2 Cor 7:8-9 : 8 For even if I made you sad by my letter, I do not regret having written it(even though I did regret it, for I see that my letter made you sad, though only for a short time). 9 Now I rejoice, not because you were made sad, but because you were made sad to the point of repentance. For you were made sad as God intended, so that you were not harmed in any way by us.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • 2 Cor 2:1-3
    3 verses
    83%

    1 So I made up my own mind not to pay you another painful visit.

    2 For if I make you sad, who would be left to make me glad but the one I caused to be sad?

    3 And I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came I would not have sadness from those who ought to make me rejoice, since I am confident in you all that my joy would be yours.

  • 2 Cor 2:5
    81%

    5 But if anyone has caused sadness, he has not saddened me alone, but to some extent(not to exaggerate) he has saddened all of you as well.

  • 2 Cor 7:3-4
    2 verses
    79%

    3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I told you before that you are in our hearts so that we die together and live together with you.

    4 A Letter That Caused Sadness I have great confidence in you; I take great pride on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in the midst of all our suffering.

  • Phil 2:26-28
    3 verses
    78%

    26 Indeed, he greatly missed all of you and was distressed because you heard that he had been ill.

    27 In fact he became so ill that he nearly died. But God showed mercy to him– and not to him only, but also to me– so that I would not have grief on top of grief.

    28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you can rejoice and I can be free from anxiety.

  • Phlm 1:7-8
    2 verses
    78%

    7 I have had great joy and encouragement because of your love, for the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

    8 Paul’s Request for Onesimus So, although I have quite a lot of confidence in Christ and could command you to do what is proper,

  • 2 Cor 2:7-9
    3 verses
    77%

    7 so that now instead you should rather forgive and comfort him. This will keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive grief to the point of despair.

    8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.

    9 For this reason also I wrote you: to test you to see if you are obedient in everything.

  • Rom 9:2
    76%

    2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

  • 2 Cor 12:15
    76%

    15 Now I will most gladly spend and be spent for your lives! If I love you more, am I to be loved less?

  • Col 2:1-2
    2 verses
    76%

    1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for those who have not met me face to face.

    2 My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ,

  • 2 Tim 1:4
    75%

    4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.

  • 2 Cor 7:7-9
    3 verses
    75%

    7 We were encouraged not only by his arrival, but also by the encouragement you gave him, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your deep concern for me, so that I rejoiced more than ever.

    8 For even if I made you sad by my letter, I do not regret having written it(even though I did regret it, for I see that my letter made you sad, though only for a short time).

    9 Now I rejoice, not because you were made sad, but because you were made sad to the point of repentance. For you were made sad as God intended, so that you were not harmed in any way by us.

  • Phil 1:7-9
    3 verses
    75%

    7 For it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you became partners in God’s grace together with me.

    8 For God is my witness that I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

    9 And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight

  • Phil 1:26
    74%

    26 so that what you can be proud of may increase because of me in Christ Jesus, when I come back to you.

  • 2 Cor 7:11-12
    2 verses
    74%

    11 For see what this very thing, this sadness as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what punishment! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

    12 So then, even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong, or on account of the one who was wronged, but to reveal to you your eagerness on our behalf before God.

  • 2 John 1:12
    74%

    12 Conclusion Though I have many other things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink, but I hope to come visit you and speak face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

  • Phil 2:18
    74%

    18 And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me.

  • 1 Thess 2:8
    74%

    8 with such affection for you we were happy to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.

  • Phlm 1:20-21
    2 verses
    74%

    20 Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

    21 Since I was confident that you would obey, I wrote to you, because I knew that you would do even more than what I am asking you to do.

  • 2 Cor 7:15
    73%

    15 And his affection for you is much greater when he remembers the obedience of you all, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.

  • 2 Cor 8:8
    73%

    8 I am not saying this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love by comparison with the eagerness of others.

  • 2 Cor 8:2
    73%

    2 that during a severe ordeal of suffering, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in the wealth of their generosity.

  • 1 Thess 2:17
    73%

    17 Forced Absence from Thessalonica But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, for a short time(in presence, not in affection) we became all the more fervent in our great desire to see you in person.

  • Eph 6:22
    72%

    22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.

  • 2 Cor 11:11
    72%

    11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

  • 2 Cor 1:8
    72%

    8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, regarding the affliction that happened to us in the province of Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living.

  • Gal 4:15
    72%

    15 Where then is your sense of happiness now? For I testify about you that if it were possible, you would have pulled out your eyes and given them to me!

  • Col 4:8
    72%

    8 I sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are doing and that he may encourage your hearts.

  • 1 Thess 3:4
    72%

    4 For in fact when we were with you, we were telling you in advance that we would suffer affliction, and so it has happened, as you well know.

  • 1 Thess 3:7
    72%

    7 So in all our distress and affliction, we were reassured about you, brothers and sisters, through your faith.

  • Rom 15:15
    72%

    15 But I have written more boldly to you on some points so as to remind you, because of the grace given to me by God

  • 2 Cor 1:4
    72%

    4 who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

  • 2 Cor 12:13
    72%

    13 For how were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this injustice!

  • Gal 6:11
    72%

    11 Final Instructions and Benediction See what big letters I make as I write to you with my own hand!

  • 3 John 1:13
    72%

    13 Conclusion I have many things to write to you, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink.

  • 1 Thess 3:12
    72%

    12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you,

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