And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, were believing and were being baptized.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, together with all the saints who are in all Achaia:
But I beseech you that when I am present I may not be bold with the confidence with which I plan to be bold toward some, who consider us as walking according to the flesh.
For I am afraid, lest perhaps when I come, I will not find you as I desire, and that I will be found by you as you do not desire; lest perhaps there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, disputes, slanders, gossipings, pride, disorders;
Because of this I write these things being absent, in order that when I am present I may not deal sharply with you, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for edification and not for destruction.
I have previously said, and I say beforehand, as being present the second time, and now being absent I write to those who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare you,