2 Corinthians 13:8

For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
For	γὰρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
do	δυνάμεθά dunametha	G1410	to be able or possible · verb — present middle indicative, 1st person plural
nothing	οὐ ou	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
against	κατὰ kata	G2596	(prepositionally) down (in place or time) · preposition
truth	ἀληθείας alētheias	G225	truth · noun — genitive singular feminine
but	ἀλλ᾽ all᾽	G235	properly · conjunction
for	ὑπὲρ huper	G5228	"over" · preposition
truth	ἀληθείας. alētheias	G225	truth · noun — genitive singular feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Proverbs 21:30 There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.
Mark 9:39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.
Acts 4:28-30 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
Numbers 16:28-35 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.
Hebrews 2:3-4 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them…
Acts 5:1-11 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
1 Timothy 1:20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
2 Kings 2:23-25 And he went up from thence unto Beth-el: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 13:7-10

Here we have, I. The apostle's prayer to God on the behalf of the Corinthians, that they might do no evil, Co2 13:7. This is the most desirable thing we can ask of God, both for ourselves and for our friends, to be kept from sin, that we and they may do no evil; and it is most needful that we often pray to God for his grace to keep us, because without this we cannot keep ourselves. We are more concerned to pray that we may not do evil than that we may not suffer evil. II. The reasons why the apostle put up this prayer to God on behalf of the Corinthians, which reasons have a special reference to their case, and the subject-matter about which he was writing to them. Observe, he tells them, 1.…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Corinthians 13:8

Our apostolic power is given us that we may use it not against, but for the furtherance of, the truth. Where you are free from fault, there is no scope for its exercise: and this I desire. Far be it from me to use it against the innocent, merely in order to increase my own power (Co2 13:10).

Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 13:8

For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth - As we are the apostles of God, we cannot bring to you any false doctrine; and, as we profess to be under the influence of God's Spirit, we cannot do any thing that is opposed to that truth, or which might be prejudicial to it. On the contrary, what we say and do is for that truth, to propagate and establish it. The Gospel of Jesus is truth; and my testimony concerning it is truth also. In my coming, and in my rod, you have nothing to fear, if you retain and abide in this truth.

John Gill on 2 Corinthians 13:8

For we can do nothing against the truth,.... The apostles had no power, nor could they, nor did they desire to exercise any against such who received the truth of the Gospel in the love of it; who continued in it, walked in it, and held it fast; who worshipped God in Spirit and in truth, and who walked uprightly, and as became the truth; for as the law is not made for such persons, but the reverse, so the authority the apostles had received from Christ was not to be exercised upon such: but for the truth: for the sake of defending the truth against those that dropped, denied, and opposed it; and for the honour of it, by chastising, correcting, reproving, censuring, and punishing such, who e…

The Church Fathers

Paul is saying this because there is no power against the truth. They cannot reprove someone who is living a good life, but only someone who is an enemy of the law. This power will come to nothing if people have done what is good.
— Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

Seest thou how in every way he can, he makes what he says void of offensiveness, and softens the harshness of his menace? Moreover as he has eagerly endeavored this, so is he desirous also to show that his mind was quite joined to them.
— John Chrysostom, Homily 29 on 2 Corinthians

"For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth." For that he may not seem [merely] to be gratifying them, (for this is what one who was void of vain-glory might do,) but to be doing what the nature of the thing demanded, he added this, "for we can do nothing against the truth." "For if we find you," he says, "in good repute, having driven away your sins by repentance and having boldness towards God; we shall not be able thereafter, were we never so willing, to punish you, but should we attempt it even, God will not work with us. For to this end gave He us our power that the judgment we give should be true and righteous, not contrary to the truth."
— John Chrysostom, Homily 29 on 2 Corinthians

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Holiness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

2 Corinthians 13:8

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 13:7-10

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Corinthians 13:8

Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 13:8

John Gill on 2 Corinthians 13:8

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

2 Corinthians 13:8

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 13:7-10

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Corinthians 13:8

Adam Clarke on 2 Corinthians 13:8

John Gill on 2 Corinthians 13:8

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on 2 Corinthians 13:5-9

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 2 Corinthians 13:7-10