2 Corinthians 2:1

When I came. Paul is speaking of his arrival in Corinth and of his early ministry there (see Acts 18:1-18). About three years had since passed. Excellency of speech. Paul did not try to win men by brilliant rhetoric or superior powers of oratory. Neither did he rely on “wisdom,” that is, philosophy, in order to prove the truth of the gospel (see on ch. 1:17-19). The Corinthians were unskilled in divine matters. It was necessary for Paul to instruct the new converts in the very rudiments of the gospel. For this type of instruction brilliant oratory was unsuited. Testimony. Textual evidence may also be cited (cf. p. 10) for the reading “mystery.” For a definition of the word “mystery” see on Rom. 11:25; cf. Eph. 6:19; Col. 2:2; Rev. 10:7. The gospel contains the account of what God has done to rescue man from sin and restore him to harmony with Himself. It records the evidence that God has given, in the life of Christ, of His great love for man.