I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit. The first benefit was that of his First Epistle; his second would have been his visit to them in person. So Theophylact. Or else the first benefit was his first visit, when he converted them; his second would be his second visit, to confirm them in the faith.
And in this confidence I was minded to come before unto you.
What confidence? 'In relying exceedingly on you, glorying over you, being your glorying, loving you exceedingly, being conscious to myself of nothing evil, being confident that all is spiritual with us, and having you as witnesses of this.'
I was minded to come unto you, and by you to pass into Macedonia.
And yet he promised the contrary in his former Epistle, saying thus: Now I will come unto you when I shall have passed through Macedonia: for I do pass through Macedonia. 1 Corinthians 16:5 How is it then that he here says the contrary? He does not say the contrary: away with the thought. For it is contrary indeed to what he wrote, but not contrary to what he wished.
Wherefore also here he said not, 'I wrote that I would pass by you into Macedonia; but, 'I was minded.' 'For though I did not write on that wise,' he says, 'nevertheless I was greatly desirous, and 'was minded,' even before, to have come unto you: so...
