John Calvin Commentary 2 Corinthians 1:15

"And in this confidence I was minded to come first unto you, that ye might have a second benefit;" — 2 Corinthians 1:15 (ASV)

In this confidence. After having given them reason to expect that he would come, he had subsequently changed his intention. This was made an occasion of slander against him, as appears from the excuse that he presents. When he says that it was from relying on this confidence that he formed the purpose of coming to them, he indirectly throws the blame upon the Corinthians, since they had, by their ingratitude, hindered, to some extent, his coming to them, by depriving him of that confidence.

That ye might have a second benefit. The first benefit had been this—that he had devoted himself for the entire period of a year and six months (Acts 18:11) to the work of gaining them to the Lord; the second was their being confirmed, through his coming to them, in the faith which they had once received, and being motivated by his sacred admonitions to make further progress. Of this latter benefit the Corinthians had deprived themselves, since they had not allowed the apostle to come to them. They were paying, therefore, the penalty of their own fault, and they had no ground for imputing any blame to Paul. If anyone, however, prefers, with Chrysostom, to take χάριν (benefit) as used instead of καράν (joy), I do not much object to it. The former interpretation, however, is simpler.