Note 11 at 2 Cor. 1:18: Paul is saying that he hadn't failed to deliver on the promise in his previous letter (1 Cor. 4:19; 11:34; 16:5-7). He said he was coming and he was. Paul was a man of his word. As surely as God means what He says, Paul didn't say yes and mean no. Paul was God's spokesman and the message he preached was none other than the Word of God. If Paul's words could be in question, his message could be questioned also.

The only thing that had changed was the timing of his visit. He revealed in the next few verses that he had delayed his coming because he didn't want to rebuke them again (see note 18 at v. 23, p. 981). He felt they still had some things out of order, so he was writing this letter to straighten those things out in hopes that his next visit would be a pleasant one.