And I was with you in {c} weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

(c) He contrasts weakness with excellency of words, and therefore joins with it fear and trembling, which are companions of true modesty, not such fear and trembling as terrify the conscience, but such as are contrary to vanity and pride.

People's New Testament

2:3 I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. In this great center of Greek culture, he felt a human timidity at first in presenting the simple gospel in the face of the splendors of the Greek philosophy.

Wesley's Notes

2:3 And I was with you - At my first entrance. In weakness - Of body, 2Cor 12:7 And in fear - Lest I should offend any. And in much trembling - The emotion of my mind affecting my very body.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

3. I-the preacher: as 1Co 2:2 describes the subject, "Christ crucified," and 1Co 2:4 the mode of preaching: "my speech . not with enticing words," "but in demonstration of the Spirit."

weakness-personal and bodily (2Co 10:10; 12:7, 9; Ga 4:13).

trembling-(compare Php 2:12). Not personal fear, but a trembling anxiety to perform a duty; anxious conscientiousness, as proved by the contrast to "eye service" (Eph 6:5) [Conybeare and Howson].

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

2:1-5 Christ, in his person, and offices, and sufferings, is the sum and substance of the gospel, and ought to be the great subject of a gospel minister's preaching, but not so as to leave out other parts of God's revealed truth and will. Paul preached the whole counsel of God. Few know the fear and trembling of faithful ministers, from a deep sense of their own weakness They know how insufficient they are, and are fearful for themselves. When nothing but Christ crucified is plainly preached, the success must be entirely from Divine power accompanying the word, and thus men are brought to believe, to the salvation of their souls.