We again does not include the Corinthian readers.

We cannot do anything against the truth: that is, “we cannot do anything to oppose the truth.” The verb with the negative indicates powerlessness. New Jerusalem Bible translates “we have no power to resist the truth.”

The truth is the gospel or the progress of the gospel.

In the context of chapters 10-13, verse 8 means that when Paul returns to Corinth, he will take the necessary action, depending on whether they have done wrong or have done what is right (verse 8).

In some languages it will be more natural to state the positive side in this verse before the negative: “We can do only those things that advance the truth; we cannot do anything to hold it back.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellingworth, Paul. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .