2 Corinthians 2: Forgiveness and Christ's Triumph
Paul urges forgiveness for a repentant offender and praises Christ's triumph.
Explaining the delay he mentioned in 2 Corinthians 1, Paul says he wrote his earlier tearful letter to spare the Corinthians a painful visit, and now urges the church to forgive and comfort the offender he rebuked, lest the man be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.
For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same who is made sorry by me?
And I wrote this same to you, lest, coming I should have sorrow from them by whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is [the joy] of you all.
For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly to you.
But if any hath caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.
Sufficient to such a man [is] this punishment, which [was inflicted] by many.
So that on the other hand, ye [ought] rather to forgive [him], and comfort [him], lest perhaps such one should be swallowed up with excessive sorrow.
Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm [your] love towards him.
For to this end also I wrote, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things.
To whom ye forgive any thing, I [forgive] also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave [it], for your sakes [I forgave it], in the person of Christ;
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Furthermore, when I came to Troas to [preach] the gospel of Christ, and a door was opened to me by the Lord,
I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.
Now thanks [be] to God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place.
For we are to God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
To the one [we are] the savor of death to death; and to the other the savor of life to life. And who [is] sufficient for these things?
For we are not as many, who corrupt the word of God: but as from sincerity, but as from God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.