2 Corinthians 2
2
He does not wish to reiterate censure
1So I would not and could not come to you again in sorrow and reproof. 2Why should I inflict pain on that which is my joy? And why should that bring me pain which was to be my joy? 3-4And indeed I wrote that letter with only one intention in my mind. It was that after I had said what I had to say by letter I might then be able to come to you with all that put behind us, and receive that joy from our meeting and association together which I know you share abundantly with me. 5If anyone in particular has caused pain, that was no pain to me, for in the singling out of that one who was to blame and the cause of trouble, I thereby no longer impute it to all of you. It was a relief rather than a sorrow that his guilt should become clear, and now that this is so, his rebuke is sufficient. 6Your own knowledge of his wrong-doing is quite enough punishment for him; 7-9therefore remember him kindly, be gracious and forgiving towards him; for excessive mortification and punishment only completes a man’s downfall. And remember that in doing so, you represent my feelings also. 10I forgive where you do so; for remember that that forgiveness was for your sake; in the Christ and with your own love set before me I forgave that sin, 11lest by its means Satan might wrestle me a fall. I know his readiness to lay hold of anything in that nature and to get my mind captive thereby.
12I reached Troas then on this intended journey, 13but arrived there I found no help, no one to work with me, for Titus my brother alone could have helped me. A great door was opened for me there, and I had come to proclaim the Christ, yet I could not stay, I was not able to endure without Titus, so I bade them farewell and crossed into Europe. 14Yet in my weakness God himself continually causes me to triumph. It is in the Christ that this happens.
The fragrance of Christian truth
15Through me the fragrance of the knowledge of God is filling the world, like the sweet savour of incense and sacrifice. It is the divine freshness of life in the Christ which forms this fragrance and which makes men whole, and continually points onward to an ever increasing measure of life, and all its infinite possibilities, when released from fate and death. 16But this same fragrance of the new life, alas, to those who know it not and who continue in the power of the flesh and its inevitable doom, this very fragrance shows up the stench of their corruption, so that I become to them the thing of all others that they hate, the index and characteristic sign of their own approaching dissolution. Now who is sufficient for these things? That one should be through the Christ that is present in me, both the life and the death of this material world. 17For that is my position; it is a necessity to me to be all this, it is in utter sincerity that I stand before the world and speak the truth of the Christ as from God in the presence of God. I am not, and you know it, one of those so-called teachers who run round with the Gospel, dispensing it to people for a consideration.
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Translated in 1916, published in 1937.
2 Corinthians 2
2
1In fact, I made up my mind about this: # Lit I decided this for myself I would not come to you on another painful visit. # Lit not again in sorrow to come to you 2For if I cause you pain, then who will cheer me other than the one being hurt by me? # Lit the one pained 3I wrote this very thing so that when I came I wouldn’t have pain from those who ought to give me joy, because I am confident # Php 1:25 about all of you that my joy will also be yours. 4For I wrote to you with many tears out of an extremely troubled and anguished heart — not that you should be hurt, but that you should know the abundant love I have for you.
A Sinner Forgiven
5If anyone has caused pain, he has caused pain not so much to me but to some degree — not to exaggerate # 2Th 3:8 — to all of you. 6The punishment inflicted by the majority is sufficient for that person. 7As a result, you should instead forgive # Mt 6:12 and comfort him. Otherwise, this one may be overwhelmed by excessive grief. 8Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. 9I wrote for this purpose: to test your character # Rm 5:4 to see if you are obedient # Php 2:8 in everything. 10If you forgive anyone, I do too. For what I have forgiven — if I have forgiven anything — it is for you in the presence of Christ. 11I have done this so that we may not be taken advantage # 2Co 12:17 of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.
A Trip to Macedonia
12When I came to Troas # Ac 16:8 to preach the gospel of Christ, the Lord opened a door # Col 4:3 for me. 13I had no rest # 2Th 1:7 in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus, # Ti 1:4 but I said good-bye to them and left for Macedonia. # Ac 16:9
A Ministry of Life or Death
14But thanks be to God, # 1Co 15:57 who always puts us on display # Or always leads us in a triumphal procession, or always causes us to triumph in Christ # Lit in the Christ, or in the Messiah ; 1Co 15:22; Eph 1:10,12,20; 3:11 and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. # Jn 17:3; 1Jn 4:8 15For to God we are the fragrance # Eph 5:2; Php 4:18 of Christ among those who are being saved # Mt 9:22; Ac 16:30; Eph 2:8 and among those who are perishing. # Jn 6:27 16To some we are an aroma of death # Mt 10:21; Jn 8:51; Php 3:10 leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life # 1Jn 5:12 leading to life. And who is competent for this? 17For we are not like the many # Other mss read the rest who market God’s message # Mt 12:36; Mk 4:14; Lk 6:47; 8:21; Jn 1:1; 2:22; 18:32; Ac 17:11; 2Tm 2:15; Heb 4:12 for profit. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.
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