2 Corinthians 2
2
1 For I have decided this for myself, not to come to you again in sorrow. 2For if I cause you sorrow, then who will make me glad except the one who is caused to be sad by me? 3And I wrote this very thing in order that when I#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal came, I would not experience sorrow from those who ought to have made me glad, because I#*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have confidence”) which is understood as causal have confidence about you all, that my joy belongs to all of you#Literally “is of all of you”. 4For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you through many tears, not so that you may be caused to be sad, but so that you may know the love that I have especially for you.
Forgive and Comfort the Offender
5But if anyone has caused sorrow, he has not caused me sorrow, but to some degree#Literally “in part”—in order not to say too much#Literally “in order not to burden”—to all of you. 6This punishment by the majority is sufficient for such a person. 7So then, you should rather forgive and comfort him, lest somehow this person should be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8Therefore I urge you to confirm your love for him. 9Because for this reason also I wrote, in order that I could know your proven character, whether you are obedient in everything. 10Now to whomever you forgive anything, I also do; for indeed, whatever I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, it is for your sake#Literally “for the sake of you” in the presence of Christ, 11in order that we may not be exploited by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes).
Triumphant Ministry in Christ
12Now when I#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“arrived”) which is understood as temporal arrived in Troas for the gospel of Christ and a door was opened for me by the Lord, 13I did not experience rest in my spirit, because#This infinitive (“find”) is understood as causal I did not find Titus my brother, but saying farewell to them, I departed for Macedonia. 14But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and who reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of him through us in every place. 15For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16to those on the one hand an odor from death to death, and to those on the other hand a fragrance from life to life. And who is qualified for these things? 17For we are not like the majority who peddle the word of God, but as from pure motives—but as from God—we speak before God in Christ.
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2 Corinthians 2
2
1I have decided not to make my next visit with you so painful. 2If I make you feel bad, who would be left to cheer me up, except the people I had made to feel bad? 3The reason I want to be happy is to make you happy. I wrote as I did because I didn't want to visit you and be made to feel bad, when you should make me feel happy. 4At the time I wrote, I was suffering terribly. My eyes were full of tears, and my heart was broken. But I didn't want to make you feel bad. I only wanted to let you know how much I cared for you.
Forgiveness
5I don't want to be hard on you. But if one of you has made someone feel bad, I am not really the one who has been made to feel bad. Some of you are the ones. 6Most of you have already pointed out the wrong that person did, and this is punishment enough for what was done.
7When people sin, you should forgive and comfort them, so they won't give up in despair. 8You should make them sure of your love for them.
9I also wrote because I wanted to test you and find out if you would follow my instructions. 10I will forgive anyone you forgive. Yes, for your sake and with Christ as my witness, I have forgiven whatever needed to be forgiven. 11I have done this to keep Satan from getting the better of us. We all know what goes on in his mind.
12 #
Ac 20.1. When I went to Troas to preach the good news about Christ, I found that the Lord had already prepared the way. 13But I was worried when I didn't find my friend Titus there. So I left the other followers and went on to Macedonia.
14I am grateful that God always makes it possible for Christ to lead us to victory. God also helps us spread the knowledge about Christ everywhere, and this knowledge is like the smell of perfume. 15-16In fact, God thinks of us as a perfume that brings Christ to everyone. For people who are being saved, this perfume has a sweet smell and leads them to a better life. But for people who are lost, it has a bad smell and leads them to a horrible death.
No one really has what it takes to do this work. 17A lot of people try to get rich from preaching God's message. But we are God's sincere messengers, and by the power of Christ we speak our message with God as our witness.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.