2 Corinthians
CHAPTER 2
Receiving back the disciplined brother
But I determined this for myself, that I would not come again to you with sorrow. 2 For if I make you sorry, who then is he that makes me glad, but he that is made sorry by me? 3 And I wrote this very thing, lest when I came, I should receive sorrow from those in whom I ought to rejoice- having confidence in you all, that my joy is in you all. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears. Not that you should be made sorry, but that you might know the love that I have more abundantly for you.
5 But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not so much to me but in a sense (not to put it too severely) to you all. 6 Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority. 7 So that to the contrary you should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his excessive sorrow. 8 Therefore I beg you to confirm your love toward him. 9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know, by putting you to the test, if you are obedient in all things. 10 But to whom you forgive anything, I also. When I also forgive- if I need to forgive- then I do it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so 11 that no advantage may be gained over us by the Satan. For we are not ignorant of his devices.
Paul protests his sincerity
12 Now when I came to Troas for the sake of the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened to me in the Lord, 13 I had no relief for my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went into Macedonia. 14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ and makes manifest through us the savour of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are a sweet savour of Christ to God in those that are saved and in those that perish. 16 To the one a savour from death to death; to the other a savour from life to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not as most, corrupting the word of God; but as of sincerity and as of God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
Commentary
2:6 This may refer to the case of the immoral brother about which Paul had earlier written in 1 Cor. 5, advising the church to separate from this person. But Paul knew that excessive separation from even such an immoral person can result in psychological and spiritual damage if they have repented (v. 7).
2:12 A door was opened- God sometimes gives us opportunities to make a special witness for Him, and we must have the courage to take them.
2:14 This alludes to the Roman triumph, whereby the victorious soldiers marched through the streets in glory and with the burning of incense after defeating their enemy. The victory of Jesus on the cross should fill us with such a sense of victory and glory.
