2 Corinthians 2
The Voice
The believers in Corinth are exhausting Paul and one another with their negativity and criticism. Nothing destroys the beauty of Christian community more aggressively than these kinds of patterns.
2 I finally determined that I would not come to you again for yet another agonizing visit. 2 If my visits create such pain and sorrow for you, who can cheer me up except for those I’ve caused such grief? 3 This is exactly what I was writing to you about earlier so that when we are face-to-face I will not have to wallow in sadness in the presence of friends who should bring me the utmost joy. For I felt sure that my delight would also become your delight. 4 My last letter to you was covered with tears, composed with great difficulty, and frankly, a broken heart. It wasn’t my intention to depress you or cause you pain; rather, I had hoped you would see it for what it was—a demonstration of the overwhelming love I have for all of you.
Interpersonal relationships are often filled with disagreements and tensions. It’s common to hear someone long for the “good old days” of the New Testament when things were simpler and people were holier. But Paul’s ministry proves the first-century churches were no different. They were just as full of fights, tensions, and power plays as modern churches are. We should seek to be loving but also firm when the situation demands it. We should be quick to offer forgiveness to and seek reconciliation with those who turn back from their divisive actions. That’s what Paul did.
5 But if anyone has caused harm, he has not so much harmed me as he has—and I don’t think I’m exaggerating here—harmed all of you. 6 In my view, the majority of you have punished him well enough. 7 So instead of continuing to ostracize him, I encourage you to offer him the grace of forgiveness and the comfort of your acceptance. Otherwise, if he finds no welcome back to the community, I’m afraid he will be overwhelmed with extreme sorrow and lose all hope. 8 So I urge you to demonstrate your love for him once again. 9 I wrote these things to you with a clear purpose in mind: to test whether you are willing to live and abide by all my counsel. 10 If you forgive anyone, I forgive that one as well. Have no doubt, anything that I have forgiven—when I do forgive—is done ultimately for you in the presence of the Anointed One. 11 It’s my duty to make sure that Satan does not win even a small victory over us, for we don’t want to be naïve and then fall prey to his schemes.
12 When I arrived at Troas, bringing the good news of the Anointed, the Lord opened a door there for me. 13 Yet my spirit was restless because I could not find my brother Titus. Eventually I told them good-bye and set out for Macedonia.
14 Yet I am so thankful to God, who always marches us to victory under the banner of the Anointed One; and through us He spreads the beautiful fragrance of His knowledge to every corner of the earth. 15 In a turbulent world where people are either dying or being rescued, we are the sweet smell of the Anointed to God our Father. 16 To those who are dying, they smell the stench of death in us. And to those being rescued, we are the unmistakable scent of life. Who is worthy of this calling? 17 For we are nothing like the others who sell the word of God like a commodity. Do not be mistaken; our words come from God with the utmost sincerity, always spoken through the Anointed in the presence of God.
2 Corinthians 2
New King James Version
Paul Urges Forgiveness
2 But I determined this within myself, (A)that I would not come again to you in sorrow. 2 For if I make you (B)sorrowful, then who is he who makes me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me?
Forgive the Offender
3 And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, (C)I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, (D)having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. 4 For out of much [a]affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, (E)not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.
5 But (F)if anyone has caused grief, he has not (G)grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe. 6 This punishment which was inflicted (H)by the majority is sufficient for such a man, 7 (I)so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. 9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are (J)obedient in all things. 10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For [b]if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Triumph in Christ
12 Furthermore, (K)when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and (L)a [c]door was opened to me by the Lord, 13 (M)I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.
14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us [d]diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ (N)among those who are being saved and (O)among those who are perishing. 16 (P)To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And (Q)who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, as [e]so many, (R)peddling[f] the word of God; but as (S)of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 2:4 tribulation
- 2 Corinthians 2:10 NU indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes
- 2 Corinthians 2:12 Opportunity
- 2 Corinthians 2:14 manifests
- 2 Corinthians 2:17 M the rest
- 2 Corinthians 2:17 adulterating for gain
2 Corinthians 2
English Standard Version
2 For I made up my mind (A)not to make another painful visit to you. 2 For (B)if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? 3 And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, (C)for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. 4 For (D)I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.
Forgive the Sinner
5 Now (E)if anyone has caused pain, (F)he has caused it not to me, but (G)in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. 6 For such a one, (H)this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 so (I)you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 For this is why I wrote, that I might (J)test you and know (K)whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for (L)we are not ignorant of his designs.
Triumph in Christ
12 When (M)I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though (N)a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit (O)was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.
14 But (P)thanks be to God, who in Christ always (Q)leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads (R)the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among (S)those who are being saved and among (T)those who are perishing, 16 (U)to one a fragrance from death to death, (V)to the other a fragrance from life to life. (W)Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
