爱之深责之切

我已经决定了,下次到你们那里时不再使大家忧伤。 如果我使你们忧伤,那么除了因我而忧伤的你们,还有谁能使我喜乐呢? 我曾为这事写信给你们,免得我到你们那里时,那些本该使我喜乐的人反而使我忧伤。我也深信你们会以我的喜乐为你们的喜乐。 我万分难过、泪流满面地给你们写了前一封信,并非要使你们忧伤,而是要你们明白我是多么疼爱你们。

要饶恕犯罪的人

那个令人痛心的人与其说使我忧伤,倒不如说使你们大家都有几分忧伤。我只说几分忧伤,是怕说得太重,他受不了。 这样的人受了众人的谴责也就够了。 你们现在要饶恕他、安慰他,免得他忧伤过度而一蹶不振。 我劝你们要让他确实知道你们仍然爱他。 为此,我也曾写信给你们,想知道你们是否凡事顺服。 10 你们饶恕谁,我也饶恕谁。我若饶恕,是为了你们的缘故在基督面前饶恕的, 11 免得撒旦乘虚而入,因为我们并非不知道它的诡计。

基督的香气

12 我前往特罗亚传扬基督的福音时,主为我打开了传福音的大门。 13 那时,因为没有找到提多弟兄,我心里不安,便辞别众人来到马其顿。

14 感谢上帝,祂常常在基督里率领我们走在凯旋的行列中,又借着我们到处散发那因认识基督而有的香气。 15 不论是在得救的人当中还是在灭亡的人当中,对上帝来说,我们都是基督的馨香之气。 16 对灭亡的人而言,这香气是叫人死亡的香气;对得救的人来说,这香气却是叫人得生命的香气。谁能担当这样的重任呢? 17 我们并不像许多人为了谋利而出卖上帝的道。我们是上帝差遣的,在上帝面前靠着基督诚诚实实地讲道。

所以我下定决心,下一次去拜访你们时,不再让你们悲伤。 如果我让你们悲伤,那么谁能使我幸福呢?只有你们才能让我高兴—而我却引起你们的悲伤。 我为此原因写过信给你们,以便我到你们那里时不会让那些应该使我幸福的人令我悲伤。我肯定你们所有的人都会分享我的快乐。 我以前给你们写信时,心里充满了痛苦和忧伤,流了许多眼泪。但我写信不是要使你们悲伤,而是要使你们知道我是多么地爱你们。

宽恕犯错的人

如果有人令人悲伤,他不是针对我,而是针对你们大家的,至少在某种程度上是这样。 你们大部分人给他的惩罚已经够了。 现在应该宽恕他、鼓励他,免得他承受太大的痛苦,使他彻底绝望。 所以我请求你们向他证实你们对他的爱。 我给你们写信的原因就是要看你们是否经得起考验,是否事事顺从。 10 如果你们宽恕谁,我就宽恕谁。如果我有所宽恕,那是我在基督面前为你们而宽恕的, 11 我这么做,为的是不让撒旦占上风,因为我们对他的企图很清楚。

上帝引导我们战胜困难

12 我去特罗亚传播基督福音时,尽管主在那里为我敞开了道路, 13 但是,我还是很不安,因为我没有在那里找到我的兄弟提多。于是,我就告辞,前往马其顿去了。

14 但是,感谢上帝。通过基督上帝总是引导我们走在胜利的行列中,并且通过我们,把关于对他的认识就像芬芳的香气传遍各地。 15 我们是基督奉献给上帝的芬芳香气,弥漫在得救和趋向毁灭的人之中。 16 对于那些趋向毁灭的人来说,我们是导致死亡的臭气,但是对于那些得救的人,我们是带来生命的馨香。那么谁能胜任这项工作呢? 17 我们没有像许多人那样以出卖上帝的信息来赢利,绝对没有!而是像上帝派遣的人那样,在基督里在上帝面前、在真理之中讲话。

我自己決定了,到你們那裡去的時候,不再是憂愁的。 如果我使你們憂愁,除了那因我而憂愁的人以外,誰能使我快樂呢? 我寫了這樣的信,免得我來的時候,應該使我快樂的人反而使我憂愁;我深信你們眾人都以我的喜樂為你們的喜樂。 我從前心裡痛苦難過,流著眼淚寫信給你們,並不是要使你們憂愁,而是要你們知道我是多麼愛你們。

饒恕犯罪的弟兄

如果有人使人憂愁,他不是使我憂愁,而是使你們眾人都有一點憂愁;我只說有一點,是避免說得過分。 這樣的人受了許多人的責備,也就夠了, 倒不如饒恕他,安慰他,免得他因憂愁過度而受不了。 所以,我勸你們要向他確實顯明你們的愛心。 為這緣故,我寫了那封信,要考驗你們是不是凡事都順從。 10 你們饒恕誰,我也饒恕誰;我所饒恕了的(如果我饒恕過甚麼),是為了你們在基督面前饒恕的, 11 免得撒但有機可乘,因為我們並不是不曉得他的詭計。

基督的馨香

12 從前我為基督的福音到了特羅亞,雖然主給我開了門, 13 我心裡仍然沒有安寧,因為見不到提多弟兄。於是我辭別了那裡的人,到馬其頓去了。

14 感謝 神,他常常在基督裡,使我們這些作俘虜的,列在凱旋的隊伍當中,又藉著我們在各地散播香氣,就是使人認識基督。 15 因為無論在得救的人或滅亡的人中間,我們都是基督的馨香,是獻給 神的。 16 對於滅亡的人,這是死亡的氣味叫人死;對於得救的人,這卻是生命的香氣使人活。這些事誰夠資格作呢? 17 我們不像那許多的人,為了圖利而謬講 神的道。相反地,我們講話,是出於真誠,出於 神,是在 神面前、在基督裡的。

So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you.(A) For if I grieve you,(B) who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? I wrote as I did,(C) so that when I came I would not be distressed(D) by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence(E) in all of you, that you would all share my joy. For I wrote you(F) out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

Forgiveness for the Offender

If anyone has caused grief,(G) he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment(H) inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him,(I) so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. Another reason I wrote you(J) was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.(K) 10 Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan(L) might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.(M)

Ministers of the New Covenant

12 Now when I went to Troas(N) to preach the gospel of Christ(O) and found that the Lord had opened a door(P) for me, 13 I still had no peace of mind,(Q) because I did not find my brother Titus(R) there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.(S)

14 But thanks be to God,(T) who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma(U) of the knowledge(V) of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma(W) of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.(X) 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death;(Y) to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?(Z) 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit.(AA) On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity,(AB) as those sent from God.(AC)

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 which is made sorry by me?

And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of 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 unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

But if any have 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 of many.

So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.

For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.

10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;

11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,

13 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.

14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.