所以,我自己这样决定:不再带着忧伤到你们那里去。 因为如果我使你们忧伤,那么,除了我使他忧伤的那个人,谁能使我欢喜呢? 我写了那封信[a],免得我来的时候,那些本应该使我喜乐的人使我忧伤,因为我深信你们大家以我的喜乐为你们大家的喜乐。 我在极大的患难和内心的痛苦中,流了许多泪水写给你们,并不是要使你们忧伤,而是要你们知道我对你们怀有更多的爱。

饶恕犯罪的人

如果有人使人忧伤,他不是使我忧伤,而是在某种程度上使你们大家忧伤——我这样说,免得说得太严重。 这样的人,受了大多数人的那惩罚已经够了。 所以,你们反而更要饶恕他、安慰他,免得他被过度的忧伤吞没了。 因此,我恳求你们向他证实你们的爱。 其实我也为此写了信[b],就是要知道你们经过考验的品德:你们是否在一切事上都顺从。 10 你们在任何事上饶恕了谁,我也饶恕谁;实际上,我如果饶恕了什么,我所饶恕的,就是在基督面前为了你们的缘故而饶恕的, 11 免得被撒旦占了上风,因为我们不是不明白它的意图。

马其顿之行

12 我为了基督的福音来到特罗阿斯的时候,虽然主为我开了门, 13 我还是灵里不安,因为我没有见到我的弟兄提多。因此我向那里的人告别,往马其顿省去了。

生命与死亡的香气

14 但是感谢神!他总是率领我们在基督里夸胜,并且藉着我们,在各地传扬因认识基督[c]而有的香气。 15 因为在神面前,无论在得救的人中间,还是在灭亡的人中间,我们都是基督的馨香: 16 对灭亡的人,我们是死亡的香气以至于死亡;对得救的人,我们是生命的香气以至于生命。对这些事,到底谁配得上呢? 17 实际上,我们不像许多人那样,用神的话语[d]来做生意;相反,我们是出于真诚、出于神,在神面前、在基督里讲话。

Footnotes

  1. 哥林多后书 2:3 那封信——原文直译“这件事”。
  2. 哥林多后书 2:9 信——辅助词语。
  3. 哥林多后书 2:14 基督——原文直译“他”。
  4. 哥林多后书 2:17 神的话语——或译作“神的道”。

You see, I settled it in my mind that I wouldn’t make you another sad visit. After all, if I make you sad, who is there to cheer me up except the one who is sad because of me? And I wrote what I did so that I wouldn’t come and find sadness where I should have found joy. I have this confidence about all of you, that my joy belongs to you all. No: I wrote to you in floods of tears, out of great trouble and anguish in my heart, not so that I could make you sad but so that you would know just how much overflowing love I have towards you.

Time to forgive

But if anyone has caused sadness, it isn’t me that he has saddened, but, in a measure (I don’t want to emphasize this too much), all of you. The punishment that the majority has imposed is quite enough; what’s needed now is rather that you should forgive and console him, in case someone like that might be swallowed up by such abundant sorrow. Let me urge you, then, to reaffirm your love for him.

The reason I wrote to you, you see, was in order to know whether you would pass the test and be obedient in everything. 10 If you forgive anyone anything, so do I; and whatever I have forgiven—if indeed I have forgiven anyone anything!—it’s all happened under the eyes of the Messiah, and for your own sake. 11 The point is that we shouldn’t be outsmarted by the satan. We know what he’s up to!

The smell of life, the smell of death

12 However, when I came to Troas to announce the Messiah’s gospel, and found an open door waiting for me in the Lord, 13 I couldn’t get any quietness in my spirit because I didn’t find my brother Titus there. So I left them and went off to Macedonia.

14 But thanks be to God—the God who always leads us in his triumphal procession in the Messiah, and through us reveals everywhere the sweet smell of knowing him. 15 We are the Messiah’s fragrance before God, you see, to those who are being saved and to those who are being lost. 16 To the latter, it’s a smell which comes from death and leads to death; but to the former it’s the smell of life which leads to life.

Who can rise to this challenge? 17 We aren’t mere peddlers of God’s word, as so many people are. We speak with sincerity; we speak from God; we speak in God’s presence; we speak in the Messiah.

For I made up my mind not to make you another painful visit. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. For I wrote 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.

Forgiveness for the Offender

But if any one has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to you all. For such a one this punishment by the majority is enough; so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Any one whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 to keep Satan from gaining the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

Paul’s Anxiety in Troas

12 When I came to Tro′as to preach the gospel of Christ, a door was opened for me in the Lord; 13 but my mind could not rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedo′nia.

14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. 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.

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)