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So gar I decided krinō this houtos within myself emautou, not to come erchomai to pros you hymeis again palin with en sorrow lypē. For gar if ei I egō cause you hymeis sorrow lypeō, then kai who tis is there ho to make me egō glad euphrainō except ei mē the ho one made sorrowful lypeō by ek me egō? And kai I wrote graphō this houtos very thing autos so that hina when I came erchomai, I would echō not have echō sorrow lypē from apo those hos who ought dei to make me egō rejoice chairō, having confidence peithō in epi you hymeis all pas that hoti · ho my emos joy chara would be eimi the joy of you hymeis all pas. For gar out ek of much polys distress thlipsis and kai anguish synochē of heart kardia I wrote graphō to you hymeis, with dia many polys tears dakryon, not ou to hina cause you sorrow lypeō but alla to hina let you know ginōskō the ho love agapē that hos I have echō especially perissoterōs for eis you hymeis. But de if ei anyone tis has caused sorrow lypeō, he has caused sorrow lypeō not ou for me egō, but alla in apo some measure meros not to hina overstate the case epibareō—for all pas of you hymeis. This houtos punishment epitimia on ho such a person toioutos · ho · ho by hypo the ho majority polys is enough hikanos for him, so that hōste you hymeis should rather mallon forgive charizomai and kai console parakaleō him, lest mē pōs he toioutos be swallowed up katapinō by ho excessive perissoteros sorrow lypē. · ho So dio I urge parakaleō you hymeis to show that your love agapē for eis him autos is real kyroō. For eis this houtos reason also kai I wrote graphō you: to hina discover ginōskō whether you hymeis could · ho stand the test dokimē if ei in eis everything pas you are eimi obedient hypēkoos. 10 Now de the one to whom hos you forgive charizomai anything tis, I also kagō do the same; for gar indeed kai, what hos I egō have forgiven charizomai if ei I have forgiven charizomai anything tis—I did so for dia your hymeis benefit in en the presence prosōpon of Christ Christos, 11 lest hina mē we be taken advantage pleonekteō of by hypo · ho Satan Satanas; for gar we are agnoeō not ou unaware of agnoeō his autos · ho intentions noēma.

12 When I came erchomai · de to eis · ho Troas Trōias to eis proclaim the ho gospel euangelion of ho Christ Christos, even kai though anoigō a door thura had been opened anoigō for me egō by en the Lord kyrios, 13 I had echō no ou relief anesis for ho my egō spirit pneuma, · ho because I egō could not find heuriskō my egō brother adelphos Titus Titos · ho there. So alla I said good-bye apotassō to them autos and went exerchomai on to eis Macedonia Makedonia. 14 But de thanks charis be to ho God theos, who ho is always pantote leading thriambeuō us hēmeis in triumph in en · ho Christ Christos, and kai through dia us hēmeis is making known phaneroō the ho fragrance osmē of the ho knowledge gnōsis of him autos in en every pas place topos. 15 For hoti we are eimi an aroma euōdia of Christ Christos to ho God theos among en those ho who are being saved sōzō. · kai Among en those ho who are perishing apollymi 16 we are a deadly ek fume osmē that eis kills thanatos, but de to the former hos we are a life-giving ek fragrance osmē that eis brings life zōē. And kai who tis is adequate hikanos for pros ministry like this houtos? 17 For gar we are eimi not ou like hōs · ho so many polys, peddling kapēleuō the ho word logos of ho God theos. To the contrary alla, in en Christ Christos we speak laleō in the sight katenanti of God theos as hōs men of ek sincerity eilikrineia, as hōs men sent from ek God theos.

So I made up my mind not to make another visit that causes you grief.(A) For if I cause you grief, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have grieved? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came, I might not suffer grief from those who should have made me rejoice, for I am confident about all of you, that my joy would be the joy of all of you.(B) For I wrote you out of much distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you grief but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

Forgiveness for the Offender

But if anyone has caused grief, he has caused it not to me but to some extent—not to exaggerate it—to all of you. This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person;(C) so now instead you should forgive and console him, so that he may not be overwhelmed by even worse grief. So I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. I wrote for this reason: to test you and to know whether you are obedient in everything.(D) 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. In fact, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ. 11 And we do this so that we may not be outwitted by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his designs.

Paul’s Anxiety in Troas

12 When I came to Troas to proclaim the good news[a] of Christ, a door was opened for me in the Lord,(E) 13 but my mind could not rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said farewell to them and went on to Macedonia.

14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him.[b] 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing:(F) 16 to the one group a fragrance from death[c] to death, to the other a fragrance from life[d] to life. Who is qualified for these things?(G) 17 For we are not peddlers of God’s word like so many,[e] but as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God, we are speaking in Christ before God.(H)

Footnotes

  1. 2.12 Or the gospel
  2. 2.14 Gk the fragrance of the knowledge of him
  3. 2.16 Other ancient authorities read fragrance of death that leads
  4. 2.16 Other ancient authorities read fragrance of life that leads
  5. 2.17 Other ancient authorities read like the rest

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)