2 Corinthians 1:12-2:16

English Standard Version

Paul's Change of Plans

¹² For our boast is this, ^(A)the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity^[a] and ^(B)godly sincerity, ^(C)not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. ¹³ For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand— ¹⁴ just as you did ^(D)partially understand us—that ^(E)on the day of our Lord Jesus ^(F)you will boast of us as ^(G)we will boast of you.

¹⁵ Because I was sure of this, ^(H)I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have ^(I)a second ^(J)experience of grace. ¹⁶ I wanted to visit you ^(K)on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. ¹⁷ Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans ^(L)according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? ¹⁸ As surely as ^(M)God is faithful, ^(N)our word to you has not been Yes and No. ¹⁹ For ^(O)the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, ^(P)Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but ^(Q)in him it is always Yes. ²⁰ For ^(R)all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our ^(S)Amen to God for his glory. ²¹ And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and ^(T)has anointed us, ²² and who has also ^(U)put his seal on us and ^(V)given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.^[b]

²³ But ^(W)I call God to witness against me—it was ^(X)to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. ²⁴ Not that we ^(Y)lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm ^(Z)in your faith.

2 For I made up my mind ^(AA)not to make another painful visit to you. ² For ^(AB)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, ^(AC)for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. ⁴ For ^(AD)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 ^(AE)if anyone has caused pain, ^(AF)he has caused it not to me, but ^(AG)in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. ⁶ For such a one, ^(AH)this punishment by the majority is enough, ⁷ so ^(AI)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 ^(AJ)test you and know ^(AK)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 ^(AL)we are not ignorant of his designs.

Triumph in Christ

¹² When ^(AM)I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though ^(AN)a door was opened for me in the Lord, ¹³ my spirit ^(AO)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 ^(AP)thanks be to God, who in Christ always ^(AQ)leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads ^(AR)the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are the aroma of Christ to God among ^(AS)those who are being saved and among ^(AT)those who are perishing, ^16 (AU)to one a fragrance from death to death, ^(AV)to the other a fragrance from life to life. ^(AW)Who is sufficient for these things?