The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

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- Chapter 2 -

But I determined this within myself, not to return again to you in sorrow.

For if I make you sorrowful, then who is it that can make me glad, except the one who is made sorrowful by me?

And so, I wrote this same thing to you, so that I might not, when I arrive, add sorrow to sorrow for those with whom I ought to rejoice, having confidence in you in all things, so that my joy may be entirely yours.

For with much tribulation and anguish of heart, I wrote to you with many tears: not so that you would be sorrowful, but so that you might know the charity that I have more abundantly toward you.

But if anyone has brought sorrow, he has not sorrowed me. Yet, for my part, this is so that I might not burden all of you.(a)

Let this rebuke be sufficient for someone like this, for it has been brought by many.

So then, to the contrary, you should be more forgiving and consoling, lest perhaps someone like this may be overwhelmed with excessive sorrow.

Because of this, I beg you to confirm your charity toward him.

It was for this reason, also, that I wrote, so that I might know, by testing you, whether you would be obedient in all things.

But anyone whom you have forgiven of anything, I also forgive. And then, too, anyone I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, it was done in the person of Christ for your sakes,(b)

so that we would not be circumvented by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his intentions.

Triumph in Christ

And when I had arrived at Troas, because of the Gospel of Christ, and a door had opened to me in the Lord,

I had no rest within my spirit, because I was not able to find Titus, my brother. So, saying goodbye to them, I set out for Macedonia.

But thanks be to God, who always brings triumph to us in Christ Jesus, and who manifests the fragrance of his knowledge through us in every place.

For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ for God, both with those who are being saved and with those who are perishing.

To the one, certainly, the fragrance is of death unto death. But to the other, the fragrance is of life unto life. And concerning these things, who is so suitable?(c)

For we are not like many others, adulterating the Word of God. But instead, we speak with sincerity: from God, before God, and in Christ.

Footnotes

(a)2:5 The Latin verb ‘contristavit’ is intransitive in the first part of the verse, but this makes the English phrasing somewhat awkward, ‘If anyone has sorrowed [no object], he has not sorrowed me.’ So the phrasing ‘has brought sorrow’ is used.(Conte)

(b)2:10 I also:The apostle here granted an indulgence, or pardon, in the person and by the authority of Christ, to the incestuous Corinthian, whom before he had put under penance, which pardon consisted in a releasing of part of the temporal punishment due to his sin.(Challoner)

(c)2:16 The odour of death, etc:The preaching of the apostle, which by its fragrant odour, brought many to life, was to others, through their own fault, the occasion of death; by their wilfully opposing and resisting that divine call.(Challoner)

But I determined this for myself, that I would not come to you again in sorrow.

For if I make you grieve, then who will make me glad but he who is made to grieve by me?

And I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came, I wouldn’t have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy would be shared by all of you.

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made to grieve, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you.

But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in part (that I not press too heavily) to you all.

This punishment which was inflicted by the many is sufficient for such a one;

so that, on the contrary, you should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his excessive sorrow.

Therefore I beg you to confirm your love toward him.

For to this end I also wrote, that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things.

Now I also forgive whomever you forgive anything. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

Triumph in Christ

Now when I came to Troas for the Good News of Christ, and when a door was opened to me in the Lord,

I had no relief for my spirit, because I didn’t find Titus my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went out into Macedonia.

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and reveals through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place.

For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God in those who are saved and in those who perish:

to the one a stench from death to death, to the other a sweet aroma from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

For we are not as so many, peddling the word of God. But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.