2 Corinthians — Chapter 2

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1So I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you.

2For if I grieve you, who is left to cheer me but those whom I have grieved?

3I wrote as I did so that on my arrival I would not be grieved by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would share my joy.

4For through many tears I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart, not to grieve you but to let you know how much I love you.

5Now if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me but all of you—to some degree, not to overstate it.

6The punishment imposed on him by the majority is sufficient for him.

7So instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

8Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.

9My purpose in writing you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.

10If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ for your sake,

11in order that Satan should not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

12Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and a door stood open for me in the Lord,

13I had no peace in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

14But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

15For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

16To the one we are an odor that brings death, to the other a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?

17For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.

1But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.

2For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?

3And 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.

4For 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.

5But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.

6Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.

7So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

8Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.

9For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.

10To 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;

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

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

13I 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.

14Now 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.

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

16To 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?

17For 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.

1But I determined this for myself, that I would not come again to you with sorrow.

2For if I make you sorry, who then is he that maketh me glad but he that is made sorry by me?

3And I wrote this very thing, 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.

4For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be made sorry, but that ye might know the love that I have more abundantly unto you.

5But if any hath caused sorrow, he hath caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I press not too heavily) to you all.

6Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was [inflicted] by the many;

7so that contrariwise ye should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his overmuch sorrow.

8Wherefore I beseech you to confirm [your] love toward him.

9For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things.

10But to whom ye forgive anything, I [forgive] also: for what I also have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes [have I forgiven it] in the presence of Christ;

11that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

12Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ, and when a door was opened unto me in the Lord,

13I had no relief for my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went forth into Macedonia.

14But thanks be unto God, who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest through us the savor of his knowledge in every place.

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

16to the one a savor from death unto death; to the other a savor from life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

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

1So I made up my own mind not to pay you another painful visit.

2For if I make you sad, who would be left to make me glad but the one I caused to be sad?

3And I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came I would not have sadness from those who ought to make me rejoice, since I am confident in you all that my joy would be yours.

4For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not to make you sad, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you.

5But if anyone has caused sadness, he has not saddened me alone, but to some extent (not to exaggerate) he has saddened all of you as well.

6This punishment on such an individual by the majority is enough for him,

7so that now instead you should rather forgive and comfort him. This will keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive grief to the point of despair.

8Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.

9For this reason also I wrote you: to test you to see if you are obedient in everything.

10If you forgive anyone for anything, I also forgive him—for indeed what I have forgiven (if I have forgiven anything) I did so for you in the presence of Christ,

11so that we may not be exploited by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes).

12Now when I arrived in Troas to proclaim the gospel of Christ, even though the Lord had opened a door of opportunity for me,

13I had no relief in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and set out for Macedonia.

14But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place.

15For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing—

16to the latter an odor from death to death, but to the former a fragrance from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?

17For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit, but we are speaking in Christ before God as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God.

1But I determined this for myself, that I would not come to you again in sorrow.

2For if I make you sorry, then who will make me glad but he who is made sorry by me?

3And 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.

4For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made sorry, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you.

5But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I not press too heavily) to you all.

6This punishment which was inflicted by the many is sufficient for such a one;

7so 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.

8Therefore I beg you to confirm your love toward him.

9For to this end I also wrote, that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things.

10Now 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,

11that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

12Now when I came to Troas for the Good News of Christ, and when a door was opened to me in the Lord,

13I 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.

14Now 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.

15For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God, in those who are saved, and in those who perish;

16to the one a stench from death to death; to the other a sweet aroma from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

17For 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.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

Paul explains he decided against another painful visit and instead wrote to them through many tears, not to cause sadness but to show his deep love for them (vv. 1-4). Regarding the individual who caused grief, he says the discipline already given by the majority is enough, and now urges the church to forgive and comfort him so he is not overwhelmed by excessive sorrow, reaffirming their love for him so Satan cannot gain an advantage through unforgiveness (vv. 5-11). He recounts arriving in Troas with an open door to preach the gospel, yet having no peace of mind because he could not find Titus, so he went on to Macedonia (vv. 12-13). The chapter closes with Paul giving thanks to God, who leads believers in triumphal procession in Christ and spreads the knowledge of Him everywhere, describing believers as the fragrance of Christ — an aroma of life to those being saved and of death to those perishing — unlike others who peddle God's word for profit (vv. 14-17).

Authorship & Background

Author: Paul (see Chapter 1 notes for full authorship details).
Historical Context: Chapter 2 addresses three topics: Paul's reason for not visiting (vv.1-4), the restoration of the disciplined man (vv.5-11), and Paul's ministry as a "sweet savour of Christ" (vv.14-17). The disciplined man is likely the one from 1 Corinthians 5 who has now repented — and Paul urges the church to forgive and restore him.
Classification: Epistle — Pauline
Key Themes: A visit canceled to avoid the very scene a letter was meant to prevent, tears named as the letter's true composition rather than its rebuke, forgiveness commanded for a repentant man lest sorrow swallow him whole, a sentence left broken off at Troas and not resumed until chapter seven, and a triumphal procession where the same fragrance means life to one and death to another
I Wrote With Many Tears (vv.1-4): I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. The visit was canceled to avoid a scene, and the letter sent instead is described in terms nobody would use of a rebuke they enjoyed writing: out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears. The stated purpose is not to wound but to disclose, not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have to you.
Restoration After Discipline (vv.5-11): The man who was excommunicated (1 Cor 5) has repented. Paul now commands: "forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow" (v.7). Discipline that doesn't lead to restoration has failed. And unforgiveness gives Satan an "advantage" (v.11) — he uses both unrepented sin and excessive punishment.
No Rest in My Spirit at Troas (vv.12-13): Two verses that break off mid-thought and are not resumed until chapter 7. When I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, and then the admission, I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother. An open door left unused because he was waiting for news about a church. He goes on into Macedonia to find him, and the sentence stops there.
The Triumph of Christ (vv.14-17): Paul pictures a Roman triumphal procession — a victorious general parading through the city with incense burning. Believers are the "sweet savour of Christ" (v.15) — to some, the fragrance of life; to others, the smell of death. The same Gospel saves and condemns.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik examines Paul's tears, the restoration of the disciplined man, Satan's devices, and the triumphal procession metaphor.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

2 Corinthians 2:12-4:7 | Letters Written on Hearts | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Our Triumph in Jesus Christ - 2 Corinthians 2:14
David Guzik

Two Parades to March In | 2 Corinthians 2:14-17
David Guzik

2 Corinthians 2 – Satan’s Strategies & Jesus’ Victory
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of 2 Corinthians -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Correction Rooted in Love (v.4) — Paul says he wrote his earlier hard letter through much distress and many tears, not from cold superiority. When you have to confront someone, does it come from grief over the relationship or from a desire to win?
  • Restoring the Repentant (vv.7-8) — Once the offender had repented, Paul told the church to forgive and comfort him rather than prolong his punishment, warning that excessive sorrow could overwhelm him. Is there someone who has repented that you're still holding at arm's length?
  • Aware of Satan's Devices (v.11) — Paul says unforgiveness gives Satan an opening, since he exploits both unrepented sin and a community's refusal to restore. Do you recognize the patterns Satan uses against you — accusation, bitterness, division — or does he catch you unaware?
  • Carried Along in Christ's Triumph (v.14) — Paul pictures believers swept into God's victory procession, spreading the knowledge of Christ everywhere like fragrance. Do you live like someone already caught up in a won battle, or like the outcome is still in doubt?
  • The Weight of Being Christ's Fragrance (v.16) — Paul asks who is adequate for a ministry that is the aroma of life to some and death to others, a question he doesn't fully answer until the next chapter. Where are you relying on your own adequacy instead of God's?