2 Corinthians 2

Berean Standard Bible

Chapter summary

Paul decided not to make another painful visit to the Corinthians and instead wrote to them out of great distress with many tears to express his love. He noted that the punishment inflicted by the majority on the person who caused grief was sufficient, and he asked the community to forgive, comfort, and reaffirm their love for that individual. Paul then explained that when he traveled to Troas to preach the gospel, he lacked peace because he did not find Titus there, prompting him to say goodbye and travel on to Macedonia. He expressed gratitude to God for leading believers and spreading the knowledge of Him everywhere like a fragrance. Finally, Paul stated that unlike those who peddled the word of God for profit, he and his companions spoke with sincerity before God in Christ.

Summary automatically generated from the Bible text.

Words of Jesus in red

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.

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Louis Segond 1910 and Berean Standard Bible: public domain. Cross references: open-cross-ref, Creative Commons BY 4.0.