|
| Chapter 2 |
| Bible Text | Notes and Thoughts |
|
1 ¶ But I determined this within myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. 2 For if I make you sorrowful, who is he then who maketh me glad, but the same who is made sorrowful by me? 3 And I wrote as I did unto you lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from those of whom I ought to rejoice, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. 4 For 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 for you. 5 ¶ But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part" that I may not overburden you all. 6 Sufficient to such a man is this censure, which was inflicted by many, 7 so that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 8 Therefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him. 9 For to this end also did I write, that I might have proof from you, whether ye be obedient in all things. 10 To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also; for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, I forgave it for your sakes in the person of Christ, 11 lest Satan should get an advantage over us. For we are not ignorant of his devices. 12 ¶ Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's Gospel, and a door was opened unto me by the Lord, 13 I 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. 14 Now thanks be unto God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ and who maketh manifest through us the savor of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in those who are saved and in those who perish: 16 to the one we are the savor of death unto death, and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not as many who corrupt the Word of God; but as out of sincerity, but as from God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. |
Paul seems to be having problems with one member of the church, it may have had something to do with Paul’s promised visits which had been delayed.2 Cor 1:12-18. Or it may have been the man Paul referred to in 1 Cor 5. Paul had dealt with this problem by a quick visit 2 Cor 12:14ff; 2 Cor 13:1ff. This has created a slight problem as we only have a record of one visit to Corinth by Paul Acts 18:1-18. There was another possible problem, someone was challenging Paul’s apostolic authority. No details are given to what Paul is referring. v1-4 Paul does not think of his own feelings, he is so sad about the problem, he wants them to be full of joy but knows that his words will probably cause hurt for someone. Sometimes it is necessary to hurt someone you love to prevent them harming themselves. A baby playing with a sharp knife will cry when it is taken away for their protection. v5-6 "If any one" Paul states that the offence was against the whole church not just against him. Paul does not mention the name of the person causing his sadness, it also looks as if he was causing the church to split. If it was the person from 1 Cor 5 Paul had told the church to discipline the man, and this had been done, with the man repenting so it looks like another person. v9 Paul seems to have sent a short sharp letter, a copy of which we do not have, to the man, this had brought repentance by the man and Paul tells the Corinthian church that he has forgiven that man. v9 Also shows that Paul was checking if the church would accept his authority on the matter. v7-11 When he eventually met up with Titus, Paul was told that the church had disciplined the man. Paul now asks the church members to forgive the man, he gives four reasons why they should do this:- 1) For the man’s own sake, v7 "be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.." He must not be allowed to drift away from the church and the Lord. Gal 6:1. 2) They should show their love for him, v8. 3) For the sake of the church, do not let Satan win. v11. 4) Finally for the sake of the Lord, v9-10. The church must be united in Christ. Paul’s Plan’s full of problems. v12-17. This appears to be referring to his ministry after the Ephesus riots Acts 19ff. v12-13 God has given Paul an ‘open door’ in Troas for the ministry but his other arrangements had fallen apart, he had arranged to meet Titus, who he had sent to Corinth to sort out the problems. v14 Paul now breaks off his report to give praise to God as he remembers the good news brought by Titus. v15-16 Paul, who was once out to destroy the church is being led by his Lord in spreading a ‘sweet smell’ of salvation, but it also was a smell of death to those who rejected it. v16-17 "Who is sufficient for the task?" Paul asks. Who is prepared to take on the responsibility and terrible consequences for the hearers. Paul emphasized that he gave the full message, commission by God, not as those who were corrupting the Word of God, for their own gain. See: 2 Cor 9:8 and Christ is sufficient, John 1:16; Phil 4:13; Gal 2:20. |
Easy English Translation
| Back to previous page | Return to Home Page |
| The 2nd Letter to Corinthians |
| Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 |
| Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 |
| Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 |
| Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 |
| Chapter 13 | Introduction page |
