1 For I made up my minduch. 1:23; [ch. 12:20, 21; 13:10] not to make another painful visit to you. 2 Forv[ch. 7:8] 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,wch. 8:22; Gal. 5:10; 2 Thess. 3:4; [ch. 7:16] for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. 4 Forxch. 7:8, 12; See Acts 20:19 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.
5 Nowy[1 Cor. 5:1, 2] if anyone has caused pain,z[Gal. 4:12] he has caused it not to me, butach. 1:14 in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. 6 For such a one,b1 Cor. 5:4, 5; [ch. 7:11] this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 socGal. 6:1; [Eph. 4:32] 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 mightdPhil. 2:22 test you and knowech. 7:15; 10:6 whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. 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; forfSee 1 Pet. 5:8 we are not ignorant of his designs.
12 WhengActs 16:8; 20:6 I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even thoughhSee Acts 14:27 a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spiritich. 7:5 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 Butjch. 8:16; [ch. 9:15]; See Rom. 6:17 thanks be to God, who in Christ alwayskCol. 2:15 (Gk.) leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreadslEph. 5:2; Phil. 4:18; [Song 1:3] the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God amongmSee 1 Cor. 1:18 those who are being saved and amongnch. 4:3 those who are perishing, 16 o[Luke 2:34; John 9:39; 1 Pet. 2:7, 8] to one a fragrance from death to death,o[Luke 2:34; John 9:39; 1 Pet. 2:7, 8] to the other a fragrance from life to life.pch. 3:5, 6 Who is sufficient1Or competent for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.