2¹In fact, I made up my mind about this: ^gI would not come to you on another painful visit. ^h²For if I cause you pain, then who will cheer me other than the one being hurt by me? ⁱ³I wrote this very thing so that when I came I wouldn’t have pain from those who ought to give me joy, because I am confident ^jabout all of you that my joy will also be yours. ⁴For I wrote to you with many tears out of an extremely troubled and anguished heart—not that you should be hurt, but that you should know the abundant love I have for you.

A Sinner Forgiven

⁵If anyone has caused pain, he has caused pain not so much to me but to some degree—not to exaggerate ^k—to all of you. ⁶The punishment inflicted by the majority is sufficient for that person. ⁷As a result, you should instead forgive ^land comfort him. Otherwise, this one may be overwhelmed by excessive grief. ⁸Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. ⁹I wrote for this purpose: to test your character ^mto see if you are obedient ⁿin everything. ¹⁰If you forgive anyone, I do too. For what I have forgiven—if I have forgiven anything—it is for you in the presence of Christ. ¹¹I have done this so that we may not be taken advantage ^oof by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.

A Trip to Macedonia

¹²When I came to Troas ^pto preach the gospel of Christ, the Lord opened a door ^qfor me. ¹³I had no rest ^rin my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus, ^sbut I said good-bye to them and left for Macedonia. ^t

A Ministry of Life or Death

¹⁴But thanks be to God, ^uwho always puts us on display ^vin Christ ^wand through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. ^x¹⁵For to God we are the fragrance ^yof Christ among those who are being saved ^zand among those who are perishing. ^a¹⁶To some we are an aroma of death ^bleading to death, but to others, an aroma of life ^cleading to life. And who is competent for this? ¹⁷For we are not like the many ^dwho market God’s message ^efor profit. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.

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Footnotes

g2:1 I decided this for myself
h2:1 not again in sorrow to come to you
i2:2 the one pained
v2:14 Or always leads us in a triumphal procession, or always causes us to triumph
w2:14 in the Christ, or in the Messiah; 1Co 15:22; Eph 1:10, 12, 20; 3:11
d2:17 Other read the rest

Cross references

j2:3 Php 1:25
k2:5 2Th 3:8
l2:7 Mt 6:12
m2:9 Rm 5:4
n2:9 Php 2:8
o2:11 2Co 12:17
p2:12 Ac 16:8
q2:12 Col 4:3
r2:13 2Th 1:7
s2:13 Ti 1:4
t2:13 Ac 16:9
u2:14 1Co 15:57
x2:14 Jn 17:3; 1Jn 4:8
y2:15 Eph 5:2; Php 4:18
z2:15 Mt 9:22; Ac 16:30; Eph 2:8
a2:15 Jn 6:27
b2:16 Mt 10:21; Jn 8:51; Php 3:10
c2:16 1Jn 5:12
e2:17 Mt 12:36; Mk 4:14; Lk 6:47; 8:21; Jn 1:1; 2:22; 18:32; Ac 17:11; 2Tm 2:15; Heb 4:12