2 Corinthians 2–3

2For I have decided this for myself, not to come to you again in sorrow. ²For if I cause you sorrow, then who will make me glad except the one who is caused to be sad by me? ³And I wrote this very thing in order that when I^* came, I would not experience sorrow from those who ought to have made me glad, because I^* have confidence about you all, that my joy belongs to all of you^a. ⁴For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you through many tears, not so that you may be caused to be sad, but so that you may know the love that I have especially for you.

Forgive and Comfort the Offender

⁵But if anyone has caused sorrow, he has not caused me sorrow, but to some degree^b—in order not to say too much^c—to all of you. ⁶This punishment by the majority is sufficient for such a person. ⁷So then, you should rather forgive and comfort him, lest somehow this person should be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸Therefore I urge you to confirm your love for him. ⁹Because for this reason also I wrote, in order that I could know your proven character, whether you are obedient in everything. ¹⁰Now to whomever you forgive anything, I also do; for indeed, whatever I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, it is for your sake^d in the presence of Christ, ¹¹in order that we may not be exploited by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes).

Triumphant Ministry in Christ

¹²Now when I^* arrived in Troas for the gospel of Christ and a door was opened for me by the Lord, ¹³I did not experience rest in my spirit, because^e I did not find Titus my brother, but saying farewell to them, I departed for Macedonia. ¹⁴But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and who reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of him through us in every place. ¹⁵For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, ¹⁶to those on the one hand an odor from death to death, and to those on the other hand a fragrance from life to life. And who is qualified for these things? ¹⁷For we are not like the majority who peddle the word of God, but as from pure motives—but as from God—we speak before God in Christ.

New Covenant Ministry

3Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we, like some, need letters of recommendation to you or from you? ²You are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by all people, ³revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets of human hearts.

⁴Now we possess such confidence through Christ toward God. ⁵Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, ⁶who also makes us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

⁷But if the ministry of death in letters carved on stone came with glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look intently into the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, which was transitory, ⁸how will the ministry of the Spirit not be even more with glory? ⁹For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, by much more will the ministry of righteousness overflow with glory. ¹⁰For indeed what had been glorified has not been glorified in this case, on account of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹For if what was transitory came with glory, by much more what remains is with glory.

¹²Therefore, because we^* have such a hope, we use much boldness, ¹³and not as Moses used to place a veil over his face, in order that the sons of Israel would not stare at the end of what was transitory. ¹⁴But their minds were hardened. For until this very day, the same veil remains upon the reading of the old covenant, not being uncovered, because it is done away with in Christ. ¹⁵But until today, whenever Moses is read aloud, a veil lies upon their heart, ¹⁶but whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. ¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸And we all, with unveiled face, reflecting^a the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory into glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.