1 In fact, I made up my mind about this: I would not come to you on another painful visit. 2 For if I cause you pain, then who will cheer me other than the one being hurt by me? 3 I 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 x about all of you that my joy will also be yours. 4 For I wrote to you with many tears out of an extremely troubled and anguished heart—not to cause you pain, but that you should know the abundant love I have for you.
A Sinner Forgiven
5 If anyone has caused pain, he has caused pain not so much to me but to some degree—not to exaggerate y—to all of you. 6 This punishment by the majority is sufficient for that person. 7 As a result, you should instead forgive z and comfort him. Otherwise, he may be overwhelmed by excessive grief. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. 9 I wrote for this purpose: to test your character a to see if you are obedient b in everything. 10 Anyone you forgive, I do too. For what I have forgiven—if I have forgiven anything—it is for your benefit in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we may not be taken advantage c of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.
A Trip to Macedonia
12 When I came to Troas d to preach the gospel of Christ, even though the Lord opened a door e for me, 13 I had no rest f in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus. g Instead, I said good-bye to them and left for Macedonia. h
A Ministry of Life or Death
14 But thanks be to God, i who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place. j 15 For to God we are the fragrance k of Christ among those who are being saved l and among those who are perishing. m 16 To some we are an aroma of death n leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life o leading to life. Who is adequate for these things? 17 For we do not market the word of God p for profit like so many. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.
C. The purpose of Paul’s last letter (2:3–11). 2:3–4. As a part of his altered agenda, Paul wrote a third letter to the church (for reference to the first, see 1 Co 5:9; the second is our canonical 1 Corinthians), the purpose of which he now seeks to explain. It was written so that on his next return to Corinth he might not “have pain from those who ought to give me joy,” in confidence and trust that such distress could be avoided so as to produce a joyful visit for all (2:3). But in order to achieve its end, Paul’s letter had first to deal openly and honestly with the source of the problem. To write such a letter was certainly not easy, for its purpose was not simply to rebuke but to share with the church the anguish of an unrequited love (2:4).
2:5–11. The letter seems to have achieved its intent (2:9), and with reconciliation now possible, Paul hastens to make sure that it is accomplished. He urges the cessation of the punishment inflicted on the individual who opposed his authority (2:6), causing distress both for Paul and for the church (2:5), and counsels forgiveness (2:7), granting it freely himself in concert with the rest of the church (2:10). Then, with particular pastoral sensitivity to the needs of the offender as well as those of the body and himself, Paul encourages the community not only to forgive the offender but also to comfort him and to reaffirm its love for him (2:7a, 8). This they should do lest he be “overwhelmed by excessive grief” (2:7b) and the discipline that was meant to be remedial become simply retributive, thus allowing Satan yet another entrance into the situation (2:11).
D. The motive for Paul’s movement from Troas to Macedonia (2:12–13). In this, the final segment of Paul’s explanation of his recent conduct, he seeks to acquaint the church with events in his ministry from the time of his last letter until the present moment of composition. In all probability Paul’s painful letter had been dispatched to Corinth with Titus from Ephesus. But from there, before receiving a reply, Paul departed to Troas (2:12). Despite the open door for the gospel of Christ that presented itself to Paul in Troas, he had been unable to feel at peace without news from Titus, and so in an attempt to meet Titus on the route of his return, he had gone on to Macedonia (2:13).
2:14–17. Paul begins his reflections, accordingly, by giving thanks to God, for in its essence his apostolic ministry is simply a part of “Christ’s triumphal procession,” which is directed and guided by God (2:14). The verbal imagery used here is intended to allude to a Roman triumph, a procession carefully orchestrated by a Roman military commander to display the results of a significant military victory (see the article “Triumphal Procession”). The image, however, is mixed here with another drawn from the OT (where a pleasing aroma is said to result from a ritual sacrifice; see Lv 1:9, 13, 17). The aroma of Paul’s ministry, as a part of the aroma of Christ, can be said to ascend to God at the same time that it diffuses among men and women, both those who are being saved and those who are perishing (2:15; cf. 1 Co 1:18). [Triumphal Procession]