CHAPTER 2

(A.D. 60)

¹But I determined this with myself (concerns a settled question), that I would not come again to you in heaviness. (On his second visit to Corinth, it seems things had happened which caused hurt to the Apostle. This was before I Corinthians was written.)

²For if I make you sorry (a stand he had to take regarding one who had refused to repent, but did repent later because of Pauls stand), who is he then who makes me glad (refers to the person who had sinned), but the same which is made sorry by me? (The same man, whom Paul had made sorry, now repents and makes the Apostle glad. Some claim this was not the same man of I Cor., Chpt. 5. Whether it was or not, the principle is the same.)

³And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice (had he gone to Corinth when he had first intended, he may not have been met with rejoicing due to sin in the Church; that situation has now changed); having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. (Things have now taken a turn for the better.)

⁴For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears (pertains to the writing of I Corinthians); not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you (presents the greatest proof of all that of tears).

FORGIVENESS

⁵But if any have caused grief, he has not grieved me, but in part (presents the Apostle dealing with the person who is probably the incestuous one of I Cor., Chpt. 5): that I may not overcharge you all. (He didnt want everyone in the Church at Corinth to think he was putting all in the same category of wrong direction.)

⁶Sufficient to such a man is this punishment (means that turning him over to Satan had accomplished all that was desired [I Cor. 5:4-5]), which was inflicted of many. (Most in the Church obeyed Paul by turning the man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. Some few didnt, which means they didnt go along with what Paul had said.)

⁷So that contrariwise you ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him(show love toward the man who had sinned and now repented), lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow (sink into despair).

⁸Wherefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him (do more than just say you love him, but rather show your love to him).

⁹For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether you be obedient in all things. (In I Cor., Chpt. 5, the man was on trial. Now the Church is on trial.)

¹⁰To whom you forgive any thing (forgive the man), I forgive also (I forgive you for taking the wrong direction at the beginning): for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the Person of Christ (forgiveness is a great part of the Christian Faith, and is demanded by Christ [Mat. 6:14-15]);

¹¹Lest Satan should get an advantage of us (if we obey the Word, Satan will have no advantage): for we are not ignorant of his devices (his ways, which take advantage of the Christians wrong direction).

¹²Furthermore, when I came to Troas to Preach Christs Gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord (concerned an opportunity for Ministry in this place),

¹³I had no rest in my spirit (due to the problems in Corinth, which he addressed in his First Epistle, he could not take advantage of this open door; he was too troubled at the thought of the Church at Corinth possibly being lost, with perhaps other Churches following suit), because I found not Titus my brother (evidently refers to a prearranged meeting at which Titus was to give him some information regarding Corinth; the meeting did not occur because Titus was delayed for some reason, which caused even greater anxiety with Paul): but taking my leave of them (leaving Troas), I went from thence into Macedonia. (He no doubt met Titus at Philippi, who then gave him some good news concerning Corinth.)

TRIUMPHANT IN CHRIST

¹⁴Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ (we triumph only by constantly exhibiting Faith in the Cross, which gives the Holy Spirit latitude to work in our lives and bring about the victory), and makes manifest the savour of His Knowledge by us in every place (the Preaching of the Cross [I Cor. 1:23; 2:2]).

¹⁵For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ (referring to what the Cross has done in lives), in them who are saved (by trusting in Christ and the Cross), and in them who perish (those who reject the Cross [I Cor. 1:18]):

¹⁶To the one we are the savour of death unto death (continuing to refer to those who reject the Cross); and to the other the savour of life unto life. (All life comes through the Spirit, from Christ and by the Cross [Rom. 8:2].) And who is sufficient for these things? (This refers to the Gospel, which is so mighty to save from death.)

¹⁷For we are not as many, which corrupt the Word of God (Preach something other than the Cross): but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. (God is observing all our efforts and will accept only that which is in Christ, which always refers to the Cross.)