2 Corinthians
2
- So I made up my mind that I would not make
another painful visit to you.
- For if I grieve you, who is left to make
me glad but you whom I have grieved ?
- I wrote as I did so that when I came I should
not be distressed by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence
in all of you, that you would all share my joy.
- For I wrote you out of great distress and
anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know
the depth of my love for you.
- If anyone has caused grief, he has not so
much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent--not to put it
too severely.
- The punishment inflicted on him by the majority
is sufficient for him.
- Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort
him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
- I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your
love for him.
- The reason I wrote you was to see if you
would stand the test and be obedient in everything.
- If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him.
And what I have forgiven--if there was anything to forgive
-- I have forgiven in the sight of Christ
for your sake,
- in order that Satan might not outwit us.
For we are not unaware of his schemes.
- Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel
of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me,
- I still had no peace of mind, because I
did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on
to Macedonia.
- But thanks be to God, who always leads us
in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance
of the knowledge of him.
- For we are to God the aroma of Christ among
those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
- To the one we are the smell of death; to
the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task
?
- Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word
of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity,
like men sent from God.
Back
|
Home |
Next