1But I determined this for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again. 2For if I cause you sorrow, who then makes me glad but the one whom I made sorrowful? 3This is the very thing I wrote you, so that when I came, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy would be the joy of you all. 4For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you.

      5But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree—in order not to say too much—to all of you. 6Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, 7so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. 9For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. 10But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

      12Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia.

      14But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 15For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; 16to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? 17For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.

Parallel Verses

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
But I determined this for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
I decided not to visit you again while I was distressed.

King James Bible
But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But I determined this with myself, not to come to you again in sorrow.

Darby Bible Translation
But I have judged this with myself, not to come back to you in grief.

English Revised Version
But I determined this for myself, that I would not come again to you with sorrow.

Webster's Bible Translation
But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.

Weymouth New Testament
But, so far as I am concerned, I have resolved not to have a painful visit the next time I come to see you.

World English Bible
But I determined this for myself, that I would not come to you again in sorrow.

Young's Literal Translation
And I decided this to myself, not again to come in sorrow unto you,

Cross References

1 Corinthians 4:21 What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?

2 Corinthians 1:23 But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth.

2 Corinthians 12:20 For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances;

2 Corinthians 12:21 I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.

Commentary

Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Chapter 2

In this chapter the apostle proceeds in the account of the reasons why he did not come to Corinth (v. 1-4). Then he writes concerning the incestuous person who lay under censure; and gives direction for restoring him, together with the reasons for their so doing (v. 5-11), and afterwards informs them of his labours and success in preaching the gospel in several places (v. 12-17).

Verses 1-4

In these verses, 1. The apostle proceeds in giving an account of the reason why he did not come to Corinth, as was expected; namely, because he was unwilling to grieve them, or be grieved by them, v. 1,2. He had determined not to come to them in heaviness, which yet he would have done had he come and found scandal among them not duly animadverted upon: this would have been cause of grief both to him and them, for their sorrow or joy at meeting would have been mutual. If he had made them sorry, that would have been a sorrow to himself, for there would have been none to have made him glad. But his desire was to have a cheerful meeting with them, and not to have it embittered by any unhappy occasion of disagreeing. 2. He tells them it was to the same intent that he wrote his former epistle, v. 3, 4. (1) That he might not have sorrow from those of whom he ought to rejoice; and that he had written to them in confidence of their doing what was requisite, in order to their benefit and his comfort. The particular thing referred to, as appears by the following verses, was the case of the incestuous person about whom he had written in the first epistle, ch. 5. Nor was the apostle disappointed in his expectation. (2.) He assures them that he did not design to grieve them, but to testify his love to them, and that he wrote to them with much anguish and affliction in his own heart, and with great affection to them. He had written with tears, that they might know his abundant love to them. Note, [1.] Even in reproofs, admonitions, and acts of discipline, faithful ministers show their love. [2.] Needful censures, and the exercise of church-discipline towards offenders, are a grief to tender-spirited ministers, and are administered with regret.

Calvin's Commentary

1 But I had determined Whoever it was that divided the chapters, made here a foolish division. For now at length the Apostle explains, in what manner he had spared them. "I had determined," says he, "not to come to you any more in sorrow," or in other words, to occasion you sorrow by my coming. For he had come once by an Epistle, by means of which he had severely pained them. Hence, so long as they had not repented, he was unwilling to come to them, lest he should be constrained to grieve them again, when present with them, for he chose rather to give them longer time for repentance. [311] The word ekrina (I determined) must be rendered in the pluperfect tense, [312] for, when assigning a reason for the delay that had occurred, he explains what had been his intention previously.

2. For if I make you sorry Here we have the proof of the foregoing statement. No one willingly occasions sorrow to himself. Now Paul says, that he has such a fellow-feeling with the Corinthians, [313] that he cannot feel joyful, unless he sees them happy. Nay more, he declares that they were the source and the authors of his joy -- which they could not be, if they were themselves sorrowful. If this disposition prevail in pastors, it will be the best restraint, to keep them back from alarming with terrors those minds, which they ought rather to have encouraged by means of a cheerful affability. For from this arises an excessively morose harshness [314] -- so that we do not rejoice in the welfare of the Church, as were becoming.

Footnotes:

[311] "De se repentir et amender;" -- "For repentance and amendment."

[312] "Et de faict il faut necessairement traduire, l'auoye delitere: non pas, l'ay deliber?;" -- "And indeed we must necessarily render it -- I had determined: not I have determined."

[313] "C'est ? dire vne telle conuenance et conionction de nature et d'affections, entre luy et les Corinthiens;" -- "That is to say, such an agreement and connection of nature and affections between him and the Corinthians."

[314] "La seuerite trop grande et chagrin;" -- "An excessive severity and chagrin."

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