Chapter Two
Continuation of the speech about the reason for not coming to Corinth (1–4). About the incestuous man (5–11). The Apostle’s joy over the end of the misunderstanding between him and the Corinthians (12–17).
2 Cor 2:1-4. The Apostle firmly resolved not to come to the Corinthians a second time with sorrow, that is, grieving them with his just reproaches. After all, the Corinthians are his only joy. How could he grieve those from whom he expects joy? He judged it better to explain himself with them in writing, although his epistle was by no means written with the purpose of grieving the Corinthians, but to testify to the love of the Apostle for the Corinthian church.
2 Corinthians 2:1. So I made up my mind not to come to you again in sorrow. “Again” should be connected with the word “come” (Theodoret). The Apostle visited Corinth for the first time during his second apostolic journey and left there in a joyful state of mind. He did not wish to spoil this state of mind and therefore postponed his second visit to Corinth. — “In sorrow.” Here the Apostle has in mind both the grief that his reproaches would have caused the Corinthians, and his own grief that he would have had to feel at that time.
2 Corinthians 2:2. For if I cause you sorrow, who then will make me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me? If the Apostle had to grieve the Corinthians with his reproaches, it is understandable that he himself would have remained in sorrow as well, for who in Corinth, apart from the Christians, could bring him any joy? And these Christians would have been grieved by the Apostle, and they would have been in no state of mind to concern themselves with bringing joy to him.
2 Corinthians 2:3. And I wrote this very thing, so that when I came I might not have sorrow from those who should have brought me joy, for I am confident about all of you that my joy is also the joy of you all. In view of this the Apostle wrote them this epistle, expressing everything that occupied his thoughts. Let the Corinthians read his instructions with attention and strive to correct their deficiencies. Then the Apostle, when he visits Corinth, will no longer have to endure sorrow. The Apostle is confident that the Corinthians will hasten to remove all these deficiencies before his arrival — after all, they love him and want him to always rejoice.
2 Corinthians 2:4. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not to cause you sorrow, but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. The Apostle therefore now feels deep sorrow when he is compelled, even if only in writing, to address the Corinthians with reproofs. In truth, he would have wished to cause no grief whatsoever to his beloved Corinthians. 2 Cor 2:5-11. This declaration by the Apostle of the love he bears toward the Corinthians is not contradicted by the strictness he displayed toward the incestuous man of Corinth (1 Cor 5). In this case the Apostle was guided by the desire to defend the true interests of the Corinthian church, and now, when this unfortunate outcast has repented, he is ready to receive him back into church fellowship, if only the Corinthians desire this.
2 Corinthians 2:5. But if anyone has caused sorrow, he has caused it not to me, but in part — not to put it too strongly — to all of you. “But if anyone has caused sorrow.” The Apostle has in mind here the incestuous man about whom he speaks in the First Epistle (chapter 5). There is no basis for supposing that he has in mind here some Corinthian who personally insulted him. — “He has not caused sorrow to me.” The Apostle does not wish to bring his personal feelings to the fore, and therefore says that the incestuous man, as it were, did not cause him sorrow. In actual fact, of course, the Apostle too was grieved when he heard of his transgression. — “Not to put it too strongly” — more accurately: “in order not to burden too much” (him, the offender). The Apostle explains here why he said that the incestuous man offended all the Corinthians “in part” or “partially.” The responsibility would have been too heavy if he had truly offended every member of the Corinthian church — and moreover, not all the Corinthians in fact were capable of feeling the offense done to their Christian dignity by the offender, so that the Apostle speaks here fully in accordance with the actual state of affairs.
2 Corinthians 2:6. For such a person this punishment by the majority is sufficient, “Sufficient,” that is, sufficient for the purpose which the Apostle Paul had in mind when imposing punishment on the incestuous man. — “Punishment” (ἡ ἐπιτιμία). — This expression occurs also in the book of Wisdom of Solomon (Wis 3:10). What this punishment was — the readers naturally knew. — “By the majority.” It is evident that not all but only the majority of the Corinthians broke off communion with the incestuous man after his excommunication from the Church. Some Christians of more liberal views, and partly opponents of the Apostle Paul, continued to maintain fellowship with him.
2 Corinthians 2:7. so that you should rather forgive and comfort him, lest he be overwhelmed by excessive grief. The incestuous man had evidently repented of his sin and was greatly distressed over his excommunication from the Church. — “Overwhelmed by excessive grief.” Grief is conceived here as a hostile force that completely overwhelms a person and takes away from him all interest in life and all hope.
2 Corinthians 2:8. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. “To reaffirm your love,” that is, to pass a new, favorable ecclesiastical resolution for the sinner that would give him access to church fellowship.
2 Corinthians 2:9. For this is why I wrote, that I might know by testing whether you are obedient in all things. In writing his First Epistle, the Apostle had in view, among other things, testing how obedient the Corinthians were to him. This test turned out favorably for them — they excommunicated the incestuous man as the Apostle had required, and the Apostle no longer wishes to test them. — Thus this verse contains the thought about the motive on account of which the Corinthians should now forgive the incestuous man.
2 Corinthians 2:10. Anyone whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I have done it in the presence of Christ, for your sake, 2 Corinthians 2:11. so that no advantage would be gained over us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes. Another motive for forgiving the sinner — the spiritual unity existing between the Apostle and the Corinthians. Forgiveness can come about because both sides — both the Apostle and the Corinthians — think alike in this matter. The Apostle sets aside his grievance so that the church in Corinth, which was still troubled by the affair of the incestuous man, might find peace (“for your sake”). — “In the presence of Christ” — more precisely: while standing in the presence of Christ (ἐν προσώπῳ Χριστοῦ). Forgiveness must be entirely sincere, without any extraneous motives: Christ stands here as it were as the all-seeing witness. (Cf. 1 Pet 5:8; Eph 6:11). Some (Bousset) see here an indication of the opponents of the Apostle Paul, who could have taken advantage of the excessive strictness of the Corinthians toward the sinner in order to draw those close to him over to their side. 2 Cor 2:12-17. Here the Apostle depicts his inner state immediately preceding the writing of the Second Epistle. The Apostle was waiting impatiently for what Titus, whom he had sent to Corinth, would tell him, and therefore went to meet him himself in Macedonia from Troas. However, let the Corinthians not think that he is losing heart. On the contrary, he is confident that God has made him a victor everywhere. If his activity is not salutary for all, the fault does not lie with him: he preaches only the pure evangelical truth.
2 Corinthians 2:12. When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 2 Corinthians 2:13. my spirit had no rest, because I did not find my brother Titus there; but taking leave of them, I went on to Macedonia. The Apostle could have remained in Troas profitably for the cause of Christ, to which he had come from Ephesus (cf. 1 Cor 16:5-9). But his spirit could not be at peace about the Corinthians, and he felt himself incapable of devoting his whole heart to the work of spreading the Gospel in Troas. Since Titus was to pass through Macedonia on his way back to the Apostle at Troas, the Apostle went into this very region himself to meet him.
2 Corinthians 2:14. But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in his triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him in every place. In Macedonia he met Titus and received from him the news that the First Epistle had made a good impression in Corinth. He gives thanks for this success to God from his whole heart, relieved from uncertainty. — “Who always leads us in triumph.” The Greek expression (τῷ πάντοτε θριαμβεύοντι ἡμᾶς) should more accurately be rendered: “who always celebrates his triumph over us” or “who always leads us behind him in his triumph.” God is the triumphant one, the victor. The Apostles, and chiefly Paul, are his captives whom he leads behind him as the conquered, just as a Roman commander after a victory led his captives behind him. The Apostle recalls here his calling on the road to Damascus, when Christ said to him: “It is hard for you to kick against the goads!” (Acts 9:5). The Apostle Paul, indeed, by his activity glorified God, who had compelled him to serve him. — In Christ. Everything in the Apostle’s activity is in the closest relation to Christ. — “The fragrance of knowledge.” Before the triumphator incense was burned, and the Apostle probably has this custom in view here. — “Of himself” — better: “of him,” that is, of Christ (cf. verse 15).
2 Corinthians 2:15. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: Now the Apostle changes the image somewhat. Previously he said that the Apostles serve as the instrument for spreading the fragrance of Christ, while here he calls them themselves the fragrance of Christ. The meaning of this figurative expression is as follows: “your activity stands in a definite relationship to God, as a fragrance permeated by the breath of Christ.” This of course indicates the God-pleasing nature of apostolic activity.
2 Corinthians 2:16. to the one a deadly fragrance leading to death, to the other a life-giving fragrance leading to life. And who is adequate for these things? Apostolic preaching, however, is not life-giving for all. For some who by the very nature of their stubborn character are unwilling to receive salvation from Christ and therefore are going directly toward eternal perdition, apostolic teaching is deadly. — “And who is adequate for this?”, that is, for such activity, when the preacher consciously brings eternal life to some and eternal perdition to others.
2 Corinthians 2:17. For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but we speak with sincerity, as from God, before God, in Christ. Such people exist — these are the Apostles, of whom there are very few. Others (“many”) are incapable of such activity. They corrupt the word of God or present the teaching of Christ in a form other than what it truly is (the verb used here by the Apostle, καπηλεύειν, means: to put money out at interest for the sake of profit). They naturally want to gather as many disciples around themselves as possible, and they keep with them even those who are incapable of believing in Christ as they should. — “As from God,” that is, as inspired by God. — “Before God,” that is, being conscious that God sees everything. — “In Christ,” that is, in the closest union with Christ (cf. Rom 9:1). * * * Notes The majority of commentators, for unknown reasons, see here a reference to the First Epistle to the Corinthians.