2 Corinthians 2

2 Corinthians 2:1

2:1 This verse continues the thought from the last two verses of chapter 1. Paul further explains that the reason he did not go to Corinth as planned was that he did not want to cause them the sorrow that would inevitably follow a rebuke from him. The words I determined … I would not come again to you in sorrow seems to imply that he had made a sorrowful or painful visit subsequent to the first visit recorded in Act_18:1-17. Such an interim visit may also be implied in 2Co_12:14; 2Co_13:1. 2:2 If the apostle came to Corinth with a personal rebuke to the Christians, he would of course sadden them. In that case, he too would be saddened because they were the very people to whom he was looking for joy. As Ryrie puts it, If I hurt you, who will be left to make me glad but sad people? That wouldn’t be any comfort.2:3 Rather than cause this mutual sorrow through a personal visit, the Apostle Paul decided to write a letter. His hope was that the Letter would accomplish the desired result, that the Corinthians would exercise discipline in connection with the offending brother, and that Paul’s next visit would not be clouded by strained relations between this people he so dearly loved and himself. Does the letter referred to in the first part of verse 3 refer to the First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, or to some other letter which no longer exists today? Many believe that it could not be 1 Corinthians because of the description in verse 4, that it was written out of much affliction and anguish of heart, and with many tears. Other scholars feel that the description here fits the First Epistle very well. It is possible that Paul wrote a stern letter to Corinth that is no longer available. Presumably he wrote it after the sorrowful visit (2Co_2:1) and appointed Titus to deliver it. Such a letter may be referred to in 2Co_2:4, 2Co_2:9; 2Co_7:8, 2Co_7:12. Whichever view is correct, the thought in verse 3 is that Paul wrote them as he did so that when he visited them, he would not have sorrow over the sadness of those who should give him joy. He had confidence that the same things that brought joy to him would bring joy to them also. In the context, this means that the godly handling of the discipline problem would result in mutual rejoicing. 2:4 In this verse we have keen insight into the heart of a great pastor. Paul was deeply pained by the fact that sin had been tolerated in the assembly at Corinth. It caused him much affliction and anguish of heart, and hot tears of sorrow flowed down his cheeks. It is obvious that the apostle was more affected by sin in Corinth than the Corinthians themselves were. They should not interpret this letter as an attempt to hurt their feelings, but rather as a proof of his love for them. He hoped that, by his writing, they would have sufficient time to remedy the situation, so that his subsequent visit to them would be a joyful one.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend. We should not resent it if we are counseled or warned in a godly manner. Rather, we should realize that any person who would do this really has an interest in us. Righteous rebuke should be taken as from the Lord, and we should be grateful for it. 2:5 From verse 5 through verse 11, the apostle refers more directly to the incident that had caused the difficulty. Notice the extreme grace and Christian consideration which he shows. Not once does he name the offense or the offender. The expression if anyone has caused grief may refer to the incestuous man of 1Co_5:1, or to someone else who had caused trouble in the assembly. We will assume that it refers to the former. Paul did not regard it as a personal offence against himself. It had caused grief to all the believers to some extent. 2:6 The believers at Corinth had agreed on disciplinary action for the offender. Apparently they had excommunicated him from the church. As a result of this action, he had become truly repentant and had been restored to the Lord. Now Paul tells the Corinthians that the man’s punishment has been sufficient. They should not needlessly prolong it. In the latter part of the verse, we find the expression which was inflicted by the many (lit.). Some believe that the many means the majority. Others insist that it means all the members except the one disciplined. The latter deny that a majority decision is sufficient in church matters. They say that where the Spirit of God is allowed to lead, there should be unanimous action. 2:7, 8 Now that the man has become thoroughly repentant, the Corinthians should forgive and seek to strengthen him by receiving him back into their fellowship. If they do not do this, there is the danger that he might be swallowed up with too much sorrow, that is, he might despair of the reality of his forgiveness and go on in constant gloom and discouragement. The Corinthians could reaffirm their love to him by opening wide their arms and receiving him back with joy and tenderness. 2:9 In writing the First Epistle to the Corinthians, Paul had put the saints to the test. Here was an opportunity for them to show whether they were obedient to the word of the Lord, as ministered to them by the Apostle Paul. He had suggested at that time that they should put the man out of the fellowship of the church. That is exactly what they did, thus proving themselves to be truly obedient. Now Paul would have them go one step further, that is, to receive the man back. 2:10 Phillips paraphrases verse 10, If you will forgive a certain person, rest assured that I forgive him too. Insofar as I had anything personally to forgive, I do forgive him, as before Christ. Paul wants the saints to know that he is thoroughly in fellowship with them as they forgive the repentant offender. If he had had anything to forgive, he does forgive it for the sake of the Corinthians, and as in the presence of Christ. The emphasis in this letter on church discipline is an index of its importance. Yet it is a subject that is all but neglected in many evangelical churches today. It is another instance where we can profess to believe in the inspiration of the Scriptures, yet refuse to obey them when it suits our purposes. 2:11 Just as there is danger for an assembly if it does not take disciplinary action when called for, so there is a danger of not exercising forgiveness when true repentance has taken place. Satan is always ready to step into a situation such as this with his cunning devices. In the first case, he will wreck the testimony of an assembly through tolerated sin, and in the second, he will overwhelm the repentant person with overmuch sorrow, if the assembly does not restore him. If Satan can’t destroy by immorality, he will try by the unmeasured sorrow following repentance. Commenting on the expression we are not ignorant of his devices, J. Sidlow Baxter says: Satan uses all manner of stratagems to turn souls from the truth: a sieve to sift them (Luk_22:31), devices to trick (as in our text), weeds to choke (Mat_13:22), wiles to intrigue (Eph_6:11), the roaring of a lion to terrify (1Pe_5:8), the disguise of an angel to deceive (2Co_11:14) and snares to entangle them (2Ti_2:26). 2:12 Paul now resumes the subject of his change in plans where he left off in verse 4. He had not gone to Corinth as he previously announced he would. The previous verses explained that his failure to visit Corinth was to avoid doing so in a harsh spirit of rebuke. In verses 12 through 17, Paul tells exactly what did happen to him at this important point in his ministry. As mentioned before, Paul left Ephesus and journeyed to Troas in hopes of meeting Titus there and receiving news from Corinth. When he got to Troas, some wonderful door of opportunity opened out before him by the Lord for preaching Christ’s gospel.2:13 In spite of this golden opportunity, Paul’s spirit was troubled.

Titus was not there to meet him. The burden of the Corinthian church lay heavily on the apostle’s heart. Should he stay in Troas and preach the gospel of Christ? Or should he press on into Macedonia? His decision was made; he would cross over into Macedonia. One wonders what the reaction of the Corinthians was when they read these words.

Did they realize, perhaps with a trifle of shame, that it was their behavior which caused such restlessness in the life of the apostle, and which resulted in his having to refuse a wonderful gospel opportunity in order to learn of their spiritual welfare? 2:14 Paul was not defeated. No matter where he went in the service of Christ there was victory. And so he bursts out in thanksgiving: But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ. A.T. Robertson says: Without a word of explanation, Paul leaps out of the Slough of Despond and sprints like a bird to the heights of joy. He soars aloft like an eagle, with proud scorn of the valley beneath him. Paul here borrows a figure from the triumphal processions of Roman conquerors. Returning home after glorious victories, they would lead their captives along the streets of the capital. Incense bearers would march along both sides, and the fragrance of the incense would permeate the scene. So Paul pictures the Lord marching as a conqueror from Troas to Macedonia, and leading the apostle in His train. Wherever the Lord goes, through His servants, there is victory. The fragrance of the knowledge of Christ is diffused through the apostle in every place. F. B. Meyer writes: Wherever they went men knew Jesus better; the loveliness of the Master’s character became more apparent. Men became aware of a subtle fragrance, poured upon the air, which attracted them to the Man of Nazareth. Thus Paul does not feel that he has suffered a defeat in his warfare with Satan, but the Lord has won a victory and Paul shares it. 2:15 In the triumphal processions to which Paul refers, the fragrance of the incense meant glorious victory to the conquerors, but it spoke of doom for the captives. Thus the apostle notes that the preaching of the gospel has a twofold effect. It signifies one thing among those who are being saved, and something altogether different among those who are perishing. To those who accept it, it is a pledge of a glorious future; to others it is an omen of doom. But God is glorified in either case, for to Him it is the fragrance of grace in the one case and of justice in the other. F. B. Meyer states it well: When, therefore, we are told that we may be to God a sweet savour of Christ, it must be meant that we may so live as to recall to the mind of God what Jesus was in His mortal career. It is as though, as God watches us from day to day, He should see Jesus in us, and be reminded (speaking after the manner of men) of that blessed life which was offered as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. 2:16 To the saved, Christians are the aroma of life leading to life, but to the perishing, the aroma of death leading to death. We are what Phillips calls the refreshing fragrance of life itself, bringing life to those who believe, but the deathly smell of doom to those who refuse to believe. This twofold effect is beautifully illustrated in an incident in the OT. When the ark of God was captured by the Philistines, it caused death and destruction as long as it was among them (1 Sam. 5). But when it was brought back to the house of Obed-Edom, it brought blessing and prosperity for him and for his household (2Sa_6:11). As Paul contemplates the tremendous responsibility of preaching the message that has such far-reaching consequences, he cries out, And who is sufficient for these things?2:17 The connection between verse 17 and verse 16 is better seen if we supply the words We are.

Who is sufficient for these things? We are, because we are not … peddling the word of God, etc. (But this still must be understood in conjunction with 2Co_3:5 where Paul says that his sufficiency is from God.) The so many refers to the Judaizing teachers who sought to turn the Corinthians away from the apostle. What were these men like? Paul says they peddled, huckstered, or made merchandise of the word of God. They had mercenary motives. They tried to turn the ministry into a profitable profession.

This same word for peddling was also used of those who adulterated wine, often by adding to it. And so these false teachers sought to adulterate the word of God by adding their own doctrines to it. They sought, for instance, to mix law and grace. Paul was not one of those who adulterated or merchandised the word of God. Rather, he could describe his ministry by four significant expressions. The first is as of sincerity. This means as of transparency. His ministry was an honest one. There was no trickery or subterfuge in connection with it.

Everything was out in the open. Robertson humorously explains the meaning of this expression: Paul’s berries were as good at the bottom as at the top.Secondly, he describes his service as from God. In other words, everything he spoke was from God. God was the source of his message, and it was from God he derived the strength to carry on. Then he adds in the sight of God. This means that the apostle served the Lord, conscious of the fact that God was always looking down upon him.

He had a real sense of responsibility to God and realized that nothing could be hidden from the eye of God. Then finally he adds, we speak … in Christ. This means that he spoke in the name of Christ, with the authority of Christ, and as a spokesman for Christ.