Reaffirm Your Love
1 But I determined this for myself, that I would not come to you on another painful visit. 2 For if I make you grieve, then who will make me glad but the one whom I grieved? 3 And I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came, I would not be grieved by the ones in whom I ought to rejoice, for I am confident that all of you would share my joy. 4 With a greatly afflicted and anguished heart, through many tears, I wrote to you, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you.
5 But if any has caused pain, he has caused it, not to me, but in part (that I not put it too severely) to all of you. 6 This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for someone like this, 7 so that on the contrary you should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means he should be overwhelmed with his excessive sorrow. 8 Therefore I beg you to confirm your love toward him. 9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might have proof of whether you are obedient in all things. 10 Now I also forgive whomever you forgive anything. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
Triumph in Christ
12 Now when I came to Troas for the Gospel of Christ and when a door was opened to me in the Lord, 13 I had no relief for my spirit, because I did not find Titus, my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went out into Macedonia.
14 Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ and reveals through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place. 15 For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God, in those who are saved and in those who perish: 16 to the latter one a stench from death to death, to the former a sweet aroma from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not as so many, peddling the word of God for profit. But with sincerity, but as sent from God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.