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¹ But I determined this ^(F1)for my own sake, that I ^(C1)would not come to you again in sorrow.² For if I ^(C1)cause you sorrow, who then makes me glad but the one whom I made sorrowful?³ And this is the very thing I ^(C1)wrote you, so that ^(C2)when I came, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having ^(C3)confidence in you all that my joy would be the joy of you all.⁴ For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I ^(C1)wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have abundantly for you.

Forgive and Love the Sinner

⁵ But ^(C1)if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree—^(F1)in order not to say too much—to all of you.⁶ Sufficient for such a one is ^(C1)this punishment which was inflicted by the majority,⁷ so that on the contrary you should rather ^(C1)graciously forgive and comfort him, lest such a one be swallowed up by excessive sorrow.⁸ Therefore I encourage you to reaffirm your love for him.⁹ For to this end also ^(C1)I wrote, so that I might ^(C2)know your proven character, whether you are ^(C3)obedient in all things.¹⁰ But one whom you graciously forgive anything, I graciously forgive also. For indeed what I have graciously forgiven, if I have graciously forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes ^(C1)in the presence of Christ,¹¹ so that no advantage would be taken of us by ^(C1)Satan, for ^(C2)we are not ignorant of his schemes.

¹² Now when I came to ^(C1)Troas for the ^(C2)gospel of Christ and when a ^(C3)door was opened for me in the Lord,¹³ I ^(C1)had no rest for my spirit, not finding ^(C2)Titus my brother. But ^(C3)saying farewell to them, I went on to ^(C4)Macedonia.

^14 (C1)But thanks be to God, who always ^(C2)leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and manifests through us the ^(C3)aroma of the ^(C4)knowledge of Him in every place.¹⁵ For we are a ^(C1)fragrance of Christ to God among ^(C2)those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;^16 (C1)to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is ^(C2)sufficient for these things?¹⁷ For we are not like many, ^(F1)(C1)peddling the word of God, but ^(C2)as from sincerity, but as from God, ^(C3)in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.