Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians

Chapter 2

Having shown the reason why he did not come to them, 1-5, Paul requires them to forgive and to comfort that excommunicated person, 6-9, even as he also upon his true repentance had forgiven him, 10, 11; declaring in addition why he departed from Troas to Macedonia, 12, 13, and the happy success which God gave to his preaching in all places, 14-17.

1 But I determined this with myself, that I would not come back to you in heaviness. 2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then who makes me glad but the same who is made sorry by me? 3 And I wrote this same to you, lest coming I should have sorrow from those by whom I ought to rejoice, having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have more abundantly for you.

5 But if any has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but in part, so that I may not overcharge you all. 6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted by many, 7 So that on the other hand you ought rather to forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with excessive sorrow. 8 Therefore, I implore you that you would confirm your love toward him. 9 For to this end also I wrote, so that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things. 10 To whom you forgive anything, I forgive also. For what I have forgiven, if I forgave anything, I forgave it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices.

12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and a door was opened to me by the Lord, 13 I had no rest in my spirit because I did not find Titus my brother. But taking my leave of them, I went from there into Macedonia.

14 Now thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph in Christ and manifests the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. 15 For we are to God a sweet savor of Christ among those who are saved and among those who perish. 16 To one we are the savor of death to death and to the other the savor of life to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not as the many, peddling the word of God. But as from sincerity, as from God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

Commentary

Matthew Henry Commentary - 2nd Corinthians, Chapter 2[➚]

Notes

[v.10] - "presence" - Literally, sight or face, as in, "the sight of Christ," or, "the face of Christ." The KJV has, "the person of Christ."

[v.14] - "triumph in Christ" - Reference, Philippians 4:13.

[v.17] - "peddling" - The KJV has, "who corrupt." The Greek word used here means to retail, to be deceitful in trading, to peddle. It always carries a negative connotation. By implication, it means to adulterate, or to corrupt. From Thayer's Greek Lexicon: "To trade in the word of God, i.e. to try to get base gain by teaching divine truth. But as peddlers were in the habit of adulterating their commodities for the sake of gain... was also used as synonymous with to corrupt, to adulterate." John Gill provides a lengthy, but good explanation of this word: "By 'the word of God,' may be meant the Scriptures in general, which are from God, contain his will, and which he uses for the good of men, and his own glory, and may be corrupted by false glosses, and human mixtures, and by adding to them, or taking from them; or the Gospel in particular, which is the word of truth, of faith, righteousness, reconciliation, and salvation, and which was corrupted by these false teachers, by making merchandise of it; they huckstered the word of God, made gain of it, sought merely their own worldly interest and advantage in it, and so mixed it with their own vain philosophy, to please the carnal ears and hearts of men; they blended law and Gospel, grace and works, in the business of salvation; they did, as peddling merchants do, mix good and bad commodities together, and then vend them for sound ware; or as vintners, who mix their wine with water, and sell it for neat wine. The Septuagint interpreters on Isaiah 1:22, translate the last clause of that verse thus, 'thy vintners mix wine with water;' which may be understood in a moral or spiritual sense; so did these men mix, and hereby corrupt the Gospel, the word of God; and so the Syriac version reads the words, 'who mix the word of God.'"

Top