1For I decided not to come to you again in painful circumstances. 2For if I inflict pain upon you, then who is there to cheer me except the one pained by me? 3And I wrote as I did* so that when I came I might not be pained by those in whom I should have rejoiced, confident about all of you that my joy is that of all of you. 4For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you might be pained but that you might know the abundant love I have for you.

The Offender.* 5If anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure (not to exaggerate) to all of you. 6This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person, 7so that on the contrary you should forgive and encourage him instead, or else the person may be overwhelmed by excessive pain.a 8Therefore, I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. 9For this is why I wrote, to know your proven character, whether you were obedient in everything.b 10Whomever you forgive anything, so do I. For indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for you in the presence of Christ, 11so that we might not be taken advantage of by Satan, for we are not unaware of his purposes.c

Paul’s Anxiety.* 12When I went to Troas for the gospel of Christ, although a door was opened for me in the Lord,d 13* I had no relief in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus.e So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

B. Paul’s Ministry*

Ministers of a New Covenant. 14* But thanks be to God,* who always leads us in triumph in Christ* and manifests through us the odor of the knowledge of him* in every place. 15For we are the aroma of Christ for God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,f 16to the latter an odor of death that leads to death, to the former an odor of life that leads to life. Who is qualified* for this? 17For we are not like the many who trade on the word of God; but as out of sincerity, indeed as from God and in the presence of God, we speak in Christ.g