2Corinthians 2

September 13, 2022

But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.

2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?

3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of 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 unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.

6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.

7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.

9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.

10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person 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 Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,

13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.

14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

Forgiveness again. It’s the giant gourd in the garden by which we are known. ‘By their fruits you will know them’. (Matt 7:1620) Forgiveness – in our families, in our work places, in our friendship circles, in our churches, and in politics. Forgiveness – it’s a kind of softening of our perceived injury and redirecting that hurt and making it a peace offering toward the errant one and saying I will not charge you with this matter. Forgiveness – it’s a step in humility; we release our hurt and care that those who have hurt us are not hurt in return. Forgiveness – it is an easing of tensions, allowing for a relationship to move forward and not be defined by an injury. Forgiveness – it is what was modeled for us by no less than Christ Himself, “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do”. If He, the Son of God – ‘very God of very God’ – can beg forgiveness for those that nailed Him to that tree, can we do any less a thing when someone hurts our feelings?

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