Fathers

2 Corinthians 2

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But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? 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. 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. But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. 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; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, 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. 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. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 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? 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.

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What the Fathers say

2 Corinthians 2:3

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"And I wrote this very thing unto you." What? That for this cause I came not, to spare you. When wrote he? In the former Epistle when he said, "I do not wish to see you now by the way?" I think not; but in this Epistle when he said, "Lest when I come again, my God should humble me before you." I have written then towards the end this same, saith he, "lest when I come, my God will humble me, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore." But why didst thou write? …

Homily 4 on 2 Corinthians ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

What? That I did not come to you, sparing you. Where did he write? In this very epistle. For this reason I wrote to you now, so that you would correct yourselves, and so that, finding you uncorrected, I would not have sorrow from you, from whom it was fitting to provide me occasions for joy. I wrote, he says, hoping that you would correct yourselves, and thereby gladden me. And my joy is joy for all of you. And I said "so that, when I come, I might not have sorrow" because I have in mind not my own benefit, but yours. …

Commentary on 2 Corinthians ↗

Western Saints

Thomas Aquinas

But the reason I write this to you is that you so adjust yourselves, that when I come, I will not be sad at seeing you uncorrected, in addition to the sadness I experienced when I heard that you had sinned. In regard to this he does two things: first, he gives his admonition; secondly, he shows that he is confident it will be obeyed (v. 3b). The admonition is this: I wrote as I did, namely, that I am pained at the sin you committed: "he was vexed in his righteous soul day after day with their lawless deeds" (2 Pet. …

Commentary on 2 Corinthians ↗