2 Corinthians 2 - There is a Difference Between the Conviction of the Holy Spirit and the Condemnation of the Evil One!

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1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. 2 For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3 I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. 4 For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you

In Paul's letter he had to address some of the conflicts happening in the church at Corinth. There was some sexual immorality, arguing over leaders, and some were saying Paul was not a "real apostle". In his visit, which is not recorded in the bible, he had to do some confronting. He was a sensitive to making them upset, and he did not like coming under these pretenses just as much as they didn't. But in the end he was confronting them out of love for them and love for the gospel. I like the word "care-fronting" instead of "con-fronting". 

1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. 2 For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3 I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. 4 For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you. - Guzik

 “St. Paul’s Epistles were written rather with tears than with ink.” (Trapp)

Forgiveness for the Offender

5 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. 6 The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9 Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10 Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Who is this man? He is probably the same one that Paul told the Corinthian Christians to confront in 1 Corinthians 5. The phrase such a man is used in both books to describe this man, and in 1 Corinthians it tells us that he sinned in an incestuous affair. He lived immorally with his stepmother.

Paul now describes a process of restoration for the person who had sinned and caused so much trouble in the church. The people were naturally angry, but Paul tried to give them a pathway where this brother could be restored and reconciled to the church. He was mostly concerned about this man's salvation and the excessive sorrow he would face if they brought only condemnation. He had already been punished and seems like he has repented based on Paul's words.  There is a time for consequences and a time for forgiveness and grace. 

Finally, Paul talks about the evil one's role in this. Not only does the evil one love dissension and division in the church, but his goal is to destroy our faith. He wanted to destroy this man's faith through condemnation, so he would feel worthless and unworthy of God's grace in Christ. There is a difference between the conviction of the Holy Spirit when we sin and the condemnation of the evil one when we sin. This will always be a struggle to discern whether as an individual believer or in the church.  

They were just as wrong in withholding forgiveness and restoration to the man when he repented as they were to welcome him with open, approving arms when he was in sin. The Corinthian Christians found it easy to err on either extreme, either being too lenient or too harsh. - Guzik

To withhold forgiveness from the repentant is to play into the hands of Satan. “There is nothing more dangerous than to give Satan a chance of reducing a sinner to despair. Whenever we fail to comfort those that are moved to a sincere confession of their sin, we play into Satan’s hands.” (Calvin)

Ministers of the New Covenant

12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13 I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

As we have said before, Paul relied heavily on partners in ministry, and in this passage he names Titus as one of his partners. Though God had opened a door for him, he still saw Titus' absence as a reason to go back to Macedonia (Philippi and Corinth). 

Where we see a door… opened, we can have faith that God will bless the ministry. “Where the master sets up a light, there is some work to be done; where he sends forth his labourers, there is some harvest to be gotten in.” (Trapp)

Even though there was an open door, Paul felt he could not do all that he needed to if he did not have Titus there. Paul did not regard himself as a one-man show; he knew he needed other people with him and beside him. - Guzik

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

As Paul continues on in his missionary journey, he liken it so Christ's triumphal process where the aroma of His presence, power, and love naturally exudes from them. And we are the aroma of Christ. What an interesting metaphor. 

Does the aroma we put off draw people to Christ or push them away? We need to be in the world not of the world. But, unless we are in the world, the sweet fragrance of Christ will not emanate from us to a dying world. 

Here, Paul takes an image from the Roman world, seeing Jesus as the victorious, conquering general in a triumphal parade. A Roman triumphal parade was given to successful generals as they returned from their conquests.  - Guzik

“The idea is borrowed from an ancient Roman triumph, which to the eyes of the world of that day was the most glorious spectacle which the imagination could conceive.” (Meyer) 

“A sweet savour of Christ! It does not consist so much in what we do, but in our manner of doing it; not so much in our words or deeds, as in an indefinable sweetness, tenderness, courtesy, unselfishness, and desire to please others to their edification. It is the breath and fragrance of a life hidden with Christ in God, and deriving its aroma from fellowship with Him. Wrap the habits of your soul in the sweet lavender of your Lord’s character.” (Meyer)

A great question to ask ourselves is what type of aroma do we give off to the world? Are we full of grace, truth, compassion, and integrity? Most people think Christians are judgmental and hypocritical. Although this is sometimes a rationalization to keep from hearing the gospel, it is true sometimes. We need to be ambassadors for Christ!

The only thing that should be offensive to people is the gospel not our lives!