2 Corinthians 2:5-13 Lesson 342

2 Corinthians 2:5-13
Lesson 342

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

Paul asks the Corinth church to forgive one of its own.

"Forever and ever."
By American artist Greg Olsen (1958-).

Who was -

Titus -
Titus was a Greek (Galatians 2:3) from Nicopolis of Macedonia, a Christian, and a "partner" and "helper" to Paul (2 Corinthians 8:23) who brought him comfort during his many trials (2 Corinthians 7:6). Titus traveled with Paul (Galatians 2:1) on several of his missionary journeys, helped him establish and organize churches, collected donations for the poor of Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8:3-6; 12:18), and accompanied Paul to the council at Jerusalem. Titus also delivered "The Second Epistle to the Corinthians," and helped Paul with his evangelical work in Corinth. Some Bible scholars believe Titus also delivered "The First Epistle to the Corinthians" to Corinth. Titus was like a son to Paul (Titus 1:4), and they traveled together to the island of Crete spreading the Gospel. When Paul left Crete, Titus stayed behind to organize and expand the church (Titus 1:5). Paul wrote "The Epistle Of Paul The Apostle To Titus" to guide and encourage him as he organized the Crete churches. Tradition has it that Titus became the first bishop of Crete and died there at an old age. Heraklion, the capital of Crete, claims to be Titus' burial place.

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The Second Epistle of Paul The Apostle To The Corinthians

The King James Bible

2 Corinthians 2:5-13
Forgive the repentant sinner

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.

Margin notes:

"He hath not grieved me." (2:5) - A member of the Corinth church had harmed the congregation (not Paul) with his behavior. The culprit might have been the man living with his father's wife in I Corinthians 5:1 (lesson 319) or the critic described in lesson 340.

"I may not overcharge you all." (2:5) - Means, "I do not overstate it."

"Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many." (2:6) - This means the unnamed man in verse 2:5 had been punished by the congregation.

"Swallowed up." (2:7) - "Overwhelmed."

"I beseech you." (2:8) - "I beg you."

"To this end also did I write." (2:9) - Another reference to the lost "tearful letter" Paul wrote between Corinthians 1 and 2.

"To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also." (2:10) - Because the church forgave the man, Paul also forgave.

"We are not ignorant of his devices." (2:11) - "We're not ignorant of his (Satan's) tricks." See 1 Peter 5:8 for a warning and Ephesians 6:11 for advice on resisting Satan's devices.

"Troas." (2:12) - Troas was a seaport city and Roman outpost located on the Aegean Sea north of Ephesus and east of Macedonia in the Mysia province (northwestern part of modern-day Turkey). Originally called Dardania, Troas was renamed after the ancient city of Troy, which once stood four miles north. Paul was in Troas when he had a vision of the "man of Macedonia" pleading for spiritual help (Acts 16:9-10). Besides this stop, Paul visited Troas several other times (Acts 20:5). Perhaps out of forgetfulness, Paul once left his coat, books, and important parchments behind in Troas (2 Timothy 4:13).

"I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus." (2:13) - "I was worried, because I couldn't find Titus." Paul traveled four hundred miles from Ephesus, north to Troas, and into Macedonia to find Titus (7:5-6).

"I went from thence into Macedonia." (2:13) - "I went from there to Macedonia."

New Living Translation

2 Corinthians 2:5-13
Forgiveness for the Sinner

5 I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me.

6 Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough.

7 Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement.

8 So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.

9 I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions.

10 When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ's authority for your benefit,

11 so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.

12 When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me.

13 But I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn't yet arrived with a report from you. So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's question:

1. Why did Paul urge the church to forgive? (2:10)

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Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. Paul urged forgiveness for several reasons. If not forgiven, the man ousted from the church might have become bitter and consumed by "sorrow" (2:7). This could have caused him to walk away from his faith, making him easy prey for Satan (2:11).

Remember, being forgiven is important.   But it is also vital to give forgiveness. For their own benefit, Paul encouraged the church to forgive and reaffirm their "love" for the offender (2:8). "Paul knew there was - and is - no place in the church for made-made limits on God's grace, mercy, and forgiveness toward repentant sinners. Such restrictions could only rob the fellowship of the joy of unity."  ("The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur, page 1620, published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee)

Application thought for the day:

Do you know someone in need of forgiveness?
For their benefit and yours, pray for them and forgive.

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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