7 So that now, on the other hand, it is right for him to have forgiveness and comfort from you, for fear that his sorrow may be over-great.
And be kind to one another, full of pity, having forgiveness for one another, even as God in Christ had forgiveness for you.
For truly, we who are in this tent do give out cries of weariness, for the weight of care which is on us; not because we are desiring to be free from the body, but so that we may have our new body, and death may be overcome by life.
For this cause let the hands which are hanging down be lifted up, and let the feeble knees be made strong, And make straight roads for your feet, so that the feeble may not be turned out of the way, but may be made strong. Let your desire be for peace with all men, and to be made holy, without which no man may see the Lord; Looking with care to see that no man among you in his behaviour comes short of the grace of God; for fear that some bitter root may come up to be a trouble to you, and that some of you may be made unclean by it;
And if any man does not give attention to what we have said in this letter, take note of that man, and keep away from him, so that he may be shamed. Have no feeling of hate for him, but take him in hand seriously as a brother.
Now we give you orders, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from all those whose behaviour is not well ordered and in harmony with the teaching which they had from us.
Being gentle to one another and having forgiveness for one another, if anyone has done wrong to his brother, even as the Lord had forgiveness for you:
For in fact he was ill almost to death: but God had mercy on him; and not only on him but on me, so that I might not have grief on grief.
Brothers, if a man is taken in any wrongdoing, you who are of the Spirit will put such a one right in a spirit of love; keeping watch on yourself, for fear that you yourself may be tested. Take on yourselves one another's troubles, and so keep the law of Christ.
For the sorrow which God gives is the cause of salvation through a change of heart, in which there is no reason for grief: but the sorrow of the world is a cause of death.
Your purpose is the destruction of a mother-town in Israel: why would you put an end to the heritage of the Lord? And Joab, answering her, said, Far, far be it from me to be a cause of death or destruction;
And further, these are uncertain through wine, and have gone out of the right way through strong drink: the priest and the prophet are uncertain through strong drink, they are overcome by wine, they have gone out of the way through strong drink; their vision is false, they go wrong in their decisions.
A glad heart makes a healthy body, but a crushed spirit makes the bones dry.
They would have made a meal of us while still living, in the heat of their wrath against us:
He will send from heaven, and take me from the power of him whose desire is for my destruction. God will send out his mercy and his good faith.
<To the chief music-maker; put to Jonath elem rehokim. Of David. Michtam. When the Philistines took him in Gath.> Have mercy on me, O God, for man is attempting my destruction; every day he makes cruel attacks against me. My haters are ever ready to put an end to me; great numbers are lifting themselves up against me.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Corinthians 2
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
In this chapter the apostle proceeds in the account of the reasons why he did not come to Corinth (v. 1-4). Then he writes concerning the incestuous person who lay under censure; and gives direction for restoring him, together with the reasons for their so doing (v. 5-11), and afterwards informs them of his labours and success in preaching the gospel in several places (v. 12-17).
2Cr 2:1-4
In these verses,
2Cr 2:5-11
In these verses the apostle treats concerning the incestuous person who had been excommunicated, which seems to be one principal cause of his writing this epistle. Here observe,
2Cr 2:12-17
After these directions concerning the excommunicated person the apostle makes a long digression, to give the Corinthians an account of his travels and labours for the furtherance of the gospel, and what success he had therein, declaring at the same time how much he was concerned for them in their affairs, how he had no rest in his spirit, when he found not Titus at Troas (v. 13), as he expected, from whom he hoped to have understood more perfectly how it fared with them. And we find afterwards (ch. 7:5-7) that when the apostle had come into Macedonia he was comforted by the coming of Titus, and the information he gave him concerning them. So that we may look upon all that we read from this second chapter, v. 12, to ch. 7:5, as a kind of parenthesis. Observe here,