爱之深责之切
1我已经决定了，下次到你们那里时不再使大家忧伤。 2如果我使你们忧伤，那么除了因我而忧伤的你们，还有谁能使我喜乐呢？ 3我曾为这事写信给你们，免得我到你们那里时，那些本该使我喜乐的人反而使我忧伤。我也深信你们会以我的喜乐为你们的喜乐。 4我万分难过、泪流满面地给你们写了前一封信，并非要使你们忧伤，而是要你们明白我是多么疼爱你们。
要饶恕犯罪的人
5那个令人痛心的人与其说使我忧伤，倒不如说使你们大家都有几分忧伤。我只说几分忧伤，是怕说得太重，他受不了。 6这样的人受了众人的谴责也就够了。 7你们现在要饶恕他、安慰他，免得他忧伤过度而一蹶不振。 8我劝你们要让他确实知道你们仍然爱他。 9为此，我也曾写信给你们，想知道你们是否凡事顺服。 10你们饶恕谁，我也饶恕谁。我若饶恕，是为了你们的缘故在基督面前饶恕的， 11免得撒旦乘虚而入，因为我们并非不知道它的诡计。
基督的香气
12我前往特罗亚传扬基督的福音时，主为我打开了传福音的大门。 13那时，因为没有找到提多弟兄，我心里不安，便辞别众人来到马其顿。
14感谢上帝，祂常常在基督里率领我们走在凯旋的行列中，又借着我们到处散发那因认识基督而有的香气。 15不论是在得救的人当中还是在灭亡的人当中，对上帝来说，我们都是基督的馨香之气。 16对灭亡的人而言，这香气是叫人死亡的香气；对得救的人来说，这香气却是叫人得生命的香气。谁能担当这样的重任呢？ 17我们并不像许多人为了谋利而出卖上帝的道。我们是上帝差遣的，在上帝面前靠着基督诚诚实实地讲道。
1So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. 2If I make you sad, who is going to make me glad? Only you, the people I made sad. 3What I wrote to you I wrote for a special reason. When I came, I didn’t want to be troubled by those who should make me glad. I was sure that all of you would share my joy. 4I was very troubled when I wrote to you. My heart was sad. My eyes were full of tears. I didn’t want to make you sad. I wanted to let you know that I love you very deeply.
Forgive Those Who Make You Sad
5Suppose someone has made us sad. In some ways, he hasn’t made me sad so much as he has made all of you sad. But I don’t want to put this too strongly. 6He has been punished because most of you decided he should be. This punishment is enough. 7Now you should forgive him and comfort him. Then he won’t be sad more than he can stand. 8So I’m asking you to tell him again that you still love him. 9I wrote to you for another special reason. I wanted to see if you could stand the test. I wanted to see if you could obey everything asked of you. 10Anyone you forgive I also forgive. Was there anything to forgive? If so, I have forgiven it for your benefit, knowing that Christ is watching. 11We don’t want Satan to outsmart us. We know how he does his evil work.
Serving Under the New Covenant
12I went to Troas to preach the good news about Christ. There I found that the Lord had opened a door of opportunity for me. 13But I still had no peace of mind. I couldn’t find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to the believers at Troas and went on to Macedonia.
14Give thanks to God! He always leads us as if we were prisoners in Christ’s victory parade. Through us, God spreads the knowledge of Christ everywhere like perfume. 15God considers us to be the pleasing smell that Christ is spreading. He is spreading it among people who are being saved and people who are dying. 16To those who are dying, we are the smell of death. To those who are being saved, we are the perfume of life. Who is able to do this work? 17Unlike many people, we aren’t selling God’s word to make money. In fact, it is just the opposite. Because of Christ we speak honestly before God. We speak like people God has sent.
