1So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. 2For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3I 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. 4For 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.
Forgiveness for the Offender
5If 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. 6The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 7Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10Anyone 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, 11in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
Ministers of the New Covenant
12Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13I 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.
14But 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. 15For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16To 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? 17Unlike 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.
1Zato sam sebi rekao: “Neću ponovno doći tako da ih ražalostim.” 2Jer ako ja vas ražalostim, tko će mene razveseliti ako ne vi? 3Ovo sam vam i napisao zato da me, kad dođem, ne bi ožalostili oni koji bi me trebali razveseliti, jer sam uvjeren da ćete vi biti sretni ako sam i ja sretan. 4Pišem vam ovo shrvan žalošću, s bolom u srcu i sa suzama, ne da bih vas ražalostio, već da bih vam pokazao koliko vas silno volim.
Grešniku treba oprostiti
5Neću pretjerati ako kažem da čovjek koji mi je nanio zlo nije ražalostio samo mene već i sve vas. 6On je već dovoljno kažnjen time što ga je većina vas zbog toga osudila. 7Sada mu, naprotiv, oprostite i utješite ga, da ga prevelika žalost ne bi slomila. 8Molim vas, pokažite mu da ga još uvijek volite.
9Zato sam vam i pisao, da vidim hoćete li me u svemu poslušati. 10Kad vi nekome oprostite, i ja mu oprostim. A što sam oprostio, ako sam imao što oprostiti, učinio sam po Kristovu ovlaštenju i za vašu dobrobit, 11da nas ne bi nadmudrio Sotona jer njegove nakane dobro poznajemo!
U službi Novoga saveza
12Kad sam stigao u Troadu propovijedati Radosnu vijest o Kristu, Gospodin mi je za to otvorio vrata, 13ali nisam imao duševnog mira jer ondje nisam našao brata Tita. Zato sam se oprostio od druge braće i krenuo u Makedoniju.
14Ali hvala Bogu koji nas u Kristu uvijek vodi u pobjedonosnom slavlju i koji kroz nas, poput ugodna mirisa, posvuda širi spoznaju o sebi. 15Mi smo Bogu ugodan Kristov miris i među onima koji se spašavaju i među onima koji propadaju; 16prvima miris koji ih iz smrti vodi u život, a drugima koji ih iz života vodi u smrt. A tko je podoban za takav posao? 17Nismo mi kao varalice koji na Božjoj riječi nastoje zaraditi, već iz iskrenih pobuda, poslani od Boga, govorimo o Kristu. I znamo da nas Bog promatra.
