Reaffirm Your Love 1 UDB In the last visit I made to Corinth, I know that I hurt you very much by what I said to you. I decided this time that I would not make another painful visit to you. BSB BSB: So I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you.
2 UDB I caused you much pain on my last visit, and the people who could cheer me up the most would be the same people whom I hurt when I was there. BSB BSB: For if I grieve you, who is left to cheer me but those whom I have grieved?
3 UDB I wrote that letter to you so when I came to you, you would not make me feel sad again—you, who should actually make me rejoice! I was sure that we all have the same reasons to be joyful. BSB BSB: I wrote as I did so that on my arrival I would not be grieved by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would share my joy.
4 UDB I wrote to you then because I still had much hurt and pain in my heart—I cried many tears for you, and I did not want to hurt you anymore. I want you to know how much I love all of you. BSB BSB: For through many tears I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart, not to grieve you but to let you know how much I love you.
5 UDB This person who fell into sin—he did not just make me sad by what he did; his sin made all of you sad. BSB BSB: Now if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me but all of you—to some degree, not to overstate it.
6 UDB We all agree what we should do about this man and his sin. He has now been punished and his punishment was fair. BSB BSB: The punishment imposed on him by the majority is sufficient for him.
7 UDB So this is where we are now: He suffered through his punishment, but now it is time to forgive him for what he did and to love him so that he might not be discouraged by feeling too sad. BSB BSB: So instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
8 UDB In front of all the believers, tell him how much you love him. BSB BSB: Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.
9 UDB I wrote you to see if you would obey God and deal with this problem. BSB BSB: My purpose in writing you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.
10 UDB So the man you forgave, I also forgive. Whatever I have forgiven—even the smallest matters—I have forgiven out of my love for you, and I forgive as though Christ were standing in front of me. BSB BSB: If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ for your sake,
11 UDB By forgiving this man, we made it so Satan could not trick us into doing something worse. We know all about his tricks and his lies. BSB BSB: in order that Satan should not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
Triumph in Christ 12 UDB Even though the Lord opened many ways for us to share the good news in the city of Troas, BSB BSB: Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and a door stood open for me in the Lord,
13 UDB I was worried about our brother Titus because I did not find him there. So I left the believers in Troas and returned to Macedonia to look for him. BSB BSB: I had no peace in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.
14 UDB We thank God that we are joined together with Christ, and Christ always leads us in his march of victory. Through our lives and our message, everywhere we go, we are like those who have been near burning incense. But our fragrance does not come from real incense, it comes from knowing Christ; and because we know him, we have his fragrant aroma. BSB BSB: But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.
15 UDB God smells this same fragrance, and it reminds him of Christ. And those whom God rescues smell this same fragrance in us. Even the people whom God does not rescue smell that aroma that reminds them of Christ. BSB BSB: For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
16 UDB To those people that God does not rescue, that aroma of Christ is like the smell of a dead person dying once again. But to those whom God is rescuing—they smell Christ, who is alive, coming to also make them alive. Indeed, no one is able by himself to spread this fragrance! BSB BSB: To the one we are an odor that brings death, to the other a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?
17 UDB You know that many people go from city to city selling the word of God for money. But we are not like them. We work hard to please God, and we do what he wants. And we speak about Christ because we know God sees everything we do, and we announce Christ because we are joined to him. BSB BSB: For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.