2. After all, if I had made you uncomfortable, how could you have cheered me up when you were uncomfortable?
3. This is the very reason I wrote to you. I didn’t want to visit you and be distressed by those who should make me happy. I’m confident about all of you that whatever makes me happy also makes you happy.
4. I was deeply troubled and anguished. In fact, I had tears in my eyes when I wrote to you. I didn’t write to make you uncomfortable but to let you know how much I love you.
5. If someone caused distress, I’m not the one really affected. To some extent—although I don’t want to emphasize this too much—it has affected all of you.
6. The majority of you have imposed a severe enough punishment on that person.
7. So now forgive and comfort him. Such distress could overwhelm someone like that if he’s not forgiven and comforted.
8. That is why I urge you to assure him that you love him.
9. I had also written to you to test you. I wanted to see if you would be obedient in every way.
10. If you forgive someone, so do I. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did in the presence of Christ for your benefit.
11. I don’t want Satan to outwit us. After all, we are not ignorant about Satan’s scheming.
12. When I went to the city of Troas, the Lord gave me an opportunity to spread the Good News about Christ.
13. But I didn’t have any peace of mind, because I couldn’t find Titus, our brother, there. So I said goodbye to the people in Troas and went to the province of Macedonia.
14. But I thank God, who always leads us in victory because of Christ. Wherever we go, God uses us to make clear what it means to know Christ. It’s like a fragrance that fills the air.
15. To God we are the aroma of Christ among those who are saved and among those who are dying.