15 Because I was sure of this, wI wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second xexperience of grace. 16 yI wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. 17 Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans zaccording to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. 20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has aanointed us, 22 and who has also bput his seal on us and given us his Spirit cin our hearts as a dguarantee.1
23 But eI call God to witness against me—fit was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you gstand firm in your faith.
1 For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. 2 For hif I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? 3 And iI wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for jI felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. 4 For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.
Forgive the Sinner
5 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. 6 For such a one, this kpunishment by the majority is enough, 7 so lyou should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So mI beg you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are nobedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
Triumph in Christ
12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a odoor was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was pnot at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.
