How does Paul connect pardon, concern for Titus and sincere preaching?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Paul urges sufficient rebuke to yield to comfort, reports leaving Troas without Titus, and uses fragrance imagery for preaching’s differing reception.

Chapter breakdown

Paul determined not to come again in sorrow and asks who could gladden him if he saddens those who otherwise make him glad. He wrote to avoid sorrow upon sorrow when coming, confident his joy was theirs. His writing came from affliction, anguish of heart and many tears to show abundant charity, not to sadden. He says if anyone caused grief, it was in part, without burdening all. The precise wording should not become a definitive report that everyone was grieved.

The rebuke given by many—not necessarily a numerical majority—is sufficient. Readers should forgive and comfort, lest perhaps the person be swallowed by excessive sorrow, and confirm charity. Paul wrote to test obedience. He joins their pardon, qualifying what he pardoned with if he pardoned anything, for their sake in Christ’s person, to avoid being overreached by Satan whose devices they know. The printed heading identifies an incestuous man doing penance. The printed annotation explains Paul’s pardon by Christ’s authority as releasing part of temporal punishment for the incestuous Corinthian previously under penance. These commentary identifications are distinct from the verse’s unnamed person. No universal repentance procedure or completed rescue from despair is stated.

At Troas for Christ’s gospel a door was opened in the Lord, but Paul had no rest in spirit because Titus was not found. He bade farewell and went to Macedonia. The source does not say he sailed, sent Titus to Corinth, sought particular news, or could not bear uncertainty. Those additions would supply unreported travel and motives.

Paul thanks God for triumph in Christ and manifesting knowledge’s odour everywhere. They are Christ’s good odour to God among saved and perishing, death unto death to one and life unto life to others. He asks who is sufficient. The printed odour annotation explains apostolic preaching bringing many to life and being an occasion of death to others through their own fault in wilfully resisting the divine call. He says they do not adulterate God’s word as many do, but speak sincerely, from and before God, in Christ. A commercial gain motive or literal lethal medical effect is not supplied.

The story inside

Many is not changed to majority; lest perhaps remains a risk. Penance and temporal-punishment commentary remain distinct; no sailing or Titus dispatch is invented.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Sorrow swallowing the offender is a perhaps warning.
2
Troas departure is reported without a means of travel.
3
The printed note locates resistant hearers’ fault in opposing the call.

Test your recall

What does Paul give as the reason for lacking rest at Troas?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 130907–130932
2:5. And if any one have caused grief, he hath not grieved me: but in part, that I may not burden you all. 2:6. To him who is such a one, this rebuke is sufficient, which is given by many. 2:7. So that on the contrary, you should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 2:8. Wherefore, I beseech you that you would confirm your charity towards him. 2:9. For to this end also did I write, that I may know the experiment of you, whether you be obedient in all things. 2:10. And to whom you have pardoned any thing, I also. For, what I have pardoned, if I have pardoned any thing, for your sakes have I done it in the person of Christ: I also.... The apostle here granted an indulgence, or pardon, in the person and by the authority of Christ, to the incestuous Corinthian, whom before he had put under penance, which pardon consisted in a releasing of part of the temporal punishment due to his sin. 2:11. That we be not overreached by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his devices.
Lines 130940–130956
2:14. Now thanks be to God, who always maketh us to triumph in Christ Jesus and manifesteth the odour of his knowledge by us in every place. 2:15. For we are the good odour of Christ unto God, in them that are saved and in them that perish. 2:16. To the one indeed the odour of death unto death: but to the others the odour of life unto life. And for these things who is so sufficient? The odour of death, etc.... The preaching of the apostle, which by its fragrant odour, brought many to life, was to others, through their own fault, the occasion of death; by their wilfully opposing and resisting that divine call. 2:17. For we are not as many, adulterating the word of God: but with sincerity: but as from God, before God, in Christ we speak.