Bible Commentaries

In heaviness; in sadness.

He wished to regard his spiritual children as the source of joy and happiness to him, and accordingly he did not wish to be the means of giving pain to them.

That my joy is the joy of you all, that my enjoyment consists in promoting and witnessing yours.

I wrote unto you; referring to his former Epistle.

It is generally supposed that the individual whose case is considered in 1 Corinthians 5:1-13: is referred to in this passage. (2 Corinthians 2:5-8.) The meaning of this verse is not clear. The idea may be, that the pain which that case had given the apostle was only a partial and temporary interruption to the joy and satisfaction which the church at Corinth had generally afforded him.

It would seem that Paul had learned, perhaps through Titus, (see 2 Corinthians 7:5-7,) that the church had exercised towards this offending member the discipline which he had recommended in the former Epistle.

Ye ought rather to forgive him; that is, ye ought now to forgive him.

Confirm; restore and establish.

Get an advantage; by retaining in his kingdom one, who, being penitent, ought now to be restored to the kingdom of Christ. (Compare 1 Corinthians 5:5.)

Troas was on the coast near the north-eastern corner of the Egean Sea, on the way from Ephesus to Macedonia.

I had no rest in my spirit. He felt so solicitous to hear from Corinth that he could not continue in his work at Troas, although a favorable opportunity for effort seemed to be open there before him. He accordingly went on into Macedonia, hoping to find Titus there.

In every place; that is, wherever we go. Though he left a favorable opening for usefulness in Troas he found that he was made the instrument of disseminating the knowledge of God in Macedonia.

We are unto God a sweet savor; our labors and instrumentality are acceptable to God.

The savor of death unto death; by being the means of greatly aggravating their sin. For the guilt and condemnation of the sinner is in proportion to the light and the privileges which he enjoys.--For these things; for such high responsibilities.