The Bible Study podcast, episode 717.

Today, the Bible study podcast continues with the study of 2 Corinthians with chapter 2.

Welcome to the Bible study podcast from your host, Chris Christensen.

We continue on with 2 Corinthians. Chapter 2 goes like this.

So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you.

For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad, but you whom I have grieved.

I wrote as I did so that when I came I would not be distressed

by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you that you would all share my

joy, for I wrote out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you,

but to let you know the depth of my love for you

And so Paul is writing and he's opening up this letter talking about the last letter and he's basically saying I know that this may have caused some hard feelings

But I really felt that I needed to write. I was writing to you

out of great distress. He's saying, you can't know how difficult this was for me. But I also wanted

to write you that when I came to you, I wouldn't have to address these things. So when I came to you,

it could be joyful, basically. When I came to you, I wouldn't have to do this in

person. I didn't want to wait that long. And then he continues, forgiveness for the offender. If anyone

has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent.

Not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient now instead you ought to forgive and comfort him so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow i urge you therefore to reaffirm your love for him another reason i wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. Anyone you forgive,

I also forgive. And what I have forgiven, if there was anything to forgive, I have forgiven

in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us, for we are not

unaware of his schemes. And so he's saying that I know that you read my letter and you realize that some of you had

done wrong.

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