CAPTIVES IN CHRIST

Passage: 2 Corinthians 2:5-17

Key verse: 15

NIV

Forgiveness for the Offender

5 If anyone has caused grief,(A) he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. 6 The punishment(B) inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him,(C) so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9 Another reason I wrote you(D) was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.(E) 10 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, 11 in order that Satan(F) might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.(G)

Ministers of the New Covenant

12 Now when I went to Troas(H) to preach the gospel of Christ(I) and found that the Lord had opened a door(J) for me, 13 I still had no peace of mind,(K) because I did not find my brother Titus(L) there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.(M)

14 But thanks be to God,(N) who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma(O) of the knowledge(P) of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma(Q) of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.(R) 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death;(S) to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?(T) 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit.(U) On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity,(V) as those sent from God.(W)

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ESV

Forgive the Sinner

5 Now (A)if anyone has caused pain, (B)he has caused it not to me, but (C)in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. 6 For such a one, (D)this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 so (E)you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 For this is why I wrote, that I might (F)test you and know (G)whether you are obedient 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 (H)we are not ignorant of his designs.

Triumph in Christ

12 When (I)I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though (J)a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit (K)was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

14 But (L)thanks be to God, who in Christ always (M)leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads (N)the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among (O)those who are being saved and among (P)those who are perishing, 16 (Q)to one a fragrance from death to death, (R)to the other a fragrance from life to life. (S)Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

Paul had rebuked the church in Corinth in his previous letter because they tolerated sexual immorality among them. In doing so, they denied the gospel of Christ which made them new (1Co 5:7). Now Paul is urging them to forgive the offender in the sight of Christ. Paul was always careful to be obedient to the gospel. We forgive sinners because Christ bore their sins in his body. It is the recognition of the gospel in the matter of those who sinned and those who come to Christ for forgiveness. When we obey the gospel in everything we are protected from Satan’s schemes and guided to God,

Paul preached the gospel in Troas, but he was uneasy when he did not find his coworker Titus there, so he went on to Macedonia. Though Paul didn’t always know where he was going, he knew that he was being led by Christ like a captive. He was thankful to preach the gospel. He saw the gospel, and all who declared the gospel, as the aroma of Christ in the world. They are the aroma of life to the saved and the aroma of death to the perishing. Paul did not preach for his own gain but as an apostle sent by God himself.

Prayer: Lord, bless me to obey the gospel in all things. Use me in our times as the fragrant aroma of Christ.

One Word: We are the pleasing aroma of Christ