2 Cor. 2:9. For I wrote for this very purpose, that I might learn by experience whether you are obedient in all things.
He frightens them so that, fearing condemnation for disobedience, they would more willingly show leniency to the man. "I wrote for this reason," he says, "to test by experience" your virtue of obedience — whether you will show me the same obedience now, when he ought to be comforted, as you showed then, when I punished him. For this is the meaning of the words: "whether you are obedient in all things." Although he wrote not for this reason, but with the salvation of the sinner in mind, he nevertheless says "for this reason," in order to dispose them all the more in favor of the guilty one.
2 Cor. 2:10. And whomever you forgive in anything, I forgive also,
By this he softens the disagreement and stubbornness by which they might not have shown the man leniency. For here he presents them as the source of his forgiveness, and himself as agreeing with them, saying: "whom you forgive anything, him I forgive also."
2 Cor. 2:10. For I also, if I have forgiven anything to anyone, I have forgiven it for your sakes in the person of Christ,
Lest they should think that forgiveness was granted at their discretion, and consequently neglect the forgiveness of the man, he shows that he has already granted him this, so that they could not oppose him. And lest they should be offended, as though being disregarded, he says: "for your sakes" I granted him forgiveness, for I knew that you would agree with me. Then, lest it should seem that he forgave him for the sake of men, he added: "in the person of Christ," that is, he forgave by the will of God, before the face of Christ and as if by His command, as one representing His person, or: to the glory of Christ; for if forgiveness is accomplished to the glory of Christ, how can one not forgive the one who has sinned, so that Christ may be glorified?
2 Cor. 2:11. lest Satan should take advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Lest, he says, there be common harm and lest the number of Christ's flock be diminished. He beautifully called this matter an injury. For the devil not only takes what belongs to him, but also seizes what is ours, chiefly as a result of our own conduct, that is, on account of immoderately imposed repentance. Therefore he called the craftiness and deceit of the devil his devices, and mentioned how he destroys under the guise of piety; for he casts into perdition not only by drawing into fornication, but also by excessive grief. How is this not an injury, when he catches us through ourselves?
2 Cor. 2:12. Having come to Troas for the preaching of the gospel of Christ, although a door was opened to me by the Lord,
2 Cor. 2:13. I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there,
Above he mentioned the affliction that befell him in Asia and showed how he was delivered from it; now again he reports that he was grieved by another thing as well, namely that he did not find Titus. For when there is no comforter, things become harder. So why do you accuse me of delay, when I was enduring so many hardships that do not allow us to go where we wish? He says that he went to Troas not without purpose, but "for the gospel," that is, in order to preach. Why then did you preach, but not for long? — Because he did not find Titus. "I had no rest in my spirit," that is, he was grieved, distressed on account of his absence. Did you therefore abandon the work of God? Not for that reason, but because due to his absence the work of preaching met with hindrance, for Paul greatly desired to preach, but the absence of Titus, who helped him greatly when he was with him, was an obstacle.
2 Cor. 2:13. But, having taken leave of them, I went to Macedonia.
That is, he was not there for a long time due to difficult circumstances. For although a great door was opened, that is, there was much work to do, yet for lack of a helper it met with hindrance.
2 Cor. 2:14. But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph (θριάμβευοντι) in Christ,
Since he mentioned many afflictions—the affliction in Asia, the affliction in Troas, the affliction from not having come to them—lest it seem that he enumerates afflictions with sorrow, he says: "Thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph," that is, who makes us glorious. For a triumph is the procession of a king or commander through a city with victory and trophies. And God makes us glorious in victory over the devil. Because what seems to be dishonor constitutes our glory, for then the devil falls. All of this, however, takes place in Christ, that is, through Christ and through preaching. Or: for the fact that we triumph in Christ, we are glorified; for bearing Christ Himself, as a kind of trophy, we are glorified by His radiance.
2 Cor. 2:14. And spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Himself through us in every place.
The precious ointment, he says, is the knowledge of God, which we reveal to all people, or rather – not the ointment itself, but its fragrance. For the present knowledge is not entirely clear, but "as through a glass, darkly" (1 Cor. 13:12). Thus, just as someone smelling the fragrance knows that somewhere there is ointment, but what it is in its essence he does not know, so also we know that God exists, but Who He is in His essence we do not know. Thus, we are like a royal censer, and wherever we come, we bring the fragrance of spiritual ointment, that is, the knowledge of God. Therefore, having said above that we always triumph, he now says: in every place we impart fragrance to people. For every place and time is filled with our teachings. Thus, one must endure courageously, since even now, before receiving the good things to come, we are glorified to such a degree.
2 Cor. 2:15. For we are Christ's sweet fragrance to God among those being saved and among those perishing.
He says this both because we offer ourselves as a sacrifice, dying for Christ, and because at the slaying of Christ we too send up a certain fragrance. The meaning of his words is as follows: whether someone is saved or perishes, the Gospel preserves its dignity and we continue to be what we are. Just as light, though it blinds those with weak sight, nevertheless remains light, or as honey, though it may seem bitter to those suffering from jaundice, nevertheless does not cease to be sweet, so too the Gospel emits fragrance, even though unbelievers perish. And we are "the fragrance of Christ," but not simply so, but "to God." And if God has determined this concerning us, who will contradict?
2 Cor. 2:16. For some, a deadly fragrance unto death, but for others a life-giving fragrance unto life.
Since he said: "we are a fragrance even among those who are perishing," lest you think that those who perish are also pleasing and acceptable to God, he added the following: smelling this fragrance, some are saved, while others perish. Just as myrrh, they say, suffocates swine and beetles, so too Christ was set as a stone of stumbling and offense. Likewise, fire purifies gold but burns up thorns.
2 Cor. 2:16. Who is sufficient for these things?
Since he said so much with the words "we are a fragrance," and "we triumph," he again tries to temper his speech. For this reason he says that we by ourselves without God's help are insufficient; for everything belongs to Him and there is nothing of our own.
2 Cor. 2:17. For we do not corrupt the word of God, as many do,
Here he points to the false apostles, who regarded the grace of God as their own work. Therefore, he says, I said: "who is sufficient?" – and ascribed everything to God, that I am not like the false apostles, I do not corrupt or distort the gift of God. He hints that they mix the contrivances of worldly wisdom into the evangelical teaching and try to sell for money what should be given freely. But we are not like that. Therefore he adds the following.