2 Corinthians 2:5-10

Expanded Bible

Forgive the Sinner

⁵ ·Someone [^LIf someone…; ^Cevidently the ringleader who opposed Paul on his previous visit (v. 1)] there among you has caused sadness, ·not [^L…it is not] to me, but to all of you. I mean he caused sadness to all ·in some way [or to some extent]. (I do not want to ·make it sound worse than it really is [exaggerate; put it too severely].) ⁶ The punishment that ·most of you [the majority] gave him is enough for him [^Cthe church as a whole has now sided with Paul and disciplined this individual]. ⁷ But now you should forgive him and ·comfort [encourage] him to keep him from ·having too much sadness and giving up completely [being overwhelmed/swallowed up by excessive sorrow/grief]. ⁸ So I ·beg [urge; encourage] you to ·show [reaffirm] that you love him. ⁹ I wrote you to test you and to see if you obey in everything [^CPaul’s “severe” letter (vv. 1, 3) evidently called the church to submit again to his authority]. ¹⁰ If you forgive someone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if I had anything to forgive—I forgave it for you, ·as if Christ were with me [or in the presence of Christ].