{{use mdy dates|date=July 2020}} {{New Testament chapter short description}} {{Bible chapter|letname=2 Corinthians 2|previouslink= 2 Corinthians 1 |previousletter= chapter 1 |nextlink= 2 Corinthians 3 |nextletter= chapter 3 |book= Second Epistle to the Corinthians |biblepart=New Testament | booknum= 8 |category= Pauline epistles | filename= P46.jpg |size=250px | name=Papyrus 46, 3rd century |caption=<div style="width: 250px; text-align: center; line-height: 1em">A folio of Papyrus 46 (written ca. AD 200), containing 2 Corinthians 11:33–12:9. This manuscript contains almost complete parts of the whole Pauline epistles.</div>}} '''2 Corinthians 2''' is the second chapter of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle and Timothy (2 Corinthians 1:1) in Macedonia in 55–56 CE.{{sfn|MacDonald|2007|p=1134}} In this chapter, Paul extends an explanation commenced in chapter 1 as to why he is not visiting Corinth prior to his return journey to Judea.
==Text== The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 17 verses.
===Textual witnesses=== Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are: *Papyrus 46 (~AD 200) *Codex Vaticanus (325–350) *Codex Sinaiticus (330–360) *Codex Alexandrinus (400–440; complete)<ref name = Aland>{{Cite book | last = Aland | first = Kurt | author-link = Kurt Aland | last2 = Aland | first2 = Barbara | author-link2 = Barbara Aland | others = Erroll F. Rhodes (trans.) | title = The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism | publisher = William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company | year = 1995 | location = Grand Rapids | pages = 107, 109 | isbn = 978-0-8028-4098-1}}</ref> *Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (~450) *Codex Freerianus (~450; extant verses 3–4, 14) *Codex Claromontanus (~550).
==Verse 1== :''So I made up my mind not to make you another painful visit.''<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Corinthians|2:1|NRSVA}}: New Revised Standard Version</ref> This passage is continuous with the final part of chapter 1.<ref>Plumptre, E. H., [https://biblehub.com/commentaries/ellicott/2_corinthians/2.htm Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers] on 2 Corinthians 1, accessed on 2 June 2025</ref> Paul refers to an earlier "brief and painful visit", during which a longer visit was promised, which is the subject of the change of mind which he alludes to here.<ref>Jerusalem Bible (1966), "Introduction to Saint Paul", p. 256 in the New Testament section, London: Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday and Co. Inc.</ref>
==Verse 3== :''I wrote you a letter for this reason: that when I came to you I would not be made sad by the people who should make me happy. I felt sure of all of you, that you would share my joy.''<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Corinthians|2:1|NCV}}: New Century Version</ref> Paul's letter after his "painful visit" is commonly referred to as the "severe letter" or "letter of tears". 2 Corinthians 7:8-12 also refers to this letter.<ref>Fredrickson, D. E. (2001), [https://digitalcommons.luthersem.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1215&context=faculty_articles "Through Many Tears" (2 Cor. 2:4): Paul's Grieving Letter and the Occasion of 2 Corinthians 1-7], ''Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary'', Faculty Publications, accessed on 3 June 2025</ref>
==Forgive the offender (verses 5-11)== :''For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough.''<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Corinthians|2:6|ESV}}: English Standard Version</ref> The unnamed offender, {{langx|grc-x-biblical|τοιοῦτος}}, {{Transliteration|grc|toioutos}}, "such a one" (KJV), "a man in his position" (J. B. Phillips' translation) is the man who, in {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|5:1|NKJV}} "has his father’s wife".<ref>[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/2_corinthians/2.htm Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on 2 Corinthians 2], accessed 28 August 2017</ref>
==Verse 14== :''But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.''<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Corinthians|2:14|NIV}}: New International Version</ref> MacDonald suggests that the thanksgiving formula in this verse acts as the starting point for a section running to 2 Corinthians 5:19 which deals with Paul's authority as an apostle.{{sfn|MacDonald|2007|p=1137}}
==Verse 16== : ''To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?''<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Corinthians|2:16|NKJV}}: NKJV</ref> *"Leading to death" (NKJV; KJV: "unto death"): or "for death", "appointed to" death (cf. {{bibleverse|Jeremiah|43:11|KJV}}).<ref name="gill_2Cor2_16">[http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/2-corinthians-2-16.html ''John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible''] on 2 Corinthians 2:16</ref>
==Verse 17== : ''For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.''<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Corinthians|2:17|NKJV}}: NKJV</ref> *"We are not, as so many": Paul separates himself from the false apostles, who are "many", forming "great swarms of false teachers" in the early times of Christianity (cf. {{bibleverse|1 John|2:18|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|1 John|4:1|KJV}}). Some copies read, "as the rest", as the Syriac and Arabic versions.<ref name="gill_2Cor2_17"/> *"Peddling the word of God" (KJV: ''which '''corrupt''' the word of God''): that is the Scriptures in general may be corrupted by "false glosses and human mixtures". The Septuagint translates the last clause of {{bibleverse|Isaiah|1:22|KJV}} {{Transliteration|grc|oi kaphloi sou misgousi ton}} ({{Transliteration|grc|oinon udati}}, "thy vintners mix wine with water"), in a moral or spiritual sense. The Syriac version reads the words ''Nygzmmd'', "who mix the word of God".<ref name="gill_2Cor2_17"/> *"We speak ... in Christ": which is "in the name of Christ, of or concerning him, and him only".<ref name="gill_2Cor2_17">[http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/2-corinthians-2-17.html ''John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible'' – 2 Corinthians 2:17]</ref>
==See also== *Jesus Christ *Macedonia *Titus *Troas *Related Bible parts: 2 Corinthians 1, 1 John 2, 1 John 4
==References== {{reflist}}
==Bibliography== *{{cite book|last=MacDonald | first= Margaret | chapter = 66. 2 Corinthians | title=The Oxford Bible Commentary | editor-first1=John| editor-last1=Barton | editor-first2=John| editor-last2= Muddiman | publisher = Oxford University Press |edition= first (paperback) | date = 2007 | pages = 1134–1151 | isbn = 978-0199277186 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZJdVkgEACAAJ| access-date=February 6, 2019}}
==External links== *{{bibleverse|2 Corinthians|2|KJV}} King James Bible - Wikisource *[http://www.latinvulgate.com/lv/verse.aspx?t=1&b=8&c=2 English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617035047/http://latinvulgate.com/lv/verse.aspx?t=1&b=8&c=2 |date=June 17, 2019 }} *[http://www.gospelhall.org/bible/bible.php?passage=2Corinthians+2 ''Online Bible'' at GospelHall.org] (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English) *[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=54&chapter=2 Multiple bible versions at ''Bible Gateway''] (NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.) {{Second Epistle to the Corinthians}}
2 Corinthians 2