002:002 For if I of all men give you pain, who then is there to gladden
my heart, but the very persons to whom I give pain?
002:003 And I write this to you in order that when I come I may
not receive pain from those who ought to give me joy,
confident as I am as to all of you that my joy is the joy
of you all.
002:004 For with many tears I write to you, and in deep suffering
and depression of spirit, not in order to grieve you,
but in the hope of showing you how brimful my heart is with
love for you.
002:005 Now if any one has caused sorrow, it has been caused not so much to me, as in some degree—for I have no wish to exaggerate— to all of you.
002:006 In the case of such a person the punishment which was inflicted by the majority of you is enough.
002:007 So that you may now take the opposite course, and forgive him rather and comfort him, for fear he should perhaps be driven to despair by his excess of grief.
002:008 I beg you therefore fully to reinstate him in your love.
002:009 For in writing to you I have also this object in view—
to discover by experience whether you are prepared to be
obedient in every respect.
002:010 When you forgive a man an offence I also forgive it;
for in fact what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything,
has always been for your sakes in the presence of Christ,
002:011 for fear Satan should gain an advantage over us.
For we are not ignorant of his devices.