2 Corinthians 2:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The word "again" shows that the Apostle had already been grieved by the Corinthians. While he seems to defend himself before them, he imperceptibly rebukes them. Consider how great the Apostle's sorrow must have been, if they had already grieved him once and were ready to grieve him again. Yet he does not say to them directly, "You grieved me." He lets them understand it by other words, saying, "I did not come to you so as not to grieve you." This is equivalent to what I have said, but it was more acceptable and easier to bear.

The word "again" shows that he had already been grieved before. Yet he did not say openly, "You grieved me before." He says it in another way: "I did not come so as not to grieve you again." This has the same force, for he grieved them by reproaches because they had grieved him by sins. But for them this was easier to bear.

Therefore I judged within myself not to come to you again with grief, that is, with sorrow for you and for me, until you had corrected yourselves.

The meaning is clear. Paul did not wish to come because, by rebuking a few, he would have caused pain to many and to himself. For all the members of the body suffer when one member suffers (cf. 1 Cor. 12:26).

For the connection of the discourse the particle "although" is lacking, so that it would read: although "you stand by faith," nevertheless "I judged." By this he expresses: I do not rebuke you at all for your faith. Your faith is sound. But you err in another matter, and this needs some correction. I did not think it good, after coming to you, to grieve those who had sinned. The particle "again" is connected with the word "come," not with the word "sorrow."

I judged this good, he says: not to come to you again in sorrow, that is, not to grieve those who sinned by my rebukes. The Apostle uses the following words, "for if I," instead of saying, "although I," as Oecumenius says on this passage. That is, although I grieve you, who else gladdens me if not the one who is grieved by me? But how did the one grieved by him gladden him? The one whom he rebuked for sins grieved when he considered their gravity. Then he repented of his falls into sin and turned to the path of virtue. "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted" (2 Cor 7:10). This repentance brought salvation to the grieving sinner, and filled Paul's heart with joy and gladness.

Not again with sorrow. Before, he sent the Corinthians a letter that had to grieve them. Now he does not wish to increase their sorrow by his personal coming.

The Apostle grieved over those who had sinned more than they themselves grieved. Therefore, if he himself had appeared in Corinth after learning of the Corinthian sinners, he clearly would have been compelled to use not only the measures he indicated in the first epistle, but greater ones as well. This could have led to bitterness, and even to a cooling of many in their disposition toward him. For only the wise man who is punished loves the one who punishes him even more. The foolish man hates him (Prov 9:8). Some, fearing to arouse hatred, remain completely silent when they see disorder among those entrusted to their guidance. But this is clear proof of insufficient love. The Apostle, however, burned with ardent love.

I did not wish to come to you before you had corrected yourselves, seeing that by doing so I would cause sorrow both to you and to myself. I therefore judged within myself, or by myself, not to go to you directly from Ephesus, but first to write to you, so that you might amend everything yourselves. Then, when I came afterward, I would come to you not for sorrow, but for joy. My hope that this will be so rests on your faith, for in faith you are firm.