2 Corintios 2:3

3 Y esto mismo os escribí, porque cuando llegare no tenga tristeza sobre tristeza de los que me debiera gozar; confiando en vosotros todos que mi gozo es el de todos vosotros.

2 Corintios 2:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Corinthians 2:3

And I wrote this same unto you
Not what he had written in the preceding verse, or in ( 2 Corinthians 1:23 ) , where he says, that his not coming to them as yet was to spare them; but what he had written to them in his former epistle, concerning the excommunication of the incestuous man, which had so much grieved both him and them; and this the apostle chose rather to order by writing, than in person; hoping to hear of their repentance and amendment, before he came among them:

lest,
says he,

when I came,
or should come,

I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice;
some copies and the Complutensian edition read, "sorrow upon sorrow"; and so does the Vulgate Latin version, which seems to be transcribed from ( Philippians 2:27 ) , that is, he took this method of sending a reproving letter, in order to bring them to a sense and acknowledgment of sin; lest should he come in person, some would have been a grief and trouble to him, having fallen into sin not repented of; who ought to have been matter of rejoicing to him, as being the seals of his apostleship, and his work in the Lord: and this step he was the more encouraged to take, through the confidence he had of them,

having confidence in you all;
being fully persuaded of their affection for him, and opinion of him:

that my joy is the joy of you all;
that their joy and grief were mutual and common; that what he rejoiced in, they did likewise; and what was displeasing to him was displeasing to them; and therefore upon the first hint given, he took care to remove the occasion of such displeasure, that their mutual comfort might take place; assuring them, and of which they might be assured, that it was no joy to him to grieve them; he could have none when theirs was gone; his ultimate view in writing to them in the manner he had, was not to grieve, but to bring them to repentance and reformation, which issued in the mutual joy of him and them.

2 Corintios 2:3 In-Context

1 ESTO pues determiné para conmigo, no venir otra vez á vosotros con tristeza.

2 Porque si yo os contristo, ¿quién será luego el que me alegrará, sino aquel á quien yo contristare?

3 Y esto mismo os escribí, porque cuando llegare no tenga tristeza sobre tristeza de los que me debiera gozar; confiando en vosotros todos que mi gozo es el de todos vosotros.

4 Porque por la mucha tribulación y angustia del corazón os escribí con muchas lágrimas; no para que fueseis contristados, mas para que supieseis cuánto más amor tengo para con vosotros.

5 Que si alguno me contristó, no me contristó á mí, sino en parte, por no cargaros, á todos vosotros.