2 Corinthians 2 Devotional

Forgiveness That Restores

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.”2 Corinthians 2:14 (BSB)

Paul wrote an earlier letter through many tears, not to wound the Corinthians but to show how much he loved them (2:4). A man who caused grief has been disciplined, and Paul says that is enough. The church should forgive him, comfort him, and confirm their love for him, so that he is not swallowed up by too much sorrow (2:6-8). Withholding that welcome would only let Satan outwit them (2:11).

Then Paul lifts his eyes to God, giving thanks that he always leads his servants as captives in Christ's triumph and spreads the knowledge of him everywhere like a fragrance (2:14). To some it carries the smell of death, to others the fragrance of life, and Paul asks who could ever be equal to such a task (2:16). On their own, no one is. The work and the fragrance are God's. Those who have been forgiven in the presence of Christ (2:10) can afford to forgive, and restoring a repentant person is part of how that fragrance spreads.

To think about: Is there someone who has turned from a wrong against you, and what would it look like to make your love for them plain again?