Severianus on 2 Corinthians 2

God: the matter of deciding through God to come about is not a light thing. Having decided to come to you, I promised this not out of recklessness or carelessness; for not according to the flesh do I decide, but spiritually. It is proper that one deciding concerning spiritual things should nowhere be false, so that his yes may be yes and his no, no.

Indeed, whether it is to come or not to come is not in me, but the setting forth in me (2 Cor 1:18). If, therefore, the proclamation had yes and no, my decision regarding my arrival to you would justly have yes and no; but if the word is true, then the whole decision is true. I believe to God that none of those things which we preached is a lie (2 Cor 1:19). For even the Son of God, our Lord Jesus, did not become a liar (2 Cor 1:19). Through Christ we send up the amen to God the Father, the confirmation toward Christ we received through God; and through the one having sealed us, He demonstrated our belonging to God and our separation from the evil one (2 Cor 1:20–22). For even shepherds place their own seal upon the flocks, distinguishing them from the strangers. Having said 'earnest', He presented that we have received a small deposit of the knowledge, but the perfection is owed to us; for the earnest is a part of the whole.

Because there were many complaints against them, he did not want, having gone, to condemn them (2 Cor 1:23–24). The word is spoken incompletely; for he wants to say that I desired to come to you, but not as one who is lord and teacher of your faith. To correct those among you who stumble, and those among us who stumble, so that we might become fellow-workers of the joy according to God. To believe in you, and in us the correcting of those stumbling, so that we might become fellow-workers of the grace of God. And he says 'joy according to God'; for the apostle would not have joined in with them for a worldly joy. Having spoken of faith, he presented that they are left without works. Therefore, since they have faith as unfruitful and still incomplete, he says he is a fellow-worker to them.

Because of this I did not come, not so that I might not grieve you but myself, and so that I might not condemn anyone on account of what they are doing (2 Cor 2:1). You do not grieve me from those who are alike, and I you; for you grieve me from those from whom you sin, but I grieve you from those whom I strike (2 Cor 2:2). But rejoice...

He appears to be feeling sorrow—for he who has not been grieved clearly shows that he did not even take heed when rebuked (2 Cor 2:3). For even if I grieve you, I am doing a proper thing; cooperate toward my joy regarding your own benefit.

I wrote this, that sparing you, I did not come, so that at the end of this letter, where it lies, lest having come, God might humble me (2 Cor 2:4). And because of this I wrote, so that in gladness I might find you having been corrected, so that you might not grieve. Not looking to my own, but to yours I said this; for I know that if you see me rejoicing, you rejoice, and if you see me grieving, you grieve. I wrote these things so that if you wish for me to come to you, you might beforehand correct the faults.

Showing that he makes the same faults his own, he brought grief and tears, which he has love toward them (2 Cor 2:5). Having said, I wrote to you, not that you might simply be grieved, but that the joy according to God might take away the grief.

If anyone has grieved even him whom you love, he has not grieved me alone, but in part also you, so that I might not burden you by saying even Christ (2 Cor 2:6). And he fell silent from saying 'and Christ,' so that he might not burden you even by saying it.

He says 'reproof' is the condemnation from the many (2 Cor 2:7). To forgive him this (2 Kor 2:8). Obey me in condemning, obey me also in recalling him who has been condemned (2 Cor 2:9). Forgive him this, he says; for you know that of those ch you forgive to this man, I also desire to forgive (2 Kor 2:10). And because of this he shows that he wants them to think the same things about themselves by a disposition toward them.

He appears to have been grieved toward those in Troas, because they did not do much regarding Titus, nor did they hold him until his arrival, but as if they had become lawless concerning the faith, they departed (2 Cor 2:12-13). Thus, admonishing them as unworthy, he departed even though a door had been opened and no one was closing against the proclamation. Or indeed because of this he departed, as being able easily to correct the things there later upon arrival, as no one being there to hinder.

This is to the one proclaiming our insults and the circumstances through Christ (2 Cor 2:14). But he confesses a greater grace regarding those things through which he is made worthy to triumph through Christ. And he says these things also because of the Corinthians; for it was feared lest they might perhaps slay him because of the things...