2 Corinthians 2:8
in 2 Corinthians 2Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Wherefore I beseech you to confirm your love toward him.
KJV
Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.
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This verse in 2 Corinthians 2
Commentary
11 notes on this verseHe no longer commands as a teacher, but as an advocate asks the judges "to show him love," that is, to receive him with firm love, and not simply and casually. He also shows their virtue, for those very people who previously loved the man …
This site's exposition
forgive and comfort him
on 2 Corinthians 2:7-8
Paul now calls for discipline to end: forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Verse 8 asks the church to reaffirm your love for him, since discipline aims at a sinner's repentance and restoration.
This site's exposition
reaffirm your love for him
Albert Barnes notes that the Greek verb occurs in the New Testament only here and at Galatians 3:15, and means to establish as valid. Adam Clarke reads it as a public act of the church.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"Wherefore I beseech you to confirm your love toward him." He no longer commands but beseeches, not as a teacher but as an equal; and having seated them on the judgment seat he placed himself in the rank of an advocate; for having succeeded in his object, for joy he adopts without restraint the tone of supplication. And what can it be that thou beseechest? Tell me. "To confirm your love toward him." That is, "make it strong," not simply have intercourse with him, nor any how. Herein, again, he bears testimony to their virtue as very great; since they who were so friendly and so applauded him as even to be puffed up, were so estranged that Paul takes such pains to make them confirm their love towards him. Herein is excellence of disciples, herein excellence of teachers; that they should so obey the rein, he so manage their motions. If this were so even now, they who sin would not have transgressed senselessly. For one ought neither to love carelessly, nor to be estranged without some reason.
A commentator
Theodoret of CyrusCOMMENTARY ON THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 298 · Written before 458.
proposed
Paul's command now is that they should unite the member to the body, return the sheep to the flock and show him their most sincere love and affection.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then the Apostle urges them not only by reason, but from other causes to do this, when he says, so I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. And he urges them in three ways: first, by his appeal, saying, so, i.e., that he …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
They must also confirm their love to him; that is, they should show that their reproofs and censures proceeded from love to his person, as well as hatred to his sin, and that their design was to reform, not to ruin him.
Wherefore I beseech you,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
That ye would confirm your love toward him - You do love him, notwithstanding the reproach he has brought on the Gospel; and notwithstanding your love to him, ye were obliged to cut him off for the credit of the Gospel. Now that he has repented, I beseech you to confirm, κυρωσαι, to ratify, by a public act of the Church, your love to him; give him the fullest proof that you do love him; by forgiving him and restoring him to his place in the Church.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
confirm your love toward him--by giving effect in act, and showing in deeds your love; namely, by restoring him to your fellowship and praying for his recovering from the sickness penally inflicted on him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him - The word rendered here as “confirm” (κυρῶσαι kurōsai) occurs in the New Testament only here and in Gal 3:15. It means to give authority, to establish as valid, to confirm; and here means that they should give strong expressions and assurances of their love to him; that they should pursue such a course as would leave no room for doubt in regard to it. Tyndale has well rendered it: “Wherefore I exhort you that love may halve strength over him.” Paul referred, doubtless, here to some public act of the church by which the sentence of excommunication might be removed, and by which the offender might have a public assurance of their favor.
The words behind it
7 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| διὸ | dio | Therefore | G1352 → | 53 times |
| παρακαλῶ | parakalo | I exhort | G3870 → | 108 times |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| κυρῶσαι | kurosai | to confirm | G2964 → | |
| εἰς | eis | toward | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀγάπην. | agapen | love. | G26 → | 114 times |
διὸTherefore
dioG1352 →53 times
παρακαλῶI exhort
parakaloG3870 →108 times
ὑμᾶςyou
humasG4771 →2973 times
κυρῶσαιto confirm
kurosaiG2964 →
εἰςtoward
eisG1519 →1755 times
αὐτὸνhim
autonG846 →5565 times
ἀγάπην.love.
agapenG26 →114 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Galatians 5:13For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:16
Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
- 1 Corinthians 9:19
Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
- 1 Corinthians 8:9
Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
- Romans 15:1–2
We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
- Galatians 5:14
The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- 1 Peter 2:16
Through
Galatians 6:10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:16
And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
- Proverbs 3:27
Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:15
Make sure that no one repays evil for evil. Always pursue what is good for one another and for all people.
- Hebrews 13:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Corinthians
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians; John Chrysostom, Homily 4 on 2 Corinthians; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 298; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Corinthians.