2 Corinthians 2:5But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I not press too heavily) to you all.
The setting
Paul carefully measures his words about a specific person who wounded the Corinthian church. He's walking a tightrope — protecting his own reputation while calling for restoration.
The emotion here: diplomatically careful
The original word
lupē (λύπην) — deep grief that affects the whole person, not mere sadness
Why it matters
Paul uses 'in part' to soften his statement — a rhetorical technique to avoid seeming vindictive
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Corinthians 2:5
Paul says 'not to me' — he's showing the offense was against the whole church, not personal
Common misconceptionThis sounds like Paul is minimizing the offense. Actually, he's being pastorally wise — showing it's not about his hurt feelings but community damage.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Corinthians 2:5
Bible Genome reading
2 Corinthians 2:5 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Corinthians 2:5 comes from the book of 2 Corinthians, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to Paul. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the teaching genre of biblical literature. Key themes include community impact, collective sorrow. Notable phrases: caused sorrow; not to me; to you all.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does 2 Corinthians 2:5 mean to you, today?
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