2 Corinthians 2:3
And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.
Paul wrote beforehand so that when he came he would not have sorrow from those of whom he ought to rejoice, having confidence that his joy would be the joy of them all. He wrote to prevent a visit that would bring him sorrow from people who should instead be a source of joy, trusting that his joy would be shared by them all.
The word rendered confidence shares its root with faith, for the Greek verb peitho means to convince by argument and to assent to evidence, so that confidence and faith involve reasoned trust. The verse belongs to the discussion of the ministration of truth rather than truth itself. Gospel preaching is a savor of life unto life to those who are saved and a savor of death unto death to those who perish, with the outcome depending on how they receive saving truth, so the word must be preached in sincerity without corruption, and those who received it bore witness that the preaching was right.
The verse is part of the record that the reproof in the first letter was heeded and the sinning person repented. It is part of the account of Paul's reproof of the Corinthian church that stirred sinners to repent, and their sorrow was for having sinned against God and not merely for being caught. The verse connects with church discipline aimed to bring a persistently sinful member to repentance and recovery from Satan's snare, so the person would turn to the Lord and become subject to Christ's kingdom, and in the case of the Corinthian offender removal from the church led to repentance, after which the church and Paul forgave him.
Those who entered the apostolic church yet continued to practice as subjects of Satan's dominion were to be delivered over to Satan again because they would not be subject to Christ, so the individual would see where he stood and recover himself from Satan's snare by repenting, turning to the Lord, and dying to fleshly lusts to become alive to Christ and a subject of His kingdom, in keeping with Christ's counsel to His disciples. The man cast out at Corinth because the church would not sanction his vile course was thereby led to repentance and reformation and was forgiven by the church and by Paul, thus recovering from Satan's snare. The verse teaches the duty of cheerfulness.