(Chap. 2:1-13)
Paul turns to address another matter that concerned the assembly at Corinth. The Corinthians needed to know what to do with the man they had excommunicated, who was now repentant. Paul turns to address this in chapter 2. At the same time, he clears away another misunderstanding they had of him. In doing this Paul touches on another characteristic that should mark a true minister of the Lord—faithfulness to confront issues among the saints that affect the Lord’s glory.
Some of the Corinthians were saying that Paul was a hard and callous man. Writing such a stern letter as he did (the first epistle) and demanding the excommunication of the immoral man in their midst confirmed this in their minds. They may have thought that calling the man a “wicked person” (1 Cor. 5:1313But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. (1 Corinthians 5:13)) was overly critical—even cruel. This criticism, no doubt, came from that same element of opposers who sought to discredit the Apostle’s ministry. Therefore, he undertakes to explain his actions.
Vss. 1-3—Paul restates his purpose of not coming to Corinth “in heaviness [grief]” and exercising apostolic discipline on them. He sent the letter of correction instead. In retrospect, by things turning out the way they did, it only confirmed the wisdom of handling the matter in that way. Furthermore, the Corinthians themselves, in a sense, had acknowledged the wisdom of it! They received the letter and had set things right in the assembly that were wanting, and by doing so, they were really agreeing with his course of action in not going to Corinth when he planned to and sending the letter instead.
The first epistle had made them “sorry,” as he had intended that it should. They “sorrowed to repentance” after “a godly manner” and set right the disorders he pointed out. This was good, and it worked for the “salvation” of the assembly from the judgment that would have come on it by God directly, or by the hand of the Apostle (2 Cor. 7:9-119Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. (2 Corinthians 7:9‑11)).
While the contents of the first letter made the Corinthians “sorry,” the Corinthians’ repentance made Paul “glad.” The “same” ones (the Corinthians) who were made sorry by him, now made him glad. (The word “he” in verse 2 is not in the original text, and could mislead us to think that Paul was speaking about the offender who was excommunicated. However, he was speaking of the assembly as a whole.)
He sent the letter on ahead so that when he did come, it might be with “confidence,” and not with sorrow, and the result would be that his “joy” would be their “joy” (vs. 3).
Vss. 4-5—He goes on to show that he was not an insensitive person without feelings for the saints. It pained him greatly to address them in the way that he had in the first letter. It had not been an easy thing for him to do because he loved them deeply. He says, “Out of much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote unto you with many tears.” The truth is that he wrote that letter of correction out of faithfulness to the Lord. It had to be done for the glory of God. Those evils in their midst simply could not go on in association with the Lord’s name. He didn’t "sweep it under the rug," but faithfully confronted the issues that were wanting in their midst. He had no joy in telling them that they had to put that man away, but faithfulness to the Lord demanded it.
Paul was not trying to grieve them for no reason, but that they would “know the love” that he had toward them “abundantly.” Love will speak faithfully. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Prov. 27:66Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. (Proverbs 27:6)). However, in being faithful with the Corinthians, he was misunderstood, but this is often the case. It can be expected that if we are faithful about matters in the assembly, we could quite possibly be misunderstood.
Those who had sinned in their midst hadn’t just grieved Paul, but “in part” had grieved them “all.” Such were bringing trouble on all in the gathering. Because of their association with the evil-doer, God held the whole assembly responsible (1 Cor. 11:3030For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. (1 Corinthians 11:30)). This is illustrated in the account of Achan. When he sinned, the Lord said to Joshua, “Israel hath sinned” (Josh. 7:1111Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. (Joshua 7:11)). His personal sin of covetousness and deception had troubled all Israel, and it cost him his life (Josh. 7:2525And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. (Joshua 7:25); 1 Chron. 2:77And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed. (1 Chronicles 2:7)).
Paul said, “in part” because not all of the saints at Corinth were grieved about the dishonour it had brought on the Lord’s name. However, the assembly was still responsible to deal with it, and thankfully, they did. This shows that it is not necessary to have unanimity in an assembly before it can act administratively in a binding assembly decision.
Vs. 6—The Apostle now indicates that the assembly needed to receive the man back into fellowship who had been put away. This certainly showed that he cared for the man, and that he wasn’t cruel and unforgiving. He says, “Sufficient to such a man is this punishment [rebuke], which was inflicted of [the] many.” The censure placed on him had worked to bring him to repentance before the Lord, and it was now time to receive him back into fellowship. This is a happy moment for an assembly.
Paul said, “inflicted of the many.” J. N. Darby’s Translation footnote on 2 Corinthians 2:66Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. (2 Corinthians 2:6) indicates that “the many” is the body at large—the mass of the saints universally. He cities 2 Corinthians 9:22For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. (2 Corinthians 9:2) as an example of its usage and meaning. The point here is that if a local assembly should make a binding decision in putting someone away from the fellowship, the body at large acts in concert with that local assembly and recognizes the action, so that the person “put away” is regarded as “without” in all other gatherings too, not just in the locality where he resides. Hence the offender is made to feel the rebuke by more than just than those in his local assembly. We do not say that the man in question actually went to other localities and felt the “rebuke” from them, but that the carrying out of the action was expressed universally—by the body at large. If a person were to be put out of the fellowship in a particular locality, he is to be regarded out of fellowship everywhere on earth, because what is done in the name of the Lord in one local assembly in practice affects the whole. It shows that the assemblies that meet on Scriptural ground, as gathered to the Lord’s name, are not autonomous. They act together, expressing the truth that they are one body (Eph. 4:44There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (Ephesians 4:4)).
Vss. 7-8—Paul tells them, firstly, to “show grace” to the man, and “comfort [encourage]” him in the Lord. He would have them to “confirm [affirm]” their “love toward him.” This was the Apostle’s sanction in now allowing the repentant man to have fellowship with the saints. The fact that the man was expressing “sorrow” over what he had done indicates that repentance was working in his soul. Paul says, “Ye ... ” which is in the plural. This means that all the saints were to unitedly show grace toward the repentant offender; this was not to be done by a few who felt like it, but by all the saints. Sometimes in these kinds of situations it becomes evident that there are some who have an unforgiving spirit and hold back, but that is not what Paul desired here.
The word “forgive” in verse 7 (in the KJV) should really be translated “show grace.” (See also Luke 7:4242And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? (Luke 7:42).) Later, in verse 10, another word is used in the original language that is rightly translated “forgive” in the KJV. This refers to administrative forgiveness—the official lifting of a censure placed on a person in excommunication, whereby he would be once again in full fellowship as before. The fact that showing grace is mentioned before and separate from administrative forgiveness indicates that the assembly has the option to exercise grace toward a repentant person before it actually lifts the administrative judgment. The assembly could choose to allow a person, whom they are seeking to restore, to move among the saints again, without him having the privileges of full fellowship in partaking of the Lord’s Supper. Under normal conditions, the two things would be done together, but there may be certain cases where the assembly needs to observe the person’s depth of repentance before it is comfortable receiving him or her back into fellowship, and these verses allow for it. A word of caution here; if an assembly elects to handle a case in this way, it should attempt to have all in the assembly act together by making an announcement to that end.
There is a type of these two steps in restoration to the Lord’s Table, in Leviticus 14, in the cleansing of the leper. After the leper was cleansed, he was given liberty to come into the camp of Israel again, but he was not allowed to return to his original position right away. He was to “tarry abroad out of his tent seven days” (Lev. 14:88And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days. (Leviticus 14:8)). Then, after some further washing and shaving (which speaks of self-judgment), he was allowed to return to his tent.
Vss. 9-10—Paul states that how they handled the matter of restoring the repentant offender to fellowship would be a “proof” to him whether they were “obedient in all things.” He added, “To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also.” “Ye” in this verse refers to the Corinthian assembly. By this, he indicated that the assembly at Corinth was to lift the censure placed on the man, since they were the ones who had placed it on him. While Paul had authority to act apostolically in this matter and restore the man to fellowship, he chose to wait until the assembly at Corinth acted, and then he would move in accord with them and forgive the person also. We have great instruction here. We learn that the local assembly (where a binding judgment is made) is to act first in lifting the censure they have placed on an offender, forgiving him administratively. The saints abroad (the body at large) are to then act in concert with it, and forgive the person also. If the restored offender were to visit other assemblies abroad, they would receive him. By doing this, the truth of the “one body” is expressed practically.
The saints in the body at large are not to meddle with another assembly in its administrative responsibility. They are not to go ahead of the local assembly by receiving a person because they believe that he is repentant; it leads to confusion. While the person may very well be repentant and ready to be received (as was the case here), still the saints must act together in the matter. God’s way is that the local assembly that enacted the censure should act first on behalf of the body at large. The voices of brethren from abroad could make their exercises known to that assembly, as illustrated by the Apostle Paul encouraging the Corinthians to receive the repentant man, but the actual lifting of the action (loosing) is purely the responsibility of that assembly (Matt. 18:1818Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18:18)).
Vs. 11—Paul went on to say, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” He didn’t say, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of you”—the Corinthians. “Us” refers to the saints at large in the “one body.” Paul knew that one of Satan’s tactics is to divide the saints in whatever way he can, and these delicate inter-assembly matters are a place where he is likely to work. It is one of his “devices” that we should not be ignorant of.
Knowing that Satan will attempt to use these circumstances to divide the saints, Paul shows in his actions how we are to act in these matters of loosing assembly judgments (exercising administrative forgiveness.) Even though he, and perhaps others, knew that the man was repentant and should be restored to fellowship, he didn’t go ahead of the assembly at Corinth by acting independently. By acting together in these inter-assembly matters, “the unity of the Spirit” is kept in “the uniting bond of peace.” Divisions among the assemblies gathered to the Lord’s name have resulted from well-meaning persons acting independently in these matters.
Vss. 12-13—To show the genuine concern that Paul had for the Corinthian assembly, he tells them of the anxiety he had in regard to how they would receive his first letter. Even though there was “a door” opened to him “of the Lord” to preach the gospel in Troas while he waited for Titus to come with the news of how they received the letter, he had no rest in his spirit until he knew that the matter was settled. Therefore, he left that work and went across the Aegean Sea to Macedonia to meet Titus who was coming up the coast with the report. Chapter 7:6-7 tells us that Titus met Paul in Macedonia with the good news that the Corinthians had mourned over their wrongs and had set things right in the assembly.
By reiterating this to the Corinthians, Paul showed the depth of his concern for them. He wasn’t a hard and critical man as some of them imagined him to be. On the contrary, he had such care for them that he elected to forego gospel work to learn of their response to his first epistle! His pastoral concerns had prevailed over his evangelistic fervour. Paul had been a faithful minister to point out their wrongs, but he was also a caring and loving minister who had their good at heart.
This teaches us that matters which pertain to the assembly should take precedence over service in the gospel. That which pertains to the unity of the assembly must be of utmost concern to us. Many think that gospel work is the highest service that we can render to God, but in reality, to hold and maintain the truth of the Church that was once delivered to the saints should be our first concern (Jude 33Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (Jude 3)). Unfortunately, some who know this use it to dismiss gospel work from their activities altogether, but this is an imbalance in the opposite direction.
Thus far, if the Corinthians had read this letter properly, it would have been abundantly clear to them that they had held a wrong impression of Paul—they had totally misunderstood him. An element among them had insinuated that he was a troublesome fellow who got into numerous scrapes with the authorities, but he has shown that, really, God had allowed him to get into those situations for their profit (chap. 1:3-11). They had also accused him of fickleness in his plans to come to Corinth, but he has shown that it was because of his desire to spare them from judgment that he didn’t come; it wasn't that he was a double-minded person (chap. 1:12-24). They had also insinuated that he was a harsh and callous man calling for the immoral man in their midst to be excommunicated—even calling him a wicked person, but he has shown that it was out of faithfulness to the Lord that he had called for that action against the man (chap. 2:1-13). Learning of Paul’s explanation of these matters would greatly help to restore their confidence in him as a true minister of Christ.