"For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs." (ESV)
It is important when reading the epistles, particularly ones that are designated "second" (2 Corinthians, 2 Timothy, etc.), to remember that epistles are letters, correspondence between the apostle writing that epistle and the recipients. They are missives written as part of an ongoing, already-established, relationship between people. Thus, there was a foundational understanding about what the writer was saying over and above what we actually are reading.
In order to better understand what Paul is writing about here in 2 Corinthians, we need to refer to the original issue in 1 Corinthians 5. Here, in 2 Corinthians, Paul refers to "such a one" (v. 5). That person, that "such a one," was a topic of concern for Paul in his first letter to the Corinthian church:
"It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
"For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
"Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
"I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you.’" (1 Corinthians 5, ESV)
There was a member of the Corinthian church, someone who claimed to be a believer, who was involved in sexually immorality and this was known to the other members of that church. In fact, it was so well known that Paul had become aware of the situation. In this case, a man was having sexual relations with his step-mother. But it could have been any kind of sexual immorality (as Paul goes on to delineate later in the chapter) as well as other kinds of habitual sin.
What’s interesting is that Paul, in v. 9-12, outlines the course of action for a church body when a member refuses to turn from habitual sin. First, as Paul often does, he lists sins, not for exclusivity, but as examples. Thus the concept is that believers are not to be embracing sin as a lifestyle. You cannot serve both God and sin. I can’t say that plainly enough. Throughout scripture, that concept is repeated over and over again. It doesn’t matter that our society has become very lax in identifying what is sin. It is the responsibility to each individual believer to purge their life of sinful choices and practices and to live as righteously as possible.
Second, Paul clearly teaches that there are social interactions that believers will have with nonbelievers who are habitual sinners. That makes sense based on what Paul taught in Romans 6. Those who aren’t Christians are slaves to sin. When they make sinful lifestyle choices, they are only acting according to their nature; they cannot do any differently. And their choices aren’t even the issue! Their one besetting sin is that of disbelief; that one sin will send them to hell. They cannot go "more" to hell because they are involved in a sinful lifestyle, regardless of what it is. And Paul clearly states that he expects that believers will be socially involved with nonbeliever who are sinful, even those who are sexually immoral. Why? Because in order to evangelize, we have to establish relationships with the unsaved. We have to "go into all the world" and preach and teach. And prior to preaching and teaching, we must establish a relationship where the world will actually listen to what we have to say.
Third, Paul is very harsh with the Church about how we, as believers, are to deal with our Christian brothers and sisters who are habitually involved in sinful lifestyles, including those lifestyles which are sexually immoral: we are to separate ourselves completely from such people. We are to "not associate" including "not even to eat with such a one."
It is against this background that Paul now writes, in 2 Corinthians 2, that the Corinthian church was to restore "such a one" to the church by forgiving him and comforting him.
There are some things here we need to remember.
It is easy for us to feel superior to each other, particularly feeling superior to those believers around us who have fallen into sin. We are not to feel superior, but rather to treat the sinner with gentleness, understanding that each of us can be tempted at any time.
"Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." (Galatians 6:1-3 NKJV).
Any of us can fall to sin at any moment if we let down our guard, even slightly:
"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV).
Lastly, the goal always of any righteous judgment of another believer is to restore that one into the Kingdom. The Lord Jesus’ purpose—our purpose—is to bring souls into the Kingdom of God, not to hate and condemn them. Every interaction that we have with those around us needs to be with that in mind. Always! Everything we do, everything we say, everything we pray, must be for the purpose of compelling that person to turn to the Lord Jesus for their salvation and then teaching them to serve Him with their whole heart, soul, and mind. There should be no other purpose or goal for the believer. Ever!
© 2015 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.
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