2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 2
Paul’s Apostolic Kindness. 2 Cor. 2, 1–11.
The case of the notorious sinner: V.5. But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part, that I may not overcharge you all. V.6. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many, v.7. so that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
This paragraph is a model of loving, pastoral tact and delicacy. There can be but little doubt that Paul is referring to the incestuous person concerning whom he wrote so sharply in the first epistle, chap. 5, 1-5.
And yet he writes: But if any one has caused sorrow. He names neither the offense nor the offender, preferring to suppress the matter which had been adjusted so satisfactorily with the least possible sensation.
For the offender, in causing sorrow, did not grieve him—Paul was not the direct object of the offense—but to some extent (lest I press too heavily upon him) you all. The apostle had felt the sin only inasmuch as it harmed the Corinthian congregation and thus grieved the entire Church of God. He does not intend to lay a greater burden upon the repentant sinner than the circumstances absolutely require. And least of all does Paul intend to continue bearing a grievance now that the sorrow of the congregation has been converted into joy by the sinner’s repentance.
And therefore the apostle adds the kindly admonition: Sufficient to such a one is this penalty, this punishment, on the part of the majority. Evidently the directions given by the apostle as to the manner of dealing with the incestuous man had been carried out, the majority of the members being willing to follow the words of their teacher. Whether, however, the man had actually been excluded from the Christian congregation or had accepted the reproof of the congregation, cannot be determined.
At any rate, he had been disciplined severely, he had, in some form, borne the penalty, the punishment of his sin, and was still in disgrace.
So Paul calls a halt; enough has been done; the object has been attained. The time for severity is past, leniency and kindness must now be employed: So that, on the contrary, you ought rather to be kind to him and comfort him, lest with excessive sorrow such a one be swallowed.
As soon as a full and free confession of sins has been made on the part of the offender, all harshness should be forgotten and nothing but comforting kindness be in evidence. For, unless this is the case, the guilty one may be driven to despair and the entire object of the disciplinary measures be frustrated. Unless the repentant sinner is given the full and unequivocal assurance of divine grace and pardon, he may give up all hope of salvation and all efforts to obtain eternal life, and turn from the Gospel with a heart forever embittered against Christ and the Christian Church.
The more sorrowful and downcast a conscience is because it feels the wrath of God and the power of Satan in its state of excommunication, the more glowing should the proclamation of the grace of God in Christ Jesus be made, “Therefore the pastors should indeed emphatically and severely scold and rebuke those that have fallen; but when they notice that they grieve over their sins and want to lead a better life, they should, in turn, comfort and help them, making their sins as small and light as they possibly can, namely, in this way, that the mercy of God, who spared not His own Son, but gave Him for us all, is greater than all sin, in order that those that have fallen do not sink down into overmuch sorrow” (Luther, quoted in Besser, Bibelstunden, 9, 52).