Forgive and Comfort

Forgive and Comfort

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.

2 Corinthians 2:5-11 (ESV)

Church discipline is never fun, nor should it be.  It has two purposes; one it corrects the person who is sinning, and two, it protects the rest of the body.  Jesus gives us the “rules” for it in Matthew 18:15-20.  Sin is a serious thing and should be treated as such.  But how long do we conduct this discipline, how long do we banish someone from community?

One of the reasons Paul writes this letter is to defend his authority as an apostle.  Remember his story; he was blinded by Christ himself and called into ministry.  If anyone had authority, it would be this guy.  I can only imagine the frustration Paul must have felt when he was questioned.  Many scholars think that this is what this section is about.  The way Paul talks about himself and the church in verses five and ten might refer to someone who has done something to challenge his leadership.  But Paul urges the Corinthian congregation to forgive and comfort this individual.  This man has shown repentance, and Paul believes that he should welcomed back into community.  Why?

Paul writes in Romans 12:19, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (ESV).  We should never seek revenge on anyone, no matter what they have done.  Punishment and discipline need limits (in society) in order to be just.  The non-Christian will have to face punishment, the Christian has forgiveness.  If God says that someone is forgiven, we are not to act in any way that contradicts that decree.  We only act the way God instructs us.  If the Christian sins and is unrepentant, we pray for our brother, urge him to repent.  We separate him from community not to ostracize him, but so that he and the rest of the body can heal.  But if we push the discipline too far, if we delight in its harshness, we end up sinning in playing God.  Ephesians 4:32 states, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (ESV).  

Martin Luther once said, “With the wolves you cannot be too severe. With the weak sheep you cannot be too gentle.”  As one of the leaders, I must take this to heart.  I must be loving and protect the church.  If correction needs to be made, it needs to be sought through.  But when it is time to love, and be inviting, that must be done as well.

I love you all,

Justin