Ap – Forgiving the Offender 2: 5-11

Forgiving the Offender
2: 5-11

The blessings of forgiveness DIG: Who was offended besides Paul? Why was it important for the Corinthian church to forgive and restore the repentant believer? What does this teach us about how we should respond to those who hurt us? How can spiritual leaders benefit from Paul’s example? How does this passage apply to church discipline today?

REFLECT: Is there someone you need to forgive and comfort? Or would you just rather have an uneasy peace? Is it ok for a believer to be depressed? How much has Messiah forgiven you? What is the difference between forgiveness and trust? Is there someone whom you need to show mercy to? What is the four-step process that Satan uses to tempt you?

We all agree that forgiveness is a beautiful idea until we have to practice it.

Paul’s “severe letter” proved to be effective in that the Corinthians did take strong disciplinary action against the offender. Having heard of the strong action taken, Paul was both relieved (to see link click Bl – The Effects of the Severe Letter) and concerned.⁶⁸ The Corinthians obviously do not need Paul to tell them what happened, and dredging up the unhappy details might awaken the old feelings of anger again. The wounds were still healing, and rehearsing the events that caused them served no purpose. The anonymous person had repented.

Now if someone has been a cause of pain, it is not I whom he has pained, but, in some measure – I don’t want to overstate it – all of you (2:5). The church as a whole, as well as Paul, had been affected. He had most likely rejected Paul’s authority as an apostle, influenced greatly by the false apostles (see Af – The Problem of the False Apostles). When Paul learned about the offense, he protested loudly. His protest inflamed the offender and made him resentful, and he, in turn, protested against Paul. Loudly. When Paul arrived in person on his brief, unscheduled visit (see Ae – Events Between First Corinthians and Second Corinthians), the offender took the initiative to make his feeling known publicly to try to shame Paul in some way. The dispute, therefore, reached the boiling point with this public confrontation. It was either going to get better or go very, very badly, which might permanently destroy Paul’s relationship with the church. Paul had no intention of forcing the Corinthians to fall in line because that would defeat his purpose of developing churches capable of standing on their own-two-feet and making mature decisions for themselves without constant supervision. So to keep the situation from blowing up, Paul left and went back to Ephesus. But he had no intention of sacrificing his core values for the sake of an uneasy peace. Nor would he ever give up on the church. Therefore, a stinging letter was the best solution because it gave him the opportunity to lay out the issues calmly. The ultimate goal was to bring about a peaceful resolution, not an unholy compromise.⁶⁹

Turning from the injury done, Paul declared: The punishment that had already been imposed on him by the church was sufficient (2:6a). He had suffered enough, and it was time to show him mercy, and restore him to fellowship. Punishment (Greek: epitimia) appears only here in the B’rit Chadashah. Both its use in extra biblical Greek writings and the context of this passage suggest epitimia refers to an official disciplinary act by the majority: excommunication or disfellowshipping. The B’rit Chadashah teaches that the Church is to discipline sinning believers (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Gi – If Brother or Sister Sins, Go and Point Out Their Fault). Paul had earlier dealt with another sinning member (see the commentary on First Corinthians Ba – Failure to Discipline an Immoral Brother).

But here, the Corinthian congregation had officially acted and put the sinning individual out of the church. Apparently that discipline had had its desired effect and the man repented. So it was time to forgive and restore him. In Galatians 6:1 Paul commanded: Brothers, suppose someone is caught doing something wrong. You who have the Spirit should set him right, but in a spirit of humility, keeping an eye on yourselves so that you won’t be tempted also. He encouraged the Ephesians: Be kind to each other, tenderhearted; and forgive each other, just as in the Messiah God has also forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32). In Colossians 3:13 he wrote that believers are to be characterized by bearing with one another; if anyone has a complaint against someone else, forgive him. Indeed, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive. We are never more like ADONAI than when we show forgiving mercy to a repentant sinner.⁷⁰

Sorrowfully, confessing his tragic sin with Bathsheba, David acknowledged the sad reality that sin steals joy. He begged ADONAI, “Restore my joy in your salvation, and rescue me from the guilt of shedding blood, God, God of my salvation! Then my tongue will sing about your righteousness” (Psalm 51:12 and 14). Confession and repentance restores the joy that God desires all believers to have (John 15:11, 16:24, 17:12; Second John 12; Galatians 5:22).

Some of the Corinthians believed that the person who had offended Paul needed to suffer further before being restored. But Paul disagreed, he knew what it was to be depressed (1:8-9a and 4:8-10a) and he didn’t want to inflict that on anyone else unnecessarily. So Paul insisted that now they should do the opposite – forgive him, encourage him, comfort him (2:6b). His pain had brought him to repentance, and now it was time to restore his joy. The church cannot set arbitrary limits on grace and mercy; it cannot reject a truly repentant person, no matter how serious the sin. If the church had failed to restore the repentant man, they would have sunk to the level of those who caused the problems in the first place. They would have been perpetuating a spirit of contention and division within the church.

Otherwise, Paul feared, “such a person might be overwhelmed with depression” (2:7). This suggests that Titus, who had recently returned from Corinth, had probably observed that very real possibility and reported it to Paul. The word overwhelmed (Greek: katapino) is also used of animals who “devour” their prey, and of waves of water that “swallow up” people. Paul was afraid that the offender, if not forgiven, would drown in his sorrow.⁷² Sinners must pass through a period of despair, but the danger comes when they become permanently mired in gloom and lose all hope of forgiveness. Feeling that there is no way out can present an even worse danger to the soul.⁷³ Once again Paul’s pastoral concern emerges as he showed deep concern for the offender’s welfare. He wasn’t interested in revenge, all he wanted was restoration.

Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren’t rubbed in but rubbed out. Fellowship happens when mercy wins over justice. We all need mercy, because we all stumble and fall and require help getting back on track. We need to offer mercy to each other and be willing to receive it from each other. You can’t fellowship without forgiveness. ADONAI warns: Never hold grudges (Colossians 3:13 LB) because bitterness and resentment always destroy fellowship. Because we’re imperfect, sinful people, we inevitably hurt each other when we’re together for a long enough time. Sometimes we hurt each other intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, but either way, it takes massive amounts of mercy and grace to create and maintain fellowship. You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others (Philippians 2:3-4 NCV).

God’s mercy to us is the motivation for showing mercy to others. Remember, you will never be asked to forgive someone else more than Ha’Shem has already forgiven you. Whenever you are hurt by someone, you have a choice to make: Will I use my energy and emotions for revenge or restoration? You can’t do both. Many people are reluctant to show mercy because they don’t understand the difference between trust and forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Trust has to do with future behavior. Forgiveness is immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust must be built over time. Trust requires a track record. If someone hurts you repeatedly, you are commanded by God to forgive them instantly, but you are not expected to continue allowing them to hurt you. They must prove they have changed over time. The best place to restore trust is within the supporting context of a small group that offers encouragement and accountability.⁷⁴

So I urge you to show that you really do love him (2:8). The centrality of love in the life of believers emerges in this context. Paul wrote his earlier letter to the Corinthians that they might know his love for them (2:4). Now he encourages them to show their love to this man who had wronged Paul, and whom Paul had forgiven. This practical, all-too-human situation provided an opportunity for all parties: apostle and people, to display love, the most important fruit (see the commentary on Galatians Bw – The Fruit of the Ruach is Love), the way of excellence, which is the mark of the believer and the fulfillment of the “new commandment” of Yeshua, fulfilling the Torah’s true meaning (John 13:34-35; First Corinthians 9:21; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:14 and 6:2).⁷⁵

Paul now shifts his attention from the offender to the Corinthians themselves. While it was true that “the severe letter’s” purpose was to demand disciplinary action against the offender, this demand was also intended to test the Corinthians’ obedience. The reason I wrote you was to see if you would pass the test, to see if you would fully obey me (2:9). What Paul expected was not obedience to him personally, but obedience to the gospel and its implications. It is significant that throughout his letters Paul consistently bases his ethical demands first on the principles of the gospel, not upon his personal authority. It was to the gospel and its implications that believers must be obedient.⁷⁶

Paul then called upon his readers to forgive the offender. Paul’s agreement with the majority’s decision to forgive the offender demonstrated his humility. He did not agree with the “Paul party” who wanted the man to suffer more. Indeed, Paul had already forgiven him if, he added, there has been anything to forgive. Once again, the apostle downplayed the offense against him. His primary concern was for the fellowship to be restored and for there to be unity in the Corinthian church. Therefore, reinforcing the solidarity between the apostle and the Corinthians, Paul declared: Anyone you forgive, I forgive too (2:10a).

Paul lived his whole life in the presence of the Messiah (2:10b), aware that the Lord knew his every thought, word, and deed. Later in this chapter he reminded the Corinthians that he spoke standing in God’s presence (2:17). He declared that he didn’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. He emphasized to the Corinthians that he told the truth before God, and all who are honest knew that (4:2 NLT). To Timothy he wrote: I solemnly charge you before God and the Messiah Yeshua, who will judge the living and the dead when he appears and establishes his Kingdom: proclaim the Word! Be on hand with it whether the time seems right or not. Convict, censure and exhort with unfailing patience and with teaching (Second Timothy 4:1-2). Paul eagerly forgave the one who had offended him because Messiah, in whose presence he constantly lived, had fully forgiven him.⁷⁷

Finally, to withhold forgiveness when the man was repentant was to play right into the hands of the master strategist, Satan. So that we will not be taken advantage of by the Adversary. It helps to know that he is entirely predictable. He has used the same strategy and old tricks since the Creation. All temptations follow the same pattern. That’s why Paul said: For we are quite aware of his schemes (2:11-12)! From the Bible we learn that temptation follows a four-step process, which the Lawless One used on both Adam and Eve and on Yeshua.

In step one, the Dragon identifies a desire inside of you. It may be a sinful desire, like the desire to get revenge or to control others, or it may be a legitimate, normal desire, like the desire to be loved or valued or to feel pleasure. Temptation starts when the Tempter suggests (with a thought) that you give in to an evil desire, or that you fulfill a legitimate desire in a wrong way or at the wrong time. Always be aware of shortcuts. They are often temptations! The Evil One whispers, “You deserve it! You should have it now! It will be exciting . . . comforting . . . or make you feel better!” We think that temptation lies outside of us, but ADONAI says it begins within us. If you didn’t have the internal desire, the temptation could not attract you. Temptation always starts in your mind, not in your circumstances. Yeshua said: For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within (Mark 7:21-23 NLT). And James tells us that there is a whole army of evil desires within you (James 4:1 LB).

Step two is doubt. The Deceiver tries to get you to doubt what YHVH has said about sin: Is it really wrong? Did God really say not to do it? Didn’t God mean not to do this for someone else or some other time? Doesn’t God want me to be happy? But the Bible warns: Watch out! Don’t let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God (Hebrews 3:12 CEV).

Step three is deception. The Wicked One is incapable of telling the truth and is called the father of lies (John 8:44). Anything he tells you will be untrue or just half-true. The old Serpent offers his lie to replace what YHVH has already said in His Word. The Angel of Light says, “You will not die. You are more wise than God. You can get away with it. No one will ever know. It will solve all your problems. Besides, everyone else is doing it. It’s only a little sin.” But a little sin is like being a little pregnant. It will eventually show itself!

Step four is disobedience. You finally act on the thought you’ve been toying with in your mind. What began as an idea got birthed into behavior. You give in to whatever got your attention. You believe the lies of the Enemy and fall into the trap that James warns us about: We are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires. Then our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my dear friends (James 1:14-16 TEV)!

It’s not a sin to be tempted. Yeshua was tempted, yet He never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). Temptation only becomes a sin when you give in to it. Martin Luther (1483-1546), the German theologian who started the Protestant Reformation, said, “You can’t keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” You can’t keep the Devil from suggesting thoughts, but you can choose not to dwell or act on them.⁷⁸