4 The Blessings of Forgiveness

(2 Corinthians 2:5–11)

But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree—in order not to say too much—to all of you. Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. (2:5–11)

We live in a culture that views forgiveness not as a virtue, but as a sign of weakness. Our heroes are the vengeful, who challenge their enemies to give them an opportunity to strike; those who proudly see themselves as their enemies’ “worst nightmare.” Some even argue that forgiveness is unhealthy. Self-help books boldly assert that people should cultivate self-esteem and blame others for causing their problems. The victim mentality reigns supreme, and as a result of these and other perspectives, vengeance and retaliation are exalted, not the noble and Christlike virtues of forgiveness and restoration.

But the price of refusing to forgive is high. Unforgiveness produces hatred, bitterness, animosity, anger, and retribution. It not only clogs up the arteries but also the courts with thousands of vengeful lawsuits. Refusing to forgive imprisons people in their past. Unforgiving people keep their pain alive by constantly picking at the open wound and keeping it from healing. Bitterness takes root in their hearts and defiles them (Heb. 12:15). Anger rages out of control and negative emotions run unchecked. Life is filled with turmoil and strife instead of joy and peace.

On the other hand, forgiveness frees people from the past. It is liberating, exhilarating, and healthy. Forgiveness relieves tension, brings peace and joy, and restores relationships. In addition to its personal and societal benefits, there are at least ten biblical reasons for forgiving others.

First, believers are never more like God than when they forgive. God is “a God of forgiveness” (Neh. 9:17), “a forgiving God” (Ps. 99:8), to whom “belong compassion and forgiveness” (Dan. 9:9). The prophet Micah asked rhetorically, “Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession?” (Mic. 7:18). The parable of the prodigal son aptly illustrates God’s forgiveness (Luke 15:11–32). Like the father in the parable, who watched for his wayward son and ran to meet him, God eagerly forgives repentant sinners. God’s forgiveness means that He will not hold believers’ sins against them as requiring punishment (cf. Isa. 43:25; 44:22; Jer. 31:34); He has cast them behind His back (Isa. 38:17) and buried them in the depths of the sea (Mic. 7:19). Believers are never more like God than when they eagerly and passionately forgive. In Matthew 5:44–45 Jesus said, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

Second, the sixth commandment, “You shall not murder” (Ex. 20:13), does not just forbid murder but also anger, malice, lack of forgiveness, and desire for revenge. In Matthew 5:21–22 Jesus declared,

You have heard that the ancients were told, “You shall not commit murder” and “Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, “You good-for-nothing,” shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, “You fool,” shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

The apostle John added, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15). Those who refuse to forgive others but are bitter, hateful, and full of animosity are guilty of violating the sixth commandment.

Third, whoever offends another person offends God more, because all sin is ultimately against Him. David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband Uriah. Yet he acknowledged to God in Psalm 51:4, “Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight” (cf. 2 Sam. 12:9). Any wrong done against believers is insignificant compared to the wrong done to God. How then can they refuse to forgive?

Fourth, those who have been forgiven of great sin against God must forgive the lesser sin of others against them. At salvation, God forgives believers’ staggering, unpayable debt of sin because of Christ’s substitionary death on their behalf. For them to refuse to forgive other people is utterly unthinkable. Jesus graphically illustrated that incongruity in a parable recorded in Matthew 18:21–35. A king’s servant (probably a regional governor who embezzled tax revenue) owed him ten thousand talents—a vast sum that the servant could never have repaid. The king felt compassion for him and released him from his debt. But inexplicably, unbelievably, the servant refused to forgive his fellow servant who owed him a small amount of money.

The point of the illustration is simple. God freely forgives believers’ massive debt to His holiness—a debt they could never repay even if they spent eternity in hell. Therefore they must readily forgive the sins by which others offend them. To refuse to do so is reprehensible, insensitive ingratitude that makes a mockery of God’s forgiveness of them.

Fifth, believers who refuse to forgive forfeit the blessing of fellowship with other Christians. In the Lord’s parable, it was the unforgiving servant’s outraged fellow servants who reported him to his lord (Matt. 18:31), an act symbolizing church discipline. Those who refuse to forgive can cause rifts in the church fellowship and destroy its unity. They must be brought before the Lord for chastening, and if impenitent are thereby alienated from the church fellowship. Like Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Tim. 1:20) and the incestuous man at Corinth (1 Cor. 5:5), they are delivered to Satan and forfeit the blessings of associating with God’s people.

Sixth, failing to forgive results in divine chastening. In addition to their separation from the church fellowship, God brings suffering into the lives of those who refuse to repent. God reacts with holy anger against unforgiving believers and chastens them (Matt. 18:32–34). His goal is to bring them to repentance, so they will willingly pay what they owe (v. 34); in other words, be willing to forgive others. Otherwise, “Judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy” (James 2:13).

Seventh, God will not forgive believers who refuse to forgive others. Jesus stated this truth plainly in the Sermon on the Mount: “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” (Matt. 6:14–15). The Lord was not, of course, referring to the eternal forgiveness of justification (Acts 10:43; Rom. 3:23–24; Col. 1:14; 2:13; Eph. 1:7; 4:32; Titus 2:14; Heb. 7:25; 1 Peter 2:24) but to the temporal forgiveness of sanctification. Believers who fail to forgive others do not cease to be God’s children, but they will face their heavenly Father’s chastening. They will not forfeit their eternal blessings in heaven, but they will forfeit their temporal blessings in this life.

Eighth, failing to forgive others renders believers unfit to worship. In the familiar words of the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:23–24, “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” God does not want the hypocritical worship of those who refuse to forgive others. Reconciliation must precede worship.

Ninth, to refuse to forgive is to usurp God’s authority. It is to set oneself up as a higher court, with higher standards, than God. Paul forbad such arrogant pride in Romans 12:19: “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (cf. Prov. 24:29). Only God can righteously deal with sin, since He alone is omniscient, just, and always acts in perfect holiness.

Finally, offenses against believers must be recognized and embraced as the trials that mature them. Jesus commanded believers who face criticism, injustice, and mistreatment, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt. 5:44–45). A proper response of forgiveness leads to spiritual maturity (James 1:2–4).

The perfect model of forgiveness is the Lord Jesus Christ, who while on the cross prayed for His tormentors, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Peter called on believers to follow the Lord’s example in 1 Peter 2:19–23:

For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.

The apostle Paul understood the importance of forgiveness. In this passage he urged the Corinthians to forgive one of their number. This individual (his identity hidden by the terms “any” in verse 5 and “such a one” in verse 6) had apparently verbally and publicly assaulted Paul during the apostle’s “painful visit” to Corinth (see 2:1). Following Paul’s instructions, the Corinthian church disciplined the sinning member and put him out of the fellowship. He had since repented, and now not only did Paul forgive him, but he also instructed the Corinthians to do so too. From this passage seven motives emerge that enrich the New Testament teaching on forgiveness. Believers are to forgive to deflect pride, show mercy, restore joy, affirm love, prove obedience, restore fellowship, and thwart Satan.

TO DEFLECT PRIDE

But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree—in order not to say too much—to all of you. (2:5)

The clause if any has caused sorrow assumes the condition to be true. Paul acknowledged the reality of the offense and its impact on the church.

One of the chief causes of an unforgiving heart is pride. A prideful reaction to an offense can run the gamut from wallowing in self-pity to violent retaliation, and everything in between. But there was no place in Paul’s heart for self-glory, self-protection, self-pity, a wounded ego, or retaliation. Paul acknowledged that the offender who assaulted him had caused sorrow, but he refused to take it personally (cf. 12:10). By refusing to make an issue out of his personal injury, the apostle intended to soften the animosity toward the repentant offender. The church would deal with him apart from any consideration of Paul.

The members of the “Paul party” at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:12; 3:4) were deeply offended when Paul was publicly insulted. They perhaps felt that the sinning individual needed more discipline and penance before being restored to fellowship. Paul, however, defused the situation by insisting that the offender had not really caused sorrow to him. He was not bitterly resentful, nor did he seek vengeance on the one who had insulted him. He dismissed the grief and embarrassment the individual had caused him and urged the church to deal with him objectively. They had no right to carry out a vendetta on the apostle’s behalf.

Paul humbly rose above the offense and forgave the offender, refusing to see himself as a victim or to carry a grudge against the one who offended him. There was no place in Paul’s mind for pride or bitter resentment, because how people judged him was inconsequential. As he wrote in 1 Corinthians: “To me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord” (1 Cor. 4:3–4).

Though he was not concerned about the offense as it related to him, Paul was concerned about its ramifications in the Corinthian congregation. The man’s offense did cause the Corinthians some sorrow, since he had caused strife in the congregation. While acknowledging to the Corinthians that the offender had caused sorrow … to all of them, Paul added two disclaimers to minimize the impact of the offense. The sorrow was limited in extent; it had only affected the Corinthian church in some degree. Paul also did not want to say too much about the offense; he did not want to exaggerate it. Instead, he downplayed the incident and cautioned the Corinthians not to blow it up out of proportion. The man had repented; the incident was closed; and it was time to move on.

Paul had nothing but love and forgiveness in his heart toward the person who had wronged him. He was not about to let that individual steal his joy, impair his usefulness, or become the dominating issue in the Corinthian church. Paul exemplified the forgiveness Jesus commanded. Responding to Peter’s question, “‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ (Matt. 18:21) Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven’” (v. 22).

Joseph is an Old Testament example of a man who forgave selflessly like Paul did. Motivated by jealousy, his brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt. But God providentially cared for him, eventually elevating him to the position of prime minister of Egypt. When a famine forced his brothers to seek food in Egypt, Joseph revealed himself to them. Genesis 45:1–15 records that dramatic encounter:

Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, “Have everyone go out from me.” So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished.”’ Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here.” Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.

Despite their harsh treatment of him, Joseph was not bitter toward his brothers. Instead, he freely forgave them and comforted them with the truth that God had used their treachery for His own purposes. After Jacob’s death, Joseph’s brothers once again feared that he would take vengeance against them:

When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (Gen. 50:15–21)

Forgiveness breaks the bitter chains of pride, self-pity, and vengeance that lead to despair, alienation, broken relationships, and loss of joy.

TO SHOW MERCY

Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, (2:6)

The punishment that had already been inflicted on the sinning individual by the church was sufficient. He had suffered enough, and it was time to show him mercy and restore him to fellowship. Epitimia (punishment) appears only here in the New Testament. Both its use in extrabiblical Greek writings and the context of this passage suggest epitimia refers to an official disciplinary act by the majority: excommunication or disfellowshipping. The New Testament teaches that the church is to discipline sinning believers. Jesus outlined that process in Matthew 18:15–18:

If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

Paul had earlier dealt with another sinning member of the Corinthian congregation:

In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. … But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. (1 Cor. 5:4–5, 11)

To the Thessalonians Paul wrote,

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. … If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. (2 Thess. 3:6, 14–15)

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 had repented. It was time to forgive and restore him. In Galatians 6:1 Paul commanded, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” He exhorted the Ephesians, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32). In Colossians 3:13 he wrote that believers are to be characterized by “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone.”

Believers are never more like God than when they show forgiving mercy to a repentant sinner.

TO RESTORE JOY

so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. (2:7)

Mournfully confessing his tragic sin with Bathsheba, David acknowledged the sad reality that sin steals joy. In Psalm 51 he begged God, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation” (v. 12), and, “Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness” (v. 14). Confession and repentance restores the joy that God desires all Christians to have (John 15:11; 16:24; 17:13; 2 John 12; cf. Gal. 5:22).

Some of the Corinthians believed that the individual who had insulted Paul needed to suffer further before being restored. But Paul disagreed, and insisted that on the contrary the Corinthians should rather forgive and comfort him. 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 penitent individual, no matter how serious the sin was.

For the Corinthians not to forgive the repentant person would be sin and steal their joy. It would, in fact, bring God’s chastening on them (cf. Matt. 6:14–15; 18:35). Unforgiveness would also render them unfit for worship (Matt. 5:23–24).

Positively, the Corinthian congregation needed to comfort him. Comfort translates the familiar New Testament word parakale?, which means, “to come alongside,” “to strengthen,” or “to encourage.” The Corinthians were to “restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (Gal. 6:1); to come alongside him, lift him up, and help him to walk in obedience. Paul feared that otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow, not only the sorrow of his punishment, but also the sorrow caused by the Corinthians’ continued rejection of him. Katapin? (overwhelmed) is variously translated in the New Testament as “swallow” (2 Cor. 5:4; Matt. 23:24; 1 Cor. 15:54), “drown” (Heb. 11:29); and “devour” (1 Peter 5:8). God does not want believers be totally consumed by the grief caused by their sin. Later in this epistle Paul wrote, “The sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation” (2 Cor. 7:10). After sorrow has done its convicting work, it is to be replaced by joy.

TO AFFIRM LOVE

Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. (2:8)

Paul’s desire to see the repentant individual joyful, rather than sorrowful, caused him to urge the Corinthians to reaffirm their love for him. In its only other New Testament appearance, kuro? (reaffirm) speaks of formally ratifying a covenant (Gal. 3:15). The Corinthians had officially and publicly disciplined the offender (v. 6). Now they needed to conclude the matter by publicly and lovingly restoring him to the fellowship. By so doing they would display their collective as well as individual affection for him.

Agap? (love) is the love of choice, of will, of humble service to others. It is the love not of sentimental feelings but of action (cf. 1 Cor. 13:4–7). Love is essential in the life of the church. On the night before His death Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35). Paul commanded the Ephesians, “Be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (Eph. 5:1–2).

At its core, unforgiveness is a lack of love. Forgiveness, on the other hand, fulfills the royal law of love (cf. James 2:8). Forgiving love is a precious jewel, a rich treasure in the life of the church. Without it, churches are torn, split, and fragmented. Churches that faithfully practice church discipline must also forgive penitent sinners. The greatest demonstration of love, both by individual believers and the church collectively, is forgiving others.

TO PROVE OBEDIENCE

For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. (2:9)

As already noted, forgiveness reflects some of the most noble Christian virtues, including humility, mercy, joy, and love. But even if it did not, forgiveness would still be the right thing to do, because God requires it. One reason Paul wrote the severe letter between 1 and 2 Corinthians (2:4) was so that he might put the Corinthians to the test and see whether they would be obedient in all things. Whether they were willing to forgive would be a real test of whether the Corinthians’ hearts were right before God. As even a cursory glance at human history shows, fallen man does not readily forgive. Repeated wars, longtime feuds, centuries of deadly retaliation between racial and religious groups, and personal vengeance have marred human history since the Fall. Sinful, prideful humanity sees forgiveness as weakness and vengeance as strength. The Corinthians had proven themselves obedient by disciplining the offender. Forgiving him and receiving him back into the fellowship would also be proof of their obedience. Jesus commanded, “If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3). By disciplining the sinning member, the Corinthians had obeyed the first part of that admonition; by fully forgiving him, they would obey the latter.

God has always tested His people to reveal what is in their hearts. In Exodus 16:4 “the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction.’” Moses admonished Israel to

remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. … In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. (Deut. 8:2, 16)

In Deuteronomy 13:3 he added, “You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Paul put the Corinthian church to the test to see if they would both discipline and forgive. Unlike most churches today, the Corinthian church passed both tests. They did the hard work of confronting sin; they also obeyed Paul’s command to graciously forgive and restore the sinning individual. Later in this epistle Paul wrote,

So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God. For this reason we have been comforted. And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth. His affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. (7:12–15)

As Titus discovered and reported to Paul, the Corinthians had obeyed the apostle and forgiven the offender. Out of the chaos and confusion of their turbulent past had come an obedient church.

TO RESTORE FELLOWSHIP

But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, (2:10)

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 individual to suffer more. Indeed, Paul had already forgiven him if, he added, I have forgiven anything. 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. Thus, he forgave the individual primarily for the Corinthians’ sakes.

Paul lived his whole life in the presence of Christ, aware that the Lord knew his every thought, word, and deed. Later in this chapter he reminded the Corinthians that he spoke “in Christ in the sight of God” (2:17). In 4:2 he wrote that he commended himself “to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (cf. 7:12; 12:19). To Timothy he wrote, “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Tim. 4:1–2). Paul eagerly forgave the one who had offended him because Christ, in whose presence he constantly lived, had fully forgiven him.

Forgiveness is crucial to maintaining unity in the church fellowship. Without it discord, disharmony, bitterness, and vengeance can destroy unity.

TO THWART SATAN

so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. (2:11)

Satan’s goal for the church is the opposite of God’s. God wants a humble, merciful, joyful, loving, obedient fellowship; Satan wants one where sin reigns supreme. If sin is confronted, Satan wants it done so in a harsh, graceless, merciless manner. Both failing to deal with sin and failing to forgive repentant sinners can destroy a church. Paul stressed that the Corinthians must forgive and restore the repentant individual so that no advantage would be taken of them by Satan. An unforgiving spirit plays right into the devil’s hands and gives him the leverage he needs to split a church apart.

Believers dare not be ignorant of Satan’s schemes but must “stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11) and “not give the devil an opportunity” (Eph. 4:27). Two vitally important ways of doing that are dealing with sin and forgiving sinners.

Forgiveness affects the one who forgives (2 Cor. 2:5), the one forgiven (2:6–8), and the entire church (2:9–11). The hard work of disciplining sinners and restoring those who repent is a true test of a church’s love for the Lord.