2 Corinthians 2:5 - Meaning and Application

In these verses, the apostle is speaking about the man who had been put out of the church because of incest, and this seems to be one main reason he wrote this letter. He says the man’s sin had grieved him to some extent, and it had also grieved some of the Corinthians, because they had been proud and had not mourned over the sin, as he had said before (1 Corinthians 5:2). Still, he did not want to blame the whole church too heavily, especially since they had shown that they were sorry by following the directions he had already given.

He then says that the punishment given to this offender was enough (2 Corinthians 2:6). The needed result had been reached, because the man had been humbled, and the church had shown that they were willing to obey Paul’s instructions. So Paul tells them to act quickly and restore the man to fellowship, or receive him back into the church community (2 Corinthians 2:7, 2 Corinthians 2:8).

Paul says this in several ways. He urges them to forgive him, meaning to release him from church discipline, since they could not remove the guilt of his sin against God. He also tells them to comfort him, because in many cases a repentant person needs peace not only with God, but also with the people he has hurt or shamed. They were also to show their love to him again. That would prove that their earlier correction came from love for the person, while still hating the sin, and that their purpose was to heal him, not destroy him. Or, if their love for him had cooled because of his fall, now that he had repented they were to renew that love and make it firm again.

Paul gives several strong reasons for this. First, the man’s repentance called for it, because he was in danger of being overwhelmed by too much sorrow (2 Corinthians 2:7). He felt his sin deeply and was burdened by the punishment, and that sorrow could have pushed him toward despair. Even sorrow for sin can become harmful if it keeps a person from his duties or drives him to hopelessness.

Second, the Corinthians had already shown obedience by punishing the offender, and now Paul wanted them to obey him again by restoring him (2 Corinthians 2:9). Third, Paul says he is ready to forgive the man too: “If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him” (2 Corinthians 2:10). He was willing to stand with them in forgiving the repentant man, for their good and for Christ’s sake. He was acting as Christ’s apostle, in line with Christ’s own teaching and example, which are full of mercy toward true repenters.

Fourth, Paul gives another serious reason: “so that Satan will not get the better of us” (2 Corinthians 2:11). There was danger not only that Satan would gain ground with the repentant man by driving him into despair, but also that he would gain ground with the churches and ministers. He could use harshness to make Christ’s servants seem severe and unkind, and that might keep people away from them. Wisdom is needed to guide such matters, so that the ministry is not blamed either for tolerating sin or for being too severe with sinners.

Satan is a crafty enemy, and he uses many tricks to deceive us, so we should not be unaware of his schemes. He is also alert and ready to seize every chance against us, so we must be careful not to give him any opening.