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2 Corinthians 2:5-6
If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent--not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him.
Paul now begins to address the issue with the man in the Corinthian congregation who had been involved in an intimate relationship with his mother-in-law. Paul had previously instructed (1 Corinthians 5:5): "Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord." The Corinthians had paid attention to Paul's instruction and prohibited the man from being a part of their fellowship.
A new question was now raised: The man had turned from his sin -- so should the church allow him to return to fellowship? Paul answers by saying, "You dealt with the situation, but let's not take it too far." I think that's really good advice for those of us in leadership in the church today. Certainly, we must not tolerate, nor ignore immorality. And we can't let it be paraded in full view of the congregation. Most churches have this part right -- they unequivocally address these issues. However, the part that creates the most difficulty is how we respond to those who are repentant and want to rejoin the fellowship. We must be a body of believers who do not flaunt nor tolerate immorality, yet at the same time, find a way to love and embrace anyone (regardless of their past misdeeds) who says, "I want to walk in harmony with the Word, and also be a part of your fellowship."
Do you have difficulty with the forgiveness of those who have sinned against you? To some degree, I think we all have trouble getting it right. Either we go too far, and forgive and forget too easily (perhaps setting ourselves up to become a victim again); or we hold on to our hurt far too long (losing our joy and allowing anger and bitterness to gain a place in our life). Over the next few passages, Paul will provide some very practical advice for how we as believers are to deal with these situations. Matthew 18:27: "The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go." Are there some "debts" owed to you that need to be released?
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Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.
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