2 Corinthians 2
2 Corinthians 2:1-17
1 But I determined this within myself, that I would not come again to you in sorrow.
2 For if I make you sorrowful, then who is he who makes me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me?
3 And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all.
4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.
5 But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe.
6 This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man,
7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow.
8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.
9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.
10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,
11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord,
13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.
14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?
17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.
This is most likely in reference to the man in 1 Corinthians 5 that he said should be turned over to satan for the destruction of the flesh. At that time, he was addressing the church’s arrogance in accepting this behavior as if it were ok. This seemed to be rather harsh and insensitive to the man, but it was necessary for resolution of such an error. Here, though, he is expressing empathy with the man. Since the correction had been made by disciplining him, there was a need to then restore him to fellowship with mercy. This is such a great example of the Father’s heart towards all who fall into sin. He is uncompromising in His position to the sin, while passionately desiring to restore, once repentance is made. While human nature places an identity along with a failure, something that is not removable, the grace and mercy of God wash all remnants of sin’s association from the one who turns from it in humility and consecration. There is yet an opportunity for them to share in spreading the aroma of knowing God. Their turn from sin immediately enables them in a triumph that is inescapable in Christ.
All of us have been hurt by someone at some point. Probably even wounded pretty deeply to where you cannot fathom forgiving that person in the natural. My Bible phrases verse 10, “ For if I forgive someone anything, for your sake’s, I forgive it in Christ.”
That really hit me. We forgive it in Christ. We cannot do it alone, and we definitely cannot do it in our flesh. True forgiveness of a severe hurt can on come through Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
I think 11 holds the key to this though, we forgive and it thwarts the devices of the devil! The devil has a plan and it is always to steal and to kill and to destroy. He wants us to stay in Unforgiveness and strife, because the Bible tells us that is where every evil work abounds! So we make the intentional decision to shed the hurt and to forgive in and because of Jesus Christ, and in doing so we crush the plan of the devil.
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