Restoration 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

Why is it so difficult to forgive? That’s not a hypothetical question-it is a reality for every single person who is alive today isn’t it? Some are able to forgive what they determine to be small grievances against them while others seem to file away every single misstep by those who have hurt them in any way. Even those who are more inclined to forgive will find themselves in a situation at some time in life when forgiveness seems impossible.Jesus never hesitated to tell His followers how critical it was for them to forgive, yet there is a huge difference between reading the words of Jesus and actually forgiving. Every Sunday we pray, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Jesus raised the stakes when He told His followers, 

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15 NIV)

Because we, as people, find it so difficult to forgive others we can also find that same hesitancy in the church. How many churches have been torn apart by an unwillingness to forgive, an unwillingness to allow the same grace that reconciled us to God the Father, to reconcile us to one another when our relationships become stressed or broken? How many brothers and sisters in Christ, who have been hurt by someone in the church, have simply walked out the door, never to return again, instead of choosing that difficult path of confession, repentance, and restoration? I would say their numbers are legion. I know many of them. Jesus doesn’t give us any wiggle room when it comes to repentance, forgiveness, and restoration. It is imperative, critical that we forgive others, but how do we do that, both as individuals and as a church body? How do we move beyond simply mouthing the words “I forgive you” and actually wiping the slate clean and allowing God’s grace to bring healing and reconciliation into our broken relationships? That’s our goal for our study this morning. Let’s take a look at 2 Corinthians 2:5-11.

5 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. 6 The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9 Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10 Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven-- if there was anything to forgive-- I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. (2 Corinthians 2:5-11 NIV)

We have talked about the incident that led to Paul canceling his trip to Corinth and instead writing what we know as the “severe letter. The incident happened when Paul had received a concerning report from Timothy about some things which were still taking place in the church. Paul made a quick, unplanned trip to Corinth to try and help sort things out. When Paul arrived, instead of being welcomed by the congregation, a man confronted Paul, embarrassed Paul by questioning his integrity and authority as an apostle, and he did it in front of the whole church. To make matters worse, nobody in the church spoke up in Paul’s defense. After the incident Paul left Corinth and decided that another trip would accomplish nothing, so he wrote the “severe letter.” In that letter Paul must have addressed the situation and urged the church to discipline the man who had confronted Paul and was sowing seeds of discord in the church. In a day in which there was no email, texting, or Facetime–Paul had no way of knowing how the letter was received. Did the leaders of the church simply tear up the letter or did they take it to heart and act on Paul’s urging? Then, while Paul was in Macedonia, he got word from Titus that God was at work? The church had not only received Paul’s letter, but they were filled with sorrow over what had happened. They took action and disciplined the man who was tearing the church apart and undermining Paul’s ministry. Paul wrote about his experience of meeting up with Titus in Macedonia in 2 Corinthians 7:5-10. Read it with me.

5 For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn-- conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever. 8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it-- I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while-- 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Corinthians 7:5-10 NIV)

Now, let’s go back to verses 5-6 where Paul addresses the situation with the troublemaker. Let’s read it again and I want you to notice how Paul never names the man. Read it with me.

5 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. 6 The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 2:5-6 NIV)

There are two important things for us to take note of in verse 5. First, look at the word “grief.” In the Greek New Testament it is in the perfect tense which means there is still grief lingering in the congregation, it is an ongoing grief. Secondly, Paul doesn’t name the man. Paul refuses to rub his nose in what he did in the past, but instead Paul switches his attention to the church. George Guthrie writes,

To deal kindly with an offender, as Paul does here, does not involve downplaying the sin and its consequences–the consequences in the community are still blatantly obvious. Rather, Paul faces squarely the consequences of the person’s offense, yet leads the Corinthians in a process of restoration. (Guthrie, George. 2 Corinthians. pg. 131).

In a day when we personalize every offense, become unhinged over every microaggression, and call for the heads of all of those who hurt us in any way–it is so refreshing to see how Paul deflects what was most certainly an offense intended to bring him down. Why does Paul do this? There is much more at stake than simply Paul’s feelings or Paul’s leadership for that matter. What is at stake is the health of the church, the witness of the body of Christ in Corinth. We so desperately need to reclaim this understanding in our day. You and I, all of us who are “in Christ,” we are the body of Christ, united as brothers and sisters in Christ. We are called to do life together for His glory, for the building up of the body, and to share His Good News in our city. What happens to one–happens to all! In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul wrote,

26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:26-27 NIV)

The man who had confronted and embarrassed Paul needed correction, he needed to be disciplined in hopes that he would see the error of his ways and seek forgiveness. It’s evident this is what took place. In verse 6, Paul says, “The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient.” We don’t know what discipline the church leaders imposed, but whatever it was it broke through the man’s hard heart and moved him to repent. Any time “church discipline” is mentioned in our day we immediately put up walls, close our ears, and steel our spine in defiance. We think to ourselves, “What I do is my business, it has nothing to do with you, and therefore it is none of your business!” I do want to make something very clear…in my reading of all of Paul’s letters I fail to find even a single instance where Paul was snooping around looking for things to confront. I find no examples of him digging through someone’s garbage, sneaking into their house to look through their Google search history, or going around and interviewing their enemies to dig up dirt. In First Corinthians there was a man sleeping with his father’s wife and it needed to be addressed. The situation in 2 Corinthians that we’ve been taking a look at needed to be addressed.In all of my years of being here at Britton Christian Church I can count on one hand when there was a situation that needed to be addressed. Now, I’m sure there were others, but like Paul, the leaders of this church don’t go around looking for things to confront. When something does come up that threatens the health and witness of the body of Christ here at Britton Christian Church, then it has to be addressed. I’ve also learned a valuable lesson in each of those situations that have to be addressed…prepare yourself for people to bare their claws and come after you. Every single time. By the time we get to the end of our study this morning you will be able to clearly see that the disciplining of the man, who was causing the problems in Corinth, was meant to restore him and not alienate him. George Guthrie writes,

There are churches that, thinking themselves ‘grace’ oriented, never confront even blatant and public sin. This might be due to a lack of community maturity, the distraction of ‘more pressing’ matters, being emotionally manipulated, or more likely, a mistaken view of grace as only forgiving and never formative. Yet those who do not have the grace of this pattern of confrontation-consequences-repentance-restoration never know the outcome of true restoration, and the church is crippled on numerous levels (Guthie, George. 2 Corinthians. Pg. 137-138). 

God’s desire for the body of Christ is not merely to look away or to sweep things under the carpet, but for repentance, forgiveness, and restoration to take place. Evidently the restrictions placed on the man who had confronted Paul and was tearing the church apart had worked as God intended and he had repented. Otherwise, Paul would not have said, “The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient.”Evidently there was still a minority of people in the church who didn’t agree that the measures taken to discipline the man were sufficient. They could have thought that the church had no business getting involved since it was a personal matter between Paul and the man. Some might still reject Paul’s authority and side with the man. And then there could have been those who sided with Paul and thought the man should be forever barred from the church. Whatever the minority believed, Paul said, “That’s enough. Now it is time to restore the man back into fellowship as one of our own.” Take a look at verses 7-8 with me.

7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. (2 Corinthians 2:7-8 NIV)

Now, since the man has repented it is time to “forgive and comfort him.” Paul takes no pleasure in the man getting what he deserved. Instead, he says “take him back, forgive him, and comfort him.” That’s beautiful isn’t it?! Of course it is when someone else is being called to forgive and comfort the offender. C.S. Lewis once said, “We all agree that forgiveness is a beautiful idea until we have to practice it.” Why should the church forgive and comfort the man who had caused so much trouble for Paul and the church? I’m glad we don’t have to try and come up with an answer on our own. Paul writes, “so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.” I want us to take some time and take a longer look at what it means to forgive and comfort the person who has caused the pain. The Greek word that Paul uses for “forgive” is not the word for forgive that Paul uses most of the time. This word, “charizomai," means “to give something graciously or freely.” Where did Paul come up with the crazy idea that we are to graciously offer forgiveness to those who hurt us and are willing to repent? Where he got it is in the same place that he gets all of his other ideas about how we, as followers of Jesus, are to relate to others…at the cross. Paul used this same word in his letter to the church in Colosse. Turn with me to Colossians 2:13-14 and let’s read together.

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14 NIV)

What Paul is urging the brothers and sisters in Corinth to do for the man who has hurt them is exactly what God has done for us who were alienated from Him by our own sin. In the very next chapter of his church to the church in Colosse, Paul writes,

12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:12-13 NIV)

It’s the same word, graciously offer to the person who has hurt you what God has offered to you. Now, make no mistake about it, there can’t be reconciliation or restoration without repentance, but forgiveness begins its work even before reconciliation knocks at the door. The people of Corinth were to forgive the man and they were to comfort him. The word Paul uses for comfort is so powerful. The verb “parakaleo" means “to come alongside, to strengthen, to encourage, to comfort.” To “comfort” someone who has sinned and repented is a many-sided calling. His brothers and sisters in Corinth should support him, comfort him, and encourage him not to wallow in shame and embarrassment, but get back to living his life for God’s glory and the blessing of the church. Far too often when we come to our senses and repent of our sin, there are those who take on the responsibility of never ever allowing us to forget what we did in the past. They feel it is their responsibility to remind us of the mess we have made in the past. I want you to know that is not what Paul was calling the brothers and sisters in Corinth to do and that is not what we are to do. The forgiveness and comfort of the church are vital if the man is not to be swallowed up, drowned, by excessive sorrow. Paul knew what it was like to experience excessive sorrow and he didn’t want anyone else to experience it. I can’t speak for you, but there are some skeletons in my closet, some horrible things from my past that can cause me great shame. I know the Lord has forgiven me, but it’s knowing what I did, who I have hurt, that can be crippling if I allow it. The shame that the man in Corinth felt over what he did might continue to haunt him, but if the church will follow Paul’s instruction then he won’t have to bear the excruciating pain of having brothers and sisters in Christ constantly throw up into his face what he had done. Chuck Swindoll writes,

Sadly, failure to grant forgiveness to a genuinely repentant person can lead to deep wounding, permanent scarring, and an irreparable relationship between two people. Harmonious fellowship is left hanging. This is true for interpersonal relationships, including those among believers in a church. In fact, the Christians in Corinth struggled with this very issue, as one of their festering, unresolved conflicts was leading to painful schisms in the body of Christ (Swindoll, Charles. Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary: 1&2 Corinthians. pg. 307).  

In Matthew 18, Jesus told a parable about a king who wanted to settle his accounts with all of his subjects. There was a man who owed the king a debt he could have never paid in a thousand years. He begged the king for mercy and mercy was granted. As soon as the man left the presence of the king he sought out a buddy of his who owed him 5 bucks. He berated him, grabbed him, and began to choke him as he yelled, “Pay me what you owe me right now!!” The man didn’t have it on him so his friend had him thrown into prison. Absurd isn’t it? And yet the absurdity of the situation is exactly what Jesus wanted to emphasize. We who have been forgiven much should forgive. In 2 Corinthians 2:7-8, Paul urged the church to forgive and comfort the man. They were to become active in restoring the man back into fellowship with the church. Then, in verse 8, Paul writes,

8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. (2 Corinthians 2:8 NIV)

The members of the church were to take an active role in going public with their love for their restored brother. It’s interesting that Paul doesn’t use the Greek work for “brotherly love,” but the word, “agape,” the love that is used most often to express the kind of love that God has demonstrated for us. “Agape” love is a love without conditions, love with no strings attached. What had been done was done, it was over. Discipline had taken place, repentance had been expressed, and now love was to be affirmed. No more raking the man over the coals for what he had done. This brother who had caused so much pain had repented and now it was time to welcome him back into the congregation of forgiven brothers and sisters in Christ. Before we go I want to ask you a question. Are you familiar with the parable of the Prodigal Son? Many of us are familiar with the story. The son was bored with life on the farm so he asked his dad to give him his inheritance so he could head out to the big city. Once the young man hit the city it didn’t take him long to blow through every cent of his inheritance on wine, women, and good times. The young Jewish kid ended up taking care of pigs and gladly eating what they were eating since he had no other options. The day came when the young man came to his senses and decided to go home. He had his speech all worked out. He wouldn’t even ask to be welcomed home as the son of his father, but he would simply ask his dad if he could come home and be a hired hand. Let’s pick up the story in Luke 15:20.

20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:20-24 NIV)

If you continue reading the parable you will learn that the boy’s brother was livid, he was furious, and he threw a fit. Now, here’s my question for you. What if the prodigal son would have run into his brother before he was welcomed home with such grace by his father? Would he have been swallowed up by exceedingly great sorrow and shame? I bet he would have never taken another step towards home. He would have never known the grace of the father. He would have never experienced the forgiveness that he needed so badly. Are we truly ambassadors of Christ as Paul says we are or are we simply using Jesus as our ticket to heaven? If we are truly ambassadors of Christ, vessels of His mercy and grace, then we need to allow the Lord to work His grace and forgiveness through us so that others might be reconciled and experience the restoration we have found in Jesus. They will most clearly come to understand His grace by experiencing our grace and mercy. Mike HaysBritton Christian Church9222 NW 91stOKC, OK. 73114November 13, 2022