Paul did not delay his visit to the Corinthian church lightly. Paul had a “painful visit” with the Corinthians once before, after which he wrote them a “severe letter”, which he refers to here in Chapter 2. Paul had dealt strongly with the Corinthians in his last two interactions with them, and although it had been needed, he wanted to spare them more pain. (1:23)
Paul clarified his relationship to the Corinthian church. He was not their ruler, dominating their faith. He was a co-worker with them. Their faith was their own and Paul commended the strength of their faith, recognizing how it had kept them standing firmly in the truth. (1:24)
Paul greatly valued his relationships in the Corinthian church community. They weren’t just another group of people he was giving instruction to. He knew that if he disciplined them again in his upcoming visit, they would be in pain from the confrontation and the time spent with Paul would not be enjoyable. (2:1-2)
So Paul wrote a “severe letter” in hopes that the issue he was correcting would be mostly resolved before he arrived to spend time with them. He had confidence that the Corinthians would understand and share his intent for their correction, his pain over having to write what he did and his love for them, as expressed in the severe letter. (2:3-4)
Paul also puts his words in perspective as he focuses on a specific person in the Corinthian church who had recently required correction and discipline of some kind.
When Paul corrected the Corinthians, it was not primarily because they had wronged him, but because they had wronged themselves and their community in some way. (2:5) When we are corrected by God and/or our spiritual leaders and mentors, it’s because we are doing damage to ourselves and others, not just because we have offended God or our leaders.
Paul tells the Corinthians that the discipline carried out by the church community has served its purpose and that they should now comfort and accept the one they had been disciplining. It’s important that we remember to restore and comfort those who have genuinely seen their fault, recognized it as wrong and accepted the consequences for their actions. Correction between Christians is never aimed at ultimate separation, but ultimate reconciliation. (2:6-8)
One reason Paul wrote his last letter was to see if the Corinthians would “stand the test and be obedient in everything”. It would have been one thing for the Corinthians to respond to his correction if Paul were present with them. But it was a real test of their obedience to ask them to correct their behavior while he was unable to personally oversee them. (2:9)
This is similar to the challenge we face every day as Christians who aim to live according to the Bible. Without the constant physical presence of Jesus, it can be very challenging to take his commands seriously and prioritize our lives around the desires of God. But imagine for a moment the kind of impact we could have on the lives around us if we were constantly aware of the reality of God’s presence!
Paul delegated the authority to forgive erring members of the community to the community itself. This isn’t forgiveness in the sense of justification in the sight of God, but rather relational forgiveness between people in the Christian community. Paul united his forgiveness with that of the Corinthian church so that there would not be opportunity for division that Satan could take advantage of. (2:10-11)
Next Week- What Do Christians Smell Like?
Coffee House Question
What aspect of correction or conflict resolution most often makes you hesitate before having a “difficult conversation” with someone?
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