2 Corinzi 2:7 Commento

In this chapter the apostle proceeds in the account of the reasons why he did not come to Corinth (Co2 2:1-4). Then he writes concerning the incestuous person who lay under censure; and gives direction for restoring him, together with the reasons for their so doing (Co2 2:5-11), and afterwards informs them of his labours and success in preaching the gospel in several places (Co2 2:12-17).

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CORINTHIANS 2 The apostle, in this chapter, goes on to give reasons of his not coming, as yet, to Corinth; and removes the charge of severity, which some might think him guilty of, in what he had written in his former epistle concerning the incestuous person, who having repented of his sin, he would now have comforted, and the censure laid on him by the church taken off; after which he gives an account of the success of the Gospel in several parts, of its power and purity, and of the faithful dispensation of it by himself and others: in Co2 2:1, he assigns this as a reason why he had determined with himself not to come to Corinth as yet, and why he deferred his coming, that when he came he might not be sorrowful himself, nor make others sorrowful, which necessarily involve each other; for if he made others sorrowful by his sharp rebukes, which as things had been he could not but in faithfulness give, he must be in sorrow himself, since there would be none to make him cheerful, but such whom he made sorrowful, Co2 2:2, wherefore to meet together under such circumstances must be uncomfortable; and hence he chose to put off his coming until things took another turn; and this was the reason of his writing with so much seeming severity concerning the incestuous person, in the former epistle, to bring him and them to repentance, and so prevent that sorrow which he otherwise must have had, had he in person come to them whilst they were unconcerned about that affair; and that he might have that joy, which he was confident of everyone was desirous he should have, Co2 2:3, and he was so far from being of a cruel and uncompassionate disposition, that it was with an aching heart, and with flowing eyes, that he wrote that letter to them; nor was it written with that view merely to grieve them, but to let them know the tender and affectionate concern he had for their welfare, Co2 2:4. Besides, this affair of the incestuous person was not only matter of grief to the apostle, but to them all; or he was not the only person he was grieved with, but with them all, and therefore it was necessary to use greater severity and roughness, Co2 2:5. However, inasmuch as the end he had in view was answered, the humbling of the delinquent, and bringing him to repentance, nothing more was to be done, the punishment of excommunication was sufficient, Co2 2:6, and that ought now to be removed, and the man forgiven, and comforted, lest he should be overwhelmed with sorrow, and be reduced to despair, Co2 2:7. Wherefore the apostle entreats them to give some fresh assurances of their love to the repenting brother, and signify it by their hearty reception of him into communion again, Co2 2:8, in doing which they would give proof of their obedience to him the apostle, which was an end he had in writing to them before, concerning the excommunication of the same person, Co2 2:9, and which he urges them to from his own example, who was ready to join with them in forgiving him, out of love to them, and in the name of Christ, Co2 2:10, and the rather it became them to do so, lest Satan should get an advantage of them, and establish a bad principle and practice among them, that such as fall into sin, though they repent, should not be restored to the communion of the church, of whose devices in different forms and shapes, to do mischief to the churches of Christ, and particular believers, the apostle and others were not ignorant, Co2 2:11. Moreover, what had took up his time, and had prevented him from coming to Corinth as yet, was his being called to, and employed in the preaching of the Gospel elsewhere, particularly at Troas, where he was the rather inclined to stay, and there was a necessity of it, because there was a door opened for it, Co2 2:12, and yet not finding Titus, there, as he expected, he was uneasy, and departed thence into Macedonia, in quest of him, Co2 2:13, where, as in other places, he preached the Gospel with success, which he ascribes to God, and gives him thanks for it, Co2 2:14, which success he illustrates by dividing the persons to whom he preached the Gospel, into two classes, they that are saved, and they that perish, Co2 2:15, on whom it had different effects, diffusing death, and adding death to death in the one, and communicating life, and adding life to life in the other: and lest he should be thought to arrogate too much to himself, and other ministers of the word, of whom he speaks, he acknowledges his and their insufficiency to preach the Gospel, and make it effectual; and that all fitness for it, and all the virtue and efficacy of it, were from the Lord, Co2 2:16, and then gives the reason why he, and the rest of the faithful ministers of the Gospel, were a sweet savour to Christ, as he had asserted, because they did not, as others, corrupt this box of ointment, but faithfully and sincerely poured it out, without mixing and adulterating it; and this they did as being in the view of the omniscient God, to whom they could appeal for their integrity and honesty, Co2 2:17.

So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him,.... On the other hand, so far the apostle suggests they should be from inflicting any other punishment on him, or by any means adding to, and increasing what was inflicted, that they ought to forgive him his offence, by taking off the censure from him, which had been sufficient for the purpose, and had continued on him a sufficient time: and comfort him; by restoring him to the communion of the church, and to an enjoyment of all the privileges and ordinances of the house of God: and this was necessary to be done, lest perhaps such an one should be swallowed up with over much sorrow: be overwhelmed with trouble, engulfed in despair, and so become unfit for the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty; to prevent therefore such dangerous and pernicious consequences, it is incumbent on the churches of Christ, as soon as ever they observe that censures have answered the end in bringing persons to a sense and acknowledgment of sin and amendment of life, to remove them, and restore such to fellowship.

"So that contrariwise ye should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his overmuch sorrow." He bids them not only take off the censure: but, besides, restores him to his former estate; for if one let go him that hath been scourged and heal him not, he hath done nothing. And see how him too he keeps down lest he should be rendered worse by the forgiveness. For though he had both confessed and repented, he makes it manifest that he obtaineth remission not so much by his penitence as by this free gift. Wherefore he saith, "to forgive him and to comfort him," and what follows again makes the same thing plain. "For," saith he, "it is not because he is worthy, not because he has shown sufficient penitence; but because he is weak, it is for this I request it." Whence also he added, "lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow." And this is both as testifying to his deep repentance and as not allowing him to fall into despair. But what means this, "swallowed up?" Either doing as Judas did, or even in living becoming worse. For, saith he, if he should rush away from longer enduring the anguish of this lengthened censure, perchance also despairing he will either come to hang himself, or fall into greater crimes afterwards. One ought then to take steps beforehand, lest the sore become too hard to deal with; and lest what we have well done we lose by want of moderation.

A person who is swallowed up in too much affliction will turn in desperation to committing sins. True repentance, on the other hand, is a turning away from sin. If this person repents, he will prove that he is sorry for what he has done.

Not only, he says, remove the prohibition, but also grant him something more, and comfort him, that is, restore him, heal him, just as one who has punished someone would not only release him but would also apply care to the healing of his wounds. And he said well: "you would do better to forgive." For, lest he think that he receives forgiveness as one who has sufficiently confessed and repented enough, he shows that he receives forgiveness not so much for his repentance as by their indulgence. It is necessary, he says, to receive him, comfort him, and heal him, "lest he be swallowed up," as if by some beast, or by waves, or by a storm, or lest from despair he resort to suicide, like Judas, or lest he become even worse, that is, not being able to endure the sorrow from excessive punishment, he give himself over to greater impiety. Notice how he also restrains him, so that having received forgiveness, he does not become even more negligent. I accepted you, he says, not because you have been completely cleansed of defilement, but out of fear that in your weakness you might do something worse. Notice also that punishments should be assigned not only according to the nature of the sins, but also in accordance with the disposition of those who have sinned.

Therefore, because that punishment was sufficient and he did penance, he urges them to show mercy, saying, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him. Here he does three things: first, he commands them to spare the sinner; secondly, he gives the reason (v. 7b); thirdly, he urges them to observe this admonition (v. 8). He says first, therefore: I say that the punishment is sufficient for him, so much that you should rather turn to forgive him: "Forgive, and you will be forgiven" (Lk. 6:37); "Forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph. 4:32). You should not only forgive, but what is more, you should comfort him, and this by recalling to themselves the example of sinners who were restored to the state of grace, such as David, Peter, Paul and Magdalene, and through the Word of God: "For I have no pleasure in the death of any one, says the Lord GOD; so turn, and live" (Ez. 18:32); "Admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all" (1 Th. 5:14). He gives the reason for this admonition, saying, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. For some are sometimes so steeped in sorrow because of sin and punishment of sin, that they are overcome, when they have no one to comfort them; and this is bad, because it does not result in the hope for the fruit of repentance, namely reformation, but in despair he delivers himself over to all sins, as Cain, when he said: "My punishment is greater than I can bear" (Gen. 4:13); "Who, despairing, have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness" (Eph. 4:19). For this reason, despair is called a dangerous thing in 2 Samuel (2:26), so that David said in Psalm 69 (v. 15): "Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me." Therefore, in order to prevent this, he says, comfort him, so that he will cease sinning: "This will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin" (Is. 27:9).

The apostle farther explains the reasons why he did not pay his intended visit to the Corinthians, Co2 2:1. And why he wrote to them in the manner he did, Co2 2:2-5. He exhorts them also to forgive the incestuous person, who had become a true penitent; and therefore he had forgiven him in the name of Christ, Co2 2:6-11. He mentions the disappointment he felt when he came to Troas in not meeting with Titus, from whom he expected to have heard an account of the state of the Corinthian Church, Co2 2:12, Co2 2:13. Gives thanks to God for the great success he had in preaching the Gospel, so that the influence of the name of Christ was felt in every place, Co2 2:14. Shows that the Gospel is a savour of life to them that believe, and of death to them that believe not, Co2 2:15, Co2 2:16. And that he and his brethren preached the pure, unadulterated doctrine of God among the people, Co2 2:17.

Ye ought rather to forgive him - He had now suffered enough; for the punishment inflicted had answered the end for which it was inflicted; and there was some danger that, if this poor culprit were not restored to the bosom of the Church, his distress and anguish would destroy his life, or drive him to despair.

REASON WHY HE HAD NOT VISITED THEM ON HIS WAY TO MACEDONIA; THE INCESTUOUS PERSON OUGHT NOW TO BE FORGIVEN; HIS ANXIETY TO HEAR TIDINGS OF THEIR STATE FROM TITUS, AND HIS JOY WHEN AT LAST THE GOOD NEWS REACHES HIM. (2Co. 2:1-17) with myself--in contrast to "you" (Co2 1:23). The same antithesis between Paul and them appears in Co2 2:2. not come again . . . in heaviness--"sorrow"; implying that he had already paid them one visit in sorrow since his coming for the first time to Corinth. At that visit he had warned them "he would not spare if he should come again" (see on Co2 13:2; compare Co2 12:14; Co2 13:1). See Introduction to the first Epistle. The "in heaviness" implies mutual pain; they grieving him, and he them. Compare Co2 2:2, "I make you sorry," and Co2 2:5, "If any have caused grief (sorrow)." In this verse he accounts for having postponed his visit, following up Co2 1:23.

with overmuch sorrow--Greek, "with HIS overmuch sorrow."