1. 2 CORITHIAS 2 COMMETARYEdited by Glenn Pease1 So I made up my mind that I would not makeanother painful visit to you.1. BARES, But I determined this with myself - I made up my mind on thispoint; I formed this resolution in regard to my course.That I would not come again to you in heaviness - In grief ( enlup). Iwould not come, if I could avoid it, in circumstances which must have grieved both meand you. I would not come while there existed among you such irregularities as musthave pained my heart, and as must have compelled me to resort to such acts of disciplineas would be painful to you. I resolved, therefore, to endeavor to remove these evilsbefore I came, that when I did come, my visit might be mutually agreeable to us both.For that reason I changed my purpose about visiting you, when I heard of thosedisorders, and resolved to send an epistle. If that should be successful, then the waywould be open for an agreeable visit to you. This verse, therefore, contains thestatement of the principal reason why he had not come to them as he had at firstproposed. It was really from no fickleness, but it was from love to them, and a desire thathis visit should be mutually agreeable, compare the notes, 2Co_1:23.2. CLARKE, But I determined this - The apostle continues to give fartherreasons why he did not visit them at the proposed time. Because of the scandals thatwere among them he could not see them comfortably; and therefore he determined notto see them at all till he had reason to believe that those evils were put away.3. GILL, But I determined with myself,.... The apostle having removed the chargeof levity and inconstancy brought against him, goes on to excuse his delay in coming tothem, and to soften the severity, which some thought too much, he had used in hisformer epistle: he determined with himself, he took up a resolution within his ownbreast some time ago, says he,that I would not come again to you in heaviness; that he would not come withsorrow and heaviness, bewailing their sins not repented of, and by sharp reproofs andcensures, which in such a case would be necessary, be the cause of grief and trouble tothem; wherefore he determined to wait their repentance and amendment before he cameagain. The word again, may be connected with the phrase in heaviness; and the sense

2. be, that in his former epistle, which was a sort of coming to them, he made them heavyand sorry, by sharply rebuking them for some disorders that were among them; andsince it has been a settled point with him, that he would not come in heaviness again: orwith the word come; and then the meaning is, as his first coming among them was tothe joy of their souls, so it was a determined case with him, that his second comingshould not be with grief, either to them or himself, or both; and this is the true reasonwhy he had deferred it so long.4. HERY, In these verses, 1. The apostle proceeds in giving an account of the reasonwhy he did not come to Corinth, as was expected; namely, because he was unwilling togrieve them, or be grieved by them, 2Co_2:1, 2Co_2:2. He had determined not to cometo them in heaviness, which yet he would have done had he come and found scandalamong them not duly animadverted upon: this would have been cause of grief both tohim and them, for their sorrow or joy at meeting would have been mutual. If he hadmade them sorry, that would have been a sorrow to himself, for there would have beennone to have made him glad. But his desire was to have a cheerful meeting with them,and not to have it embittered by any unhappy occasion of disagreeing.5. JAMISO, 2Co_2:1-17. Reason why he had not visited them on his way toMacedonia; The incestuous person ought now to be forgiven; His anxiety to heartidings of their state from Titus, and his joy when at last the good news reaches him.with myself in contrast to you (2Co_1:23). The same antithesis between Pauland them appears in 2Co_2:2.not come again ... in heaviness sorrow; implying that he had already paidthem one visit in sorrow since his coming for the first time to Corinth. At that visit hehad warned them he would not spare if he should come again (see on 2Co_13:2;compare 2Co_12:14; 2Co_13:1). See on Introduction to the first Epistle. The inheaviness implies mutual pain; they grieving him, and he them. Compare 2Co_2:2, Imake you sorry, and 2Co_2:5, If any have caused grief (sorrow). In this verse heaccounts for having postponed his visit, following up 2Co_1:23.6. CALVI, But I had determined Whoever it was that divided the chapters, madehere a foolish division. For now at length the Apostle explains, in what manner hehad spared them. I had determined, says he, not to come to you any more insorrow, or in other words, to occasion you sorrow by my coming. For he had comeonce by an Epistle, by means of which he had severely pained them. Hence, so longas they had not repented, he was unwilling to come to them, lest he should beconstrained to grieve them again, when present with them, for he chose rather togive them longer time for repentance. 311 The word (I determined) must berendered in the pluperfect tense, 312 for, when assigning a reason for the delay thathad occurred, he explains what had been his intention previously.7. PULPIT COMMETARY, But I determined this. The division of chapters ishere unfortunate, since this and the next three verses belong to the paragraph whichbegan at 2 Corinthians 1:23. The verb means, literally, I judged, but is rightlyrendered determined, as in 1 Corinthians 2:2; 1 Corinthians 7:37. He is 3. contrasting his final decision with his original desire, mentioned in 2 Corinthians1:15. With myself; rather, for myself; as the best course which I could take. That Iwould net come again to you in heaviness. The again in the true reading is notplaced immediately before the verb, but it seems (as Theodoret says) to belong to it,so that the meaning is not that I would not pay you a second sad visit, but thatmy second visit to you should not be a sad one. There have been interminablediscussions, founded on this expression and on 2 Corinthians 13:1, as to whether St.Paul had up to the time of writing this letter visited Corinth twice or only once.There is no question that only one visit is recorded in the Acts (Acts 18:1-18)previous to the one which he paid to this Church after this Epistle had been sent(Acts 20:2, Acts 20:3). If he paid them a second brief, sad, and unrecorded visit, itcan only have been during his long stay in Ephesus (Acts 19:8, Acts 19:10). But thepossibility of this does not seem to be recognized in Acts 20:31, where he speaks ofhis work at Ephesus night and day during this period. The assumption of such avisit, as we shall see, is not necessitated by 2 Corinthians 13:1, but in any case weknow nothing whatever about the details of the visit, even if there was one, and thequestion, being supremely unimportant, is hardly worth the time which has beenspent upon it. If he had paid such a visit, it would be almost unaccountable thatthere should be no reference to it in the First Epistle, and here in 2 Corinthians 1:19he refers only to one occasion on which he had preached Christ in Corinth. Eachfresh review of the circumstances convinces me more strongly that the notion ofthree visits to Corinth, of which one is unrecorded, is a needless and mistakeninference, due to unimaginative literalism in interpreting one or two phrases, andencumbered with difficulties on every side. In heaviness. The expression applies asmuch to the Corinthians as to himself, he did not wish his second visit to Corinth tobe a painful one.8. Alan Redpath writes, Personally, I would rather have the spiritual gift of bringing lifeto one broken heart than the ability to preach a thousand sermons. Indeed, any publicministry which has not at its heart something of the tenderness which has come becauseof the personal experience of what Paul calls The sufferings of Christ is lacking in theone thing that really matters.9. REV. F. W. ROBERTSON, M.A.,He was not one of those who love to be censors ofthe faults of others. There are some who are ever findingfault : a certain appearance of superiority is therebygained, for blame implies the power oi scanning from aheight. There are political faultfinders who lament overthe evil of the times, and demagogues who blame everypower that is. There are ecclesiastical faultfinders who cansee no good anywhere in the Church, they can only exposeabuses. There are social faultfinders,, who are ever on thewatch for error, who complain of cant and shams, and whoyet provide no remedy. There are religious faultfinderswho lecture the poor, or form themselves into associations, 4. in which they rival the inquisitors of old. Now all this wascontrary to the spirit of St. Paul. Charity with him wasnot a fine word: it was a part of his very being: he hadthat lovewhich thinketh no evil, which re'oiceth not ininiquity, but in the truth, which beareth, believeth, hopethall things. It pained him to inflict the censure whichwould give pain to others : i{ to spare you I came not asyet unto Corinth.Whenever you find a man trying to believe, and to make othersbelieve, himself to be necessary to their salvation and progress,saying,Except ye be circumcised, except ye believe what Iteach, or except I baptize you, ye cannot be saved, thereyou have a priest, whether he be called minister, clergy-man,or layman. But whenever you find a man anxiousand striving to make men independent of himself, yea, in-dependentof all men ; desiring to help them not to reston his authority, but to stand on their own faith, not his ;that they may be elevated, instructed, and educated ; wish-ingfor the blessed time to come when his services shall beunnecessary, and the prophecy be fulfilled They shall nomore teach every man his brother, saying, Know ye theLord; for all shall know Him from the least to the greatest, there you have the Christian minister, the servant, the helper of your joy.The second reason St. Paul alleges for not coming toCorinth is apparently a selfish one : to spare himself painAnd he distinctly says, he had written to pain them, inorder that he might have joy. Very selfish, as at first itsounds : but if we look closely into it, it only sheds abrighter and fresher light upon the exquisite unselfishnessand delicacy of St. Paul's character. He desired to savehimself pain, because it gave them pain. He desired joyfor himself, because his joy was theirs. He will not separatehimself from them for a moment : he will not be themaster, and they the school : it is not I and you, but we ;(i my joy is your joy, as your grief was my grief. Andso knit together are we beloved, minister and congre-gation! 5. 2 For if I grieve you, who is left to make me gladbut you whom I have grieved?1. BARES, For if I make you sorry - If when I should come among you, Ishould be called on to inflict sorrow by punishing your offending brethren by an act ofsevere discipline as soon as I came, who would there be to give me comfort but thosevery persons whom I had affected with grief? How little prepared would they be to makeme happy, and to comfort me, amidst the deep sorrow which I should have caused by anact of severe discipline. After such an act - an act that would spread sorrow through thewhole church, how could I expect that comfort which I should desire to find among you.The whole church would be affected with grief; and though I might be sustained by thesound part of the church, yet my visit would be attended with painful circumstances. Iresolved, therefore, to remove all cause of difficulty, if possible, before I came, that myvisit might be pleasant to us all. The idea is, that there was such a sympathy betweenhim and them; that he was so attached to them, that he could not expect to be happyunless they were happy; that though he might be conscious he was only discharging aduty, and that God would sustain him in it, yet that it would mar the pleasure of his visit,and destroy all his anticipated happiness by the general grief.2. CLARKE, For if I make you sorry - Should he have come and used hisapostolical authority, in inflicting punishment upon the transgressors, this would havebeen a common cause of distress. And though he might expect that the sound part of theChurch would be a cause of consolation to him, yet as all would be overwhelmed withtrouble at the punishment of the transgressors, he could not rejoice to see those whomhe loved in distress.3. GILL, For if I make you sorry,.... That is, should he come among them, and bethe means of fresh grief and sorrow:who is he then that maketh me glad? such was his love and affection for them, andsympathy with them, that should they be grieved, he should grieve also; they were theonly persons he could take any delight in at Corinth; wherefore should they be inheaviness, he would be so too, and then what pleasure would he have in being amongthem? since not a man of them would be in a condition and capacity to make himcheerful:but the same which is made sorry by me. The Ethiopic version without anyauthority reads this clause, except he whom I have made glad; but the apostle is to beunderstood either of some particular man, the incestuous person, who had been madesorry, by that awful punishment of being delivered up to Satan, inflicted on him; or elsethe singular number being put for the plural collectively, is to be understood of all themembers of the church at Corinth, who had been greatly grieved by the sharp reproofshe had given them; and therefore unless this trouble was removed, he could not expect 6. to have much comfort and pleasure with them.4. BI, Gladness for sadnessI. Self-improvement is preceded by dissatisfaction with self. This is true of all self-improvement.We find it so in education. And other things being equal, that child willlearn most rapidly who is most sorry when it cannot master its task. The same statementapplies to improvement in mechanical skill and in so-called ornate accomplishments.Certainly there is desire to excel, but that implies dissatisfaction with presentattainments. The principle is equally applicable in the moral and spiritual sphere. In thissphere there can be no upward progress without repentance. Search for a new master inthis realm presupposes dissatisfaction with the old. There is a discontent that ispraiseworthy. A passing reference to the other side of the same truth will more clearlyshow this principle. Arid the other side isHe rarely makes any advancement who isopinionated, self-satisfied. Men have to be roused out of their contentment.II. The sorrow of the pupil is the gladness of the teacherprovided, of course, thatthe sorrow of the scholar be in connection with the teachers special function. Failure,through waywardness to do right, always brings sorrow to the partially educated child.But as often as the child manifests sorrow at its failure, just as often is its mother madeglad. And the highest gladness which the Christian teacher knows comes not throughhim who passes an eulogium upon his sermons, but from him whom the sermons havemade sorry on account of sin. (J. S. Swan.)5. JAMISO, For proof that he shrinks from causing them sorrow (heaviness).if I The I is emphatic. Some detractor may say that this (2Co_2:1) is not myreason for not coming as I proposed; since I showed no scruple in causing heaviness,or sorrow, in my Epistle (the first Epistle to the Corinthians). But I answer, If I be theone to cause you sorrow, it is not that I have any pleasure in doing so. Nay, my objectwas that he who was made sorry by me (namely, the Corinthians in general, 2Co_2:3;but with tacit reference to the incestuous person in particular) should repent, and somake me glad, as has actually taken place; for ... who is he then that? etc.6. CALVI, For if I make you sorry Here we have the proof of the foregoingstatement. o one willingly occasions sorrow to himself. ow Paul says, that he hassuch a fellow-feeling with the Corinthians, 313 that he cannot feel joyful, unless hesees them happy. ay more, he declares that they were the source and the authors ofhis joy which they could not be, if they were themselves sorrowful. If thisdisposition prevail in pastors, it will be the best restraint, to keep them back fromalarming with terrors those minds, which they ought rather to have encouraged bymeans of a cheerful affability. For from this arises an excessively morose harshness314 so that we do not rejoice in the welfare of the Church, as were becoming.7. PULPIT COMMETARY, For if I make you sorry. The verse may be rendered.For if I pain you, who then is it that gladdens me except he who is being pained byme? The I being expressed in the original, is emphatic, and the verse has none ofthe strange selfish meaning which has been assigned to it, namely, that St. Paulthought the grief which he had caused to be amply compensated for by the 7. pleasure he received from that grief. It has the much simpler meaning that he wasunwilling to pain those who gladdened him, and therefore would not pay them avisit which could only be painful on both sides, when the normal relation betweenthem should be one of joy on both sides, as he has already said (2 Corinthians 1:24).The singular, he who is being pained by me, does not refer to the offender, but tothe Corinthians collectively. Who is he then, etc.? The then in the original isclassically and elegantly expressed by , and (comp. James 2:4).3 I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would notbe distressed by those who should have made merejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that youwould all share my joy.1. BARES, And I wrote this same unto you - The words this same ( (toutoauto) refer to what he had written to them in the former Epistle, particularlyto what he had written in regard to the incestuous person, requiring them toexcommunicate him. Probably the expression also includes the commands in his formerEpistle to reform their conduct in general, and to put away the abuses and evil practiceswhich prevailed in the church there.Lest when I came ... - Lest I should be obliged if I came personally to exercise theseverity of discipline, and thus to diffuse sorrow throughout the entire church.I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice - Lest I shouldhave grief in the church. Lest the conduct of the church, and the abuses which prevail init should give me sorrow. I should be grieved with the existence of these evils; and Ishould be obliged to resort to measures which would be painful to me, and to the wholechurch. Paul sought to avoid this by persuading them before he came to exercise thediscipline themselves, and to put away the evil practices which prevailed among them.Having confidence in you all - Having confidence that this is your generalcharacter, that whatever adds to my joy, or promotes my happiness, would give joy toyou all. Paul had enemies in Corinth; he knew that there were some there whose mindswere alienated from him, and who were endeavoring to do him injury. Yet he did notdoubt that it was the general character of the church that they wished him well, andwould desire to make him happy; that what would tend to promote his happiness wouldalso promote theirs; and therefore, that they would be willing to do anything that wouldmake his visit agreeable to him when he came among them. He was, therefore,persuaded that if he wrote them an affectionate letter, they would listen to hisinjunctions, that thus all that was painful might be avoided when he came among them.2. CLARKE, And I wrote this same unto you - This I particularly marked in my 8. first epistle to you; earnestly desiring your reformation, lest, if I came before this hadtaken place, I must have come with a rod, and have inflicted punishment on thetransgressors. See 1Co_5:1-13.My joy is the joy of you all - I know that ye wish my comfort as much as I wishyours.3. GILL, And I wrote this same unto you,.... Not what he had written in thepreceding verse, or in 2Co_1:23, where he says, that his not coming to them as yet was tospare them; but what he had written to them in his former epistle, concerning theexcommunication of the incestuous man, which had so much grieved both him andthem; and this the apostle chose rather to order by writing, than in person; hoping tohear of their repentance and amendment, before he came among them:lest, says he,when I came, or should come,I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; some copies andthe Complutensian edition read, sorrow upon sorrow; and so does the Vulgate Latinversion, which seems to be transcribed from Phi_2:27, that is, he took this method ofsending a reproving letter, in order to bring them to a sense and acknowledgment of sin;lest should he come in person, some would have been a grief and trouble to him, havingfallen into sin not repented of; who ought to have been matter of rejoicing to him, asbeing the seals of his apostleship, and his work in the Lord: and this step he was themore encouraged to take, through the confidence he had of them,having confidence in you all; being fully persuaded of their affection for him, andopinion of him:that my joy is the joy of you all; that their joy and grief were mutual and common;that what he rejoiced in, they did likewise; and what was displeasing to him wasdispleasing to them; and therefore upon the first hint given, he took care to remove theoccasion of such displeasure, that their mutual comfort might take place; assuring them,and of which they might be assured, that it was no joy to him to grieve them; he couldhave none when theirs was gone; his ultimate view in writing to them in the manner hehad, was not to grieve, but to bring them to repentance and reformation, which issued inthe mutual joy of him and them.4. HERY, He tells them it was to the same intent that he wrote his former epistle,2Co_2:3, 2Co_2:4. (1) That he might not have sorrow from those of whom he ought torejoice; and that he had written to them in confidence of their doing what was requisite,in order to their benefit and his comfort. The particular thing referred to, as appears bythe following verses, was the case of the incestuous person about whom he had writtenin the first epistle, ch. 5. Nor was the apostle disappointed in his expectation. (2.) Heassures them that he did not design to grieve them, but to testify his love to them, andthat he wrote to them with much anguish and affliction in his own heart, and with greataffection to them. He had written with tears, that they might know his abundant love tothem. Note, [1.] Even in reproofs, admonitions, and acts of discipline, faithful ministersshow their love. [2.] Needful censures, and the exercise of church-discipline towards 9. offenders, are a grief to tender-spirited ministers, and are administered with regret.5. JAMISO, I wrote this same unto you namely, that I would not come toyou then (2Co_2:1), as, if I were to come then, it would have to be in heaviness(causing sorrow both to him and them, owing to their impenitent state). He refers to thefirst Epistle (compare 1Co_16:7; compare 1Co_4:19, 1Co_4:21; 1Co_5:2-7, 1Co_5:13).sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice that is, sorrow from theirimpenitence, when he ought, on the contrary, to have joy from their penitent obedience.The latter happy effect was produced by his first Epistle, whereas the former would havebeen the result, had he then visited them as he had originally proposed.having confidence ... that my joy is the joy of you all trusting that you, too,would feel that there was sufficient reason for the postponement, if it interfered with ourmutual joy [Alford]. The communion of saints, he feels confident in them ALL (hischarity overlooking, for the moment the small section of his detractors at Corinth, 1Co_13:7), will make his joy (2Co_2:2) their joy.6. CALVI,I had written to you. As he had said a little before, that he delayedcoming to them, in order that he might not come a second time in sorrow and withseverity, (2 Corinthians 2:1,) so now also he lets them know, that he came the firsttime in sadness by an Epistle, that they might not have occasion to feel this severitywhen he was present with them. Hence they have no ground to complain of thatformer sadness, in which he was desirous to consult their welfare. He goes even astep farther, by stating that, when writing, he did not wish to occasion them grief, orto give any expression of displeasure, but, on the contrary, to give proof of hisattachment and affection towards them. In this way, if there was any degree ofkeenness in the Epistle, he does not merely soften it, but even shows amiablenessand suavity. When, however, he confesses afterwards, what he here denies, heappears to contradict himself. I answer, that there is no inconsistency, for he doesnot come afterwards to confess, that it was his ultimate object to grieve theCorinthians, but that this was the means, by which he endeavored to conduct themto true joy. Previously, however, to his stating this, he speaks here simply as to hisdesign. He passes over in silence, or delays mentioning for a little the means, whichwere not so agreeable.Having confidence This confidence he exercises towards the Corinthians, that theymay thus in their turn be persuaded of his friendly disposition. For he that hates, isenvious; but where joy is felt in common, there must in that case be perfect love. 315If, however, the Corinthians are not in accordance with Pauls opinion andjudgment as to them, they shamefully disappoint him.7. PULPIT COMMETARY, And I wrote this same unto you. And I wrote. Hemeets the tacit objection. If you shrink from causing us pain, why then did you writeto us in terms so severe? The I wrote may be what is called the epistolary aorist,and will then be equivalent to our I write: What I write to you now has the veryobject of sparing you a painful visit. If the aorist has its more ordinary sense, it 10. refers to the First, and not to the present Epistle; and this seems the better view, forthe I wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:9 certainly refers to the First Epistle. This samething; namely, exactly what I have written (whether in this or in the former Epistle).The words, this very thing, may also, in the original, menu for this very reason,as in 2 Peter 1:5, and like the in 2 Peter 1:9. Unto you. These words shouldbe omitted, with , A, B, C. When I came. The emphasis lies in these words. Hepreferred that his letter, rather than his personal visit, should cause pain. In you all.It is true that in the Corinthian Church St. Paul had bitter and unscrupulousopponents, but he will not believe even that they desired his personal unhappiness.At any rate, if there were any such, he will net believe that they exist, since lovebelieveth all things, hopeth all things (1 Corinthians 13:7).8. HOMILIES BY J.R. THOMSO2 Corinthians 2:3, 2 Corinthians 2:4Sympathy in grief and joy.How far from a formal or mechanical ministry was that of the apostle! He enteredinto the circumstances and the feelings of those for whom he had laboured. othingwhich affected their interests was indifferent to him. Some in his position wouldhave said, We have done our duty; it is no affair of ours how they act; why shouldwe trouble ourselves regarding them? ot so St. Paul. When the Corinthians actedunworthily, his sensitive heart was distressed; when they repented, that heartbounded with joy. This was not altogether the effect of natural temperament; it wasthe fruit of true fellowship of spirit with his Lord.I. THE SPIRIT OF SYMPATHY IS THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST AD OFCHRISTIAITY. In the earthly life of our Saviour we behold evidences of thisspirit. He rejoiced in men's joys; he wept by the grave of his friend; he sighed andgroaned when he met with instances of unspirituality and unbelief. It was pitywhich brought him first to earth and then to the cross of Calvary. Similarly with theprecepts of the ew Testament. The lesson is often virtually repeated, Rejoice withthose who do rejoice, and weep with those who weep.II. THE SPIRIT OF SYMPATHY IS SOMETIMES THE OCCASIO OFSORROW.1. The spectacle of a professing Christian falling into sin awakens commiserationand distress in the mind of every true follower of Christ.2. The spectacle of a Christian conniving at sin, or regarding it with comparativeunconcern, is painful in the extreme to one solicitous for Christian purity.3. Sorrow, from whatever cause, awakens sorrow in a mind sensitive as was that ofPaul. 11. III. THE SPIRIT OF SYMPATHY IS SOMETIMES THE OCCASIO OF JOY.Even amidst personal difficulties and opposition encountered in his ministry Paulwas not indifferent to the joys of his converts. And when those whose conduct hadpained him came to a better mind and afforded him satisfaction, he rejoiced withthem in their happiness. If there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over onesinner that repenteth, surely he most resembles the Father of spirits and hisimmediate attendants whose heart is lifted up with exhilaration and delight byanything that manifests the growth and victory of the Divine kingdom upon earth.T.4 For I wrote you out of great distress andanguish of heart and with many tears, not togrieve you but to let you know the depth of mylove for you.1. BARES, For out of much affliction - Possibly Pauls enemies had chargedhim with being harsh and overbearing. They may have said that there was muchneedless severity in his letter. He here meets that, and says, that it was with much painand many tears that he was constrained to write as he did. He was pained at theirconduct, and at the necessity which existed for such an epistle. This is an eminentlybeautiful instance of Pauls kindness of heart, and his susceptibility to tenderimpressions. The evil conduct of others gives pain to a good man; and the necessity ofadministering reproof and discipline is often as painful to him who does it, as it is tothose who are the subjects of it.And anguish of heart - The word rendered anguish ( sunoch) means,properly, a holding together or shutting up; and then, pressure, distress, anguish -an affliction of the heart by which one feels tightened or constrained; such a pressure asgreat grief causes at the heart.I wrote unto you with many tears - With much weeping and grief that I wasconstrained to write such a letter. This was an instance of Pauls great tenderness ofheart - a trait of character which, he uniformly evinced. With all his strength of mind,and all His courage and readiness to face danger, Paul was not ashamed to weep; andespecially if he had any occasion of censuring his Christian brethren, or administeringdiscipline; compare Phi_3:18; Act_20:31. This is also a specimen of the manner in whichPaul met the faults of his Christian brethren. It was not with bitter denunciation. It wasnot with sarcasm and ridicule. It was not by emblazoning those faults abroad to others.It was not with the spirit of rejoicing that they had committed errors, and had beenguilty of sin. It was not as if he was glad of the opportunity of administering rebuke, and 12. took pleasure in denunciation and in the language of reproof. All this is often done byothers; but Paul pursued a different course. He sent an affectionate letter to theoffenders themselves; and he did it with many tears. it was done weeping. Admonitionwould always be done right if it was done with tears. Discipline would always be right,and would be effectual, if it were administered with tears. Any man will receive anadmonition kindly, if he who administers it does it weeping; and the heart of an offenderwill be melted, if he who attempts to reprove him comes to him with tears. How happywould it be if all who attempt to reprove should do it with Pauls spirit. How happy, if alldiscipline should be administered in the church in his manner. But, we may add, howseldom is this done! How few are there who feel themselves called on to reprove anoffending brother, or to charge a brother with heresy or crime, that do it with tears!Not that ye should be grieved - It was not my object to give you pain.But that ye might know the love ... - This was one of the best evidences of hisgreat love to them which he could possibly give. It is proof of genuine friendship foranother, when we faithfully and affectionately admonish him of the error of his course; itis the highest proof of affection when we do it with tears. It is cruelty to suffer a brotherto remain in sin unadmonished; it is cruel to admonish him of it in a harsh, severe, andauthoritative tone; but it is proof of tender attachment when we go to him with tears,and entreat him to repent and reform. No one gives higher proof of attachment toanother than he who affectionately admonishes him of his sin and danger.2. CLARKE, For out of much affliction, etc. - It is very likely that the apostlesenemies had represented him as a harsh, austere, authoritative man; who was betterpleased with inflicting wounds than in healing them. But he vindicates himself from thischarge by solemnly asserting that this was the most painful part of his office; and thatthe writing of his first epistle to them cost him much affliction and anguish of heart, andmany tears.3. GILL, For out of much affliction and anguish of heart,.... Being greatlypressed in his spirit, and grieved at his heart, for the abominable iniquities among them,which they seemed to take no notice of, and to be unconcerned about, yea, rather to bepuffed up with:I wrote to you with many tears; as signs and expressions of, and by which werevented, the inward anguish and distress of his soul; and the letter he sent to them insome measure bore witness to it: which was written,not that you should be grieved; that is, not merely for the sake of grieving of them,in which he took no pleasure; not but that the apostle designed and desired to affecttheir minds with a holy grief and godly sorrow for sin, and hereby their amendment; buthis chief view was, next to their spiritual good, and God's glory, to express the greatnessof his love to them: as he says,that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you; as hislove was very vehement towards them, he was desirous they should know it, and howexceeding abundant it was; and that it was even greater towards them, than to others;and he thought he could not give a greater proof and evidence of it, than by reproving 13. them faithfully, and that sharply too, as the necessity of the case required.4. RWP, Anguish (sunochs). Ablative case after ek (out of). Old word fromsunech, to hold together. So contraction of heart (Cicero, contractio animi), a spiritualangina pectoris. In N.T. only here and Luk_21:25.With many tears (diapollndakrun). He dictated that letter through tears(accompanied by tears). Paul was a man of heart. He writes to the Philippians withweeping (klain) over the enemies of the Cross of Christ (Phi_3:18). He twice mentionshis tears in his speech at Miletus (Act_20:19-31).But that ye might know the love (allatnagapnhinagnte). Proleptic position ofagapn and ingressive second aorist active subjunctive gnte, come to know.5. JAMISO, So far from my change of purpose being due to lightness (2Co_1:17), I wrote my letter to you (2Co_2:3) out of much affliction (Greek, trouble) andanguish of heart, and with many tears.not that ye should be grieved Translate, be made sorry, to accord with thetranslation, 2Co_2:2. My ultimate and main object was, not that ye might be madesorry, but that through sorrow you might be led to repentance, and so to joy,redounding both to you and me (2Co_2:2, 2Co_2:3). I made you sorry before going toyou, that when I went it might not be necessary. He is easily made sorry, who isadmonished by a friend himself weeping [Bengel].that ye might know the love of which it is a proof to rebuke sins openly and inseason [Estius], (Psa_141:5; Pro_27:6). Love is the source from which sincere reproofsprings; that the Corinthians might ultimately recognize this as his motive, was theapostles aim.which I have more abundantly unto you who have been particularlycommitted to me by God (Act_18:10; 1Co_4:15; 1Co_9:2).6. CALVI, For out of much affliction Here he brings forward another reasonwith the view of softening the harshness which he had employed. For those whosmilingly take delight in seeing others weep, inasmuch as they discover thereby theircruelty, cannot and ought not to be borne with. Paul, however, declares that hisfeeling was very different. Intensity of grief, says he, has extorted from me everything that I have written. Who would not excuse, and take in good part whatsprings from such a temper of mind, more especially as it was not on his ownaccount or through his own fault, that he suffered grief, and farther, he does notgive vent to his grief, with the view of lightning himself by burdening them, butrather, for the purpose of shewing his affection for them? On these accounts, it didnot become the Corinthians to be offended at this somewhat severe reproof.He adds, tears which, in a man that is brave and magnanimous are a token ofintense grief. Hence we see, from what emotions of mind pious and holy admonitionsand reproofs must of necessity proceed. For there are many noisy reprovers, who, 14. by declaiming, or rather, fulminating against vices, display a surprising ardour ofzeal, while in the mean time they are at ease in their mind, 316 so that it might seemas if they exercised their throat and sides 317 by way of sport. It is, however, thepart of a pious pastor, to weep within himself, before he calls upon others to weep:318 to feel tortured in silent musings, before he shows any token of displeasure; andto keep within his own breast more grief, than he causes to others. We must, also,take notice of Pauls tears, which, by their abundance, shew tenderness of heart, butit is of a more heroical character than was the iron-hearted hardness of the Stoics.319 For the more tender the affections of love are, they are so much the morepraiseworthy.The adverb more abundantly may be explained in a comparative sense; and, in thatcase, it would be a tacit complaint that the Corinthians do not make an equalreturn in respect of affection, inasmuch as they love but coldly one by whom theyare ardently loved. I take it, however, in a more simple way, as meaning that Paulcommends his affection towards them, in order that this assurance may soften downevery thing of harshness that might be in his words.7. PULPIT COMMETARY, For. He proceeds to assign the anguish which hisFirst Epistle had caused him as a proof of his confidence that, as a body, they lovedhim as he loved them. If they had regarded each other with indifference, his letterwould not have been written to them, as it were. in his heart's blood. Out of muchaffliction and anguish of heart. The word for anguish means contraction,pressure, spasm (Luke 21:25). The expression may seem far too strong to beaccounted for by the tone of the first letter. Hence some have supposed that he isreferring to some other letter now last; and others that ch. 10-13. of this letter,where the whole tone of affection and tenderness suddenly changes into one ofimpassioned irony and indignation, really belonged to this intermediate letter. Thereis no need, however, for these hypotheses. In 1Co 5:1-6:11 he had spoken of theerrors of the Church with strong reprobation, and the anguish with which he wrotethe letter may have been all the more deeply felt because, in expressing it, he put onhis feelings a strong restraint. With many tears. I wrote out of anguish, and thatanguish showed itself through the tears which bathed my cheeks as I wrote. Suchtears, says Calvin, show weakness, but a weakness more heroic than would havebeen the iron apathy of a Stoic. It must, however, be remembered that, in ancienttimes, and in Southern and Eastern lands, men yielded to tears more readily thanamong orthern nations, who take pride in suppressing as far as possible alloutward signs of emotion. In Homer the bravest heroes do not blush to weep inpublic, and the nervous, afflicted temperament of St. Paul seems to have been oftenoverwhelmed with weeping (Acts 20:19, Acts 20:31; 2 Timothy 1:4). ot that yeshould be grieved. The not, by a common Hebrew idiom, means not only, notexclusively. His object in inflicting pain was not the pain itself, but the results ofgodly repentance which it produced (2 Corinthians 7:11). The love. In the Greekthis word is placed very emphatically at the beginning of the clause. Moreabundantly. I loved you more than I loved other converts, and the abundance of mylove will give you a measure of the pain I felt. The Philippians were St. Paul's best-belovedconverts; but next to them he seems to have felt more personal tenderness 15. for the members of this inflated, wayward, erring Church than for any othercommunity, just as a father sometimes loves best his least-deserving son. There wassomething in the brightness and keenness of the Greek nature which won over St.Paul, in spite of its many faults.8. HOMILIES BY J.R. THOMSO2 Corinthians 2:3, 2 Corinthians 2:4Sympathy in grief and joy.How far from a formal or mechanical ministry was that of the apostle! He enteredinto the circumstances and the feelings of those for whom he had laboured. othingwhich affected their interests was indifferent to him. Some in his position wouldhave said, We have done our duty; it is no affair of ours how they act; why shouldwe trouble ourselves regarding them? ot so St. Paul. When the Corinthians actedunworthily, his sensitive heart was distressed; when they repented, that heartbounded with joy. This was not altogether the effect of natural temperament; it wasthe fruit of true fellowship of spirit with his Lord.I. THE SPIRIT OF SYMPATHY IS THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST AD OFCHRISTIAITY. In the earthly life of our Saviour we behold evidences of thisspirit. He rejoiced in men's joys; he wept by the grave of his friend; he sighed andgroaned when he met with instances of unspirituality and unbelief. It was pitywhich brought him first to earth and then to the cross of Calvary. Similarly with theprecepts of the ew Testament. The lesson is often virtually repeated, Rejoice withthose who do rejoice, and weep with those who weep.II. THE SPIRIT OF SYMPATHY IS SOMETIMES THE OCCASIO OFSORROW.1. The spectacle of a professing Christian falling into sin awakens commiserationand distress in the mind of every true follower of Christ.2. The spectacle of a Christian conniving at sin, or regarding it with comparativeunconcern, is painful in the extreme to one solicitous for Christian purity.3. Sorrow, from whatever cause, awakens sorrow in a mind sensitive as was that ofPaul.III. THE SPIRIT OF SYMPATHY IS SOMETIMES THE OCCASIO OF JOY.Even amidst personal difficulties and opposition encountered in his ministry Paulwas not indifferent to the joys of his converts. And when those whose conduct hadpained him came to a better mind and afforded him satisfaction, he rejoiced withthem in their happiness. If there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over onesinner that repenteth, surely he most resembles the Father of spirits and his 16. immediate attendants whose heart is lifted up with exhilaration and delight byanything that manifests the growth and victory of the Divine kingdom upon earth.T.Forgiveness for the Offender5 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so muchgrieved me as he has grieved all of you to someextentnot to put it too severely.1. BARES, If any have caused grief - There is doubtless here an allusion to theincestuous person. But it is very delicately done. He does not mention him by name.There is not anywhere an allusion to his name; nor is it possible now to know it. Is thisnot a proof that the names of the offending brethren in a church should not be put onthe records of sessions, and churches, and presbyteries, to be handed down to posterity?Paul does not here either expressly refer to such a person. He makes his remark general,that it might be as tender and kind to the offending brother as possible. They wouldknow whom he meant, but they had already punished him, as Paul supposed, enough,and note all that he said in regard to him was as tender as possible, and suited, as muchas possible, to conciliate his feelings and allay his grief. He did not harshly charge himwith sin; he did not use any abusive or severe epithets; but he gently insinuates that hehad caused grief; he had pained the hearts of his brethren.He hath not grieved me, but in part - He has not particularly offended or grievedme. He has grieved me only in common with others, and as a part of the church ofChrist. All have common cause of grief; and I have no interest in it which is not commonto you all. I am but one of a great number who have felt the deepest concern on accountof his conduct.That I may not overcharge you all - That I may not bear hard (' epibar)on you all; that I may not accuse you all of having caused me grief. The sense is, Griefhas been produced. I, in common with the church, have been pained, and deeply pained,with the conduct of the individual referred to; and with that of his abettors and friends.But I would not charge the whole church with it; or seem to bear hard on them, orovercharge them with lack of zeal for their purity, or unwillingness to remove the evil.They had shown their willingness to correct the evil by promptly removing the offenderwhen he had directed it. The sense of this verse should be connected with the verse thatfollows; and the idea is, that they had promptly administered sufficient discipline, andthat they were not now to be charged severely with having neglected it. Even while Paulsaid he had been pained and grieved, he had seen occasion not to bear hard on the wholechurch, but to be ready to commend them for their promptness in removing the cause of 17. the offence.2. CLARKE, But, if any have caused grief - Here he seems to refer particularlyto the cause of the incestuous person.Grieved me, but in part - I cannot help thinking that the and ,which we render in part, and which the apostle uses so frequently in these epistles, are tobe referred to the people. A part of them had acknowledged the apostle, 2Co_1:14; andhere, a part of them had given him cause of grief; and therefore he immediately adds,that I may not overcharge you all; as only a part of you has put me to pain, (viz. thetransgressor, and those who had taken his part), it would be unreasonable that I shouldload you all, ., with the blame which attaches to that party alone.3. GILL, But if any have caused grief,.... The incestuous person is here manifestlydesigned, though he is not named, who had been the cause and occasion of much griefand sorrow, both to himself and others; for the apostle is not to be understood, asthough he doubted whether he had caused grief or not, but rather takes it for granted, asa certain point; if, seeing, or although he has caused grief:he hath not grieved me but in part; or in some measure; as it has reflecteddishonour on God and his ways, truths and ordinances; and has brought trouble uponhimself, and the church of which he is a member; for the apostle now rejoiced, that hewas truly humbled for his sin, and sincerely, and in an evangelical manner, repented ofit; his grief was over, and it was as if it was not; and the offence he took was now whollyremoved: besides, though this man did grieve him, it was but in part; he was not the solecause of his grief: they also greatly added to it by their unconcernedness of him, andnegligence in reproving him, though he takes notice only of this single man:that I may not overcharge you all; bear hard upon them, aggravate their sin, andincrease their trouble: or thus, that man has not grieved me only, but in some measureall of you; for the phrase all you, may be considered, not in connection with the wordovercharge, but with the word grieved; and the reading and sense of the whole bethis, he hath not grieved me, but in part, or in some measure; or as the Syriac reads it, , almost all of you: but this, as if he should say, I do but just mention,would not dwell upon it, that I may not overcharge him, or be thought to beoverbearing, or should aggravate his sin and sorrow: for,4. HERY, In these verses the apostle treats concerning the incestuous person whohad been excommunicated, which seems to be one principal cause of his writing thisepistle. Here observe, 1. He tells them that the crime of that person had grieved him inpart; and that he was grieved also with a part of them, who, notwithstanding thisscandal had been found among them, were puffed up and had not mourned, 1Co_5:2.However, he was unwilling to lay too heavy a charge upon the whole church, especiallyseeing they had cleared themselves in that matter by observing the directions he hadformerly given them. 2. He tells them that the punishment which had been inflictedupon this offender was sufficient, 2Co_2:6. The desired effect was obtained, for the manwas humbled, and they had shown the proof of their obedience to his directions. 18. 5. JAMISO, grief ... grieved Translate as before, sorrow ... made sorry. Theany is a delicate way of referring to the incestuous person.not ... me, but in part He has grieved me only in part (compare 2Co_1:14; Rom_11:25), that is, I am not the sole party aggrieved; most of you, also, were aggrieved.that I may not overcharge that I may not unduly lay the weight of the charge onyou all, which I should do, if I made myself to be the sole party aggrieved. Alfordpunctuates, He hath not made sorry me, but in part (that I press not too heavily;namely, on him) you all. Thus you all is in contrast to me; and in part is explainedin the parenthetical clause.5B. F. W. ROBERTSON, It was not to pain them merely, that hewrote, but because joy, deep and permanent, was impos-siblewithout pain; as the extraction of a thorn by a tenderfather gives a deeper joy in love to the child. It wasnot to inflict sorrow, ie not that ye should be grieved, butthat ye might know the love which I have more abun-dantlyunto you. Again, it was not to save himself painmerely, that he did not come, but to save them that painwhich would have given him pain. Here there is a canonfor the difficult duty and right, of blame. When, to whatextent, how, shall we discharge that difficult duty, sorarely done with gracefulness ? To blame is easy enough,with some it is all of a piece with the hardness of theirtemperament; but to do this delicately how shall we learnthat ? I answer, Love ! and then say what you will ; menwill bear anything if love be there. If not, all blame,however just, will miss its mark; and St. Paul showed thisin the fourth verse, where love lies at the root of hiscensure. Nothing but love can teach us how to understandsuch a sentence as this from a higher Heart than his He looked round about Him in anger, being grieved atthe hardness of their hearts.5B. PULPIT COMMENTARY, But if any have caused grief. The word pain or griefwhich has been so prominent in the last verses, naturally reminds St. Paul of the personwhose misdoings had caused all this trouble. The any is in the singular. He hath notgrieved me, but in part, etc. Of the various ways of taking this verse, the most tenableseems to be this: If any one has caused pain, he has not pained me but partly (not toweigh down too heavily) all of you. St. Paul is denying that the feelings with which he hatcommunity (2 Corinthians 7:11). The phrase, that I press not too heavily, refers then tothe offender: I will not say outright that he has grieved not me, but all of you, because Ido not wish to bear too hard on him, but I will say that he has grieved you and me aliketo some extent. The phrase, in part, occurs also in Romans 11:25. 19. 6. BI 5-11, The aim of Church disciplineis in the last resort the restoration of the fallen.The Church has, of course, an interest of its own to guard i it is bound to protest againstall that is inconsistent with its character; it is bound to expel scandals. But the Churchsprotest, its condemnation, its excommunication even, are not ends in themselves; theyare means to that which is really an end in itself, a priceless good which justifies everyextreme of moral severity, the winning again of the sinner through repentance. Thejudgment of the Church is the instrument of Gods love, and the moment it is accepted inthe sinful soul it begins to work as a redemptive force. The humiliation it inflicts is thatwhich God exalts; the sorrow, that which He comforts. But when a scandal comes tolight in a Christian congregation, what is the significance of that movement of feelingwhich inevitably takes place? In how many has it the character of goodness and ofseverity, of condemnation and compassion, of love and fear, of pity and shame, the onlycharacter that has any virtue in it, to tell for the sinners recovery? If you ask nine peopleout of ten what a scandal is, they will tell you it is something that makes men talk; andthe talk in nine cases out of ten will be malignant, affected, more interesting to thetalkers than any story of virtue or pietyscandal itself, in short, far more truly than itstheme. Does anybody imagine that gossip is one of the forces that awaken conscience,and work for the redemption of our fallen brethren? If this is all we can do, in the nameof all that is Christian let us keep silence. Every word spoken about a brothers sin, thatis not prompted by a Christian conscience, that does not vibrate with the love of aChristian heart is itself a sin against the mercy and the judgment of Christ. (J. Denney,B. D.)Sufficient unto such a man is this punishment.Christian punishment and absolutionI. The Christian idea of punishment includes in it1. The reformation of the offender (2Co_2:6). The ancient system of law sacrificedthe individual to the society, and feeble philanthropy would sacrifice society to theindividual, whereas Christianity would save both.2. The purification of society. Sin committed with impunity corrupts the body ofmen to which the sinner belongs; and this purification is effected partly by example,and partly by removal of the evil. The discipline by which this removal was effectedwas excommunication, and at that time apostolic excommunication represented tothe world Gods system of punishment.3. The expression of righteous indignation. For there is a right feeling in humannature which we call resentment, although in the worst natures it becomes malice. Itexisted in Christ Himself. Mark what follows from this. Man is the image of God: sothere is something in God which corresponds with that which we call resentment,stripped, of course, of all selfishness or fury. So we must not explain away thosewords of Scripture, the wrath of God, God is angry with the wicked every day,the wrath of God is revealed from heaven. These sayings contain a deep and anawful truth. If the wrath of God be only a figure, His love must be but a figure too.II. The Christian idea of absolution. Forgiveness is one thing, absolution is another.Absolution is the authoritative declaration of forgiveness. When Christ said, Son, be of 20. good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee, He did not forgive him; he was forgiven already,but He declared his forgiveness. Now the case before us is a distinct instance ofecclesiastical absolution. St. Paul says, I forgive. This is absolution; mans declarationof Gods forgivenessman speaking in Gods stead.1. Consider the use of absolution. It was to save from remorse, and is hereconsidered as a comfort.2. This absolution was representative(1) Of the forgiveness of God. St. Paul forgave the sinner in the person, that isin the stead of Christ. Thus, as the punishment of man is representative of thepunishment and wrath of God, so the absolution of man is representative of theforgiveness of God.(2) Of the Christian congregation: for your sakes. Every member, therefore, ofthat congregation was forgiving the sinner; it was his right to do so, and it was inhis name that St. Paul spoke; nay, because each member had forgiven, St. Paulforgave. Absolution therefore is not a priestly prerogative. It belongs to man, andto the minister because he stands as the representative of purified humanity.Who does not know how the unforgivingness of society in branding men andwomen as outcasts makes their case hopeless? Men bind his sinsher crimeson earth, and they remain bound. Now every man has this power individually.For years the thought of his deceit, and the dread of his brother, had weighed onJacobs heart, and when Esau forgave him, it was as if he had seen the face ofGod. When we treat the guilty with tenderness, hope rises in them towards God;their hearts say, They love us; will not God forgive and love us too? (F. W.Robertson, M. A.)Ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest such a one should beswallowed up with overmuch sorrow.Overmuch sorrowI. When sorrow is overmuch. It is notorious that Overmuch sorrow for sin is not theordinary case of the world,1. When it is fed by a mistaken cause. If a man thinketh that a duty which is no duty,and then sorrow for omitting it, such sorrow is all too much, because it is undue, andcaused by error. Many fearful Christians are troubled about food, clothes, thoughts,and words, thinking or fearing that all is sinful which is lawful, and that unavoidableinfirmities are heinous sins.2. When it hurteth and overwhelmeth nature itself, and destroyeth bodily health orunderstanding. God would not have us hurt our neighbour, nor have us destroy orhurt ourselves.II. How overmuch sorrow doth swallow a man up.1. It often overthrows the sober use of reason, so that a mans judgment is corruptedby it. A man in anger, fear, or trouble thinks not of things as they are, but as hispassions represent them.2. It disableth a man to govern his thoughts, and ungoverned thoughts must needsbe both sinful and very troublesome. You may almost as easily keep the leaves of 21. trees in quietness and order in a blustering wind, as the thoughts of one in troublingpassions.3. It would swallow up faith itself, and greatly hindereth its exercise.4. It yet more hindereth hope.5. It swalloweth up all comfortable sense of the love of God, and thereby hindereththe soul from loving Him. And in this it is an adversary to the very life of holiness.6. It is a false and injurious judge of all the word and works of God, and of all Hismercies and corrections. Whatever such an one reads or hears, he thinks it all makesagainst him.7. It is an enemy to thankfulness.8. It is quite contrary to the joy in the Holy Ghost. Yea, and the peace in which Godskingdom much consisteth.9. It is much contrary to the very tenor of the gospel, which is glad tidings of pardonand everlasting joy.10. It greatly advantageth Satan, whose design is to describe God to us as likehimself, who is a malicious enemy.11. It unfits men for all profitable meditation. The more they muse, the more theyare overwhelmed. And it turneth prayer into mere complaint, instead of child-like,believing supplications.12. It is a distemper which maketh all sufferings more heavy.III. What are the causes of it?1. With very many it arises from distemper or weakness of the body, and by it thesoul is greatly disabled to any comfortable sense.2. But usually other causes go before this disease of melancholy. And one of the mostcommon is sinful impatience, a want of sufficient submission to the will of God.3. The guilt of some wilful sin; when conscience is convinced, yet the sin is belovedand yet feared. Gods wrath doth terrify, yet not enough to lead to the overcoming ofsin.4. Ignorance and mistakes in matters which peace and comforts are concerned.(1) Ignorance of the tenor of the gospel.(2) Mistakes about the use of sorrow for sin, and about the nature of hardness ofheart.(3) Ignorance of ourselves, not knowing the sincerity which God hath given us.(4) Failure to fetch comfort from bare probabilities, when we get not certainty.(5) Ignorance of other men, many think, by our preaching and writing, that weare much better than we are.(6) Unskilful teachers cause the perplexities of many.IV. What is the cure?1. Look not on the sinful part of your troubles, either as better or worse than indeedit is. 22. 2. Give not way to a habit of peevish impatience.3. Set yourselves more diligently than ever to overcome the inordinate love of theworld.4. If you are not satisfied that God alone, Christ alone, heaven alone, is enough foryou, as matter of felicity and full content, go, study the case better, and you may beconvinced.5. Study better how great a sin it is to set our own wills and desires in a discontentedopposition to the wisdom, will, and providence of God, and to make our wills,instead of His, as gods to ourselves.6. Study well how great a duty it is wholly to trust God, and our blessed Redeemer,both with soul and body, and all we have.7. If you would not be swallowed up with sorrow, swallow not the baits of sinfulpleasure.8. But if none of the fore-mentioned sins cause your sorrows, but they come fromthe mere perplexities of your mind, I will lay down your proper remedies, and that is,the cure of that ignorance and those errors which cause your troubles.(1) Many are perplexed about controversies in religion. Directions:(a) See that you be true to the light and law of nature, which all mankind isobliged to observe.(b) As to Gods supernatural revelation, hold to Gods Word, the sacredBible.(c) Yet use with thankfulness the help of men for the understanding andobeying the Word of God.(d) Take nothing as necessary to the being of Christianity, and to salvationwhich is not recorded in the Scripture, and hath not been held as necessaryby all true Christians in every age and place.(e) Maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, with all trueChristians, as such, and live in love in the communion of saints.(f) Never set a doubtful opinion against a certain truth or duty.(g) Faithfully serve Christ as far as you have attained, and be true to all thetruth that you know.(2) If your trouble be about your sins, or want of grace, and spiritual state, digestwell these counsels.(a) Gods goodness is equal to His greatness.(b) Christ hath come to save us.(c). The condition of pardon and life is that we believe Him, and willingly accept ofthe mercy which He freely giveth us.(d) The day of grace is never so past to any sinner but still he may have Christand pardon if he will.(3) But if melancholy have got head, there must be, beside what is said, someother and proper remedies used. 23. (a) Avoid your melancholy musings.(b) Let those thoughts which you have be laid out on the most excellentthings. The infinite goodness of God; the unmeasurable love of Christ; theunconceivable glory and joy which all the blessed have with Christ.(c) When you pray, resolve to spend most of your time in thanksgiving andpraising God.9. If further the sorrow proceed from some bodily disorder, as it often doth, thephysician must take the place of the preacher. This sorrow must be treated bymedicine and diet. (R. Baxter.)7. EBC 5-11, CHURCH DISCIPLINE.IN verses 5-11 (2Co_2:5-11) of this Epistle, St. Paul said a great deal about sorrow, thesorrow he felt on the one hand, and the sorrow he was reluctant to cause the Corinthianson the other. In this passage reference is evidently made to the person who wasultimately responsible for all this trouble. If much in it is indefinite to us, and only leavesa doubtful impression, it was clear enough for those to whom it was originallyaddressed; and that very indefiniteness has its lesson. There are some things to which itis sufficient, and more than sufficient, to allude; least said is best said. And even whenplain-speaking has been indispensable, a stage arrives at which there is no more to begained by it; if the subject must be referred to, the utmost generality of reference is best.Here the Apostle discusses the case of a person who had done something extremely bad;but with the sinners repentance assured, it is both characteristic and worthy of him thatneither here nor in 2Co_7:1-16. does he mention the name either of offender or offence.It is perhaps too much to expect students of his writings, who wish to trace out in detailall the events of his life, and to give-the utmost possible definiteness to all its situations,to be content with this obscurity; but students of his spirit-Christian people reading theBible for practical profit-do not need to perplex them, selves as to this penitent mansidentity. He may have been the person mentioned in 1Co_5:1-13. who had married hisstep-mother; he may have been some one who had been guilty of a personal insult to theApostle: the main point is that he was a sinner whom the discipline of the Church hadsaved.The Apostle had been expressing himself about his sorrow with great vehemence, and heis careful in his very first words to make it plain that the offence which had caused suchsorrow was no personal matter. It concerned the Church as well as him. If any one hathcaused sorrow, he hath not caused sorrow to me, but in part to you all. To say morethan this would he to exaggerate (9). The Church, in point of fact, had not beenmoved either as universally or as profoundly as it should have been by the offence of thiswicked man. The penalty imposed upon him, whatever it may have been, had not beenimposed by an unanimous vote, but only by a majority; there were some whosympathized with him, and would have been less severe. Still, it had brought convictionof his sin to the offender; he could not brazen it out against such consentingcondemnation as there was; he was overwhelmed with penitential grief. This is why theApostle says, Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by themajority. It has served the purpose of all disciplinary treatment; and having done so,must now be superseded by an opposite line of action. Contrariwise ye should ratherforgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with 24. his overmuch sorrow. In St. Pauls sentence such a one comes last, with the emphasisof compassion upon it. He had been such a one, to begin with, as it was a pain and ashame even to think about; he is such a one, now, as the angels in heaven are rejoicingover; such a one as the Apostle, having the spirit of Him who received sinners, regardswith pro-roundest pity and yearning; such a one as the Church ought to meet withpardoning and restoring love, lest grief sink into despair, and the sinner cut himself offfrom hope. To prevent such a deplorable result, the Corinthians are by some formalaction (: cf. Gal_3:15) to forgive him, and receive him again as a brother; and intheir forgiveness and welcome he is to find the pledge of the great love of God.This whole passage is of interest from the light which it throws upon the discipline of theChurch; or, to use less technical and more correct language, the Christian treatment ofthe erring.It shows us, for one thing, the aim of all discipline: it is, in the last resort, the restorationof the fallen. The Church has, of course, an interest of its own to guard; it is bound toprotest against all that is inconsistent with its character; it is bound to expel scandals.But the Churchs protest, its condemnation, its excommunication even, are not ends inthemselves; they are means to that which is really an end in itself, a priceless good whichjustifies every extreme of moral severity, the winning again of the sinner throughrepentance. The judgment of the Church is the instrument of Gods love, and themoment it is accepted in the sinful soul it begins to work as a redemptive force. Thehumiliation it inflicts is that which God exalts; the sorrow, that which He comforts. Butwhen a scandal comes to light in a Christian congregation when one of its members isdiscovered in a fault gross, palpable, and offensive-what is the significance of thatmovement of feeling which inevitably takes place? In how many has it the character ofgoodness and of severity, of condemnation and of compassion, of love and fear, of pityand shame, the only character that has any virtue in it to tell for the sinners recovery? Ifyou ask nine people out of ten what a scandal is, they will tell you it is something whichmakes talk; and the talk in nine cases out of ten will be malignant, affected, moreinteresting to the talkers than any story of virtue or piety-scandal itself, in short, farmore truly than its theme. Does anybody imagine that gossip is one of the forces thatwaken conscience, and work for the redemption of our fallen brethren? If this is all wecan do, in the name of all that is Christian let us keep silence. Every word spoken about abrothers sin, that is not prompted by a Christian conscience, that does not vibrate withthe love of a Christian heart, is itself a sin against the mercy and the judgment of Christ.We see here not only the end of Church discipline, but the force of which it disposes forthe attainment of its end. That force is neither more nor less than the conscience of theChristian people who constitute the Church: discipline is, in principle, the reaction ofthat force against all immorality. In special cases, forms may be necessary for itsexercise, and in the forms in which it is exercised variations may be found expedient,according to time, place, or degree of moral progress; the congregation as a body, or arepresentative committee of it, or its ordained ministers, may be its most suitableexecutors; but that on which all alike have to depend for making their proceedingseffective to any Christian intent is the vigor of Christian conscience, and the intensity ofChristian love, in the community as a whole. Where these are wanting, or exist only in aninsignificant degree, disciplinary proceedings are reduced to a mere form; they are legal,not evangelical; and to be legal in such matters is not Only hypocritical, but insolent.Instead of rendering a real Christian service to offenders, which by awakeningconscience will lead to penitence and restoration, discipline under such conditions isequally cruel and unjust. 25. It is plain also, from the nature of the force which it employs, that discipline is a functionof the Church which is in incessant exercise, and is not called into action only on specialoccasions. To limit it to what are technically known as cases of discipline-the formaltreatment of offenders by a Church court, or by any person or persons acting in anofficial character is to ignore its real nature, and to give its exercise in these cases asignificance to which it has no claim. The offences against the Christian standard whichcan be legally impeached even in Church courts are not one in ten thousand of thoseagainst which the Christian conscience ought energetically to protest; and it is the vigorwith which the ceaseless reaction against evil in every shape is instinctively maintainedwhich measures the effectiveness of all formal proceedings, and makes them means ofgrace to the guilty. The officials of a Church may deal in their official place with offencesagainst soberness, purity, or honesty; they are bound to deal with them, whether theylike it or not; but their success will depend upon the completeness with which they, andthose whom they represent, have renounced not only the vices which they are judging,but all that is out of keeping with the mind and spirit of Christ. The drunkard, thesensualist, the thief, know perfectly well that drunkenness, sensuality, and theft are notthe only sins which mar the soul. They know that there are other vices, just as real if notso glaring, which are equally fatal to the life of Christ and man, and as completelydisqualify men for acting in Christs name. They are conscious that it is not a bona fidetransaction when their sins are impeached by men whose consciences endure withequanimity the reign of meanness, duplicity, pride, hypocrisy, self-complacency. Theyare aware that God is not present where these are dominant, and that Gods power tojudge and save can never come through such channels. Hence the exercise of disciplinein these legal forms is often resented, and often ineffective; and instead of complainingabout what is obviously inevitable, the one thing at which all should aim who wish toprotect the Church from scandals is to cultivate the common conscience, and bring it tosuch a degree of purity and vigor, that its spontaneous resentment of evil will enable theChurch practically to dispense with legal forms. This Christian community at Corinthhad a thousand faults; in many points we are tempted to find in it rather a warning thanan example; but I think we may take this as a signal proof that it was really sound atheart: its condemnation of this guilty man fell upon his conscience as the sentence ofGod, and brought him in tears to the feet of Christ. No legal proceedings could havedone that: nothing could have done it but a real and passionate sympathy with theholiness and the love of Christ. Such sympathy is the one subduing, reconciling,redeeming power in our hands; and Paul might well rejoice, after all his affliction andanguish of heart, when he found it so unmistakably at work in Corinth. Not so muchformal as instinctive, though not shrinking on occasion from formal proceedings; notmalignant, yet closing itself inexorably against evil; not indulgent to badness, but withgoodness like Christs, waiting to be gracious, -this Christian virtue really holds the keysof the kingdom of heaven, and opens and shuts with the authority of Christ Himself. Weneed it in all our Churches today, as much as it was needed in Corinth; we need it thatspecial acts of discipline may be effective; we need it still more that they may beunnecessary. Pray for it as for a gift that comprehends every other - the power torepresent Christ, and work His work, in the recovery and restoration of the fallen.In 2Co_2:9-11, the same subject is continued, but with a slightly different aspectexposed. Paul had obviously taken the initiative in this matter, though the bulk of theChurch, at his prompting, had acted in a right spirit. Their conduct was in harmony withhis motive in writing to them, which had really been to make proof of their obedience inall points. But he has already disclaimed either the right or the wish to lord it over themin their liberty as believers; and here, again, he represents himself rather as following 26. them in their treatment of the offender, than as pointing out the way. Now to whom yeforgive anything, I also forgive-so great is my confidence in you: for what I also haveforgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes have I forgiven it in the presence ofChrist. When he says if I have forgiven anything, he does not mean that hisforgiveness is dubious, or in suspense; what he does is to deprecate the thought that hisforgiveness is the main thing, or that he had been the person principally offended. Whenhe says for your sakes have I forgiven it, the words are explained by what follows: tohave refused his forgiveness in the circumstances would have been to perpetuate a stateof matters which could only have injured the Church. When he adds that his forgivenessis bestowed in the presence of Christ, he gives the assurance that it is no complaisanceor formality, but a real acceptance of the offender to peace and friendship again. And weshould not overlook the fact that in this association of Christ, of the Corinthians, and ofhimself, in the work of forgiveness and restoration, Paul is really encompassing adesponding soul with all the grace of earth and heaven. Surely he will not let his griefbecome despair, when all around him and above him there is a present and convincingwitness that, though God is intolerant of sin, He is the refuge of the penitent.The gracious and conciliatory tone of these verses seems to me worthy of specialadmiration; and I can only express my astonishment that to some they have appearedinsincere, a vain attempt to cover a defeat with the semblance of victory, a surrender tothe opposition at Corinth, the painfulness of which is ill-disguised by the pretence ofagreement with them. The exposition just given renders the refutation of such a viewunnecessary. We ought rather to regard with reverence and affection the man who knewhow to combine, so strikingly, unflinching principle and the deepest tenderness andconsideration for others; we ought to propose his modesty, his sensitiveness to thefeelings even of opponents, his sympathy with those who had no sympathy with him, asexamples for our imitation. Paul had been deeply moved by what had taken place atCorinth, possibly he had been deeply injured; but even so his personal interest is kept inthe background; for the obedient loyalty which he wishes to prove is not so much hisinterest as theirs to whom he writes. He cares only for others. He cares for the poor soulwho has forfeited his place in the community; he cares for the good name of the Church;he cares for the honor of Jesus Christ; and he exerts all his power with these interests inview. If it needs rigor, he can be rigorous; if it needs passion, he can be passionate; if itneeds consideration, graciousness, a conciliatory temper, a willingness to keep out ofsight, he can be depended upon for all these virtues. If they were only affected, Paulwould deserve the praise of a great diplomatist; but it is far easier to believe them real,and see in them the signs of a great minister of Christ.The last verse puts the aim of his proceedings in another light: All this, he says, I do,that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of hisdevices. The important words in the last clause are of the same root; it is as if Paul hadsaid: Satan is very knowing, and is always on the alert to get the better of us; but we arenot without knowledge of his knowing ways. It was the Apostles acquaintance with thewiles of the devil which made him eager to see the restoration of the penitent sinner dulycarried through. This implies one or two practical truths, with which, by way ofapplication, this exposition may close.(1) A scandal in the Church gives the devil an opportunity. When one who has named theflame of Jesus, and vowed loyal obedience to Him, falls into open sin, it is a chanceoffered to the enemy which he is not slow to improve. He uses it to discredit the veryname of Christ: to turn that which ought to be to the world the symbol of the purestgoodness into a synonym of hypocrisy. Christ has committed His honor, if not His 27. character, to our keeping; and every lapse into vice gives Satan an advantage over Him.(2) The devil finds his gain in the incompetence of the Church to deal with the evil in theSpirit of Christ. It is a fine thing for him if he can drive the convicted sinner to despair,and persuade him that there is no more forgiveness with God. It is a fine thing if he canprompt those who love little, because they know little of Gods love, to show themselvesrigid, implacable, irreconcilable, even to the penitent. If he can deform the likeness ofChrist into a morose Pharisaism, what an incalculable gain it is! If the disciples of Himwho received sinners look askance on those who have lapsed, and chill the hope ofrestoration with cold suspicion and reserve, there will be JOY over it, not in heaven, butin hell. And not only this, but the opposite is a device of the devil, of which we ought notto be ignorant. There is hardly a sin that some one has not an interest in extenuating.Even the incestuous person in Corinth had his defenders: there were some who werepuffed up, and gloried in what he had done as an assertion of Christian liberty. The deviltakes advantage of the scandals that occur in the Church to bribe and debauch mensconsciences; indulgent words are spoken, which are not the voice of Christs awfulmercy, but of a miserable self-pity; the strongest and holiest thing in the world, theredeeming love of God, is adulterated and even confounded with the weakest and basestthing, the bad mans immoral forgiveness of himself. And not to mention anything elseunder this head, could any one imagine what would please and suit the devil better thanthe absolutely unfeeling but extremely interesting gossip which resounds over everyexposure of sin?(3) But, lastly, the devil finds his advantage in the dissensions of Christians. What anopportunity he would have had in Corinth, had strained relations continued between theApostle and the Church! What opportunities he has everywhere, when tempers are onedge, and every movement means friction, and every proposal rouses suspicion! The lastprayer Christ prayed for His Church was that they might all be one: to be one in Him isthe final security against the devices of Satan. What a frightful commentary the historyof the Church is on this prayer! What frightful illustrations it furnishes of the devils gainout of the saints quarrels! There are plenty of subjects, of course, even in Church life, onwhich we may naturally and legitimately differ; but we ought to know better than to letthe differences enter into our souls. At bottom, we should be all one; it is givingourselves away to the enemy, if we do not, at all costs, keep the unity of the Spirit in thebond of peace.8. CALVI, But if any one. Here is a third reason with the view of alleviating theoffense that he had grief in common with them, and that the occasion of it camefrom another quarter. We have, says he, been alike grieved, and another is toblame for it. At the same time he speaks of that person, too, somewhat mildly,when he says, if any one not affirming the thing, but rather leaving it in suspense.This passage, however, is understood by some, as if Paul meant to say: He that hasgiven me occasion of grief, has given offense to you also; for you ought to have feltgrieved along with me, and yet I have been left almost to grieve alone. For I do notwish to say so absolutely that I may not put the blame upon you all. In this waythe second clause would contain a correction of the first. Chrysostoms exposition,however, is much more suitable; for he reads it as one continued sentence Hehath not grieved me alone, but almost all of you. And as to my saying in part, I do soin order that I may not bear too hard upon him. 320 I differ from Chrysostom 28. merely in the clause in part, for I understand it as meaning in some measure. I amaware, that Ambrose understands it as meaning part of the saints, inasmuch asthe Church of the Corinthians was divided; but that is more ingenious than solid.9. PULPIT COMMETARY, Restoring the backslider.I. CHURCH DISCIPLIE SHOULD BE ADMIISTERED BY THE CHURCH.This punishment which was inflicted by the many (2 Corinthians 2:6). ot by anindividual, be he the pope himself, nor by priests or clergy, but by the whole body ofthe individual Church or a majority of its members. A Christian has a right to bejudged by his peers.II. CHURCH DISCIPLIE SHOULD EVER HAVE I VIEW RESTORATIO.Its object is not to punish the offender so much as to do him good, and at the sametime to preserve the Church's purity. Church discipline should not be regarded as afinal act towards the backslider, but with it should ever be associated prayers andhope that the severance may be brief. The Church rejects that she may accept; shecasts out that she may receive back again. So Church discipline should never be of acharacter to hinder repentance or to render restoration impossible.III. CHURCH DISCIPLIE SHOULD BE ADMIISTERED WITH GREATDISCRETIO,1. On the one hand, it may be too slight and not produce suitable effects.2. On the other, it may be so excessive as to drive the offender to despair.3. In either case Satan will gain an advantage (2 Corinthians 2:11), which he is everseeking and has often found when the Church or its leaders have attempted thedelicate task of discipline. The Church's discipline of persecution and intolerancehas served the devil's purposes admirably in many a dark century. And theChurch's discipline of indifference and false charity has done similar service inmany a century boasting of its light and breadth of thought and liberty.IV. PEITECE O THE PART OF A OFFEDER IS A STROGARGUMET FOR PROMPT RESTORATIO TO FELLOWSHIP. The duty ofrestoration is not so fully recognized as it might be. Often it is the predilection of thepowers that be, rather than the condition of the offender, which determines whetherhe shall be restored or not. But when the honour of the Church has been vindicated,and the offender is undoubtedly contrite, the way of duty is clear. A Church whichwill not restore then, deserves to be excommunicated itself,V. RESTORATIO IS OT TO BE TO TOLERATIO, BUT TO LOVE. The loveis to exist whilst the discipline is being inflicted. It is to manifest itself' unreservedlywhen discipline is removed. Many are restored to suspicion, coldness, contemptarestoration which paves the way for a more fatal fall. If God forgives some 29. professing Christians as they forgive others (and this is their frequent prayer), theirshare of the Divine forgiveness is likely to be a very slender one.H.6 The punishment inflicted on him by themajority is sufficient.1. BARES, Sufficient to such a man - The incestuous person who had been byPauls direction removed from the church. The object of Paul here is to have him againrestored. For that purpose he says that the punishment which they had inflicted on himwas sufficient. It was:(1) A sufficient expression of the evil of the offence, and of the readiness of the churchto preserve itself pure; and,(2) It was a sufficient punishment to the offender.It had accomplished all that he had desired. It had humbled him, and brought him torepentance; and doubtless led him to put away his wife; compare note, 1Co_5:1. Asthat had been done, it was proper now that he should be again restored to the privilegesof the church. No evil would result from such a restoration, and their duty to theirpenitent brother demanded it. Mr. Locke has remarked that Paul conducts this subjecthere with very great tenderness and delicacy. The entire passage from 2Co_2:5 to 2Co_2:10 relates solely to this offending brother, yet he never once mentions his name, nordoes he mention his crime. He speaks of him only in the soft terms of such a one andany one: nor does he use an epithet which would be calculated to wound his feelings,or to transmit his name to posterity, or to communicate it to other churches. So thatthough this Epistle should be read, as Paul doubtless intended, by other churches, andbe transmitted to future times, yet no one would ever be acquainted with the name of theindividual. How different this from the temper of those who would emblazon abroad thenames of offenders, or make a permanent record to carry them down with dishonor toposterity?Which was inflicted of many - By the church in its collective capacity; see the noteon 1Co_5:4. Paul had required the church to administer this act of discipline, and theyhad promptly done it. It is evident that the whole church was concerned in theadministration of the act of discipline; as the words of many (:' apotnpleionn are not applicable either to a single bishop, or a single minister, or apresbytery, or a bench of elders: nor can they be so regarded, except by a forced andunnatural construction. Paul had directed it to be done by the assembled church 1Co_5:4, and this phrase shows that they had followed his instructions. Locke supposes thatthe phrase means, by the majority; Macknight renders it, by the greater number;Bloomfield supposes that it means that the punishment was carried into effect by all.Doddridge paraphrases it, by the whole body of your society. The expression provesbeyond a doubt that the whole body of the society was concerned in the act of the 30. excommunication, and that is a proper way of administering discipline. Whether itproves, however, that that is the mode which is to be observed in all instances, mayadmit of a doubt, as the example of the early churches, in a particular case, does notprove that that mode has the force of a binding rule on all.(It cannot fairly be argued from this verse, that the many or the whole congregation,were judicially concerned in the act of excommunication; yet as their concurrence wasessential, in order to carry the sentence into effect, it was inflicted of many in a mostemphatic sense. The refusal, on the part of the members of the church, to have any moresocial contact with the incestuous man, carried into effect what the apostle had judiciallypronounced. See the supplementary note on 1Co_5:4.)2. CLARKE, Sufficient to such a man is this punishment - That is, the manhas already suffered sufficiently. Here he gives a proof of his parental tendernesstowards this great transgressor. He had been disowned by the Church; he had deeplyrepented; and now the apostle pleads for him.3. GILL, Sufficient to such a man is this punishment,.... By this punishment ismeant, the excommunication of the incestuous person, or the censure that was laid uponhim by the church: for thiswas inflicted by many; not by the pastor only, or by the elders or more eminentpersons in the church, but by the multitude, by the whole congregation, at least , by the more; the greater, or major part; and not by one, or a few only: ininflicting this punishment, or laying on this censure in the public manner they did, theywere certainly right, and to be commended; but inasmuch as there appeared signs oftrue repentance, it was sufficient, it had answered the purpose for which it was inflicted,and therefore it was high time to remove it: from whence we learn, that in case of grossenormities, ther