- 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