August 11th
2 Corinthians, 2
1: But I determined this with
myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. 2: For if I make you
sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by
me? 3: And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow
from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy
is the joy of you all. 4: For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I
wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye
might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
(Restoration)
Forgive
the man
5: But if any have caused grief, he
hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. 6:
Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. 7: So
that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps
such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 8: Wherefore I beseech
you that ye would confirm your love toward him. 9: For to this end also did I
write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all
things. 10: To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any
thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of
Christ; 11: Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant
of his devices. 12: Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's
gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, 13: I had no rest in my
spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I
went from thence into Macedonia.
Paul continues to tell the
Corinthian believers of his thoughts. He says l made up my mind that l would
not come again to you in the full weight of my apostolic authority. Because l
if l make you sorry who is going to make me glad? Except you who were made to
be sorry by me. And l have written this to you so that when l come l will not
have sorrow from those of whom l aught to rejoice. I have confidence in you
that my joy is the joy that you all have in the Lord. It was in much anguish of
heart that l wrote to you and with much tears on my part not that you would be
upset but that you would know the great love l have for you. Here Paul opens
his heart and mind and discusses the dilemma of the Pastor who loves his
people, yet has to rebuke them sharply for their own good and this tears his
heart apart. If any of you have caused grief l want you to know that you have
not grieved me, except a little. That man is punished sufficiently by you all.
You need to forgive him now and comfort him now so that he does not become
overcome in depression. So please let him that you love him. I have written
that l might know whether you are really going to follow the Lord. I was
looking for evidence of your faithfulness to God. To show the respect l have
for you. I will stand by the decisions you make. And if you forgive a man then
l will forgive that man too. Satan would love to bring a wedge between us. We
are not ignorant of his tricks. Paul says, I also want to say that when l came
to Troas to preach the Gospel. A great
opportunity for serving God was opened unto me and l had no peace in my heart
because Titus my brother was not there. So l took leave from Troas and came to Macedonia.
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