“Forgive the Sinner”


BIBLE READING:2 Corinthians 2

In 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 Paul revisits a problem that was explained in 1 Corinthians 5.  A man had taken his father's wife as his own.  Paul told the brethren to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved.  From what is said here, it seems they had done what Paul prescribed.
The punishment delivered had the desired effect.  The man had already suffered sufficiently. Paul gave proof of his parental tenderness towards this great transgressor. The man had been disowned by the Church, he had deeply repented, and now the apostle pleads for him.  He had now suffered enough.  The punishment inflicted had answered the end for which it was rendered.  There was some danger that if this poor offender were not restored to the bosom of the Church, his distress and anguish would destroy his life or drive him to despair. 
He may have felt that even though he had repented he could never be a member of the church because of his past sins.  All of us need to remember when sin has been forgiven, it is forgotten by God.  Every person on the face of the earth has some past sin to be ashamed of.  Thankfully, those things have been forgiven, and we are in good standing with God and the church.  This forgiveness is made possible through God's love and His instructions on taking away sin.

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