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Daily Devotions

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 
Day 
Day 26

"Forgive and comfort..."

Text: 2 Corinthians 2:7

THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH

It was important that the church understood what it means to deal with erring believers. The members must recognise what the Church stood for.

1. The church was the Body of Christ.

2. Members of the church were meant to be holy.

3. They must not allow sin to ruin the church community.

4. Sin must be addressed and dealt with summarily.

5. Suitable punishment must be meted out:

a) Rebuke
b) Correction
c) And when everything else fails, excommunication!

POST-DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Paul then went on to teach the Corinthians how they ought to restore the repentant believer.

“So that, on the contrary, you ought rather
to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one
be swallowed up with too much sorrow.”
2 Corinthians 2:7

1. “So that, on the contrary, you ought rather”

a) This is a reference to post-disciplinary action.
b) This action would be vastly different from the punishment meted out.

2. “To forgive”

a) The repentant believer must know that there is forgiveness with God.
b) He must also know that the church can exercise forgiveness too.

3. “And comfort him”

a) The repentant believer may now need to be comforted.
b) In ex-communication he would have been denied.
i) The privilege of ministry.
ii) The privilege of having Holy Communion.
iii) He may have been publicly rebuked as well.

4. “Lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow”

a) The true believer would feel deep sorrow for his sinful ways.
b) He would have felt deeply sorrowful because of the punishment meted out by the church.

Paul expressed deep concern of experiencing “too much sorrow”.