2 Corinthians 2:5-11 Forgive and Accept
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: April 15, 2020 2 Corinthians 2:5-11
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
(Understanding the Text) Paul seems to be speaking about a specific person here. This person seems to have repented, so Paul is telling the others to forgive and comfort the man who caused pain. Paul says that they shouldn’t make the man’s grief more than it needs to be, so now that the man has repented, receive him back with love. Paul is saying that he wrote condemning the church’s acceptance of this man’s sin, not because it hurt Paul, but because it hurt the people in the church at Corinth. Now, that the man has repented, the church is no longer hurt and should forgive. Paul says that he forgives also.
Then Paul makes an important point about forgiveness. Forgiveness is a major component in preventing Satan from tricking us into separating from Jesus. Satan tried to set up a win-win situation in Corinth. If the church tolerated the defiant outright disobedience to God, they would be drawn into it themselves. If they condemned it, they stood in danger of division and intolerance, i.e. lacking in love. Paul is guiding them down the middle road–withdraw approval from the openly sinning person while still maintaining the kind of connection you would with an unbeliever. Then, when he repents and returns, forgive him and accept him with open arms. Let him know that you still love him.
(Revelation of God) Paul makes an interesting comment: “what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ” What does he mean in the presence of Christ? Does he mean that he forgave them while praying with Christ? Does he mean his forgiveness was to bring them into the presence of Christ? Does he mean that the presence of Christ brings forgiveness? I don’t understand the phrase in this context. The Modern King James version says “But to whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if I forgave anything, for your sakes I forgave it to him in the person of Christ;” The Message paraphrase says “So if you forgive him, I forgive him. Don’t think I’m carrying around a list of personal grudges. The fact is that I’m joining in with your forgiveness, as Christ is with us, guiding us.” Robertson’s Word Pictures says “In the person of Christ (en prosōpōi Christou). More exactly, ‘in the presence of Christ,’ before Christ, in the face of Christ. Cf. enōpion tou theou (2Co_4:2) in the eye of God, enōpion Kuriou (2Co_8:21).” I think Paul is saying that his forgiveness is complete because he made it in Jesus’ presence with Jesus as Paul’s witness. Paul is still saying to the Corinthians that he is sincere and that when he says that he holds nothing against the repentant man, he is totally and completely truthful. He is telling them that they might believe that he would lie to them, but they know that he would never lie to Jesus.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that it is important to accept my brothers and sisters who have repented and forgive totally their past sins. I should never hold their past behavior against them if they have repented. Before they have repented, I should not tolerate their open sinning and I should stand strongly against it while still showing them that I believe that they are loved by God, but when they repent, I should forgive completely. Help me to never hold grudges and to never compromise with sin. Give me wisdom to always walk uprightly in love.