Read the Passage: 2 Corinthians 2

Listen to the Redeemed Mind Podcast: 2 Corinthians 2

Sorrow and Grief (2:1–7)

Back at 2 Cor. 1:15, Paul began to inform the church about his travel plans. In 2 Cor. 2:1–13 Paul continued to explain his itinerary, noting that his absence stemmed from his reluctance to bring sorrow upon the church. Apparently, Paul had visited Corinth between the writing of 1 & 2 Corinthians for the purpose of confronting and rebuking those who had “caused grief” (2 Cor. 2:5)—perhaps either the incestuous man (cf. 1 Cor. 5:1–5) or certain false teachers in the church. Yet, this visit had not gone well, prompting Paul to write what has become known as his “severe letter” (cf. 2 Cor. 2:4; 7:8). Paul’s delay in visiting Corinth, then, can best be viewed as Paul giving the church time to remember his words, to consider his counsel, and to repent. Paul observed that the believers in Corinth should have brought him joy, not sorrow, for joy is the fitting emotion between spiritual fathers and their children.

In 2 Cor. 5:5–7 Paul reveals those whom he had rebuked on his earlier visit, as well as in his letter, had repented. Paul learned about this change of heart from Titus, who had updated him on the status of the church when they met in Macedonia, after Titus’ visit to Corinth (cf. 2 Cor. 2:12–13; 7:5–9). Thus, while the offender had caused grief, in light of their repentance, Paul now exhorted the church “not to be too severe” (2 Cor. 2:5). It seems the church had practiced biblical discipline upon the sinning brother (cf. Matt. 18:15–17; 1 Cor. 5:4–5; 2 Thess. 3:6); yet an important part of church discipline is reconciliation with and restoration of the erring party (cf. Matt. 18:15; Luke 17:3; Gal. 6:1). Indeed, this is why Paul instructed the church to “forgive and [to] comfort” (2 Cor. 2:7) the remorseful brother. To not restore a repentant believer might cause him to be “swallowed up with too much sorrow” (2 Cor. 2:7).

Love and Forgiveness (2:8–11)

In 2 Cor. 2:8–11 Paul reveals to “the majority [of the church]” (2 Cor. 2:6) that he wrote his severe letter not just to rebuke those in sin, but also to “test whether you are obedient in all things” (2 Cor. 8:9). In other words, Paul’s aim in writing was both to stir up genuine repentance among those in sin and to evaluate the spiritual maturity of the church as they carried out the process of discipline. Lest his motivation be misunderstood, Paul declared to the church, “If anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me” (2 Cor. 2:5), and later Paul wrote, “Whom you forgive anything, I also forgive” (2 Cor. 2:10). Clearly, then, Paul’s reason for confronting sin was not to enhance his reputation, to build his ministry, or to further a personal agenda. Rather, Paul desired genuine repentance from sin for the benefit individuals, for the growth of the church, and for the glory of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 2:10).

Ministry and Witness (2:12–17)

In our study of 1 Corinthians 16, we commented on the uniqueness of 2 Cor. 2:12–13. In that earlier study we noted it is not uncommon in the modern church for people to pray for or to look for so-called “open doors” of ministry. When appealing to this idea people will often quote 1 Cor. 16:9, where Paul writes, “For a great and effective door [of ministry] has opened to me.” A similar passage is Col. 4:3, where Paul prays that “God would open to us a door for the Word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains.” While open doors of ministry are good to pray for, a problem with trying to discern them is that it is difficult to infallibly read God’s providence in advance. This is what makes 2 Cor. 2:12–13 so intriguing, as here Paul testifies that God Himself opened a door of ministry, yet with his own liberty, Paul freely chose not to walk through that open door of ministry.

After his comments in 2 Cor. 2:12–13, Paul returns to his earlier line of thought concerning forgiveness. In an often-quoted passage, in 2 Cor. 2:14–15 Paul twice refers to believers as being the fragrance of Christ. This is a beautiful word-picture of the simple gospel presence of Christians. Here it seems Paul had in mind believers’ general presence in the world, not just their activities in the church. Indeed, Paul refers to Christians being “the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Cor. 2:15). Regarding the saved, Paul writes that believers are the aroma of life leading to life; while pertaining to the lost, believers are the aroma death leading to death (cf. 2 Cor. 2:16; 1 Pet. 2:11–12). Concerning this task of gospel presence, Paul asks, “Who is sufficient for these things” (2 Cor. 2:16). Paul then answers his own question at 2 Cor. 3:6, as he points to Christ.

Application Questions:

1. What is the purpose of church discipline? In the past, have you seen church discipline done correctly, incorrectly, or not at all?
2. Have you mainly experienced sorrow or joy from those in whom you have invested spiritually?
3. Does forgiveness always entail reconciliation and restoration? Can forgiven sins still have consequences?
4. How can you discern an open door of ministry? Are open doors a revelation of God’s will or merely ministerial opportunities?
5. What aspect of gospel presence in the fallen world do you find most challenging and/or most rewarding?