Restoring after Discipline (2 Corinthians 2)

Restoring the Repentant after Church Discipline

Welcome back to Coffee with a Calvinist. My name is Keith Foskey, and I am a Calvinist. Today we are going to be continuing our study of the book of 2nd Corinthians, and we're going to be in 2nd Corinthians chapter 2.

Now 2nd Corinthians chapter 2, Paul begins by making reference to a time that he had visited the Corinthian church, probably between the writing of 1st Corinthians and 2nd Corinthians, and it had been a painful visit.

And this is going to come up through the letter that he references the fact that when he was there, he felt like there were those, and there were those, who were challenging his position as an apostle, and one who had authority in the church, as he had been established as an apostle by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s Appeal to Forgive and Restore the Offender

And we're going to see this come up throughout the letter. But in chapter 2, there's a section that I want us to pay very close attention to today. In your Bibles, if you'll look at verses 5 through 11, I want to read them to you, and then I want to make some comments.

Paul says, 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 that 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 the sake, 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.

So the Apostle Paul, in this section, is talking about some individual in the church who has fallen into disfavor with the congregation, and it seems, based on the context, that perhaps this person has been excommunicated from the church.

And Paul is, at this point, calling for them to be received back into the congregation. And there is great debate over who this person is, because Paul does not name the person, he does not name the incident.

The traditional interpretation of this section is that this is referring to the man from 1 Corinthians chapter 5. If you remember back in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, the Apostle Paul made reference to a man who had had an affair with his father's wife, essentially his stepmother.

And Paul had called for that man to be judged, he called for that man to be put out of the church, to be excommunicated, because his sin was so great, and his sin was obviously unrepentant. But at this point, whoever this person is, whether it's that person from 1 Corinthians 5, or perhaps another person, some commentators believe that maybe this is a person who was denying Paul as an apostle, and this shows Paul's great love towards someone who would not necessarily show him reciprocal love.

And I think that may be possible. The text doesn't tell us, so we're having to come at this and say we don't know who this person is, but if it is the man from 1 Corinthians chapter 5, this would be a person who had been excommunicated from the church, and the church is now being challenged with the responsibility of receiving him back into membership, which would mean that at some point this person has repented of his sins.

Why Church Discipline Must Lead to Restoration

This is a very, very important subject for us to understand, because when it comes to the subject of church discipline, the modern church is very ignorant. In fact, anytime I've ever taught on this, anytime I've ever preached on it, I get a myriad of questions, because people oftentimes never even heard of such a thing.

The church would put someone out? That sounds very Middle Ages, that sounds very medieval church, that's certainly not anything the modern church would do. And yet it is something the modern church is called to do.

Churches of all times have been called to obey the commands of Matthew 18, where Jesus said if someone sins, you go to him and you tell him his sin. If he refuses to repent, you take two or three witnesses with you, and if he refuses to hear the witnesses, you take him before the church.

And if he refuses to hear even the church, he is to become to you like a Gentile or a tax collector, and the Gentiles and the tax collectors were the ones who were not welcome in the assembly. So ultimately, this is Jesus's call for excommunication, and it is a biblical call.

But oftentimes, churches that do understand church discipline think that's as far as it goes, that's the last straw, that's the last step. But there is a step beyond excommunication, and that is the step of restoration.

If the person comes to a point of repentance, if the person recognizes their sin, maybe after a time of severe falling away, if they recognize their sin, if they recognize their need for Christ, if they recognize that they have, like Peter, denied Christ, they've turned from the church, they've turned from him, now they come back in repentance, then the church should not hold that sin over them any longer.

The church's responsibility is not to continue to remind someone of their failures, but to restore such a one back. And sometimes that restoration is difficult, because sometimes there have been feelings that have been hurt, sometimes there have been reputations that have been damaged, and so this is a difficult thing to demand, but it is something that the Apostle Paul is here saying should happen.

The restoration of a person who is repentant is the responsibility of the church. We should stand ready and excited to give restoration to someone who comes to the point of repentance. So again, this passage is an important passage, it reminds us that as a church, we are to be like the father of the prodigal son.

The father of the prodigal son is willing and excited and ready for his son to return, not standing on the porch as if to mock him when he returns in repentance, but runs to him and goes to him and loves him and restores him.

The church should have a restorative function, the church should seek the best for individuals and seek to restore them. It is difficult sometimes, and sometimes it may even seem impossible, but with the Lord's help, all things are possible, especially in taking a broken person and bringing them back to wholeness.

The Call to Repentance and Join a Bible-Believing Church

So I pray that this has been an encouragement to you. Maybe you're a person who has been outside the church because of some sin. Let me remind you that today is the day of salvation, that you, as long as you are drawing breath, the opportunity for repentance is laid before you.

And so I would encourage you, know that this day, that the call to you and the call to all men is to repent of your sins, to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you've done that and you're not part of a local church, then I would encourage you to find a Bible believing church and make yourself a part of that body.

And if you're near us, we would encourage you to come visit with us at Sovereign Grace Family Church. We would love to have you. We would love to seek to care for you, seek to bring you into the body.

If you love Jesus, then we would encourage you to come and join with us. Thank you for watching today. I appreciate you continuing to go through the New Testament with me. Tomorrow we'll be turning our attention to 2 Corinthians chapter 3.

May God bless you and enjoy your coffee. I'm Keith Foskey, and I'm your Calvinist. Thank you for tuning in to Coffee with a Calvinist. I want to remind you that if you like what you have seen, please take a moment and thumbs up this video if you're watching it on YouTube.

Leave us a comment and even subscribe if you haven't yet. This helps us to reach a larger audience. If you're watching on Facebook, please like and share this video. Thank you again for watching Coffee in a Calvinist.

My name is Keith, and I've been your Calvinist.