A No-Win Situation (2 Cor 2:1-13)

Firm and loving (2 Cor 2:4). Paul wrote the 'severe letter' after defending his change of travel plans (1:15-24) to help them discipline and forgive the offender (2:1- 13). This relieved (7:6-13) and concerned Paul that Satan wins if the offender is overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So he urged them to reaffirm their love for the repentant offender. For their sake he minimized the wrong he suffered from the offender to show his full support in reinstating the one who hurt him.

A no-win situation (2:1-4). "So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you" (2 Cor 2:1). Paul intended to visit them after passing through Macedonia (1 Cor 16:5-7), but changed his plans to visit them first on his way to Macedonia, and again on his way back, so that they 'benefit twice' (2 Cor 1:15-16). The first visit was painful for both them and he, so he didn't make the return visit. Instead wrote the 'severe letter.' It was a 'no-win' situation.

• If he made another visit, it'd be painful.
• If he didn't, his opposition "wins."
• And by writing the 'severe letter', he was criticized for being bold when absent, but timid when present (2 Cor 10:1, 10).

Demand for discipline causes grief. "For if I grieve you [plural], who is left to make me glad but you [singular, 'the one'] whom I have grieved?" (2 Cor 2:2). Who'd make Paul glad if he made the 2nd promised visit and caused them further grief? The grief is caused by the disciplinary action Paul demanded of the congregation (2 Cor 2:5-8). The rebuke of Paul's demand for disciplinary action--something they didn't do, even when Paul was grieved (2 Cor 2:3)--caused grief to both the offender and the church. There's little joy in their relationship until the offender is disciplined, brought to repentance and restored to fellowship.

"I wrote as I did" (2 Cor 2:3a) is the 'severe letter' Paul wrote after his return from the 'painful visit.' He rebuked them for not defending him when he was attacked by the one who caused him grief (2 Cor 2:5). He demanded his punishment and expected their obedience (2 Cor 2:6, 9), "so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice" (2 Cor 2:3b) [remove the friction existing between them and him]. During the 'painful visit,' Paul was anguished by the offending individual, while they, who should've made him rejoice, did nothing. The 'severe letter' was to ensure that this won't happen again. "I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy" (2 Cor 2:3c). The 'severe letter' caused grief, but Paul was confident that they'd want to see Paul joyful again. Paul tackled the thorny problem of punishing the one who caused grief, confident of their goodwill towards him despite the difficulties in their relationship.

With "distress and anguish of heart'' (2 Cor 2:4a) is how Paul wrote the 'severe letter' (2 Cor 2:3), either because of persecution in Asia (2 Cor 1:8-9) or the painful situation in Corinth. Tears 'in a brave and courageous man are a sign of great distress.' [Calvin.] Paul projected into the past what he felt now about them, having received good news from Titus about their response to the 'severe letter.' Despite the current distress Paul felt, he continues to have confidence in their basic goodwill based on his assurance of the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Real love. "Not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you" (2 Cor 2:4b). In the 'severe letter' Paul rebuked them for their failure to support him, hoping to move them to repentance (2 Cor 2:3)--not to grieve them, but to let them know the depth of his love for them. How? Not by glossing over a bad situation, but by confronting it and demanding (again) that they take action. It takes real love to confront a difficult situation rather than side-stepping it. Rebuking another without feeling deep love merely tramples them.

Forgive the offender (2:5-11). "If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent - not to put it too severely" (2 Cor 2:5). Paul was caused grief by the offender, but he minimized the grief he experienced by drawing attention to the fact that he himself had grieved them as well (2 Cor 2:10). If he alone experienced grief, he'd simply suffer the wrong (1 Cor 6:7). But it was the church as a whole, as well as Paul, that was affected, and so the matter had to be dealt with.

"The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient" (2 Cor 2:6). Punishment (epitimia ) in extra-biblical writings are either legal penalties or commercial sanctions. Thus the church had acted formally and judicially against the offender, possibly excluding him from their gatherings. The majority (pleionon) might imply that a minority did not approve of the punishment, or it may refer to the whole church (minus the offender) and the punishment was by a unanimous decision of the whole church. To Paul it was enough.

Church discipline. "Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him" (2 Cor 2:7a). Although the punishment of the offender was deserved, it brought Paul no joy (2 Cor 2:2); it was restoration he sought. And if the church did not forgive and comfort him, there'd be the danger that he may be "overwhelmed by excessive sorrow" (2 Cor 2:7b). 'overwhelm' ( katapino ) refers to animals who 'devour' their prey, and of waves or waters which 'swallow up' objects and people. Paul is afraid that the offender, if not forgiven and comforted, may 'drown' in his sorrow, so he adds, "/ urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him" (2 Cor 2:8). Reaffirm (kyrosai ) denotes confirmation of a sale or in the ratification of a covenant (Gal 3:15). The re-affirmation of love for which Paul calls, is a formal act by the church, in the same way that the punishment had been formal and judicial. Church discipline is for punishment and to be remedial.

"Another reason I wrote to you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything" (2 Cor 2:9). What Paul expected was not obedience to him personally, but obedience to him as an apostle and ambassador of Christ. This is not to 'lord it over' their faith, for he was working for their joy (2 Cor 1:24). "Anyone you forgive, I also forgive" (2 Cor 2:10a). While calling them to forgive (2 Cor 2:6-7), Paul also forgives him to allay their fears that he'd not approve the forgiveness and reinstatement of one who had hurt him badly. "And what I have forgiven - if there was anything to forgive -I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake (2 Cor 2:10b). Comments:

1. Downplay his hurt when he adds, if there was anything to forgive, which clearly he had (2 Cor 2:5-11; 7:8-13).
2. Forgive the offence for their sake to open the way for reconciliation and restoration of a sense of well-being in the church. His own forgiveness was needed before they would feel free to forgive and effect reconciliation with the offender.
3. "...in the sight of Christ" (lit. 'in [the] face of Christ'). It could be an oath formula, 'As I stand in the sight of Christ, I have forgiven the offence.' Or that his forgiveness has the approval of Christ: 'What I have forgiven has been forgiven in the sight of Christ who looks down with approval.' Or that at the time of writing Paul had not had the opportunity to express his forgiveness face to face with the offender, but nevertheless he had already forgiven the offence 'in the sight of Christ.'

All this was "in order that Satan might not outwit us [lit. 'that we be not taken advantage of by Satan'] (2 Cor 2:11a)--that Satan take advantage of the situation and keep the church weak if there were no forgiveness and reconciliation. Also the Greek pleonekteo ('to take advantage of') is used 4x - all by Paul (2 Cor 7:2; 12:17, 18; 1 Th 4:6). The other uses in 2 Corinthians (and arguably so for that in 1 Thess.) It is to take advantage of people by defrauding them of something which belongs to them. So Paul has in mind that Satan might take advantage of the situation and defraud the congregation of one of its members permanently. Paul adds, "For we are not unaware of his schemes" (2 Cor 2:11b), and accordingly he urges them to reaffirm their love for the offender to forestall such a possibility. Paul recognizes an active role on the part of Satan to undermine the faith, devotion and good order of the church (2 Cor 11:3, 14-15).

Waiting for Titus (2 Cor 2:12-13). Paul had no peace of mind in Troas, despite great opportunities to preach the gospel, because he did not meet up with Titus as expected and so did not receive the news of their situation which he longed to hear. He said this to emphasize again the love he had for them.

"Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me..." (2 Cor 2:12). Paul visited Troas on his 2nd missionary journey, and had the vision of a 'man of Macedonia' begging him to come over and help them (Ac 16:8-10). Possibly some disciples were made at Troas, and he went there again to preach the gospel, and to meet Titus. Paul used the metaphor of the open door to describe the opportunity he had for 'effective work' in Ephesus (1 Cor 16:9), where a church was founded, and the gospel was taken to other cities in the region (Colossae, Laodicea, and other cities of the 7 churches of Asia (Rev 2-3; Ac 19:10). 

"I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there" (2 Cor 2:13a). Titus is mentioned for the 1st time. Paul took him to Jerusalem, and who, 'even though he was a Greek,' was not compelled to be circumcised (Gal 2:1-3). Apart from this, we know nothing of Titus [likely not Titius Justus (Ac 18:7)]. Titus played a crucial role in relations between Paul and the church at Corinth. 1 Pastoral Letter is addressed to Titus in Crete and responsible for setting up elders in the churches there (Tit 1:5). Because Paul didn't find Titus, "I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia" (2 Cor 2:13b). That he left behind the infant church and a door that the Lord had opened for him shows his concern for the Corinthian believers: 'Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches' (2 Cor 11:28). That Paul was relieved when he finally met up with Titus in Macedonia (7:5-16) suggests that when he arrived in Troas Paul had been deeply concerned whether Titus would have been well received in Corinth, and whether the church would respond positively to the demands of the 'severe letter.' Before that there is a long digression (2:14 - 7:4) where Paul speaks about the nature of his ministry and how he was used by God even during distressing times.

2:1-13 is replete with important pastoral examples.

1. Tough love for his converts. Paul's decisions were driven by avoiding causing them pain / grief (2 Cor 2:1-2) and his love for them (2 Cor 2:4). With 'tough love' he wrote a strongly worded letter at the risk of causing them grief in order to deal with their failure to address a serious wrong that had been perpetrated by one of their members (2 Cor 7:8-12).
2. Punishment is punitive and remedial. This was necessary for the well-being of the offender and of the church as a whole. Punishment is for the repentance of the offender. After repentance, Paul urged forgiveness to comfort him and reaffirm their love for him (2 Cor 2:6-8). To encourage them, he assured them that anyone they forgave he also forgave, even though he himself was the one hurt by the offender (2 Cor 2:10).
3. Moral failure allows Satan to cause further harm (2 Cor 2:10-11) through disharmony in the church and to lose one of their members - if he was overwhelmed by excessive sorrow and not comforted and reinstated following his repentance.
4. Sharing emotions with his converts--his pain and love for them (2 Cor 2:4), and how his concern for them led him to abandon the opportunity for fruitful work among others in Troas so that he might the sooner obtain news about them. In Christian ministry professionalism is not enough. It must be motivated by love for those to whom we minister (1 Cor 13:1-3).

Reference:

1. Charles Hodge. 1 & 2 Corinthians. A Geneva Series Commentary. The Banner of Truth Trust. 1857, 1859.
2. Colin Kruse. 2 Corinthians. Tyndale NT Commentaries. 1987, 2005.
3. Geoffrey Grogan. 2 Corinthians. The Glories & Responsibilities of Christian Service. 2007.
4. David Garland. 2 Corinthians. The New American Commentary. 1999.
5. Paul Barnett. The Message of 2 Corinthians. 1988.