The Pardon of the Penitent Offender (2 Cor. 2:5–11)

2 Cor. 2:5. But if anyone has caused sorrow, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to be too harsh—to all of you.

From defending himself he now moves to defending the one who has fallen into fornication (Saint Chrysostom).

This text indeed stands precisely at the transition from the previous thought to the following declaration of forgiveness to the repentant sinner. Above he said that if he wrote to them strictly, he did so with sorrow and tears, and wrote this way not in order to grieve them, but to show his love. In what does the love consist? — In the fact that, in pronouncing a strict judgment on the one who sinned, he was defending them, removing the stain from them, cleansing and gladdening them. For, he says, this one, who committed such an unheard-of transgression, grieved not only me, but also in some measure you, I say in some measure so as not to speak a harsh word, but my thought is that he grieved you no less than me (Saint Chrysostom). Thus, in pronouncing judgment on him, and that through your or common decision, I was satisfying you, standing up for you, desiring to chase away your sorrow. — And recognize my love in this.

But in this very presentation of the matter the Apostle was preparing the Corinthians to receive the following statement about forgiveness.

2 Cor. 2:6. It is sufficient for such a one that this rebuke was inflicted by the majority.

Having learned of the fall that occurred among you, I grieved about it and was distressed. When I rebuked this depravity, you too were grieved about it no less than I. Therefore you unanimously pronounced the judgment I prescribed to him. And behold, he is excommunicated and bears the sorrow that has oppressed us. It is gladdening to us; it is heavy for him. He grieves at heart and is contrite. As for me, looking at this penitential sorrow of his, I am comforted: for this means that he is alive spiritually. It gladdens me to see his evident desire to be in communion with us, partaker of the great promises for believers in Christ Jesus. But I wish that you too, as you grieved together with me because of him, would enter also into the sharing of my joy because of him. I wrote strictly so that you might know my love, intending to show this love also to the sinner if he repents. Behold, he repents; let us show love to him! — Saint Chrysostom says: “The Apostle begins to speak of this to the Corinthians just as he had previously praised them for the fact that they alone share his joys and the same sorrows, and having said beforehand: ‘my joy is the joy of all of you’. But if my joy is also your joy, then it is fitting, he says, for you now to rejoice together with me, just as you grieved together with me then. For as you brought me joy and gladness with your sorrow then, so you will do now with your joy, if only you take part in my joy.”

All sins committed before baptism are washed away by baptism and forgiven freely. But sins after baptism require purificatory punishment. It was required also for the Corinthian sinner. The Apostle says: as far as the purificatory punishment which must be laid on the penitent, in regard to our penitent it is sufficient that this already accomplished rebuke “inflicted by the majority”, that is, this excommunication pronounced by the assembly of believers, [is sufficient,] “because all have turned away from him, as the Apostle commanded” (Theodoret). Rebuke — επιτιμια — embraces all that was laid upon the sinner, despite his repentance. Here is the beginning and foundation of our ecclesiastical penances and the very manner of their use, that is, their pronouncement in full strictness and then their shortening, depending on the feelings of contrition of the repentant person.

It is remarkable that the Apostle here, as in the first letter, does not mention the name of the sinner, nor the name of his sin. Saint Chrysostom says of this: “He does not say: one who has fallen into fornication, but, again as in the first letter, ‘such a one’, though for a different reason. Then he spoke thus out of aversion to the sin committed, but here out of condescension toward the sinner. Therefore he does not mention the sin committed, for it was now time to defend the guilty one.”

2 Cor. 2:7. On the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, so that he may not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

The Apostle commands here not only to lift the imposed punishment, but also to restore the guilty one to his former state. For if someone, after having punished the guilty one, simply releases him without any comfort, he does no benefit to him. But observe again how the Apostle restrains both the guilty one, so that he, having received forgiveness, might not become worse. For, despite the fact that he has confessed his sin and repented of it, the Apostle makes the guilty one see that he receives forgiveness not so much for his repentance as for mercy and condescension; therefore he says: “you ought rather to forgive and comfort him”. This is evident from the following words. For he does not say: I permit you to forgive the guilty one because he is worthy of it or because he has made sincere repentance,—but because he is weak. Therefore he also added: “so that he may not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow”. In saying this, the Apostle testifies both to the great repentance of the guilty one and does not permit him to fall into despair. What then does it mean: “may be overwhelmed”? — Either that such a one might do the same as Judas did, or that he might do worse in his way of life. For although, he says, he is not such that he cannot endure further the torments of prolonged punishment, yet, having lost patience and hope, he might easily harm his own life or give himself to greater impiety. Therefore we must be careful so that the wound does not become more severe and dangerous, and so that by excessive severity in punishment we do not destroy what we have already accomplished for good. In saying this, the Apostle wished, as I noted before, both to restrain and to instruct the guilty one, so that having received forgiveness, he might not become even more careless. For, he says, I have received such a one back into my former disposition not because he has completely purified himself from the stain of the sin committed, but fearing that he might do something worse. From this we are taught that the measure of penance must be appointed not only according to the nature of sins, but also in accordance with the nature of the spirit and the condition of the sinners themselves. Thus then the Apostle acted, for the weakness of the sinner alarmed him too. Therefore he said: “so that he may not be overwhelmed”, as it were by some beast, or by waves, or by a storm.

2 Cor. 2:8. Therefore, I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.

“Reaffirm” — κυρωσαι — to make a decisive determination, to sign off on what is being affirmed. Perhaps the Apostle means that by common decision they should return their love to him, or he only wants to signify that this love should be strong, complete, irreversible. He speaks as it were: “Rejoin the member to the body, unite the sheep to the flock, show warm disposition toward him” (Theodoret). “He no longer commands, but begs the Corinthians, not as a teacher, but as an equal, and, having let them sit on the judge’s seat, he himself became the defender. For, having achieved what he desired, he did not know moderation in his humility from joy. What, then, are you asking for? Tell me. — ‘Reaffirm your love for him’, that is, receive him with sincere and strong love, not simply and as it happened. In saying this, the Apostle again attributes to the Corinthians a very high virtue. Those very ones who previously showed such love for their brother and defended him so that they took pride in it, afterward came to have such aversion to him that it took great effort for Paul to make them receive the guilty one back into their former love. Behold a praiseworthy quality in disciples, behold perfection in a teacher: when disciples are so obedient, and the teacher forms such obedient disciples! For no one should be loved without reason, nor should one show aversion without cause. If this were so even now, those who sin would not be so indifferent and insensible to their sins” (Saint Chrysostom).

2 Cor. 2:9. For I also wrote this for this reason, that I might test your obedience, whether you are obedient in everything.

“I wrote” — εγραφα,—wrote. Earlier, writing about the punishment of the guilty one, the Apostle already had in view to pardon him if he repented. Do one thing, he says; do also the other. By this you will show “proof”—discernment in obedience. Holy Chrysostom says: “That I may know whether you are obedient, not only in separating the guilty one but also in readying them for reinstatement. For as then, when the guilty one sinned, the Apostle showed how dangerous it would be not to separate him, saying ‘a little leaven leavens the whole lump’ (1 Cor. 5:6), so here he showed all the danger of disobedience. The removal of the guilty one could seem an act of cruelty; on the contrary, receiving him back will prove the sincerity of your obedience. Good disciples obey their teacher not only in his first requirement but also in another. Therefore the Apostle said: ‘in all things,’ and he praises them, saying: ‘For it was for this that I wrote to you.’”

2 Cor. 2:10. But to whom you forgive anything, I also forgive; for indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, it was for your sake in the presence of Christ.

He puts himself in the close bond with the Corinthians, so that where they are, there he is too. And he sends them forward, and represents himself following after them, showing them obedience, so that he might cut off from them all excuse for disobedience. He had already pronounced pardon to the guilty one before, when they had not even thought about it; but he pronounced it, having in view their benefit, their good, their common salvation; “I have forgiven,” he says, “for your sake.” Not displaying and exercising his authority, he did this, but borrowed the motive for such a deed from you, receiving as it were a command from you. “Do you see,” says Saint Chrysostom, “how again the Apostle humbles himself before the Corinthians, placing them in the first place, and himself in the second; and all this so as to soften hardened souls and bend inflexible hearts. But so that by this he would not give the Corinthians reason to think that the whole matter has been entrusted to their authority, and so that they would not become stubborn about forgiving the guilty one, the Apostle, limiting their authority, says that he himself also forgave pardon to the guilty one: ‘for’ ‘I’ ‘also, if I forgave something, forgave it for your sake,’ that is, I did this very thing for you. And the first time, when the Apostle commanded the Corinthians to cut off the guilty one, he did not give them power to forgive him, saying: ‘I have already judged… to deliver such a one to Satan,’ but then he allowed them also to participate in this judgment, when he said: ‘when you are gathered… deliver such a one’ (1 Cor. 5:3–5). He acted thus, having in view two important things: both to pronounce judgment, and (to pronounce it) not without the consent of the Corinthians, so as not to grieve them. In exactly the same way he acts here, for he says: ‘I forgave’ pardon to the guilty one, I, who in the first epistle condemned him. Then, so that the Corinthians should not be offended, as if despised by the Apostle, he says: ‘for your sake.’ What is this? Did he forgive the sinning one for men? – No; for he also added: ‘in the presence of Christ,’ that is, either by God’s will, or for the glory of Christ. – Theodoret writes about this thus: “So that no one might think that the Apostle, from pleasing men, neglected justice, he added: “in the presence of Christ,” that is, I do this when Christ sees it and is pleased with what is done.” One can also say: in the order of salvation, according to the principles of salvation. For Christ Jesus is the Saviour; and whoever acts for true salvation acts in His presence. Or he spoke thus because he, like all the Apostles, as they spoke, so also acted always before God in Christ, having neither himself in view, nor guided by pleasing men. Nor does Saint Chrysostom speak otherwise about this: ‘In the presence of Christ,’ – or for the glory of Christ, or because Christ Himself commanded forgiveness to the sinning one. These latter words were especially persuasive to the Corinthians. For they already feared to refuse forgiveness which served for the glory of Christ and was pleasing to Him.”

2 Cor. 2:11. So that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

“So that we may not be taken advantage” — ινα μη πλεονεκτηθωμεν — so that we may not be defrauded, so that our manner of action may not serve him to his advantage, so that he may not extract benefit for himself from it. How? — If, closing our eyes with what seems like zeal for righteousness, he causes us to allow a brother to perish. Satan inserts himself everywhere with his counsels. He does not always directly suggest what is bad, but often also what is good, only his goal is always one—our eternal destruction. In the present case, he could suggest to the Corinthians: how can you tolerate such a one? You are a holy people, people of renewal; has he a place to be among you? Drive him out. And he might speak other words to the guilty one: you are already lost; there is no salvation for you! Leave them; do you see what they are like? Go back to the pagans and live as your soul wishes. — The Apostle includes himself among those taken advantage of by Satan. Of course, he also tries to gain something near them, for his shamelessness knows no limits, since he even approached the Saviour. But the Apostles, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, saw his schemes and immediately cut through all the knots and intricacies of these schemes. Therefore he says: “we are not ignorant of his schemes”. We, he says, clearly see and understand what he is leading and how he might profit from it for his own advantage. And understanding this, we cannot permit that he have success in anything. In this is the final persuasion to forgive the guilty one. For it clearly shows that if they do not do as he proposes, then instead of serving Christ the Lord they will fulfill the will of Satan, and instead of making a saving step they will make a destructive one for themselves. Saint Chrysostom says: “The Apostle brings to the attention of the Corinthians the common harm to all in case of their disobedience, for he says: ‘so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan’. Here he very opportunely called Satan a defrauder and robber. For he does not take what is already his, but steals what is ours. But do not only think that the one sinner could become the prey of this beast, but imagine also that the danger threatens the whole flock with the diminishment of its number, and especially now, when Satan has the opportunity to recover what he has lost. ‘We are not ignorant of his schemes’, that is, Satan can also bring to destruction by the path of godliness. For he can not only lead to fornication, but also from the opposite side with immeasurable sorrow during repentance can plunge into destruction. Thus, if Satan, together with his own property seizing also ours, both destroys him whom he leads to sin, and steals from us him to whom we prescribe salvific repentance, then how is this to be called if not a defrauding and robbery? For it is not enough for him that he casts us down through sin; he does the same through repentance too, if we are not careful and watchful. Therefore the Apostle very justly called it theft and defrauding when Satan overcomes us with our own weapon. For it is his nature to take possession of us through sin, not through repentance, which is our weapon, not his. So if Satan can possess us even through repentance, then judge for yourself what shameful humiliation for us this is! How he mocks and jests at us, as at the powerless and weak, overcoming us with our own weapon! And truly, for him it is most amusing and for us extremely shameful, that he inflicts wounds on us with our remedies. Therefore the Apostle said: we are not ignorant of his schemes, that is, what a clever, cunning, malicious, wicked scheme Satan conceals even against our very godliness. Considering all this, we ourselves should never despise anyone who sins. Similarly, and when we ourselves sin, we should not give ourselves over to despair, but again we should not remain in heedlessness either; on the contrary, let us be heartily contrite about our transgressions, not repenting of them in words only (but also by deed showing both sorrow for sins and true correction in them).”