Love & Discipline

1. Introduction

In reading these closing verses of chapter 1, I can’t help but get the feeling that Paul is on trial here.

Though he’s not on the witness stand, or in an actual courtroom, Paul is nonetheless defending himself.

In the passage last week, Paul called on his own conscience as a witness to the integrity of his decision making. ()

2 Corinthians 1:12 ESV

12 For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.

Paul wrote in the previous section that he didn’t make decisions according to the flesh or in an inconsistent and contradictory manner,

but he was consistent - both in the message he preached and in the way he conducted his life.

In our passage this morning, Paul ups the ante. He doesn’t appeal to himself or his conscience, but to God. “May God strike me dead if I’m lying to you...” (). That’s the meaning of calling God as his witness.

2 Corinthians 1:23 ESV

23 But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth.

This morning we’re going to cover a lot of ground…important ground. We’re going to look at Paul’s continued defense.

This time he’s appeal to pastor concern, not theological integrity.

Then we’ll shift our focus to look at the topics of love, discipline, forgiveness and reconciliation. All of that is covered in 2:5-11.

2. Walking through the Passage

Really what we’re looking at this morning is two separate sections…but they fit nicely together.

First - in 1:23-2:4, Paul continues to give his defense, this time giving more details about why he wrote them a severe letter.

and in 2:5-11, Paul speaks candidly and personally about the hurt he experienced during that painful visit.

However, he also writes about love, forgiveness and reconciliation. In all honesty, the chapter break here seems to be misplaced as it is one train of thought and one argument from 1:23-2:4...

and a completely different topic starting at 2:5…which would be a better place to start a new chapter.

When we left off last week, Paul was building common ground with the CorinthiansGg.

He wasn’t putting himself on a pedestal or appealing to his own accomplishments, he was only appealing to God.

And that continues in in this first section. God established them in Christ, God anointed and sealed them, God put his Spirit in us...

And here Paul says, “God is my witness.” And the Corinthians stand firm in their faith in God.

Genesis 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

We’ve gone over Paul’s travel plans before. He was being accused of fickleness and double-mindedness because of his change in plans.

Last week we studied a theological defense of Paul’s plans…This week we see a pastoral defense.

Paul wanted to spare them…and spare himself…another painful visit. He also doesn’t want to be heavy handed in discipline.

He knows that the relationship between apostle and congregation is supposed to be a mutually beneficial relationship.

You can see the pastoral concern just dripping from these verses.

“Not that we lord it over you…that is, his authority, we work with you for your joy.”

“I didn’t want to make another painful visit and cause you more pain.” “If you are sad and pained, who will bring me joy?”

There is mutual benefit here - Paul’s joy is wrapped up in the Corinthians’ joy.

Paul has nailed the heart of the pastor/congregation relationship. some of my greatest joys are because of things that happen in your life.

Hearing your stories, seeing your prayers answers, seeing you grow…those things bring me joy.

But here Paul recognizes that they need a ‘cooling off period’ - the relationship isn’t joyful right now, it’s painful.

Take note of the ‘pain’ language here. v.1 - a painful visit…v.2 - if I cause you pain, who will comfort me in my pain?

Paul doesn’t want to suffer pain from ones who are supposed to bring him joy.

and look at

2 Corinthians 2:4 ESV

4 For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

In this verse we see Paul’s pastoral heart for this church. It didn’t bring him any joy to write a severe letter to them.

Look at how Paul describes it…through much affliction.

He was agonizing over the situation between them. He was deeply troubled over the situation with the Corinthians.

He goes on to say it was through ‘anguish of heart.’ The word used in the original Greek is a word used of a prison or a place of confinement.

Paul was feeling boxed in emotionally because of this situation.

Third, Paul says he wrote through a flood of tears…Maybe there were tears stains on the scroll as he wrote this severe letter to this beloved people.

So, why didn’t Paul return to Corinth as he originally promised? It was out of pastoral concern.

Vv23-24 give us Paul’s personal and pastoral reason. Paul and the Corinthians needed a ‘cooling off’ period. Negotiations weren’t going well, so both parties parted ways in order to come back with cooler heads.

Paul knew that if he made a return trip quickly on the heels of his previously made painful visit - it would have proven disastrous.

So Paul gave time and space, but in order to correct the errors that had occurred in Corinth, he wrote them a letter…and that so called severe letter was successful in bringing about change in the Corinthian church.

It was out of pastoral concern, not worldly thinking of fickleness, that led Paul to change his travel plans.

And in vv5-11, we get a little more information about the painful visit between Paul and the Corinthians…though not as much information as we would like, so there’s still a lot of speculation.

What most likely happened during Paul’s painful visit is this - During that visit, a member of the Corinthian church publicly humiliated Paul...

He falsely accused him, publicly berated and humiliated him. And what this section seems to suggest is the rest of the church sat back and watched it happen.

It was in response to that public humiliation and lack of backup, that Paul wrote the aforementioned severe letter.

The severe letter was successful in bringing about change in the congregation…that change being defending the apostle Paul.

In response to Paul’s severe letter, the church woke up and discipline the trouble maker from Paul’s previous visit.

But now, they have gone too far. They are dishing out too much discipline.

The original discipline they enacted on Paul’s accuser was successful in bringing about repentance in his life…but even there was repentance…the Corinthians were still meting out heavy-handed discipline.

In this paragraph Paul is telling them that the time of discipline is over and the time for forgiveness and reconciliation has come.

He’s not interested in rehashing the past…he doesn’t even mention the accuser’s name or what actually took place…again out of pastoral concern.

He wrote in order to correct…and it worked. The church took action, the accuser repented, but now Paul writes in 2:5-11 that the church needs to stop with the discipline and move to the next steps of forgiveness and reconciliation.

3. What does it Teach?

So that’s what the text says. Now, what does it all mean? What does it teach us?

Well, for the next few minutes I want to draw your attention to the connections of this passage.

Specifically the connection between love & discipline, discipline & forgiveness, forgiveness & reconciliation.

First, let’s look at love and discipline. They aren’t opposites…they are 2 sides of the same coin.

love & discipline,

discipline & forgiveness,

The Bible tells us that God disciplines those he loves. In the book of Hosea, God is portrayed as a pacing parent, agonizing over the need to discipline his children.

Hosea 11:8 ESV

8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender.

God disciplines those he loves. Isn’t this true in the parent/child relationship?

As parents, we discipline our children, not because they dared to defy us…we discipline, not to take our anger out on them.

We discipline out of love. We love our children so much that we can’t let certain behaviours or attitudes go unpunished.

We love our children, we want them to grow up with godly characteristics and habits...

We want them to grow in respect and empathy and be contributing members of society - and discipline isn’t working against those things, it is contributing to them.

And how is discipline enacted??? The way that God disciplines his children. Not heavy-handed. Aren’t you glad that God is not vengeful and hateful in his discipline of his children?

forgiveness & reconciliation.

Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t discipline us the way we sometimes discipline our children? I sure am!

This is a lesson I am slowly learning. It’s better to be firm yet loving in my discipline…not full of rage because someone dared to defy the boss.

That is, after all, how our Father in heaven disciplines us.

But the connection runs deeper. Because this passage also teaches us about the connection between discipline and forgiveness.

As noted, Paul’s severe letter to the Corinthians worked to stir up the church to correct and discipline the trouble maker.

And the discipline was successful in bring about repentance…but the discipline was continuing even though there was repentance.

In 2:5-11, Paul writes that just as discipline is carried out in love - forgiveness must also be offered and accepted.

He speaks personally - “I was personally hurt, but I have forgiven. Let him know that!”

The time for discipline is over - the time for forgiveness is at hand.

But even beyond forgiveness, Paul shows a connection between forgiveness and reconciliation.

And look at Paul’s reason for reconciliation - so they would not be outwitted by Satan.

2 Corinthians 2:11 ESV

11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

Paul knows the enemy’s game - he knows the enemy seeks to isolate and he seeks to divide.

Paul is concerned that if heavy-handed discipline continues, then the individual might become embittered towards the church...

but become embittered towards the gospel, towards Jesus even.

Paul doesn’t want Satan to get a foothold in the Corinthian church, so he urges them to seek forgiveness and reconciliation instead of continuing down the path of discipline.

Even though they went through a rough stretch, Paul sees them coming through it.

They responded to correction, their obedience was tested and they passed the test...

but now, in order for Satan not to get a foothold in the church, they now need to make forgiveness and reconciliation a priority in their church.

4. Application

So now the question is this, How do we apply this?

First - be aware of how the enemy works.

He seeks to divide…he seeks to pit one church family member against another family member.

He wants to sow division because he knows a divide house cannot stand. So to combat that, we must seek unity at all times.

That doesn’t mean we always have to 100% agree with each other - but we even in our disagreements we must fight for unity.

Even through tough stretches - we must be loving, forgiving and we must seek to reconcile with each other.

Know how the enemy works - We can’t be outwitted by him or allow him to get a foothold in here. Know his game and combat it.

Secondly, we must seek forgiveness for wrongs we have committed, and we must give forgiveness for wrongs committed against us.

We just prayed a very dangerous prayer…I think its one of the most dangerous prayers we can ever pray…forgive us as we forgive others.

Do we really want God to answer that one? It’s a dangerous prayer because we aren’t that good at forgiving sometimes.

But Jesus says in the paragraph immediately following the Lord’s Prayer in that to the measure we forgive, that’s how far our heavenly Father will forgive us.

As Christians we are to be a forgiving people. We have been forgiven so much.

A holy and perfect God has forgive us of our sins through faith in the blood of Jesus.

Think about the magnitude of that - We offended a holy God. We disobeyed his commands; we walked away from him; we sometimes have complete disregard for him.

But while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. And through the atoning blood of Jesus we can have our sins forgiven.

and when we realize the scope and magnitude of all that we have been forgiven…we should be willing to forgive the comparably petty grievances that others commit against us.

When we have wronged sometime, we must seek forgiveness. And we must grant forgiveness when it is asked of us. Forgive us, as we forgive others.

Which brings me to my last point of application this morning.

In the passage, Paul seems to be suggesting some sort of formal service of recognized reconciliation.

in the Corinthian situation, the offender needed to know he was forgiven. In order for the church to move forward, the offending party need assurance of forgiveness.

Let’s be real…we’ve all been hurt - We’ve all been wronged. And maybe you’ve said, “You’re forgiven” but you didn’t quite mean it.

Or the words were spoken, but a grudge was still held. Is that really forgiveness? How does the other party truly know you have forgiven them?

Well this section, and the Corinthian situation got me thinking this week…speaking forgiveness is one thing, showing forgiveness takes it to a whole other level!

How can we show people that we have truly forgiven them?

Paul seems to be suggesting some sort of public recognition that this offender was forgiven by the church.

How can we do the same? Well, if 2 people want time during a service to talk about the reconciling power of God in their relationship, just ask me, and I’ll give you time.

This isn’t to make a public spectacle of it, but to praise God for the ministry of reconciliation that took place.

If doing something publicly isn’t your thing - have your own private service of reconciliation. Have dinner or dessert or coffee together.

Sit with each other at church and worship together.

Instead of simply speaking forgiveness - demonstrate it!

5. For Next Week

For Next Week

5. For Next Week

Isn’t this an incredible passage?! Love leading to discipline when necessary.

Discipline leading to forgiveness when it’s properly worked out.

Forgiveness leading to reconciliation.

later on in 2 Corinthians Paul writes that we, as God’s people, are to be ministers of reconciliation.

This passage is a beautiful reminder of what we are to do and be about as God’s people - forgiving as we have been forgiven.

We forgive because we have been forgiven. We reconcile as a living example of God reconciling the world to himself through Christ.

For this week, feel free to read ahead. Read .

You’ll come across this stunning phrase - we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are perishing.

We’ll talk about the significance of that phrase next Sunday.