One Sunday morning, a cowboy entered a church just as the service began. It was an upscale church, with people dressed to the nines. The cowboy had on his best jeans and a clean shirt. His cowboy hat and the Bible in hand were both worn.
When the cowboy took a seat, it was obvious he was unwelcome. People moved away, appalled by his appearance. After church, the preacher approached him and asked him for a favor: “Before you come back to church here again, ask God what He thinks would be appropriate attire for worship.” The cowboy told the preacher he would be sure to do that.
The following Sunday morning he returned, wearing the same clothes. Again, people shunned him. After church, the preacher approached the cowboy and said, “I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church.”
The cowboy replied, “I did.”
Taken aback, the preacher asked, “Well, if you spoke to God, what did He say you should wear to worship here?”
“Well, sir,” said the cowboy, “God told me He didn’t have a clue, that He had never been in this church.”
This fictional (and biting) story illustrates a danger for churches. One of the most dangerous situations in the church is when requirements and expectations are placed on people that God Himself doesn’t require or expect. This was the situation in the church at Corinth, at least with one individual. The church acted as though his sincere repentance wasn’t enough, that he was unworthy to return to their fellowship.
When sinners repent, God forgives, and that forgiveness also should be extended by the church. However, at Corinth, repentance was not enough. From this passage, consider simple steps to avoid making the same mistake.
Emphasize repentance. Scripture is clear: a person must repent to follow Christ. Repentance stems from a changed mind that leads to changed behavior. Another way to describe repentance is turning away from something, and in terms of Christianity, making an about-face from sin and self to God (in faith).
Repentance and faith are inseparable, two sides of the same coin. You must repent and exercise faith to become a Christian. However, we do not leave repentance behind when we become believers. Repentance continues for life.
We are not sure of the identity of this nameless individual Paul described. However, it seems logical Paul might have been referring to the man identified in 1 Corinthians 5 who was a professing Christian living in unrepentant sexual immorality. His behavior became a scandal in the church. Paul challenged the church to exercise discipline and put this individual out of their fellowship — not because he was a sinner, but because he was a professing brother whose lifestyle indicated otherwise.
Whether this is the same man described in 2 Corinthians 2 ultimately doesn’t matter. The point is the church had inflicted discipline, and according to verse 6, the punishment had been sufficient. The individual repented, and no further punishment was needed. The church made the difficult decision (verse 6) to do something to help a fellow believer see his need for repentance, and their actions led to repentance. Emphasizing the need for repentance led to repentance.
Embrace restoration. Though this individual had repented, the Corinthian congregation continued to keep him at arm’s length. Rather than welcoming him back into fellowship, they gave him “the cold shoulder.” Perhaps they held his sin over his head. Maybe they approached him with cynicism, suspicion, and scorn. In verses 7-8, Paul urged the Corinthians to forgive him, comfort him, and confirm their love toward him.
Forgive. Forgiveness means we stop bringing failures up. While we may be unable to forget what took place, we choose to leave failures in the past and under the blood of Christ.
Comfort. The Greek word translated comfort in verse 7 is the same word used many times in 2 Corinthians to describe the Holy Spirit, the Great Comforter. Here, Paul reminded the Corinthians that while God is the source of all comfort, He uses His people to extend that comfort.
Confirm. The word used in verse 8 means to validate or confirm something publicly. Of course, individuals in the church needed to express their love privately, but it is possible Paul was calling for public, corporate affirmation of fellowship. Verse 10 makes it clear forgiveness is between the individual and the Lord. However, Paul also made it clear God expects us to forgive others. The basis of our forgiveness — and our motivation to forgive — is found in the person of Jesus (verse 10). We follow His example in restoration.
Galatians 6:1-2 reminds us, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
The word restore is sometimes used to describe setting a broken bone or mending a net. It communicates the idea of not only mending the broken but returning it to its original purpose. Repentant sinners need restoration so they can start living productive lives for God once again.
Does this mean a fallen individual will be restored to the same positions within the church? Not always. Sin carries consequences, sometimes practical consequences. For example, if a man has sinned by habitual repetitive anger (or even violence) toward his children, though genuinely repentant to his children, wife, and Lord, it still may not be in his best interest (or the best interest of the church) to allow that man to work with children on Wednesday nights.
Beyond practical consequences, however, restoration does mean renewed fellowship. Paul provided two important reasons for the church to restore the repentant: first, to keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Second, lack of restoration can give Satan an advantage in the church. Paul made it clear failure to forgive this transgressor would be succumbing to the schemes of Satan. The devil has many devices. One is to hold past sins over people as the “accuser of the brethren.” Let’s not take up the same occupation. Where there is genuine repentance, may we also offer genuine forgiveness as a congregation.
How did the church at Corinth respond? While we hope they took Paul’s command to heart and welcomed the brother back, we simply don’t know. We don’t have a third epistle to the Corinthians. Yet, if the Corinthians did what was right, they forgave the man, comforted him, and confirmed their love toward him. Regardless of the sin, when there is true repentance, genuine forgiveness should follow.
Do you find it hard to forgive? Maybe it seems impossible to forgive and comfort someone who strayed in some horrific way, or who hurt you personally but later repented. Maybe you think it is your job to remind them of past mistakes by your attitude and spirit.
If so, take a moment to recall the familiar parable of the prodigal in the Gospel of Luke. The younger son asked for his inheritance, left home, and squandered the money through an immoral, unrestrained lifestyle. However, when he reached the end of the money and the end of himself, he made the decision to return home. A beautiful story of repentance and restoration follows — a picture of how God seeks and saves the lost. The father in the story ran to his son, hugged him, kissed him, and threw a party to celebrate his return.
But the older son would have none of it.
This older son represents the Pharisees in the crowd listening to Jesus tell the parable. They refused to rejoice over the repentance of people they deemed unworthy: prostitutes, publicans, and other outcasts. I pray this older son does not represent us! Sadly, sometimes the cruelest people in the world are those who think they hold the religious “high ground.”
Do you refuse to forgive those who have been forgiven by God? Jesus is not a friend of sin, but He is a Friend of sinners. How can we be anything less? Repentance is enough.
About the Columnist: Dr. Barry Raper pastors Bethel FWB Church near Ashland City, Tennessee, and teaches ministry at Welch College.
