2 Corinthians 2:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Here the Apostle commands not only that the imposed punishment be released, but also raises the guilty man to his former state.

For if someone punishes the guilty and simply lets him go without any consolation, he does him no good.

But see again how the Apostle restrains the guilty man, lest, after receiving forgiveness, he become worse.

He shows him that although he confessed his sin and repented of it, nevertheless he receives forgiveness not so much for repentance as by mercy and condescension.

Therefore he says, "so that you should rather forgive and comfort him."

This is also evident from the words that follow. "I permit you to forgive the guilty man," he says, "not because he is worthy of this, or because he has shown sufficient repentance, but because he is weak."

"So that you should rather forgive and comfort him." Do not only remove the censure, he says, but grant him something more and comfort him.

That is, restore him and heal him, as one who has punished someone would not merely release him, but would also take care to heal his wounds.

He rightly said, "you should rather forgive." Lest the man think he receives forgiveness because he has confessed sufficiently and repented enough, the Apostle shows that he receives it not so much for repentance as by their condescension.

"Lest he be swallowed up by excessive sorrow." You must receive him, comfort him, and heal him, he says.

Otherwise he may be swallowed up as by some beast, or by waves, or by a storm.

On the contrary, comfort him from the grief and sorrow by which he has been struck, after we first left him alone. Otherwise such a one, or anyone like him in the torment of conscience, might be swallowed up by the excessive sorrow that has arisen in him.

Finally, concerning one who repented after fornication, the Apostle said: "On the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him. If you forgive anyone anything, I also forgive" (2 Cor. 2:7, 10). And lest we think that a man's gift should be despised, he added: "For if I have forgiven anything, to whom I have forgiven it, I have done so for your sake in the presence of Jesus Christ" (v. 10). The gifts of Christ are diverse.

The Apostle Paul commands that the man who committed incest by taking his father's wife should now be called back.

He had already been condemned, rejected, and made to suffer.

Paul does this so that the man would not see himself reviled and despised for too long, growing ever more despairing of himself.

Otherwise he might again turn his soul toward the world of desire, as though there were never any place for him beside God.

For this is what it means to be swallowed up by excessive sorrow. It means to despair of the possibility of conversion and again allow sins.

Then, burdened by these latter sins, a man is swallowed up by the second death.

For true repentance exists when sin has already been rejected. A man's grief over himself is proved by abstaining from what is sinful.

The Apostle showed the power of repentance by calling it "much sorrow." Likewise he calls the remission of sins grace, showing that sin exceeds repentance. He also depicted the zeal of the Corinthians, for he said, "Sufficient for such a one is this punishment from many." All began to turn away from the one who had sinned, as the Apostle commanded. Such power this tentmaker had even in his writing, because of the divine power dwelling in him. By "being swallowed up" he meant despair and complete apostasy from the faith.

He will be swallowed up. By "being swallowed up" he meant despair and complete apostasy from the faith (Theodoret).

"Here the Apostle commands not only that the imposed punishment be released, but also that the guilty man be restored to his former state.

For if someone punishes the guilty and simply lets him go without any consolation, he does him no good.

But see again how the Apostle restrains the guilty man, lest, after receiving forgiveness, he become worse.

Although the guilty man confessed his sin and repented of it, the Apostle lets him see that he receives forgiveness not so much for repentance as by mercy and condescension.

For this reason he says, 'that you should forgive and comfort him.' This is also evident from the words that follow.