2:5-11 What do we learn from what Paul says here and who is the offending person?
2:5-11 What do we learn from what Paul says here and who is the offending person?
This teaches us the biblical process for disciplining Christians involved in sin that could destroy the church if allowed to continue, and their subsequent forgiveness and restoration to fellowship. The church must discipline offending members to preserve its integrity and to bring the offenders to repentance (CP Ro 16:17-18; 1Cor 5:1-8, 13; 2Cor7:10; Eph 5:11-12; 2Th 3:6; 1Ti 5:20).
The Corinthian church had disciplined the offender in 2Cor 2:5-11, and he had obviously repented, but the church had not yet forgiven him. Paul urged them to do so immediately and reaffirm their love for him. Otherwise, he could be so overwhelmed by sorrow that he might never recover from it and so be lost to Christianity forever.
That would give Satan an advantage over the church. Satan could lead the man into apostasy and hell, or the church itself into hardness of heart towards offending members.
Many in the contemporary church believe that the person referred to in 2Cor 2:5-11 is the incestuous man Paul commanded to be excommunicated from fellowship in 1Cor 5:1-8 and 13, and there are well considered reasons for this view, but whether or not that is correct is irrelevant here. It is more important to know the biblical process the church must follow if there is sin in its midst that could destroy it (CP 1Cor 5:1-8, 13).
Any church that tolerates sexual immorality in its midst, and sadly, there are many, will find its evil influence will spread throughout the fellowship and eventually corrupt the whole church (CP Josh 6:18; 7:1; Rev 2:12-17, 18-29). See also comments on 1Cor 5:1-5 and 1Cor 5:6-8.