2nd Corinthians 2:1-11 | The True Man of God’s Heart & Hurt of Church Discipline
We’re there in 2nd Corinthians 2. We’ve been going through the book of 2nd Corinthians. We’re going verse by verse, chapter by chapter through the book. We spent three weeks in chapter one. We’re going to spend a couple of weeks in chapter two and we’re going to look at verses one through eleven tonight.
To lay a little bit of the context, in 2nd Corinthians 2:23, Paul the Apostle had to address the fact that he was being attacked. He had told the Church in Corinth that he was going to be going there and then he decided not to go and they were saying that he was wishy-washy and that he was not someone that could be counted on. He used that as an illustration. Maybe you can’t count on me all the time but you can always count on God. 2nd Corinthians 1:23 “23 Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.”. He said the reason that I didn’t come is because I want to spare you. He said I wanted to help you and there were some issues I needed to deal with. That’s where we pick up in 2nd Corinthians 2:1.
Notice what he says “But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.”. See, the Apostle Paul was supposed to go to Corinth. The Church at Corinth had a lot of problems and issues that had to be dealt with. If you remember, 1st Corinthians was a very negative book. He was correcting all of these issues and problems. The Church kind of jerks the steering wheel from one extreme to another extreme. Now Paul states that he had another problem to deal with in 2nd Corinthians. There are 2 major themes in these first 11 verses and they go hand in hand. They connect. Next week we will look at the rest of the chapter which will shift into a different subject.
In the first 11 verses we see a theme of the heart of the Apostle Paul. And really it’s the heart of any true man of God who is a spiritual leader, whose job is to teach and preach the word of God. Then he explains the hurt of Church discipline and the problems that they’re having to now deal with as a result of Church discipline.
Number 1 – No true man of God enjoys correcting people. What we see in this passage is the Apostle Paul. He’s kind of letting us into his personal mindset, his psychology. And you’re seeing a little bit about how he feels. And I want you to notice the adjectives that he uses. In verses one through four he says “But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.”. The word heaviness means to be somber, to grieve, to be serious. He says that he wanted to come but he didn’t come because he had things to deal with. He didn’t want to come in heaviness. He already dealt with things in the first letter and now he has more things to deal with in the 2nd letter.
2nd Corinthians 2:2 “2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?”. He says that if he makes them sorry then who is going to make them glad. Notice verse 3 “3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice;…”. In verse 1 he says heaviness. In verse 3 he says sorrow. The word sorrow means distress or grief. He is saying that he should be rejoicing in them but instead he is sorrowing.
2nd Corinthians 2:3 “3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.”. Verse 4 “4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.”. The word affliction means a state of pain or misery. “4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.”.
See, the Apostle Paul is kind of allowing people into his personal space a little bit. He’s explaining to the Church at Corinth that when he wrote the first letter of the Corinthians and when he began to confront them about Church disciplines and all sorts of issues, it was in heaviness or sorrow. I want to let you know something that you probably aren’t aware of unless you are a Pastor or Pastor’s wife. I’ve Pastored enough future Pastors within our Church, starting five Churches now. I’ve trained enough guys who eventually became Pastors that I laid hands on. And I’ve had many of them say this to me after they were in ministry which is meant to be an encouragement but it isn’t encouraging when I hear it. After being in the ministry for about 6 months or so they’ll say something like this “I’m just now understanding what you were saying about ministry”. I’m thinking to myself “That means we have 150 people at Church that still don’t get it”.
I’m not picking on you. I understand you have other jobs and you’ve got other things you’re doing. Your life is not necessarily about dealing with these things. But if you would allow me just for a minute to help you understand something. No true man of God enjoys correcting people. My job as a Pastor is to stand up here three times a week, take the word of God and show you where you’re wrong and show you what needs to be corrected and show you where you need to fix some things. Sometimes I think people think that Pastors enjoy making people feel bad. Actually, whenever we have to correct things, it is done in sorrow and anguish and affliction. Realize that everybody likes to be liked including Pastors. When we have to reprove and rebuke, we worry about that some of those people will turn against us because of what we had to say.
Galatians 4:16 “16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”. That was a concern for Paul and to be honest it is with me too. No true man of God likes to correct people. Nobody in general likes to correct people because we all want to be liked. Other people at Church maybe approve of things you do and you think that I’m too harsh for saying no to certain things. And it makes me wonder sometimes “16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”. We talk about how it’s not fun to get your toes stepped on in Church. It’s not fun to get your face ripped off. But let me help you out with a little secret. It’s not fun on this end either to deliver the message. I have to deal with the awkward silence after the sermon and someone being mad at me. Realize that no true man of God enjoys correcting people.
It’s funny how you have these young preachers who want to go in to the ministry and they want to be the hardest preacher and everyone sermon ripping the sodomites. That is weird to only fixate on that one topic. Here’s the truth though. People that just get up and preach from time to time aren’t connected in the ministry and with these people and visiting them in the hospital and helping them with their marriage and tragedies. When you spend time with these people, you really start to care about them and develop relationships. You’re not going to enjoy getting up and correcting and rebuking. You’ll walk away asking this question “16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”.
Honestly I take some comfort in the words of the Apostle Paul. For the longest time I used to wonder if there was something wrong with me as a Pastor. I’m not trying to make this about me but I’ll just give you personal illustration. I wish you knew the countless Sunday nights and Wednesday nights that my wife and I stay up after a Sunday night service or Wednesday night service worried or stressed. Sometimes I would just lie on my carpet at my house like someone would lie on the couch or bed. We would put the kids to bed and I would lie on the floor and think of an issue that needed to be addressed and we wouldn’t let it continue any more. People that we loved but real issues and we knew what the Bible said to do. People hear me preach on the issue and often times they think it is directed to them or I’m mad at them but it could be somebody else that I’m talking about. But people think that I take joy in preaching those things but it’s actually in heaviness, sorrow, affliction, anguish and tears. Because no true man of God enjoys correcting people.
By the way, nobody likes to correct people. This is why false prophets will never preach anything negative. Romans 16:17-18 “17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”. Notice that these false prophets have “good words and fair speeches”. People come to a Church like this and think that if I preach something negative then I don’t like them but that is actually proof that I do care. If I was only trying to get as many people in the building as possible or as many people watching on YouTube as possible then I would just only say good words and fair speeches and deceive the hearts of the simples.
If you have ever heard a televangelist, you will never hear them say anything negative or reprove or rebuke. They just want people to like them because they want money. They just want popularity. 2nd Timothy 4:3 “3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;”. Notice in verse 4 “4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”. There are people out there today who want to go to a Church where they will be lied to. There are many preachers willing to lie to them. False prophets will never preach anything negative. Why? Because nobody likes to correct. Everybody wants to be liked.
When you actually correct people, it brings mental stress. Sometimes people tell me about something and I am glad they do and it’s my job to deal with it but I kind of think “I wish you hadn’t told me that because now I have to deal with it. Now I have to confront them.”. We’re a Bible-believing Church but please know this, when Pastor Jimenez corrects you, when Ms. Joanne steps in and says no because I told her no, it’s not because we are on a power trip.
2nd Corinthians 2:4 “4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.”. You say “Pastor Jimenez, why would a preacher whose entire job consists of trying to get people to come here and preach things which risk causing that person to leave?”. One reason. Love. We actually love you. Because we actually care about you. See, Paul said Paul talked about the affliction and anguish and sorrow and tears “that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.”. Maybe you’re here and you say “I’ve been offended by you Pastor.”. Then you ought to know I love you. Because it would have been easier to not say it. It would have been easier if I let you ruin your life, let you ruin your marriage, let you ruin your children. That actually would have been easier, less stressful, less anguish, less awkwardness, less wondering. You preach hard and wonder “Are they going to leave? Are they going to get upset?”. It would have been easier not to preach it.
2nd Corinthians 12:15 “15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.”. See, why would a true man of God actually preach and correct? Here’s why we do it. Out of love. There’s really no other reason. There’s really no benefit to us for you to be upset with us but love. People will get mad at me but like the staff and I think it’s humorous because they wouldn’t like them if they preached 3 times a week either. Paul said “15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you;”. This is the heart of a preacher. I’ll give my time and life and energy. But here is the reality “though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.”.
Proverbs 27:5 “5 Open rebuke is better than secret love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”. So you know what? A friend tells you what you don’t want to hear and they’re faithful. A friend tells you what you need to hear and they’re faithful. People like Judas are scary who give you a kiss while deceiving you and lying and back stabbing. Proverbs 27:6 “6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”. True men of God don’t like to correct. And those of you that think you’re getting into the ministry someday because you’re going to get up and rip face, you ought to really reconsider if this is really what you want to do. Why? Because it’s not fun. Preaching the nice sermons are fun. Preaching the sermons where you rip a sin that no one is guilty of are fun. But that doesn’t help you. It helps you when it applies to you, when it’s brought down and applied to you. No true man of God enjoys correcting people. True men of God will correct because of love.
In this first section, the Apostle Paul talks about his heart. He uses these adjectives of heaviness, sorrow, affliction, anguish, tears. He said I don’t like it. I worry about it. I know what needs to be addressed and I know I am accountable to God to proclaim it but I don’t like it. But Paul did it out of love.
Then he begins to talk about Church discipline and he begins to talk about the hurt of Church discipline. That’s why he had to correct them. And just to give you the context or to remind you, in 1st Corinthians 5:1 he says “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.”. Paul wrote this because of a young man at the Church guilty of this that needed to be dealt with.
Let me just talk to you about Church discipline for a minute. Because this is what Paul is dealing with. This is one of the things he had to correct them on. He corrected them in 1st Corinthians about it and he has to correct them on the same issue in 2nd Corinthians. In this chapter we see the heart of a man of God and we see the hurt of Church discipline.
Realize this. Church discipline is supposed to hurt. 2nd Corinthians 2:5 “5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.”. Look at verse 6 “6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.”. The doctrine of Church discipline or the practice of Church discipline has all but disappeared off the face of the earth. There are very few Churches that actually practice and believe in Church discipline. We believe it because we believe the Bible. We believe every bit of it. People think it’s harsh but let’s see what the Bible says.
1st Corinthians 5:4 “4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,”. Notice then what it says in verse 5 regarding Church disciplines. “5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”. When someone is Church disciplined out of a
Bible-believing Church, one thing that we’re supposed to do is pray imprecatory prayers against them. I don’t do this because I enjoy it because honestly it isn’t fun. But it says to pray that Satan destroys this young man’s life and he does not prosper and he does not succeed.
Notice verse 6. “6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”. This is the danger of allowing sin into a Church. So what do we do about it? Verse 7 “7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.”.
He’s not talking about unsaved people out in the world. He is talking about within the Church. Verse 11 “11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”.
Some people think that is mean to say you can’t company with them or spend time with them or pray for Satan to destroy their flesh. Realize we aren’t talking about these people going to hell but we are praying that Satan would destroy their flesh. See, Church discipline is supposed to hurt. It’s called a punishment for a reason. Why should this be preached on. We need young people at our Church scared to death to go down that road of being a drunkard or fornicating and these sins. You need to know that you have a Pastor who actually believes the Bible and though it hurts me, though it sorrows me, though it afflicts me, though it brings me anguish, though I stay up late at night thinking about it and praying about it and talking to my wife about it, I will do what the Bible tells me to do. Why? Because I love you. That’s why. It’s supposed to hurt. I want my kids to be afraid to fornicate. I want my kids to be afraid to take a bottle of alcohol and put it to their lips. I want them to be afraid. I want your kids to be afraid. I want to be afraid. I want you to be afraid. It’s supposed to hurt. Church discipline is supposed to hurt so that would be afraid to do it. It’s called a punishment for a reason.
Number two – Church discipline is supposed to be carried out by everyone. This is often the times when you feel lonely in ministry, when you as a Pastor are by faith carrying out the scriptures and sometimes you feel like people are fighting against you. Notice what he says in 2nd Corinthians 2:6 “6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.”. People think that Church disciplines means that I won’t talk to them but they can freely still fellowship with that person. The Bible says “which was inflicted of many.”.
See, here’s the thing about Church. It’s Church discipline. you’re supposed to do it too. You’re supposed to not keep company. You’re supposed to put away from among yourselves. You’re supposed to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh. Look, I’ll be honest with you, there are people that I am praying for like that right now. I’m not talking about reprobates. But people that I love and I’m praying for that have gone wayward. Here is what we pray “Lord, do whatever you got to do in their lives and do it as gently as possible to bring them back to you.”. We pray like that because we love you and we pray like that when you are backsliding into these major sins. Not every sin will get you kicked out of Church but there is a list in this passage. Church discipline is supposed to be carried out by everyone. It is a punishment which was inflicted of many.
And by the way, it only works if it’s carried out by many. Why do you want it to be carried out by many? Because we want it to hurt. Why do you want it to hurt? Here’s point number three. Number 1 – Church discipline is supposed to hurt. Number 2 – Church discipline is supposed to be carried out by everyone. Number 3 – Church discipline is supposed to lead to restoration. 2nd Corinthians 2:7 “7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.”. This young man was in fornication and the Church knew about it. They were allowing it. Nobody was stopping it. Nobody was confronting him.
The result is that Paul out of sorrow, grief and anguish pends a letter to the Church. He tells them that this is commonly reported and they can’t allow it and they have to throw them our and get rid of them. Then here is what happened. That guy got right with God and came back to Church. The result was that the Church didn’t want to forgive him and accept him.
2nd Corinthians 2:6 “6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. 7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.”. He is telling them that it is good that this punishment was inflicted by man but now you need to forgive him. They shouldn’t look down on him and hold that against him and treat him like a 2nd class citizen.
See, when somebody repents and they get right with God, we shouldn’t look down on them and treat them like some sort of a second-class citizen. That’s not what Paul wanted. “8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. 9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.”. You know the truth about Christian maturity is when you start to follow the things of the Bible you don’t want to do. You don’t want to do it but you do it because that is what the Bible says.
Verse 10 “10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;”. See, Church discipline is supposed to hurt and Church discipline is supposed to be carried out by everyone. But Church discipline is supposed to lead to restoration. We want people restored. We want them to come back. We want them to be back in fellowship with us and with God. We’re not guided by our emotions. If we were guided by our emotions then we wouldn’t correct ever because it would just be mental stress. Don’t trust your emotions of follow your heart.
2nd Corinthians 2:11 “11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”. Obviously you could preach a lot about this verse of Satan being a deceived and tempter. But I want you to understand the verse in its context. Paul talked about when he corrected them that he didn’t enjoy it. It brought stress to his life. He did it because he loved them. Then they punished the young man and the young man gets right. Paul didn’t want to come to Corinth and have to rebuke.
What does all of that have to do with Satan? Well here is the thing. Satan would love for any Christian to be imbalanced. And by the way, I don’t have time to preach this but let me just kind of help you out. The Christian life is all about balance. It’s consistently taught throughout the Bible. I mean you look at finances and the prayer we’re told to pray in proverbs is give me not riches and neither give me poverty. He said he doesn’t want to be rich and forget God or be poor and take God’s name in vain. Jesus was full of grace and truth. Let me just say that we are supposed to speak the truth in love. The Christian life is supposed to be a life of balance.
That’s why it’s inappropriate and imbalanced when your whole life is just 1 issue. Some people just want to preach on the sodomites but we need a balance. Some people read the Bible but never go soulwinning. Some people go soulwinning but never pray. The Christian life is supposed to be balance. We are supposed to be “perfect” or complete according to the word of God. There shouldn’t be just 1 hobby horse you care about For example, if you go soulwinning every day but you don’t read the Bible, don’t tithe, don’t pray then it is imbalance. We’re supposed to do all of it and be balanced.
Paul is telling the Church that Satan would love for this Church to be imbalanced. 1 extreme was letting anything go. 1st Corinthians 5:1 “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.”. Notice what he says about them in verse 2 “2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.”. Verse 6 “6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”.
This Church in 1st Corinthians was allowing any sin. The average Church in America in today’s world prides themselves on accepting everybody no matter what. They accept drunkards, pedophiles, fornicators. Then they will glory in that person and talk about how great they are. Well, that is part of Satan getting an advantage on us because we aren’t imbalanced. Satan would love for Churches to be on this extreme.
But there is another extreme as well. What was the other extreme? They were too harsh. Too mean. Unforgiving. That’s an extreme as well that we don’t want to be. We have to be willing to forgive and restore at some point. Otherwise Satan is getting an advantage on us because we aren’t balanced. What does that mean? That means that we deal with sin when it needs to be dealt with in a biblical way. And it means that we forgive and restore when people are ready to repent and get right with God.
Some people get this idea “I’m a Fundamentalist so I don’t have to forgive anybody.”. Well, you’ve just fallen for one of Satan’s devices. Because here is what the Bible says “Mark 11:25 “25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”. If you want to be a follower of Jesus Christ, the Bible commands you to forgive. There’s no other option. You don’t get to choose if you want to forgive. As a follower of Christ, God commands you to forgive. In fact, God takes it so seriously that if we want daily forgiveness from God then we need to forgive those who wronged us. God says that if you refuse to get the beam out of your own eye then he will treat us in the same way. Of course as a saved person you won’t lose your salvation but in this life God will punish you.
Ephesians 4:32 “32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”. The Father has forgiven me through the blood of Christ. If he did that for me then I shouldn’t hold anything over anyone and I should be willing to forgive. All I’m saying is that Paul said “11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”. If you won’t forgive then you have fallen for one of the devices of Satan. God will now deal with you as you deal with other people.
What are we supposed to do? Have a life of balance. This is how you run a proper Church. You’re strong on preaching, correction, punishment, sin. However, you’re quick to forgive and love and restore. By the way, that’ll be good parenting. That’ll help you run a good business. That’ll be good friendship. This will help in every area of life.
Let’s pray.