Albert Barnes Commentary 2 Corinthians 2:7

"so that contrariwise ye should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his overmuch sorrow." — 2 Corinthians 2:7 (ASV)

So that contrariwise. On the other hand; on the contrary. That is, instead of continuing the punishment. Since the punishment was sufficient, and has achieved its purpose of bearing your testimony against the offense and bringing him to repentance, you should again admit him to your communion.

You should rather forgive him. Rather than continue the pain and disgrace of excommunication. It follows from this:

1. That the proper time for restoring an offender is only when the punishment has achieved the purpose for which it was designed; that is, it has shown the just abhorrence of the church against the sin and has reformed the offender.
2. That when that is done, the church should forgive the offending brother and admit him again to their fellowship.

When it can be determined that the punishment has been effective in reforming him may depend somewhat on the nature of the offense. In this case, it was sufficiently shown by his putting away his wife and by the manifestations of sorrow.

So, in other cases, it may be shown by a man abandoning a course of sin and reforming his life. If he has been unjust, by his repairing the evil; if he has been pursuing an unlawful business, by abandoning it; if he has pursued a course of vice, by his forsaking it and by giving satisfactory evidence of sorrow and of reformation for a period sufficiently long to show his sincerity.

The time required in each case must depend, of course, somewhat on the nature of the offense, the previous character of the individual, the temptations to which he may be exposed, and the disgrace he may have brought on his Christian calling. It is to be observed, also, that then his restoration is to be regarded as an act of forgiveness (from the Greek charisasthai, related to charis, meaning favor, grace) on the part of the church.

It is not a matter of justice or of claim on his part, for having once dishonored his calling, he has forfeited his right to a good standing among Christians. Instead, it is a matter of favor, and he should be willing to humble himself before the church and make suitable acknowledgment for his offenses.

And comfort him. There is every reason to think that this man became a sincere penitent. If so, he must have been deeply pained at the remembrance of his sin, the dishonor he had brought on his profession, and the consequences in which he had been involved.

In this deep distress, Paul tells them that they should comfort him. They should receive him kindly, as God receives a penitent sinner to His favor. They should not cast out his name as evil; they should not reproach him for his sins; they should not harrow up his recollection of the offense by often referring to it. They should be willing to bury it in lasting forgetfulness and treat him now as a brother.

It is a duty of a church to treat a true penitent with kindness and receive him into their affectionate embrace. The offense should be forgiven and forgotten. The consolations of the gospel, adapted to the condition of penitents, should be freely administered; and everything possible should be done to make the offender, when penitent, happy and useful in the community.

Lest perhaps such a one. Still refraining from mentioning his name; still showing toward him the utmost tenderness and delicacy.

Should be swallowed up, etc. This means he should be overcome with grief and be rendered incapable of usefulness by his excessive sorrow. This is a strong expression, denoting intensity of grief. We speak of a man being drowned in sorrow, or overwhelmed with grief, or of grief preying upon him. The figure here is probably taken from deep waters or from a whirlpool that seems to swallow up anything that comes within its reach.

Excessive grief or calamity in the Scriptures is often compared to such waters. See Psalm 124:2-5: If it had not been the LORD who was on our side when men rose up against us, then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us; then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul; then the proud waters had gone over our soul. See also Psalm 69:1: Save me, O God, for the waters are come into my soul. Paul feared that, by excessive grief, the offending brother would be destroyed. His life would waste away under the effect of his excommunication and disgrace, and the remembrance of his offense would prey upon him and sink him to the grave.