Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 Corinthians 2:11

"that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his devices." — 2 Corinthians 2:11 (ASV)

Paul here aligns himself with the Corinthian decision to forgive the person in question—a decision he trusts they will make after receiving the present letter. But he hastens to add that he has already forgiven the man—if, in fact, there was anything to forgive. Clearly it was Paul, not the Corinthians, who had taken the initiative in this matter of forgiveness.

Verse 10 affords perhaps the clearest evidence that the offense was basically a personal act of effrontery against Paul rather than some act of immorality in the church. There was need for Paul’s personal forgiveness, although, in deference to the penitent offender’s feelings, he discounts the personal pain he himself experienced (v.5) and deliberately understates the seriousness of the offense (v.10) lest anyone imagine that he considered himself virtuous in granting forgiveness so readily.

The circumstances and purpose of Paul’s forgiveness are then defined. First, forgiveness was granted “in the sight of Christ,” i.e., as Christ looked on as a witness and approved—the One who taught that willingness to forgive one’s brother was a precondition for receiving divine forgiveness (Matthew 5:12, 14–15; 18:23–35; cf. Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13). Moreover, forgiveness was granted for the welfare of the Corinthians (“for your sake”), i.e., to preserve their unity and to relieve them of their patent embarrassment at not having acted against the offender before Paul wrote to them. Verse 11 states an additional but related purpose: to avoid being outwitted by the master strategist, Satan, who hoped to create discord within the church at Corinth, either between the church at large and a dissident minority or between the repentant wrongdoer and his fellow Christians. To withhold forgiveness when the man was repentant was to play into Satan’s hands, who already had gained one advantage when the man sinned. There is a point at which punishment can become purely vindictive (cf. v.6) and suffering a penalty can drive one to despair (v.7; Colossians 3:21). While Christian discipline does include punishment administered in love, it is not simply retributive or punitive; it is also remedial or reformatory (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:5; 11:32; 2 Corinthians 7:9–10; 2 Corinthians 13:10). It aims at reinstatement after repentance, through forgiveness and reconciliation.