2 Corinthians 2:5-17

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
​Series: 2 Corinthians (Acts)

Rusty's Notes

A SINNER FORGIVEN
2 CORINTHIANS
5 If anyone has caused pain, he has caused pain not so much to me but to some degree—not to exaggerate—to all of you.

• Some believe Paul is referring to man in 1 Corinthians (10/12/20)
• 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 - It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even tolerated among the Gentiles—a man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Shouldn’t you be filled with grief and remove from your congregation the one who did this?[1]
• “Hand that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.” (v 5)
• Let him choose his own path.
• Logical negative consequences
• Sounds cruel…
• “destruction of the flesh” – Selfishness; his own strength.
• This no different than the “Cancel Culture”
• The difference is… you discuss the issue and give a chance for repentance and forgiveness to occur before you cut them off.

 

• Others believe that Paul is referring to someone who confronted Paul in a public situation.
• Then the division in the church caused people to choose sides.
• Opinions vs Truth
• This crushed Paul and possibly the reason for his severe and harsh letter that we don’t have.

6 This punishment by the majority is sufficient for that person.

• Not everyone participated in the punishment.
• Again, showing division the church.
• But sufficient because the man repented (changed his mind)

7 As a result, you should instead forgive and comfort him. Otherwise, he may be overwhelmed by excessive grief.

• Don’t give up on this man.
• “Cancel Culture” is cool until it is you getting cancelled.
• This is grace.
• All believers have received grace.
• Not all believers give grace.
• When you understand what has been given to you, then you are able to give to others.
• It is almost a way of measuring the spiritual maturity of a believer.
• If Jesus died for all sin and anyone who believes in Jesus can be forgiven for all their sin, then why shouldn’t we be able to forgive?
• We could easily go down a dark path of terrible sins that seem unforgiveable… but in Truth, we know they have already been dealt with at the cross.
• “excessive grief” – There are logical natural consequences that occur with sin.
• But consequences can still occur at the same time that grace and forgiveness is given.

8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.

• It’s OK to freely give love.
• Sometimes we want to protect who we give love to because it makes it seem like it is more valuable.
• I can love others because I have been loved much.
• The more love you give away… the more you have.
• Do you really think you don’t have enough love to give to your barber or salon person? Or your wait staff? Or your tax person?
• You have plenty of love because you have been loved much.
• It doesn’t make it any less worth… it actually does quite the opposite. It multiplies.
• What great love it is… to be able to look someone in the eye who has done you wrong and tell them “I love you”.

9 I wrote for this purpose: to test your character to see if you are obedient in everything.

• Paul refers to his severe letter he sent.
• He is still licking his wounds for sending it.

10 Anyone you forgive, I do too. For what I have forgiven—if I have forgiven anything—it is for your benefit in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.

• If you live in a state of unforgiveness… you are miserable.
• And the person you can’t forgive may have moved passed it.
• But you are still stuck in something you don’t have to be.
• Feelings and emotions occur… but you have the ability to impact them based upon what you believe.
• What you believe impacts what you do.

 

• This is the part of “church discipline” that rarely occurs.
• The relationship has been severed by actions.

 
A TRIP TO MACEDONIA
12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though the Lord opened a door for me, 13 I had no rest in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus. Instead, I said good-bye to them and left for Macedonia.

• Show map – (3rd Missionary Trip)
• Now, one thing I want you to think about with this passage is the fact that being right where you’re supposed to be in terms of ministry doesn’t mean that you’re always going to have emotional peace.
• In fact, at times, because you’re right where God has called you to be, you face some type of inner turmoil.
• What Paul does is he ends here, on a very tense moment in his life and ministry and it kind of leaves the tension hanging in the air.
• Then he’s going to go through a long section in the center of the book where he lays out a theological explanation of what authentic ministry looks like.
• Paul is saying, “As an authentic minister of Jesus Christ, I am under orders by God Himself, and God moves me around the world.”[2]

 
A MINISTRY OF LIFE OR DEATH
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place.

• Triumphal procession
• Rome defeated many regions/countries during this time period in history.
• The general who led the great defeat would come in on his chariot.
• Wagon loads of wealth from the defeated country
• Loads of armor of defeated warriors
• Slaves in chains from the defeated region
• Paintings of the region now claimed by the empire
• The Roman Army
• The Braves just won the World Series
• Paul is just following Christ through the world in His victory, and as he does that he is proclaiming the gospel.

 
15 For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

• “aroma” – Good and bad smells
• Wednesday night we had chicken sandwiches that were cooked over the open fire. Can you smell it?
• Yesterday, I got in my car sitting in garage with the trash cans that had Weds chicken scraps. Can you smell it?
• Two distinct and different smells.
• In these parades, they had incense burners walking along the route.
• To the Romans, it was the beautiful smell of victory.
• To the slaves in the parade it was the nasty smell of defeat.
• The blood sacrifices at the temple had an awful bloody smell but it was the sweet aroma of the sacrifice being made.
• The Gospel… it is a sweet aroma to those who believe and it makes sense… but to the rest of the world, it stinks.

16 To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life.

• In these parades, you had slaves who were taken captive but you also those who had been oppressed and were now liberated because of the defeat.
• Sometimes, when the gospel goes out, people don’t respond well.
• That’s why so much of 2 Corinthians is filled with Paul’s suffering.
• He is being persecuted for the cause of Christ.
• But, celebrating here, Paul says there are those who do respond positively.
• They are the ones who are being saved.
• Their whole lives are opening up in front of them.[3]

Who is adequate for these things?

• Paul questions who is qualified for what he does.
• Even himself… the man who once opposed Jesus… now celebrates Jesus.

17 For we do not market the word of God for profit like so many. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.[4]

• Paul was having to deal false teachers who were coming to town to pedal their message.
• These were false teachers.
• An issue Paul had to deal with on the regular in Corinth.
• “When we proclaim the Word of God, we are doing it in a way with real integrity.
• We are sincere proclaimers of the Word who are preaching the Word of God in the world as people who are sent by God.

God has sent us.”[5]

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (1 Co 5:1–2). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[3] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[4] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (2 Co 2:5–17). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.