Restore the Brother or Sister - Study 2/9/12
Restore the Brother or Sister
How long is enough for the “dog house”? It is jokingly spoken about when a family member is kept out of the family house and to be punished by sleeping outside in the dog house. It may sound like a joke but sometimes it looks like we intentionally and unintentionally keep those who have offended us in a permanent “dog house”. Dog house is for repentance and after that there should be reconciliation and restoration. I have been in the dog house before and I know how it feels. You too may have been there or are there right now.
Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians, “It is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement” (2 Corinthians 2: 7). Yes, it is time we forgive that one who has sinned against us individually and as a body. There are consequences if we do not as Apostle Paul will tell the Corinthians. The devil loves it when we refuse to forgive and restore a brother or sister. We should not be ignorant of the devil’s schemes or device of making people pay with the last drop of blood. Can you let someone out of the “dog house” today?
2 Corinthians 2 (NLT)
1 So I decided that I would not bring you grief with another painful visit. 2 For if I cause you grief, who will make me glad? Certainly not someone I have grieved. 3 That is why I wrote to you as I did, so that when I do come, I won’t be grieved by the very ones who ought to give me the greatest joy. Surely you all know that my joy comes from your being joyful. 4 I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn’t want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you.
5 I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. 6 Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. 7 Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. 8 So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.
9 I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. 10 When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, 11 so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.
12 When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me. 13 But I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn’t yet arrived with a report from you. So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him.
14 But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. 15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?
17 You see, we are not like the many hucksters[a] who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Apostle Paul in vs.1-4 concludes for now his explanation of why he could not visit the Corinthians as he had planned. He did not want to cause them sorrow and pain. He had already written them a painful Letter (1 Corinthians). It was necessary but at the same time it was hard truth for the Corinthians. We must not stay away from saying the hard truths to the ones we love but in love.
2. Paul now goes on to deal with one of the painful things the Corinthians had suffered. We are not sure exactly what the brother’s sin is but whatever it was, he was ex-communicated and sent away from the fellowship. Some think it is the event of 1 Corinthians 5 where a man had been sleeping with his father’s wife. Others think that it was a public insult or humiliation of Paul on one of his visits to Corinth. Whatever it may be, there had been an offense.
3. Paul now says, enough. “6 Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. 7 Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. 8 So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him” vs. 6-8. Apparently, the brother must have repented and now seeking fellowship back with the Corinthians. The main reason is not to discourage the repented brother. When one is discouraged for a prolonged period, the next thing is the person looses hope. We need hope to stay alive because that is what draws us to God through faith (Hebrews 11:1).
4. This is the devil’s scheme vs.11: “Focus on your brother and sister to destroy him or her. Never remember that me the devil is behind it all and causing all the havoc”. Paul would write” 12 For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Let us recognize the real enemy and resist him by running to God in prayer for ourselves and for the one who has sinned against us.
Forgiveness does always mean reconciliation. We should forgive at all times as Jesus forgave us. Reconciliation comes when one has repented. Godly sorrow produces repentance (2 Corinthians 7: 9-10). For the one who has repented, we must forgive, restore and reconcile. “I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him (or her)” vs.8. This is so necessary in our marriages and family relationships of today.
We are tempted to feel we have a right when we have been offended and sinned against. We tend to look down on the other but really we may be a step away from offending someone else in a similar way. “1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer[a] is overcome by some sin, you who are godly[b] should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself” (Galatians 6:1)
May God help us to forgive and restore and reconcile in Jesus name. Amen. Do you have someone you need to restore to the right fellowship with you or the body of Christ? May we never let this person be discouraged and give up. If we are the offending party may God’s grace be sufficient for us to repent and seek reconciliation.
How long is enough for the “dog house”? It is jokingly spoken about when a family member is kept out of the family house and to be punished by sleeping outside in the dog house. It may sound like a joke but sometimes it looks like we intentionally and unintentionally keep those who have offended us in a permanent “dog house”. Dog house is for repentance and after that there should be reconciliation and restoration. I have been in the dog house before and I know how it feels. You too may have been there or are there right now.
Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians, “It is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement” (2 Corinthians 2: 7). Yes, it is time we forgive that one who has sinned against us individually and as a body. There are consequences if we do not as Apostle Paul will tell the Corinthians. The devil loves it when we refuse to forgive and restore a brother or sister. We should not be ignorant of the devil’s schemes or device of making people pay with the last drop of blood. Can you let someone out of the “dog house” today?
2 Corinthians 2 (NLT)
1 So I decided that I would not bring you grief with another painful visit. 2 For if I cause you grief, who will make me glad? Certainly not someone I have grieved. 3 That is why I wrote to you as I did, so that when I do come, I won’t be grieved by the very ones who ought to give me the greatest joy. Surely you all know that my joy comes from your being joyful. 4 I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn’t want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you.
5 I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. 6 Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. 7 Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. 8 So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.
9 I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. 10 When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, 11 so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.
12 When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me. 13 But I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn’t yet arrived with a report from you. So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him.
14 But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. 15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?
17 You see, we are not like the many hucksters[a] who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Apostle Paul in vs.1-4 concludes for now his explanation of why he could not visit the Corinthians as he had planned. He did not want to cause them sorrow and pain. He had already written them a painful Letter (1 Corinthians). It was necessary but at the same time it was hard truth for the Corinthians. We must not stay away from saying the hard truths to the ones we love but in love.
2. Paul now goes on to deal with one of the painful things the Corinthians had suffered. We are not sure exactly what the brother’s sin is but whatever it was, he was ex-communicated and sent away from the fellowship. Some think it is the event of 1 Corinthians 5 where a man had been sleeping with his father’s wife. Others think that it was a public insult or humiliation of Paul on one of his visits to Corinth. Whatever it may be, there had been an offense.
3. Paul now says, enough. “6 Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. 7 Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. 8 So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him” vs. 6-8. Apparently, the brother must have repented and now seeking fellowship back with the Corinthians. The main reason is not to discourage the repented brother. When one is discouraged for a prolonged period, the next thing is the person looses hope. We need hope to stay alive because that is what draws us to God through faith (Hebrews 11:1).
4. This is the devil’s scheme vs.11: “Focus on your brother and sister to destroy him or her. Never remember that me the devil is behind it all and causing all the havoc”. Paul would write” 12 For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Let us recognize the real enemy and resist him by running to God in prayer for ourselves and for the one who has sinned against us.
Forgiveness does always mean reconciliation. We should forgive at all times as Jesus forgave us. Reconciliation comes when one has repented. Godly sorrow produces repentance (2 Corinthians 7: 9-10). For the one who has repented, we must forgive, restore and reconcile. “I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him (or her)” vs.8. This is so necessary in our marriages and family relationships of today.
We are tempted to feel we have a right when we have been offended and sinned against. We tend to look down on the other but really we may be a step away from offending someone else in a similar way. “1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer[a] is overcome by some sin, you who are godly[b] should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself” (Galatians 6:1)
May God help us to forgive and restore and reconcile in Jesus name. Amen. Do you have someone you need to restore to the right fellowship with you or the body of Christ? May we never let this person be discouraged and give up. If we are the offending party may God’s grace be sufficient for us to repent and seek reconciliation.
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