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BIBLE
STUDY LESSON
For
the week beginning Sunday April 1, 2018
PAUL’S
JOY AT THE CHURCH’S REPENTANCE
2
Corinthians 7
In the book of Luke, chapter 17, verses 3 and 4, JESUS sternly
states to HIS disciples to “Watch yourselves! If another
believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs
you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must
forgive” – JESUS CHRIST (NLT).
In the New Testament Greek the word used
for “forgive is “aphiemi” (ap-i-mee), and it means “to send away”, or “wipe
away”. The other key word in this statement from JESUS is “repent”, in the
Greek “metanoia” (met-an-oy-ah), which is “a change of mind”. In the biblical
sense it is a change of mind “before we sin”, but it also can be applied after
the fact, and is a sting of the conscience that is brought on by a deep sense
of guilt, or a strong feeling of compunction.
However, it is GOD’s desire that our
conscience convicts us while we are still in the thinking stages, before we
commit the act of sin, not after. This makes more sense, because, if we go
through with the act of sin, that means we really didn’t change our mind, and
in that case, we must suffer the consequences of that sin, and that is
something that will grieve both us, and GOD. It grieves us because we have to
suffer judgment, and it grieves GOD because HE has to administer it to us.
In A.D. 57, while visiting in Ephesus,
during his third missionary journey, that was put together to raise money for
the central Mother Church at Jerusalem, the Apostle Paul sat down and penned
this second letter to the Church at Corinth. His earlier letter to the church
had not quite settled all of the issues and problems that the church had been
experiencing during the difficult days of its infancy. Then too, for reasons
not all explained in this letter, the Corinthian church had apparently
developed deep suspicions about Paul, regarding the legitimacy of his
proclaimed authority in CHRIST as a chosen apostle.
It was with much grief and anguish that
Paul wrote this second letter, which he intended to use to try and re-establish
his authority as one chosen to lead others to CHRIST, and to also lead them in
the Christian Faith. In this letter, Paul also covers some of the more
practical matters, such as supporting believers in other parts of the world who
may have fallen on hard times, and reviving them back into a state of being
viable, fruit-producing branches in the newly formed Christian network.
In 2 Corinthians 2, verses 5-11, the
Apostle Paul writes again about the man who had been dis-fellowshipped from the
church at Corinth a year earlier at his request. The man had been involved in a
sexually immoral affair with his father’s wife (1 Corinthians 5:1-7). Paul had
strongly rebuked the church for its lack of disciplinary action regarding this
most unacceptable behavior.
The Corinthians had followed Paul’s advice
and instructions and put this man out from fellowship, and now, in this second
letter, Paul is urging the church to show compassion and invite the man back
into the fold. Here Paul is advising the church that the man had been
disciplined enough for his indiscretion. Apparently the man had been in deep
repent and suffering since the time of his dis-fellowship, and now it was time,
Paul felt, to forgive him and comfort him and show him love, so that he would
not become so discouraged that he would not be able to recover. Furthermore,
Paul knew that satan would seek to take advantage of the situation and use it
to do harm to the man, and the church. For Paul was already thoroughly familiar
with the evil schemes and tactics of satan, and he was also thoroughly familiar
with the ways and wisdom of CHRIST, regarding our need for repent and
forgiveness.
In 2 Corinthians 7, verses 2-15, after Paul
had again expressed his love for the church at Corinth, and his unwavering
confidence in them, good news from Paul’s assistant, Titus, seems to interrupt
Paul’s train of thoughts, and he suddenly begins to shift his focus to the news
of a breakthrough in the Corinthian church’s attitude toward him. Apparently
Paul had sent Titus to the church with a special letter, some time between the
first letter that we all know about, and this second letter, which are both now
recorded as a part of New Testament Scripture.
This, now lost, written communication of
Paul’s is now referred to by biblical scholars as “the sorrowful letter”. This
letter was apparently very effective, even though it had caused Paul great
sorrow to write, especially on the heels of his painful first visit to the
church several months earlier.
In his original Greek rendering of his
second letter to the Corinthians, the word Paul uses for “sorrow”, Lupeo”
(loo-peh-o), describes an experience of great stress, which can bring about
physical and emotional pain. It is the same word that is used to describe the
emotional and physical state of JESUS on that night in the Garden of Gethsemane
on the eve of HIS crucifixion. “GODly sorrow” is actually a form of
compassionate grief and heaviness, that is later rewarded by joy, because one
was obedient to GOD, even while under duress.
GODly sorrow is something that we’ll never
regret having, because it is also a sorrow that can identify true repent in the
sinner as well. Sorrow without repent is a worldly sorrow that is experienced
by one who feels sorry for themselves for having to suffer the consequences of
sin, and not for the person whom they have offended. This kind of sorrow always
leads to death (a permanent separation from GOD).
Here in this passage we can clearly see
that GOD uses Paul, who was a great teacher, to actually teach himself a lesson
in love and compassion. For GOD wants us to be free of defilement, especially
ceremonial defilement (defilement in church worship services). And those who
responded positively to Paul’s “sorrowful letter” that was delivered by Titus,
had now set themselves right with GOD, and were cleansed of any previous guilt
suffered because of their actions, or “lack thereof” in the church.
And so, in the end, all involved, were
gladdened and encouraged, as a result of how GOD uses “GODly sorrow” to bring
about the repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation that can strengthen and
improve Christian relationships, and can also help cure us of our desire to mix
the holy with the profane in the Church.
A
Sunday school lesson by,
Larry
D. Alexander
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