[3.] Next, whereas he said, he that makes me sorry makes me glad; lest they should say this then is what thou studiest, that thou mightest be made glad and mightest exhibit to all the extent of thy power;' he added,
Ver. 4. "For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears, not that ye should be made sorry, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you."
What more tenderly affectioned than this man's spirit is? for he showeth himself to have been not less pained than they who had sinned, but even much more. For he saith not "out of affliction" merely, but "out of much," nor "with tears," but "with many tears" and "anguish of heart," that is, I was suffocated, I was choked with despondency; and when I could no longer endure the cloud of despondency, "I wrote unto you: not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love," saith he, "which I have more abundantly unto you." And yet what naturally followed was to say, not that ye might be grieved, but that ye might be corrected: (for indeed with this purpose he wrote.) This however he doth not say, but, (more to sweeten his words, and win them to a greater affection,) he puts this for it, showing that he doth all from love. And he saith not simply "the love," but "which I have more abundantly unto you." For hereby also he desires to win them, by showing that he loveth them more than all and feels towards them as to chosen disciples. Whence he saith, "Even if I be not an Apostle unto others, yet at least I am to you;" (1 Cor. ix. 2.) and, "Though ye have many [532] tutors, yet have ye not many fathers;" (1 Cor. iv. 15.) and again, "By the grace of God we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly to you ward;" (2 Cor. i. 12.) and farther on, "Though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved;" and here "Which I have more abundantly unto you;" (2 Cor. xii. 15.) So that if my words were full of anger, yet out of much love and sadness was the anger; and whilst writing the Epistle, I suffered, I was pained, not because ye had sinned only, but also because I was compelled to make you sorry. And this itself was out of love. Just as a father whose legitimate [533] son is afflicted with a gangrene, being compelled to use the knife and cautery, is pained on both accounts, that he is diseased and that he is compelled to use the knife to him. So that what ye consider a sign of hating you was indeed a sign of excessive love. And if to have made you sorry was out of love, much more my gladness at that sorrow.
[4.] Having made this defence of himself, (for he frequently defends himself, without being ashamed; for if God doth so, saying, "O My people, what have I done unto thee?" (Micah vi. 3.) much more might Paul,) having, I say, made this defence of himself, and being now about to pass on to the plea for him who had committed fornication, in order that they might not be distracted as at receiving contradictory commands, nor take to cavilling because he it was who both then was angry and was now commanding to forgive him, see how he provided [534] for this beforehand, both by what he has said and what he is going to say. For what saith he?
Ver. 5. "But if any hath caused sorrow, he hath caused sorrow not to me."
Having first praised them as feeling joy and sorrow for the same things as himself, he then strikes into the subject of this person, having said first, "my joy is the joy of you all." But if my joy is the joy of you all, need is that you should also now feel pleasure with me, as ye then were pained with me: for both in that ye were made sorry, ye made me glad; and now in that ye rejoice, (if as I suppose ye shall feel pleasure,) ye will do the same. He said not, my sorrow is the sorrow of you all; but having established this in the rest of what he said, he has now put forward that only which he most desired, namely, the joy: saying, my joy is the joy of you all. Then, he makes mention also of the former matter, saying,
"But if any hath caused sorrow he hath caused sorrow not to me, but in part (that I press not too heavily) to you all."
I know, he saith, that ye shared in my anger and indignation against him that had committed fornication, and that what had taken place grieved in part all of you. And therefore said I "in part," not as though ye were less hurt than I, but that I might not weigh down him that had committed fornication. He did not then grieve me only but you also equally, even though to spare him I said, "in part." Seest thou how at once he moderated their anger, by declaring that they shared also in his indignation.
Ver. 6. "Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the many."
And he saith not "to him that hath committed fornication," but here again "to such a one," as also in the former Epistle. Not however for the same reason; but there out of shame, here out of mercy. Wherefore he no where subsequently so much as mentions the crime; for it was time now to excuse.
Ver. 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."
He bids them not only take off the censure; but, besides, restores him to his former estate; for if one let go him that hath been scourged and heal him not, he hath done nothing. And see how him too he keeps down lest he should be rendered worse by the forgiveness. For though he had both confessed and repented, he makes it manifest that he obtaineth remission not so much by his penitence as by this free gift. Wherefore he saith, "to forgive [535] him and to comfort him," and what follows again makes the same thing plain. For' saith he, it is not because he is worthy, not because he has shown sufficient penitence; but because he is weak, it is for this I request [536] it.' Whence also he added, "lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow." And this is both as testifying to his deep repentance and as not allowing him to fall into despair [537] .
But what means this, "swallowed up?" Either doing as Judas did, or even in living becoming worse. For, saith he, if he should rush away from longer enduring the anguish of this lengthened censure, perchance also despairing he will either come to hang himself, or fall into greater crimes afterwards. One ought then to take steps beforehand [538] , lest the sore become too hard to deal with; and lest what we have well done we lose by want of moderation.
Now this he said, (as I have already observed,) both to keep him low, and to teach him not to be over-listless after this restoration. For, not as one who has washed all quite away; but as fearing lest he should work aught of deeper mischief, I have received him, he saith. Whence we learn that we must determine the penance, not only by the nature of the sins, but by the disposition and habit of them that sin. As the Apostle did in that instance. For he feared his weakness, and therefore said, "lest he be swallowed up," as though by a wild beast, by a storm, by a billow.
Ver. 8. "Wherefore I beseech you."
He no longer commands but beseeches, not as a teacher but as an equal; and having seated them on the judgment seat he placed himself in the rank of an advocate; for having succeeded in his object, for joy he adopts without restraint the tone of supplication. And what can it be that thou beseechest? Tell me.
"To confirm your love toward him."
That is, make it strong,' not simply have intercourse with him, nor any how. Herein, again, he bears testimony to their virtue as very great; since they who were so friendly and so applauded him as even to be puffed up, were so estranged that Paul takes such pains to make them confirm their love towards him. Herein is excellence of disciples, herein excellence of teachers; that they should so obey the rein, he so manage their motions [539] . If this were so even now, they who sin would not have transgressed senselessly. For one ought neither to love carelessly, nor to be estranged without some reason.
[5.] Ver. 9. "For to this end also did I write to you [540] , that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things;" not only in cutting off but also in reuniting. Seest thou how here again he brings the danger to their doors. For as when he sinned, he alarmed their minds, except they should cut him off, saying, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump," (1 Cor. v. 6.) and several other things; so here too again he confronts them with the fear of disobedience, as good as saying, As then ye had to consult not for him, but for yourselves too, so now must ye not less for yourselves than for him; lest ye seem to be of such as love contention and have not human sensibilities, and not to be in all things obedient. And hence he saith, "For to this end also did I write to you, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things."
For the former instance might have seemed to proceed even of envy and malice, but this shows very especially the obedience to be pure, and whether ye are apt unto loving kindness. For this is the test of right minded disciples; if they obey not only when ordered to do certain things, but when the contrary also. Therefore he said, "in all things," showing that if they disobey, they disgrace not him [541] so much as themselves, earning the character of lovers of contention; and he doth this that hence also he may drive them to obey. Whence also he saith, "For to this end did I write to you;" and yet he wrote not for this end, but he saith so in order to win them. For the leading object was the salvation of that person. But where it does no harm, he also gratifies them. And by saying, "In all things," he again praises them, recalling to memory and bringing forth to view their former obedience.
Ver. 10. "To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also."
Seest thou how again he assigns the second part to himself, showing them as beginning, himself following. This is the way to soften an exasperated, to compose a contentious spirit. Then lest he should make them careless, as though they were arbiters, and they should refuse forgiveness; he again constrains them unto this, saying, that himself also had forgiven him.
"For what I also have forgiven, if I have forgiven any thing, for your sakes have I forgiven it." For, this very thing I have done for your sakes, he saith. And as when he commanded them to cut him off, he left not with them the power to forgive, saying, "I have judged already to deliver such an one unto Satan," (1 Cor. v. 3, 5.) and again made them partners in his decision saying, "ye being gathered together to deliver him," (ib. 4, 5.) (thereby securing two most important things, viz., that the sentence should be passed; yet not without their consent, lest herein he might seem to hurt them;) and neither himself alone pronounces it, lest they should consider him self-willed, and themselves to be overlooked, nor yet leaves all to them, lest when possessed of the power they should deal treacherously with the offender by unseasonably forgiving him: so also doth he here, saying, I have already forgiven, who in the former Epistle had already judged.' Then lest they should be hurt, as though overlooked, he adds, "for your sakes." What then? did he for men's sake pardon? No; for on this account he added, "In the person of Christ."
What is "in the person of Christ?" Either he means according to [the will of] God, or unto the glory of Christ. [542]
Ver. 11. "That no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his devices."
Seest thou how he both committeth the power to them and again taketh away that by that he may soften them, by this eradicate their self will. But this is not all that he provides for by this, but shows also that should they be disobedient the harm would reach to all, just as he did at the outset also. For then too he said, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." (1 Cor. v. 6.) And here again, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us." And throughout, he maketh this forgiveness the joint act of himself and them. Consider it from the first. "But if any," saith he, "have caused sorrow he hath caused sorrow not to me, but in part (that I press not too heavily) to you all." Then again, "Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was" inflicted by the "many." This is his own decision and opinion. He rested not however with this decision, but again makes them partners saying, "So that contrariwise ye should rather forgive" him "and comfort" him. "Wherefore I beseech you to confirm your love towards him." Having thus again made the whole their act, he passes to his own authority, saying, "For to this end did I write unto you, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things." Then, again, he makes the favor theirs, saying, "To whom ye forgive anything." Then, his own, "I" forgive "also:" saying, "if I have forgiven anything, it is for your sakes." Then both theirs and his, "For," saith he, "if I have forgiven any thing, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ," either [that is] for the glory of Christ, or as though Christ commanding this also, which was most effectual to prevail with them. For after this they would have feared not to grant that which tended to His glory and which He willed. Then again he signifieth the common harm should they disobey, when he saith, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us;" well naming it, getting advantage. For he no more takes his own, but violently seizeth ours, for he [543] is reformed [544] . And tell me not that this one only becomes the wild beast's prey, but consider this also, that the number of the herd is diminished, and now especially when it might recover what it had lost. "For we are not ignorant of his devices," That he destroys even under the show of piety. For not only by leading into fornication can he destroy, but even by the contrary, the unmeasured sorrow following on the repentance for it. When then besides his own he taketh ours too, when both by bidding to sin, he destroys; and when we bid repent, violently seizeth; how is not this case getting "advantage [545] ?" For he is not content with striking down by sin, but even by repentance he doth this except we be vigilant. Wherefore also with reason did he call it getting advantage, when he even conquereth our own weapons. For to take by sin is his proper work; by repentance, however, is no more his; for ours, not his, is that weapon. When then even by this he is able to take, think how disgraceful the defeat, how he will laugh at and run us down as weak and pitiful, if he is to subdue us with our own weapons. For it were matter for exceeding scorn and of the last disgrace, that he should inflict wounds on us through our own remedies. Therefore he said, "for we are not ignorant of his devices," exposing his versatility, his craftiness, his evil devices, his malice, his capacity to injure under a show of piety.