Pastoral Reflections I ~ Penitential Discipline: 2 Corinthians 2:4-15, especially vs. 6:
"This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient...."
The weekday readings through this week, except for the Day of the Forerunner's Beheading, are taken from the first major section of Second Corinthians. They contains a series of pastoral reflections by the Apostle on various facets of his relationship with the Corinthian congregation. The readings provide valuable insights into the real life, burdens, and compensations not only of St. Paul, but of all our pastors. In the reading assigned for today, St. Paul discusses the restoration of a penitent to Communion. He provides the basic guidelines for penitential discipline, its purposes, as well as its place in the larger setting of the Gospel.
St. John Chrysostom, in his comments on this passage, calls attention to the pastoral spirit of St. Paul: "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." Let us learn from this that loving affection is the one true foundation upon which all penitential action is meant to be taken in the Church. See how the Apostle reveals loving affection as a pastor. The action of excommunicating an offender caused St. Paul "affliction and anguish of heart" (vs. 4). Further, since other members of the congregation were concerned about the man's exclusion, the Apostle wanted them to know that he cared not only for the offender, but for them all.
The Orthodox pastor acts in love for the entire Body and for each individual person. Like the Apostle Paul, pastors care for both the flock and the strays. Briefly, a pastor may "leave the ninety and nine, and [go] into the mountains, and [seek] that which is gone astray" (Mt. 18:12), yet as a good shepherd, like our Master, he "putteth forth his own sheep, [and] goeth before them" as a whole flock (Jn. 10:4). Such loving affection stems from the love a pastor himself knows and receives from God: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
The foundation of loving affection in Christ prepares all Christians to affirm penitential discipline within the Church. The true pastor metes out discipline to evoke sorrow in order to produce correction of life and to effect restoration within the Body of Christ. That purpose surely was demonstrated by St. Paul in this case in the Corinthian community. The inflicted punishment was "sufficient" for the particular penitent (2 Cor. 2:6). The man was sorrowing (vs. 7), and correction was in evidence. Forgiveness by all, comfort, and demonstrated love definitely were meant to follow (vss. 7,8), all of which St. Paul advanced.
Good pastors in disciplining penitents and communities seek these manifestations of the Gospel: forgiveness, comfort, and healing of relationships. In this case, the Apostle had written an earlier letter to the entire congregation to see whether they were "obedient in all things" (vs. 9), but now it was time to move on and to forgive. They should do so, for the Apostle had "forgiven" for their sakes "in the presence of Christ" (vs. 10), and the restoration was official.
Having extended his forgiveness under the Lord's authority, St. Paul finally comments about the necessity for loving affection on the part of all "lest Satan should take advantage of us" (vs. 11). The Apostle sets penitential discipline within the larger context of the Gospel message. Sin and death are the goals of the Devil and his minions - as of old. However, let all rejoice when discipline in the Church achieves restoration, for then, with the Lord, we shall behold "Satan as lightning fall from heaven" and see God's love defeat "the power of the enemy" (Lk. 10:18,19).
O Lord, grant us all an image of repentance, forgiveness, and deliverance from the enemy.