September 17, 2023
Passage Read: 2 Corinthians 2-3
Meditation Verse: 2:4
Thought
Writing the letters to the Corinthians was not easy for Paul. With tears and anguish and distress, he wrote to them, compelled not by bitterness or anger, but by love. In fact, it was the depth of his love for them that compelled him to write what he did. There was no joy in it for him, because he knew there would be no joy in it for them. His only hope was that they might actually repent rather than remain hurt and bitter.
Application
It is never easy to confront someone about their sin. It is so distressing that I would rather leave them be, hope someone else would speak up or that God would take care of it Himself. But if I ignore it, can I really say I love them? If I don't speak up, will anyone? I would rather not. If they don't care what I think, why should I care what they do? And that's where the test of verse 9 comes in; that's what speaking up reveals about a relationship, whether there is the kind of love and honor that results in obedience. If not, then there is only grief left.