Paul provides another expression of meekness in 2 Corinthians 2:1-11. The context here is a transgression of some kind which was disciplined by the church. The object of this set of verses is repentance coupled with forgiveness.
Where an individual has committed a transgression, but through sorrow has repented, Paul exhorts unto forgiveness. Paul would rather, at this point, cover it with love. He is borrowing an Old Testament principle from Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions.” In verses 6 and 7, Paul focuses on foregoing the liberty of continued condemnation despite repentance and extending forgiveness to cover over the repented transgression. The setting of these verses is interpersonal relationships.
In the last post, the focus was on someone who had directly wronged you and the response of meekness to that situation. In the last post, meekness was defined as exercising restraint by the principle of Christ. The focus of this post is again exercising restraint and coupling it with forgiveness in interpersonal relationships.
In 2 Corinthians 7:10, Paul writes, “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation…” Some translations of the Bible refer to “Godly sorrow.” There is Godly sorrow in 2 Corinthians 2:1-11, which has had its desired effect of administering church discipline, resulting in repentance.
Paul then pivots to forgiveness. There is a point where continued sorrow has the opposite effect. Meekness, then, recognizes when repentance has occurred and chooses to forgive and cover the transgression with love. In verse 8, Paul writes, “Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.”
In our interpersonal relationships, we often tend to nurture grudges and nurse the wounds of wrongs inflicted by others. We also tend to remind others of what they have done wrong and continue exposing their past wrongs, even after the offending individual repents. The lesson I believe Paul is conveying in these verses is to be quick to forgive and not withhold forgiveness and love.
The principle of covering transgressions with love can be explained through Genesis 9:21-23. Noah drank of the fruit of the land in excess and became drunk. In his drunkenness, he left himself naked in his tent. His son, Ham, discovered his father, and instead of covering his father, he exposed the matter further by informing his brothers. Shem and Japheth covered the transgression, while Ham exposed the transgression.
Consider that this scene replicates itself today. Someone commits a transgression, and within a day, the gossip chain uncovers the transgression throughout a community. The effect is to prejudice us away from forgiveness and to reject repentance. As Proverbs reminds us, the strife it produces is a byproduct of hatred. We don’t like to think of ourselves as harboring hatred, but it still tends to find its way into our lives undetected. Love chooses instead to cover the transgression; however, there are times when discipline is necessary. Once discipline has run its course, Paul exhorts us to forgiveness and love.
Meekness covers transgressions with love, while leaving room for proper discipline.
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