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Pathways Through Paul
Daily Devotional
October 16
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Today's Pathway:
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Paul makes a very interesting statement in verse 9. He says that he wrote to the Corinthian church instead of coming to visit them because he wanted to know if they were going to be willing to be obedient. It is always much easier to be obedient when the person in authority is standing there watching you. For example, drivers on the highway tend to slow down to the proper speed when they see a police car along the side of the road in front of them. Paul knew that if he was sitting in the church at Corinth they would probably do what he told them to do. But, he would find out their true character if he simply wrote a letter. The Corinthian church did respond by disciplining the wayward member, and so now Paul has given them further instructions for restoration which he assumes they will also obey. Here are two principles.
- First, we ought always to obey even when no one is looking over our shoulder to see what we are doing. It has been said that the true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching. If we behave differently when the parent or pastor or policeman or company president is absent than we do when they are there then we have a spiritual problem, and could properly be labeled as hypocrites.
- Second, when we show that we are faithful to obey in one area then we can be entrusted to obey in other areas. In Luke 16:10 Jesus said,
"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much."
The Corinthians had obeyed Paul by carrying out the discipline that he instructed them to do, and thus he knew that they would be willing to obey him again by now receiving the erring brother back.
In verse 10 Paul writes that he is also willing to forgive the erring brother Albert Barnes explains:
"The sense here is, 'I have such confidence in you that if you forgive an offense in one of your members, I shall approve the act, and shall also be ready to forgive.' He refers, doubtless, to this particular case; but he makes his remark general. It is implied here that the Corinthians were disposed to forgive the offending brother; and Paul assures them that they had his hearty assent to this, and that if they did forgive him, he was ready to join them in the act, and to forgive him also."
Here is the basic idea: if others can forgive an offender, I should be willing to do it as well. If the church as a whole restores someone to fellowship, why should I hold a grudge? Paul then adds that when he forgave this person he did it for the sake of the Corinthians. What does he mean by this? The idea seems to be that he forgave so that the church would be able to see his own willingness to forgive and would then feel free to forgive the offender themselves and restore him into their fellowship. In other words, if Paul could forgive, then the believers at Corinth could also forgive. Sometimes we need to be willing to set an example so that others will follow. There are occasions when, if we would be willing to do the right thing, others might be willing to join us. But because no one takes the first step, that which should be done is never accomplished.
Here are two questions for each of us to answer for ourselves. Am I a different person when the authority isn't standing there watching you? Am I willing to be the one who steps out first to do what is right so that others can follow?
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
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