QT 24/07/2024 Wed. 2Cor 2. Persevering Shepherding 忍耐的牧养

QT 24/07/2024 Wed. 2Cor 2
READ http://www.esvbible.org/2cor2

Reading 2Cor 2:1-4, we sense Paul's distress as he shepherded a difficult church.

REFLECTION: Do we give up easily those who are more difficult to minister to?

From the incident in 2Cor 2:5-11, we learn from Paul:-

Discipline within church always requires tact and sensitivity because it is, nearly always, very painful. It involves "punishment by the majority" (2Cor 2:6).

Mercy and justice must be simultaneously displayed. Paul did not name and shame the person in the epistle even though he did so on many other occasions for other matters. It is not a matter of transparency or not. Silence might be mercy extended to the truly repentant!

Forgiveness for the sinner (2Cor 2:7,10-11) is necessary after his "punishment" (2Cor 2:6) and repentance. This repentance should be evidenced by "sorrow" for his own sins (2Cor 2:7), not merely teardrops flowing out of the eyes for no reason.

As true repentance existed, the Corinthians should allow that repentant sinner to reconnect with the community. This is to avoid being "outwitted by Satan" (2Cor 2:11), who schemes hard to hinder the process of true repentance, forgiveness and restoration.

REFLECTION on item 2 above: Silence can be due to the extending mercy. Don't take silence for granted—it might actually be MERCY in operation in the church by "men of sincerity, as commissioned by God" (2Cor 2:17).

星期三 2024年7月24日 今日读经：哥林多后书2章. 忍耐的牧养.
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/2Co/2/

当我们阅读林后2:1-4时, 我们可以感受到保罗的烦恼，因为他在牧养一间很难牧养的教会。

反思：我们是否轻易地放弃那些很难牧养的人？

在林后1:5-11的事件中，我们可以从保罗的身上学到:-

教会里的管教总是需要一些机智和敏锐，因为这往往都是非常扎心的，当中涉及了“许多人的责备”（林后 2:6）。

怜悯和公义必须同时展现。保罗并没有指明道姓地在信里羞辱那人，虽然很多时候在其他事上他会这么做。这不是事情透明不透明的问题。对于真心想悔改的人，沉默或许就是对那人最大的恩慈！

对罪人的饶恕(林后2:7,10-11)在“责备”和悔改之后是必须的。这人若真悔改，必须因自己的过犯而“忧愁”(林后2:7),而不仅仅是眼角无故流出眼泪。

真正的悔改是存在的，哥林多人应该让那悔改的罪人重新回到群体里去。这是为了避免“撒旦有机可乘”(林后2:11)，他千方百计地破坏真正忏悔，宽恕和恢复的过程。

对以上第二项的反思：沉默是因为要延伸怜悯。不要把沉默当作是理所当然的--这或许是教会里“出于真诚，出于神”的人正在施怜悯(林后2:17)。