Wednesday, May 30, 2012

No Repentance Necessary


2 Corinthians 7:8 KJV
For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

Paul said he does not repent though he did repent of writing things that caused sorrow of heart to the Corinthians. Barnes Notes[1] has this....
"It is not the language of remorse. It can denote here nothing more than “that uneasiness which a good man feels, not from the consciousness of having done wrong, but from a tenderness for others, and a fear lest that which, prompted by duty, he had said, should have too strong an effect upon them.'"

Paul could rejoice that his duty done had had the impact he had hoped. There are times it does not. However tender we may be towards the feelings of others and however anxious and hurt it might make us to tell the truth, even if it is not so well received as Paul's was by the Corinthians, it is still our duty to attempt to correct and instruct those with whom God has given us charge.
  • It does bring grief
  • It does cause pain
  • It is difficult to see those we love reject our counsel
But it is still a good man's duty to give that counsel.

We, as Paul, will never believe we are sufficient for this responsibility but God is our sufficiency and, so long as our heart is motivated by love and our counsel is directly out of the Word of God, we need not repent though we do repent.



[1] As a quote from Campbell, diss. vi. part iii. section 9

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