We come now to the eighth sermon on the subject of forgiveness, and we come particularly to the question of what is supposed to happen when sin is confronted, repented of, and (presumably) forgiven. How should the injured party interact with the one who has repented? In the context of this passage, the sinning individual had been censured for his sin and repented. Whatever the sin was, it must have been serious because it appears that many in the church were unwilling to restore the sinner to fellowship. That is, they were practicing a form of shunning even though the man had confessed his sin and, presumably, sought restoration and reconciliation. The Apostle Paul instructs the church and each individual regarding how they were to act towards such a one. Always the pastor, the apostle not only explains what to do, but why they ought to do it. Just as there was an effect from the sin, so there was a potential effect from the shunning and that effect was not a good one. This is instructive for us as well. As a church, we take discipline seriously but this should not mean that we take the position that someone cannot be restored to full fellowship. Whether as individuals or churches, we must be prepared to embrace the repentant sinner. – Pastor Schlegel
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