MENTAL SCHEMES

As one moves through the Book of 2 Corinthians they find that these brothers in Christ had become plagued with problem upon problem. The Apostle had given instruction as to how to deal with these various problems, and in case they had not been cared for, he would care for them in a proper manner.

There was evidence that as Paul laid out his travel plans, some would find a problem in what he had said and so the accusations ran across that line. You keep changing your mind from no to yes and vice-versa.

Carefully read, one can see (1 Corinthians 2:5, 6) that the real problem had been undertaken; a vote was taken; the majority made (v6) the decision. The minority objected. (Sounds quite modern!) However, it was obvious that everyone had gotten involved and embroiled. The person who had thought the problem to be resolved finds himself in a quagmire, and instead was being driven away from the assembly. It is then that the apostle rebukes them, saying “on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort them; otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.”

Paul is not telling the assembly to allow them to remain in the assembly and continue their practices, he is telling them to research the problem, secure confession, and restore the individual. Over the years I have seen some things cared for in a non-scriptural manner that created more problems than the original problem.

The apostle continues, reminding his readers in 2:14 -17 “But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for the things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.