Rebuke and Repentance

 

Paul now relates his experience with a stern letter to the Corinthians.  He followed that letter by sending Titus to the Corinthians, and we see the story of that letter and its results in this passage:

 

{5} For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we  were harassed at every turn‑‑conflicts on the outside, fears within. {6} But  God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, {7} and  not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us  about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so  that my joy was greater than ever. {8} Even if I caused you sorrow by my  letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it‑‑I see that my letter hurt  you, but only for a little while‑‑ {9} yet now I am happy, not because you  were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became  sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. {10} Godly  sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but  worldly sorrow brings death. {11} See what this godly sorrow has produced in  you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation,  what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At  every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. {12} So  even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong  or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for  yourselves how devoted to us you are. {13} By all this we are encouraged. In  addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how  happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. {14} I  had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as  everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has  proved to be true as well. {15} And his affection for you is all the greater  when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and  trembling. {16} I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.  ‑‑ 2 Corinthians 7:5‑16 (NIV)

 

Paul is often pictured as a rather crusty, somewhat antagonistic fellow.  Perhaps there is some justice to this, but this passage presents rather a different picture.  It is a past tense history of Paul's rebuke to the Corinthians.  It's interesting to think how such a rebuke might be greeted today, in the era of "do your own thing," but in Paul's time we see some of the principles which might serve as example to our generation.

 

The Art of Rebuke

 

Rebuke is often necessary.  There is no sense in putting off or softening a rebuke.  You will only get greater trouble later.  My dentist knows this, and no matter how much I'd love to hear, "we can fix that tooth next time" he never says it.  The same is true of rebuke of sin:

{17} "'Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so  you will not share in his guilt.    ‑‑ Leviticus 19:17 (NIV)

You see the point.  If you really love someone, you will rebuke their sin frankly out of love for them.  More to the point, if you don't, you share the guilt.  Silence is consent.

 

 

Rebuke is not a pleasure, but a duty.  Nothing quite feels so good as the thought that I (myself, personally) am the embodiment of righteousness, delivering just rebuke to you.  Nothing is quite so disastrous to Christian life.  Paul gave instruction to Timothy on this point, concerning older men rebuked by the young Timothy:

{5:1} Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your  father. Treat younger men as brothers,    ‑‑ 1 Timothy 5:1 (NIV)

 

 

Rebuke is to be taken as a good thing.  If delivered out of love, rebuke is to be taken as a blessing:

{5} Let a righteous man strike me‑‑it is a kindness; let him rebuke me‑‑it is  oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the  deeds of evildoers;    ‑‑ Psalms 141:5 (NIV)

 

It may be seen as something of fatherly instruction:

{11} My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his  rebuke, {12} because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son  he delights in.    ‑‑ Proverbs 3:11‑12 (NIV)

 

Indeed, it is seen as a path to wisdom:

{31} He who listens to a life‑giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.  ‑‑ Proverbs 15:31 (NIV)

 

 

Why should this be?  Because the whole intent of rebuke is to produce repentance.

 

 

 

The Art of Repentance

 

There is a distinct difference between Godly and worldly sorrow.  Worldly sorrow now goes by the psychiatric name of "guilt" - meaning a feeling, not a fact, as it does in the Scripture.  The great portion of the money spent on psychiatrists is spent dealing with the problem of worldly sorrow.  That is not the sorrow of which Paul speaks here;  rather, Godly sorrow is characterized by one thing:  repentance.

 

Godly sorrow brings repentance.  We saw this at Pentecost.  Remember what the crowd cried out, after Peter's sermon?

{37} When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter  and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"    ‑‑ Acts 2:37 (NIV)