Verse 10
10. Another encouragement to their taking on themselves the responsibility of restoring the offender. They may be assured of Paul's apostolic sanction to their doing so.
for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it—The oldest manuscripts read, "For even what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything."
for your sakes forgave I it —He uses the past tense, as of a thing already determined on; as in 1 Corinthians 5:3, "I have judged already"; or, as speaking generally of forgiveness granted, or to be granted. It is for your sakes I have forgiven, and do forgive, that the Church (of which you are constituent members) may suffer no hurt by the loss of a soul, and that ye may learn leniency as well as faithfulness.
in the person of Christ—representing Christ, and acting by His authority: answering to 1 Corinthians 5:4, "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ."
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