"… I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced" (2 Cor. 12:21).
During Paul’s previous visit to Corinth, he found many of the church members there engaged in sinful behavior. They were gossiping, backbiting, dividing the body, and seeking their own ambitious goals. There were even cases of uncleanness, fornication, and lewd behavior. When Paul witnessed this tragic scene, he was grieved by their sin. And even though many of the Corinthians had repented since he had written his last letter, he feared that upon his third visit he would once again find many of them in sin. Like any faithful minister, Paul wanted to find his people growing in holiness, serving one another, and pleasing the Lord.
Notice a couple of things about Paul’s exhortation in this passage. First, he was not afraid to name the sins that were prevalent among the people of Corinth. Many Christians, and too many ministers in particular, are afraid to actually name the sins they see among their fellow brethren. We either don’t want to sound judgmental or we don’t want people to feel bad. Whatever the reason, it is biblical to name the sin, to expose it for what it is, and to refuse to be constrained by the fear of man. Paul was more concerned about exposing sin and dealing with it than about what people thought of him. He had already said that he was motivated by love, by their edification, so they knew he acted on their behalf and not out of some authoritarian motive that was more concerned with exercising power than seeing the people come to repentance.
Next we notice Paul’s reaction to the sinful behavior of the church. It was one of humility and mourning, not of pride and anger. The sin of his brethren humbled him and caused him to grieve over them. He did not look down his nose at them, saying, “How could you do such things? I would never behave like you!” Like Paul, all Christians should mourn and be humbled by the sin of others. It should not be an occasion for pride and self-righteousness because it is only by God’s grace that you have not fallen into the same sins. It should also humble you because sin is a reminder of how much we need Christ, how dependent we are on Him to sanctify us, and how only by His Spirit can we live a life that is pleasing to Him.
If you know someone in the church who is committing an obvious sin, and if you think that it is your place to do so, write them a note or visit them. Name the sin and tell them that you are grieved over their sin. Tell them that you care about them and want them to be pleasing to God. If you are a minister, this is especially important for you to do.
