But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.
The one who caused grief grieved not Paul alone but the Corinthian church in part, and the grief is spoken of as touching the community only in part rather than laying the whole burden upon them all. It is stated in this limited way so as not to overcharge them all or to charge everyone equally with what belonged especially to the offender. The offender is referred to indefinitely as any one, without naming him or naming his offense, sparing him further shame.
The verse belongs to the aftermath of the reproof given in the earlier letter, which stirred the church and was heeded so that the one who had sinned repented. The grief stands connected with the withdrawing of fellowship from a stubbornly sinful member, casting him out and depriving him of the sanction of the church and delivering him over to Satan when he continued to live as a subject of Satan's dominion and would not be subject to Christ. The object was to show him that the church did not approve his course, so that he would see where he stood outside Christ's kingdom, recognize his weakness and his need, repent and turn to the Lord, die to fleshly lusts and become alive to Christ and return to God.
When the man cast out for his vile course saw that his course was not sanctioned, he repented and reformed. He was then forgiven by the church and by Paul, to be comforted and received again with love and recovered out of Satan's snare. That restoration confirmed the wisdom of the discipline that had sought his repentance.
The one who caused grief grieved not Paul alone but the Corinthian church in part, and the grief is spoken of as touching the community only in part rather than laying the whole burden upon them all. It is stated in this limited way so as not to overcharge them all or to charge everyone equally with what belonged especially to the offender. The offender is referred to indefinitely as any one, without naming him or naming his offense, sparing him further shame.
The verse belongs to the aftermath of the reproof given in the earlier letter, which stirred the church and was heeded so that the one who had sinned repented. The grief stands connected with the withdrawing of fellowship from a stubbornly sinful member, casting him out and depriving him of the sanction of the church and delivering him over to Satan when he continued to live as a subject of Satan's dominion and would not be subject to Christ. The object was to show him that the church did not approve his course, so that he would see where he stood outside Christ's kingdom, recognize his weakness and his need, repent and turn to the Lord, die to fleshly lusts and become alive to Christ and return to God.
When the man cast out for his vile course saw that his course was not sanctioned, he repented and reformed. He was then forgiven by the church and by Paul, to be comforted and received again with love and recovered out of Satan's snare. That restoration confirmed the wisdom of the discipline that had sought his repentance.