Homilies on Second Corinthians

“To whom you forgive any thing, I forgive also.”

Do you see how again he assigns the second part to himself, showing them as beginning, himself following. This is the way to soften an exasperated, to compose a contentious spirit. Then lest he should make them careless, as though they were arbiters, and they should refuse forgiveness; he again constrains them unto this, saying, that himself also had forgiven him.

“For what I also have forgiven, if I have forgiven any thing, for your sakes have I forgiven it.” For, this very thing I have done for your sakes, he says. And as when he commanded them to cut him off, he left not with them the power to forgive, saying, “I have judged already to deliver such an one unto Satan,” and again made them partners in his decision saying, “ye being gathered together to deliver him,” (ib. 4, 5.) (thereby securing two most important things, viz., that the sentence should be passed; yet not without their consent, lest herein he might seem to hurt them;) and neither himself alone pronounces it, lest they should consider him self-willed, and themselves to be overlooked, nor yet leaves all to them, lest when possessed of the power they should deal treacherously with the offender by unseasonably forgiving him: so also does he here, saying, 'I have already forgiven, who in the former Epistle had already judged.' Then lest they should be hurt, as though overlooked, he adds, “for your sakes.” What then? Did he for men's sake pardon? No; for on this account he added, “In the person of Christ.”

What is “in the person of Christ?” Either he means according to [the will of] God, or unto the glory of Christ.