“It was to spare you that I refrained from coming again. Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. Not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one (the young man who was sexually immoral), this punishment by the majority is enough (*majority punishment? …Wait! The majority of people knew about this young man’s sexual immorality? And the word punishment is being used, therefore this young man might have felt as if he was being judged!? There was risk of felt shame or condemnation!? But the tension-filled truth was not about condemnation …but rather there was John 4:29 & Hebrews 12 transparency regarding his transgression); so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.”