2 Corinthians 13:10

Is he then the same God as He who gave Satan power over the person of Job that his "strength might be made perfect in weakness? " How is it that the censurer of the Galatians still retains the very formula of the law: "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established? " How again is it that he threatens sinners "that he will not spare" them -he, the preacher of a most gentle god? Yea, he even declares that "the Lord hath given to him the power of using sharpness in their presence!" Deny now, O heretic, (at your cost, ) that your god is an object to be feared, when his apostle was for making himself so formidable!

He was sensible he had spoken more vehemently than his wont, and especially towards the end of the Epistle. Since then he had said these things and more besides, terrifying, shaming, reproaching, lashing them, he says, in excuse for all, "For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not when present deal sharply." For I am desirous the sharpness should lie in my letters and not in my deeds. I wish my threats to be vehement, that they may continue threats and never go forth into action.

Again even in this his apology he makes what he says more terrible, showing that it is not himself who is to punish, but God; for he added, "according to the authority which the Lord gave me;" and again, to show that he desires not to use his power to their punishment, he added, "not for casting down, but for building up." And he hinted indeed this now, as I said, but he left it to them to draw the conclusion that if they should continue unamended, even this again is building up, to punish those that are of such a mind. For so it is, and he knew it and showed it by his deeds.

Paul shows that chastisement is a form of edification. If one or two are punished, the entire fellowship learns the lesson.

Having greatly frightened them and put forth threats, he now presents a justification for this. I wrote thus because I desire that the threats and severity remain only in writing and not be carried out in reality; for I will certainly punish those who have not corrected themselves, since the Lord gave me authority. By this he shows that through him the Lord Himself punishes. And showing that he does not wish to use his authority for their punishment, he adds: "for building up, and not for tearing down," that is, the Lord does not wish to tear down, or punish, but to build up, that is, to do good. Nevertheless, to punish the incorrigible is itself building up.

Then, having given the admonition, he assigns the reason for it, saying, I write this while I am away from you, in order that when I come I may not have to be severe, i.e., I write these things to you in my absence to warn you, lest I be forced to do something against my will, which is that I may do nothing severe against you, except to the extent that I am compelled by you. Hence he says, that when I come among you I may not have to be more severe against you than I would wish or than you would wish: "For you admonished them and tried them as a father" (Wis. 11:11, Vulgate); "I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold to you when I am away!— I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some" (2 Cor. 10:1). But because the Corinthians might say, "But supposing that we have acted well, would you be able to deal severely against us?" Therefore he answers, saying: No, because I neither plan nor am able to act except in my use of the authority which the Lord has given me. But God gave me this power, namely, of binding and loosing, for building up and not for tearing down, i.e., that you might be built up and not that you be destroyed. And if I were to correct you severely, I would not be building up but destroying: "Our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you" (2 Cor. 10:8). But the Lord gave this power to Paul: "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them" (Ac. 13:2).