DAILY TEXT, Sunday, July 19, 2026. Death spread to all men, because all had sinned (Rom. 5:12).

Let us examine the Scriptures every day 2026

Monday, July 20, 2026

They should forgive him kindly and comfort him so that he does not feel overwhelmed by being too sad (2 Cor. 2:7).

What would have happened if the elders had not allowed a repentant man to return to the congregation, or if the brothers in the congregation had treated him unkindly? The man might have felt “overwhelmed by being too sad.” He might have thought he was a lost cause or even given up trying to repair his friendship with Jehovah. And that is not the worst of it. If the brothers in the congregation had refused to forgive the repentant sinner, they would have jeopardized their own friendship with God. Why? Because they would not have reflected Jehovah’s attitude—who is willing to forgive repentant sinners—but Satan’s, who is harsh and cruel. They would have become tools that the Devil could use to destroy that man’s spirituality. (2 Cor. 2:10, 11; Eph. 4:27) w24.08 16 par. 7; 17 pars. 10, 11

How could the congregation imitate Jehovah?

So how could the congregation in Corinth imitate Jehovah and not Satan? By treating repentant sinners the same way Jehovah treats them. Consider what some Bible writers said about God. David said to him: “You are good and willing to forgive.” (Psalm 86:5) Micah wrote: “Who is a God like you, forgiving error and overlooking offense? . . .” (Micah 7:18) Also, Isaiah said: “Let the wicked man forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts; let him return to Jehovah, who will have mercy on him; let him return to our God, for he will freely forgive him.” (Isaiah 55:7)

Why was it the right decision to readmit that man?

To imitate Jehovah, the Corinthian congregation needed to welcome the repentant man with open arms and show him how much they loved him. Paul said that if they forgave the repentant man, they would demonstrate “being obedient in everything” (2 Cor. 2:9). True, only a few months had passed since he had been removed from the congregation, but the discipline had motivated him to repent. So there was no reason for the elders to delay his readmission.

What does the way this case of serious sin was handled in the Corinthian congregation teach us?

Jehovah had the account of how this case was handled in the Corinthian congregation written in his Word “for our instruction” (Rom. 15:4). This teaches us that God does not tolerate serious sin among his people. Some think that because he is merciful, he allows an unrepentant person to remain in the congregation. But that is not true. Jehovah is indeed merciful, but he is not permissive, nor does he lower his standards (Jude 4). In fact, it would not be merciful of him to allow an unrepentant sinner to remain among his people because that would endanger the entire congregation (Prov. 13:20; 1 Cor. 15:33).

However, this account also teaches us that Jehovah does not want anyone to be destroyed. His desire is to save people whenever possible. He shows mercy to those who change their attitude and strive to repair their friendship with him (Ezek. 33:11; read 2 Peter 3:9). So when the man in Corinth repented and turned away from his bad conduct, Jehovah told the congregation through Paul that they should forgive him and welcome him back.

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