2 Corinthians 7:12-13a So even though I wrote to you, it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account of the injured party, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. By all this we are encouraged.
Four different groups are represented in this verse. The first person mention is someone who did wrong. This could be the same person mentioned back in 2:5-11, 1 Corinthians 5, or perhaps a different situation. The word for “wrong” is “unrighteous,” so perhaps this was some type of sin. Our sins affect other people, as did this one. It affected the second group of those who received the wrong (a passive participle). But behind this seemingly personal situation was God. God brought conviction and correction through grief and sorrow and that also helped bring some type of reconciliation. We do not get many details here, but we do get the theological foundation upon which Paul bases his exhortation. It was before God that the Corinthians finally began to see resolution to the problem. They listened to Paul and addressed the situation. It can be difficult to deal with situations where someone has done wrong or been wronged. These are often emotional experiences with tense or terse responses. In this situation, the Corinthians and Paul had already a relationship developed, and upon this they could bring about reconciliation.
God’s grace can flow through us and help bring healing and reconciliation. This may be difficult and will require humility by everyone involved. If we try to heal ourselves without God’s help, we may find our love conditioned by emotions and situations. Do we love others enough that we risk our own comforts in order to bring this healing?
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