2 Corinthians 2:6

ἱκανὸν τῷ τοιούτῳ ἡ ἐπιτιμία αὕτη. Not, ‘This is a sufficient punishment for such a one,’ but This punishment is for such a one a sufficient thing; it satisfies the requirements. Perhaps ἱκανόν is here verbum forense (Bengel), used in the sense of legal satisfaction. Legal words are rather frequent in this letter; ἀπολογία, πρᾶγμα (2 Corinthians 7:11), ἀδικέω (2 Corinthians 7:12), ἐκδικέω (2 Corinthians 10:6), ἀρραβών (2 Corinthians 1:22; 2 Corinthians 5:5), κυρόω (2 Corinthians 2:8). With the substantive use of the neuter, when a feminine noun follows, comp. ἀρκετὸν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἡ κακία αὐτῆς (Matthew 6:34): ἀρεστὸν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἡ ἐπιχείρησις αὐτοῦ (Acts 12:3 D). Blass § 31. 2. S. Paul’s readers would know who was meant by ὁ τοιοῦτος, as they did in the case of the incestuous man (1 Corinthians 5:5); and they would also know what the punishment in this case had been. It is clear from this verse that in some way he had been treated as a guilty person. In the N.T. we have various words for punishment; κόλασις (Matthew 25:46; 1 John 4:18), τιμωρία (Hebrews 10:29), ἐκδίκησις (1 Peter 2:14), δίκη (2 Thessalonians 1:9; Jude 1:7). Nowhere else in the N.T. does ἐπιτιμία occur, and in the LXX. only in Wis 3:10. In classical Greek it commonly means ‘citizenship,’ the connecting link between this and ‘penalty’ being the idea of assessment. The citizen has the rights of which he is thought worthy, and the offender has the punishment of which he is thought worthy. Liddell and Scott quote C. I. G. 4957. 43 for ‘penalty.’ The use of ὁ τοιοῦτος here and 1 Corinthians 5:5 is no evidence that the same offender is meant in both places: in 2 Corinthians 12:2 S. Paul uses ὁ τοιοῦτος of himself. Comp. 2 Corinthians 10:11; Galatians 6:1; and οἱ τοιοῦτοι 2 Corinthians 11:13; 1 Corinthians 7:28; Romans 16:18.

ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν πλειόνων. Which was inflicted by the majority (1 Corinthians 15:6; 1 Corinthians 10:5), rather than simply ‘many’ (A.V.). The A.V. has a similar inaccuracy 2 Corinthians 4:15; 2 Corinthians 9:2; Philippians 1:14 : but Blass holds that in all these passages ‘many’ or ‘several’ may be right (§ 44. 4). At any rate the article must not be ignored (see on 2 Corinthians 2:16), and we must say, by the many (R.V.), which implies a division into many and few, majority and minority. This might mean that not all were present when sentence was pronounced. It more probably means that a minority dissented from the decision as to the penalty. But in which direction? Did they regard the punishment as insufficient, or as too severe? It is commonly assumed that this minority thought it too severe for one whom they did not regard as a serious offender: and it is thought that some of S. Paul’s opponents may have openly sympathized with the censured man. But the context rather implies that the minority were devoted adherents of the Apostle, who protested against the penalty inflicted ὑπὸ τῶν πλειόνων as inadequate. S. Paul does not condemn or reproach this minority for abetting or condoning rebellion. He merely tells them that the ἐπιτιμία ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν πλειόνων is ἱκανόν, and that τοὐναντίον, ‘contrariwise,’ they may forgive the offender. ‘Contrariwise’ implies that previously they had been unwilling to forgive him; not that they had previously wished him to be very leniently treated. See Kennedy, Second and Third Corinthians, pp. 100 ff.