Although it seems there is only one offended party, the offense, just punishment, and forgiveness have a communal dimension. Someone influential in Corinth had stirred others against Paul, and everyone should have seen themselves as offended. In a community gathering, moved by the Apostle’s stern letter, the ‘majority’ punished the guilty person, perhaps by temporarily excluding him from the community. The individual has repented and is suffering deeply; it is time to lift the punishment so it does not destroy him; it is time to reconcile him with love.