To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
Another encouragement to their restoring the offender. They may be assured of Paul's apostolic sanction.
For if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it. 'Aleph (') A B C G f g, Vulgate, read 'for even what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven any thing.' He uses the perfect tense, as of a thing determined on; as in 1 Corinthians 5:3, or as speaking generally:
It is for your sakes I have forgiven, and do forgive, that the church (of which you are members) may suffer no hurt by the loss of a soul, and that ye may learn leniency as well as faithfulness.
In the person [ en (G1722 ) prosoopoo (G4383 )] of Christ - representing Christ; acting by His authority: answering to 1 Corinthians 5:4. Wahl translates, 'in the sight of Christ' [Hebrew, lipneey (H6440): Septuagint, en (G1722) prosoopoo (G4383) autou (G846)]; 'before Him' (Proverbs 8:30: cf. Greek, Acts 3:13).