2Cor006 Restoration of the Penitent

Christ has given to His church "keys" which are to be exercised by the elders of the church to open and close the kingdom of God. Sadly, these "keys" must be used to close the kingdom of God in cases where professing Christians engage in gross sin and refuse to repent and turn from it. At least one purpose of this kind of discipline is to turn the sinner from sin and to penitence and to the expression of true faith by a godly walk. In these instructions to the Corinthians, Paul outlines for the church of all generations, the process and reasons for proper restoration of excommunicated sinners who manifest fruit of true penitence and amendment of life.