The line between discipline and punishment can be summed up in one word - restoration. Paul urges the Corinthian church to forgive and restore one of their disciplined members. As a church, how we restore others reflects how well we understand the Gospel message and it's implications for our lives.

When Paul's leadership is called into question his defense points us to the absolute trustworthiness of God. This becomes the basis for how Paul lived and how we should model our lives.

God works so that the afflictions and difficulty we experience for the sake of his gospel are not without purpose. When our desire is to know God, become like him, advance his kingdom and strengthen others any suffering that we experience takes on a whole new light.