Yes, the Corinthian church dealt with the immorality and restored the man to fellowship.
According to Les Feldick, when Paul wrote his second letter, he learned that the first letter had accomplished its work. The church had addressed the gross immorality, dealt with the person involved, and he was evidently back in fellowship.
2 Corinthians 7:9 — Paul rejoices that the Corinthians sorrowed to repentance, showing they responded correctly to his first letter.
In 2 Corinthians 7:9, Paul writes, "Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing." This indicates that Paul's first letter caused them to repent, which was his intended outcome. The Bible records that the church in Corinth faced gross immorality (1 Corinthians 5:1), and Paul instructed them to take action. In 2 Corinthians, Paul acknowledges that they did so, and the offender was restored to fellowship.
Les Feldick teaches that the Corinthian church was beset with many problems, including gross immorality. After Paul's first letter, the church evidently corrected the situation. In 2 Corinthians, Paul was encouraged because he did not have to go personally to Corinth; the message came to him that his first letter had accomplished its work. They dealt with the person involved, and he was evidently back in fellowship.
Les Feldick explains that the Corinthian church had a major problem of gross immorality, specifically that a man had his father's wife (1 Corinthians 5:1). This was public knowledge within the congregation and was not even named among the Gentiles.
Les Feldick notes that Paul's first letter made the Corinthians sorry, but it was a godly sorrow that led to repentance. The letter worked, and the church corrected their problems, which was an encouragement to Paul.
First Letter Accomplished Its Work
Les explains that Paul's first letter made the Corinthians sorry, but it was a regret that led to repentance, showing that the letter worked.
What Most Christians Miss About Grace — 1 Corinthians Explained
They were a church that was beset with all kinds of problems. And that, of course, is why they wrote the letter to the apostle asking, what are we supposed to do with this? How are we supposed to handle it? And they were a church, as we'll see later in the book, in chapter 5, that was beset with gross immorality.
Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen? — 2 Corinthians 1 Explained
And so these four groups caused, of course, a lot of dissension and a lot of grief to the apostle, and was part and parcel in their carnality. They just did not grow spiritually. And then of course, if you remember our study in the first Corinthians, they evidently sent the apostle a letter with a long list of questions as to how they were handling all these various problems.
Corinthians Corrected Their Problems
Les teaches that Paul received word that his first letter had accomplished its work; the Corinthians had dealt with the person involved in immorality and he was back in fellowship.
What the Bible Really Says About Judging Other Christians
As I mentioned a couple of programs ago, Paul is addressing them in response to a letter that they had written to him asking, how are they supposed to deal with these things? And consequently, by Holy Spirit inspiration, Paul is just unloading. And of course the reason is that the things that were a problem in Corinth in A.D. 60 are still the same.
The Immoral Situation Described
Les describes the gross immorality in Corinth, namely a man having his father's wife, which was open and known to the whole congregation.
What the Bible Really Says About Speaking in Tongues
They had not grown spiritually. Now it's interesting that of all the things he has dealt with in Corinthians from very chapter 1, where they had divisions of who they were following, some said, well, we listen to Peter, some said we listen to Apollos, and others said, no, we follow Christ, and then Paul says, but that's not the way it's supposed to be. So it was a problem.
What the Bible Really Says About Marriage — 1 Corinthians 7 Explained
Let me bring you back again to Peter's little epistle. Now again let me recap. Here in especially the city of Corinth, and this is the only letter where Paul deals with these things, and so consequently I have to feel that the Ephesians weren't under this kind of situation, the Philippians weren't, the Colossians weren't, to a degree yes, but not like it was in Corinth.
2 Corinthians 7:9: Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
Shows Paul's joy that the Corinthians repented in response to his first letter.
1 Corinthians 5:1: It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
Describes the gross immorality that prompted Paul's first letter.
Yes, Les Feldick teaches that the message came to Paul that his first letter had accomplished its work. The Corinthians dealt with the person involved in gross immorality, and he was evidently back in fellowship.
The outcome was that the Corinthians repented and corrected the problem, restoring the man to fellowship, as Les explains from 2 Corinthians.
Watch the Teaching: Godly Sorrow vs. Worldly Sorrow — 2 Corinthians 7:10 Explained