Just what i needed

Opened my Bible tonight.  This is what I looked at right away.  There are things I need to be able to forgive myself for.

2 Corinthians 2: 5-11

If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent--not to put it too severely.  The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him.  Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.  I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.  The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.  If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him.  And what I have forgiven--if there was anything to forgive--I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us.  For we are not unaware of his schemes.



To me, this passage means that people should forgive people blah blah blah yeah we all get that.  But there is something else that hit me about this.  The punishment inflicted on him by the MAJORITY.  What is the majority?  The majority of people?  The majority of his family?  To me, the majority could easily be the punishment he inflicts on himself.  Too often, people put the punishment on themselves that they shouldn't.  I am no different.

I'm not a Bible historian, but from what I know, the letters from Paul were written to these people in hopes of helping them.  I know this is a passage for a group of people.  But tonight, it has hit me as a passage for one.  I need to be able to forgive myself for things just as much, if not more, than having other people forgive me.