Thus also the apostle, in the Epistle to the Corinthians, being moved, says, "What will ye? Shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, in the spirit of meekness? "
What will ye? Shall I come unto you with a rod? Such as becomes the father I spoke of in ver15. The rod is a symbol of severity of rebuke and power of punishing. So Chrysostom, Theophylact, Anselm.
Observe here the power of punishing lodged in the Church and her prelates, and exercised by Paul in the next chapter. Å’cumemius and Cajetan refer these words of the Apostle"s to the next chapter, in which he sternly rebukes the Corinthians for the incest of the fornicator. However, these words can well be joined with the preceding, in which he reproved the Corinthians for their pride.
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There is much both of terror and of gentleness in this saying. For to say, I will know, was the language of one as yet withholding himself: but to say, What will you? Must I come unto you with a rod? are the words of one thenceforth ascending the teacher's seat, and from thence holding discourses with them and taking upon him all his authority.
What means, with a rod? With punishment, with vengeance: that is, I will destroy; I will strike with blindness: the kind of thing which Peter did in the case of Sapphira, and himself in the case of Elymas the sorcerer. For henceforth he no longer speaks as bringing himself into a close comparison with the other teachers, but with authority. And in the second Epistle too he appears to say the same, when he writes, Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me.
Shall I come with a rod, or in love? What then? To come with a rod, was it not an instance of love? Of love it was surely. But because through his great love he shrinks back in punis...
Paul leaves it up to the Corinthians to decide how he should come to them. We too have a choice. Either we can fall into hell, or we can obtain the kingdom. But if you say that you are willing to do the right thing but not able, you are mistaken. All that means is that you are not willing strongly enough.
