II Corinthians 7 · The Lantern

Paul’s Joy in the Corinthians

Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Hence Paul speaks against people who are like those I have mentioned, saying: "You have then these promises, beloved; let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." "For I am jealous for you with a divine jealousy, for I betrothed you to one husband to present a pure virgin to Christ." The Church cannot marry another,…

"Having therefore these promises, beloved." What promises? That we should be temples of God, sons and daughters, have Him indwelling, and walking in us, be His people, have Him for our God and Father.

Having informed the Corinthians how to behave in the future, the Apostle now commends them on the good they have accomplished in the past. But in order to connect the past with the future, he first concludes his admonition; secondly, he commends them (v. 4). In regard to the first he does three things.

Make room for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have overreached no one.

From all such persons, therefore, it behooves us to keep aloof, but to adhere to those who, as I have already observed, do hold the doctrine of the apostles, and who, together with the order of priesthood, display sound speech and blameless conduct for the confirmation and correction of others.

Again he raiseth the discourse about love, mitigating the harshness of his rebuke. For since he had convicted and reproached them as being beloved indeed, yet not loving in an equal degree, but breaking away from his love and mixing up with other pestilent fellows; again he softens the vehemence of his rebuke, saying, "Make room for us," that is, "love us;" and prays to receive…

Then when he says, open your hearts to us, he offers himself as an example. As if to say: take us as an example: "Be imitators of me as I am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). For I have guarded myself against uncleanness by holiness, because I have injured no one.

I do not speak for condemnation; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.

Paul wants them to realize in what frame of mind he is speaking to them. He is certainly not rejecting people whom he wants to have as sharers with him, but he is exhorting them to make themselves worthy of this sharing.

I say this not to condemn you. How is this evident? From love; for you are in our hearts. But since someone might love yet not wish to expose himself to dangers, he says: "to die together." And since there are many who do not rejoice in the prosperity of friends out of envy, he added: "and to live." The meaning of what is said is this: in dangers we do not flee from you, and in…

Then when he says, I do not say this to condemn you, he discloses his intention. As if to say: I do not say this to condemn you, but to correct you. For past evils are wont to be recalled sometimes for condemnation, when there is no further hope of correction; and sometimes for amendment, so that they will be corrected.

Great is my boldness toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I have been filled with encouragement; I overflow with joy in all our affliction.

Let the earth also cause compassion to spring up to its inhabitants; for I am filled with comfort; I am exceeding joyful since I have seen Thee, the Saviour of men.

"Great is my boldness of speech towards you." 'Therefore I venture upon such things,' he says, 'not to condemn you by what I say, but out of my great boldness of speech,' which also farther signifying, he said, "Great is my glorying on your behalf." 'For think not indeed,' he saith, 'that because I thus speak, I speak as though I had condemned you altogether; (for I am exceedin…

Having given an admonition derived from what went before, the Apostle now gives his commendation. In regard to this he does two things: first, he commends them, secondly, he explains it (v. 5). He commends them by showing his love, which springs from the good works the Corinthians did.

For indeed when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way — conflicts outside, fears within.

Accordingly, when he is going to assign afflictions to the flesh as its especial liability-according to the statement he had already made-he says, "When we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest; " then, in order to make the soul a fellow-sufferer with the body, he adds, "We were troubled on every side; without were fightings," which of course warred down the flesh, "w…

Paul had to do battle not only with external foes but also with enemies within the fellowship of the church. He was afraid that believers would be turned away to harmful things.

Then when he says, For even when we came, he explains his commendation. But he said that he experienced two things, namely, joy and tribulation. First, therefore, he makes manifest his tribulation; secondly, his consolation (v. 6). He enlarges upon his tribulations for two reasons, namely, because the cure was removed, and because the tribulations were multiplied.

But the one who encourages the humble, God, encouraged us by the coming of Titus;

and not only by his coming, but also by the encouragement with which he was encouraged over you, relating to us your longing, your mourning, your jealousy for me, so that I rejoiced the more.

Paul showed what great affection he had for them. He paid no mind to the stench of the dungeon, nor of the pain of the lashes, nor of the rope with which his feet were bound. But when he heard that the Corinthians had amended their ways he rejoiced, and forgetting his sufferings, thanked God for their salvation, viewing it as a kind of reward for his troubles.

He comforted you, he says, not only by being with you during your time of sorrow, but also by announcing to you your virtue, by which he himself was also comforted, that is, he rejoiced over you, accepting you on account of your virtues. He wins for this man their goodwill, as one who praised them before him.

And not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you. Here he gives another reason for the Apostle's consolation, namely, the consolation of Titus. The reason for this comfort is twofold: first, the amendment of the Corinthians, which they had in Titus' presence; secondly, the devotion they showed to Titus (v. 13b).

For if indeed I grieved you in the letter, I do not regret it. If indeed I was regretting it — for I see that that letter grieved you, though for an hour —

Having said, "I do not regret," he tells the reason also; alleging the good that resulted from his letter; and skillfully excusing himself by saying, "though but for a season." For truly that which was painful was brief, but that which was profitable was perpetual.

Although I wrote to you in such a way, he says, that I exceeded the measure of reproach and ought to have repented of having censured you beyond measure, yet the great benefit arising from it does not allow me now to repent. He said this not because he had in fact censured them beyond measure, but in order to increase their praise.

For they had sinned by fornication, and the Apostle has rebuked them, as is evident from the first epistle (chaps. 5-6). But at that time he wondered what effect that sadness would have, whether good or bad; therefore, in his wonder he felt sad. But later, seeing that good had come from it, he was glad.

now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved unto repentance; for you were grieved according to God, so that in nothing you might suffer loss through us.

He also persuades us that this sadness is useful, which is according to God, not according to the world. 'It is necessary,' he says, 'for you to be saddened unto repentance according to God; for according to God, sadness produces salvation, but sadness according to the world produces death.

The sorrow was temporary – for an hour, but the benefit was everlasting. "I rejoice," he says, "not because you were grieved" (for what benefit is your sorrow to me?), "but that you were grieved to repentance." Notice how he attributes the sorrow to repentance, and does not say that he brought them benefit – which would have been fair – but ascribes this matter to their virtue.…

Then he gives the reason for his joy, because I am not glad that you were made sorrowful, but at the effect, namely, your amendment, because you were grieved not unto despair, but you were grieved into repenting; just as a physician is not glad at the bitterness of the medicine, but at the effect, namely, health: "As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (2 Cor. 6:10).

For grief according to God produces repentance unto salvation, without regret; but the grief of the world produces death.

This grief, then, appears to be accompanied by salvation, because the man, after having done a wicked deed, repented. Both actions grieve the Spirit: doubt, because it did not accomplish its object; and anger grieves the Spirit, because it did what was wicked.

And, in another passage, he says: "The sorrow that is according to God produces repentance that tends to salvation of which one does not repent." He who is sad according to God is sad in repentance for his sins; sorrow because of one's own iniquity produces justice. First, let what you are displease you so that you may be able to be what you are not.

Then when he says, For godly grief, he commends their sorrow because of its effect, which is the reward of eternal life. In regard to this he does two things. First, he mentions the effect in general; secondly, what their experience teaches (v. 11). In regard to the first he does two things.

For behold this very thing, that you were grieved according to God: how much earnestness it produced in you — but a defense, but indignation, but fear, but longing, but jealousy, but vengeance! In everything you proved yourselves to be pure in the matter.

One who provokes godly grief in us is our benefactor.

"For behold," he saith, "this self-same thing, that ye were made sorry after a godly sort, what earnest care it wrought in you." 'For not only,' he saith, 'did your sorrow not cast you into that condemning of yourselves, as having acted idly in so doing; but it made you even more careful.' Then he speaks of the certain tokens of that carefulness; "Yea," what "clearing of yourse…

Then (v. 11) he explains this effect from the experience learned from them. As if to say: a truly steadfast salvation, because it is clear from experience that it works in us many things that lead to salvation. He mentions six of these things, one of which is general, namely, carefulness.

So then even though I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but for the sake of your earnestness on our behalf being made manifest to you before God.

Paul is making it clear that forgiveness ought to be granted to those who did wrong not only for their sake but for the sake of the church, because when one does wrong many suffer.

Lest they should say to him: why then did you rebuke us, if we were clean of transgression? he says: I so respect what was previously written by me and do not repent of rebuking you, that I say: I wrote that so that my love for you and my care for you might be revealed "before God," that is, before God, who sees that this is just.

Here the Apostle assigns the reason why he rejoices over them; then he draws his conclusion, in which he does two things. First, he discloses the intention he had in writing; secondly, he reveals the joy he had over their amendment (v. 13).

Because of this we have been encouraged. And in addition to our encouragement, we rejoiced the more abundantly at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all;

Paul has been comforted by the fact that those whom he rebuked wished to mend their ways. But on learning from Titus that they were experiencing pain on account of their error, he was consoled even more and filled with joy, because their resolve had been confirmed by their behavior.

I showed my care for you, and my hopes did not deceive me; therefore, he says, I was greatly comforted. Now to the consolation with which you consoled me, as I said, a great joy was added — the joy of Titus. And this joy and consolation is on your account and for your sake.

Then he concludes to the joy he had at their correction when he says, therefore we were comforted. As if to say: because I obtained this from writing to you, namely, that you are corrected, therefore, we were comforted, i.e., we took comfort. For a man is joyful when he obtains what he desired and intended: "But by the grace of God" (2 Cor. 1:12).

for if I have boasted anything to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus became truth.

"For if in anything I have gloried to him on your behalf." It is high praise when the teacher boasted, for he saith, "I was not put to shame." I therefore rejoiced, because ye showed yourselves to be amended and proved my words by your deeds.

I, he says, rejoiced at this, that Titus found you to be such as I had described you to him in words. And he himself was comforted when he found you to be such and encountered nothing rude or unpleasant from you. And the fact that Paul boasts about his disciples shows that they were virtuous and that he was loving toward his children.

He assigns the reason for this joy from two aspects: one is on the part of the Apostle, namely, because he was found to be truthful. For the Apostle had commended the Corinthians to Titus before he went to them. But now, because Titus found them to be just as the Apostle had said, he rejoiced that his words were true.

And his affections are more abundant toward you, remembering the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him.

He says that the mind and affection of Titus are in them, because he has seen their progress; for a holy mind is in all good. Remembering the obedience of all of you, how with fear and trembling you received him. The Corinthians, knowing that Titus was sent to them by the Apostle, were terrified at his arrival, for they had already been rebuked by him for their great vices.

With these words he praises Titus, so that they too might come to love him, as one bound to him and ardently loving them. Therefore he also said: "his heart," in order to show the strength and fervor of his disposition and sincere love for them.

The other reason is on the part of the Corinthians. For friends desire that those whom they love be loved by everyone. Therefore, because Titus loved the Corinthians for their devotion, the Apostle rejoices over this and says, and his heart goes out all the more to you.

I rejoice that in everything I am confident in you.

Paul is glad not only because of their good resolve but because of the good actions by which they were correcting their former sinful practices. This is why he has perfect confidence in them.

I rejoice not only about Titus, that you honored him, but also that I find you to be such people – not shaming me, but giving me boldness to speak about you openly in every matter and at every time.

And because you acted that way toward him, I rejoiced, for I was found to be right and he loves you. Hence, I rejoice, because I have perfect confidence in you, not only in good will, but also in good works, that you will act well in the future: "In your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things that belong to salvation" (Heb. 6:9).

II Corinthians7

Paul’s Joy in the Corinthians