2 Cor 7.1-16 has Paul asking the Corinthians to receive him as a teacher and a spiritual father; and he expresses his joy that he has seen evidence that they have listened to him and are ready to obey what he has instructed them to do.
v 1…Therefore, having these promises (in 6.17-18-that God will dwell in his “Temple”), beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh (corrupt appetites of the body) and spirit (thoughts, intentions, desires), perfecting holiness (“kedusha” is being set apart for the service of God with certain restrictions and limitations).
v 2…Make room for us (receive what we say; understand us), we wronged no one (through injustice), we corrupted no one (through false doctrine), we took advantage of no one (through fraud, deceit, or dishonesty).
v 3…I do not speak to condemn you (of injuring or mistrusting him), for I have said before that you are in our hearts (thoughts) to die together or live (death or life cannot separate his love for them).
v 4…Great is my confidence in you (his boldness in words, not reserved), great is my boasting on your behalf (he glorified God when he heard the good report about them); I am filled with comfort. I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction (in spite of his pains).
v 5…For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side (every kind of way): conflicts without (with false teachers and doctrine), fears within (but he kept right on going).
v 6…But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus (to Macedonia, not Troas, as he expected);
v 7…and not only his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning (repentance, and of the evil among them), your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more.
v 8…For though I caused you sorrow by my letter (his first letter to them, especially the part about the young man who had his father’s wife), I do not regret it (retract what I said); though I did regret it (at first; he was uneasy about it)-for I see that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while.
v 9…I rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to repentance, for you were made sorrowful according to God, in order that you might not suffer loss in anything through us (by our neglect).
v 10…For the sorrow that is according to God produces a repentance without regret (they had a Godly “disgust”) to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death (remorse leads to depression because it is self-centered because it is only concerned about how our actions affect us like Ahitophel and Judas had; true repentance leads to life because we realize we have offended God and we are not concerned with ourselves; we deserve death).
v 11…For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you, what vindication of yourselves (to be more careful), what indignation (against sin), what fear (of God), what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong (to give out justice)! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter (they clearly did not consent to the situation about the young man and his father’s wife).
v 12…So although I wrote to you (the first time in 1 Cor 5.1-5) not for the sake of the offender (1 Cor 5.1), nor for the sake of the one offended (his father), but that our care for you might be made known to you in the sight of God (that he had a true concern for the assembly there).
v 13…For this reason I have been comforted (in the effects of it on the assembly). And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus (who went back to Corinth and was well received by them), because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.
v 14…For if in anything I have boasted to him about you (confident on behalf of you), I was not put to shame (found to be wrong about them); but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting (confidence) before Titus proved to be truth.
v 15…And his affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling (and wanting to do what was right).
v 16…I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you (that I can speak boldly to you; reprove, admonish, and advise you).
Leave a Reply