Introductory remarks:
This is Paul's last chapter on comforting the Corinthian Church. "Paul sums up his last statements by encouraging them to cleanse themselves in the flesh and spirit. He says that he has been through trouble in Macedonia and was uplifted when Titus came and told him how they had truly repented after his last letter. He also says that Titus saw that Paul's boasting about them was true" (A Survey of 2 Corinthians - By Brenda). This chapter may be outlines as follows: The temple of the living God continued vs. 1: Paul's joy at the Church's repentance vv. 2-16.
The Temple of the Living God Continued
Verse 1, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
LGT "Therefore having these promises, beloved, we should cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in fear of God."
Therefore having these promises, beloved: the promises that He gave at the close of the last chapter in verses 17, 18, that they would separate themselves from the world, and not follow the world in its filthy pursuits, God would be a Father to them, and they would be sons and daughters to Him. We should cleanse ourselves: this cleansing is not a work of the flesh, such as making resolutions, or following a set of rules, but it is surrendering to the will of God, and confessing sin to God, in order that a daily cleansing will take place by the blood of Christ. This has nothing whatsoever to do with our salvation; it is daily consecration to the will of God, through the Word of God, and separating ourselves by constant fellowship with the Father; this can only happen as we are obedient to God's Word, and confess our sins to Him, and not to any human agency such as a priest or pastor. The Father can only restore our fellowship, as He accepts us on the basis of His dear Son. Christ blood keeps on cleansing from all unrighteousness. We have been cleansed once and for all with regard to our eternal salvation, but we need daily cleansing for our fellowship to be sustained. From every defilement of flesh: these defilements of the flesh are giving in to the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." And spirit: God's Holy Spirit has made our spirits alive, and now we have fellowship with God as our dear Father. The sins of our spirit I believe are when we attempt to hide our actions from God. Whenever we think we are out of God's sight, or that He will wink at our actions, we are deceiving ourselves, and His Truth is not in us. We must be honest before God, and then our actions will follow. Perfecting holiness in fear of God: this is not only passive holiness, produced by the Holy Spirit in our lives, but it is active holiness. Let me try and explain: we actively take the Word of God and study it daily; we actively go to God and confess our sins; we actively live consistent with His Word; we actively love one another, displaying our love for God. All of these activities result in the Holy Spirit being able to use us to the Glory of God. As we submit to God's will, the Holy Spirit will perfect us in practical sanctification, that is, He will set us apart unto Himself.
Paul's joy at the Church's Repentance
Verse 2, "Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man."
LGT "Open your hearts to us: we wronged no man, we corrupted no man, we took advantage of no man."
Open your hearts to us: Paul makes this appeal to the Church because there was a minority that went along with the Judaizers who were scandalizing Paul as against the Law of Moses. We wronged no man: Paul says that there is no reason for the Church not to receive him into their hearts with confidence, because he has not caused any man hurt. We corrupted no man: he has not corrupted any man with the false doctrines of the false teachers in Corinth, who were adding works to salvation. We took advantage of no man: he says that he is not guilty of cheating any man in this world's goods.
Verse 3, "I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you."
LGT "Not for condemnation I speak: for I have said before that you are in our hearts for to die together and live together."
Paul says that all that he teaches them is that they live together and die together. "This is an expression of the tenderest attachment. It was true that the Corinthians had not shown themselves remarkably worthy of the affections of Paul, but from the beginning he had felt towards them the tenderest attachment. And if it had been the will of God that he should cease to travel, and to expose himself to perils by sea and land to spread the knowledge of the Savior, he would gladly have confined his labors to them, and there ended his days" (Barnes).
Verse 4, "Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all tribulation."
LGT "Great [is] to me boldness towards you, great to me boasting on behalf of you: I have been filled with encouragement, I overflow with the joy at all our tribulation."
Great is to me boldness towards you: Paul here begins to rejoice at receiving word from Titus of the wonderful transformation going on in the church at Corinth. Great to me boasting on behalf of you: Paul had boasted before of the Church's liberality in their taking up a collection for the needy saints in Jerusalem; now after hearing from Titus, he boasts of their responding to his injunctions in his first letter in a favorable way. I have been filled with encouragement: at your willingness to obey the Word of the Lord, which I gave you in my first letter. I overflow with the joy at all our tribulation: Paul says that his heart is super-abounding with this good news delivered by Titus, that it makes his tribulations bearable. Paul continues to give the reason for this overflowing joy in the next few verses.
Verses 5-7, "For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more."
LGT "For indeed, we having come into Macedonia, our flesh had not any ease, but in every [way] being oppressed: without controversy, within fears. But He who encourages those brought low encouraged us - God - by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming, but also by the encouragement with which he was encouraged as to you, relating to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced yet more."
The editor of Calvin's commentary quotes McCrie's Sermons that gives a short but concise background for these verses, giving a good account of Paul's' emotions of joy:
"Timothy is dispatched (by Paul) to Corinth, and after him Titus is sent. In the mean time, 'a door is opened of the Lord' to the Apostles to preach at Troas; but, strange to relate! He, who panted so earnestly for such opportunities, had neither heart nor tongue to improve the present. The expected messenger from Corinth had not arrived - he had 'no rest in his spirit,' and abandoning the rich harvest, which invited his labors, he wandered into Macedonia. Nor yet did he find ease: 'For when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest., but we were troubled on every side - without were fightings; within were fears.' At last Titus arrives with tidings from Corinth. The Apostle's letter had been well received; it had produced the intended effects; a spirit of repentance had fallen upon the Church; they had applied themselves vigorously to the correction of abuses; the love, which they bore to their spiritual father, had revived with additional strength. 'Now! Thanks be unto God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place!' 'Great is my boldness of speech towards you, great is my glorying of you; I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.' (2 Cor. 2:14; 7:4). What a sudden change! What a wonderful transformation! Formerly we saw him like a soldier, wounded, weak, disabled, dispirited, fallen to the ground; now he is lifted up, victorious, and borne on the triumphant car."
Verse 8, "For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season."
LGT "For if also I grieved you in the epistle, I do not regret [it]: if even I did regret, for I see that that epistle, if even for an hour grieved you."
For if also I grieved you in the epistle: Paul is referring to 2:1-13, where he wrote of not regretting the discipline he meted out. I do not regret it: because it brought about good results in that the church repented. If even I did regret: at the time I wrote to you, but it brought about such joy in my heart I am not sorry I wrote those things. For I see that that epistle: Paul is referring to his first letter to them. If even for an hour grieved you: the grief was for a short time, but true repentance and reformation will last forever; Paul was satisfied that his first epistle made such an impact on the believers in Corinth that he had much reason to rejoice.
Verse 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."
LGT "Now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance: for you were grieved according to God, in order that in nothing ye might suffer loss by us."
Now I rejoice: Paul rejoices that his first letter had such a profound result. Remember in his first letter he called them "babes" and "carnal" because of their lack of spiritual maturity; but now after Titus had brought him such good news that they were growing up, he now has reason to rejoice. Not that you were grieved: Paul took no pleasure in seeing them grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance: Paul was happy that they changed their minds. For you were grieved according to God: they grieved in a godly manner in that they changed their minds, and the result was that they changed their life. In order that in nothing ye might suffer loss by us: it was God's intention by the letter to get them to change their minds and lives, in order that they would not suffer loss of rewards.
Verse 10, "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."
LGT "For the sorrow according to God works repentance to salvation not to be regretted: but grief of the world works out death."
For the sorrow according to God works repentance: this is sorrow according to the will of God, which He requires to bring one to his knees before Him, and in this God receives glory. To salvation: the result is salvation. "This sorrow Paul makes the cause and origin of repentance. This is carefully to be observed, for unless the sinner be dissatisfied with himself, detest his manner of life, and be thoroughly grieved from an apprehension [anxiety] of sin, he will never betake himself to the Lord. On the other hand, it is impossible for a man to experience a sorrow of this kind, without its giving birth to a new heart. Hence repentance takes its rise in grief, for the reason that I have mentioned - because no one can return to the right way, but the man who hates sin; but where hatred of sin is, there is self-dissatisfaction and grief" (Calvin). Not to be regretted: there is much grief when one is experiencing repentance, but he has no regrets at the final result, which is, peace and joy in fellowship with the Father. But grief of the world works out death: when the world sorrows, it is not because of a hatred for their sin, but hatred for the results, that is, they are caught and exposed for their misdeeds. This type of sorrow never leads one to the Lord, but away from Him, kindling a hatred for the righteousness, which He offers; the world ling does not want to be saved, they just don't want to get caught and exposed. This ultimately leads to death: "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23). When a sinner hears the name of Christ, it will bring him to make a decision either to respond positively or negatively; if positive, he will change his mind about Christ, that is what repentance means, to change ones mind; if negatively, he will continue on hating Christ; therefore, there is only one message we can give the unbeliever, and that is, Christ, and Christ crucified.
Verse 11, "For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yes, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter."
LGT "For Lo, this very thing, you to have been made sorry according to God, how much diligence it worked out in you, yea, [what] defense, yea, indignation, yea, fear, yea, longing, yea, zeal, yea, vengeance, in every [way] ye proved yourselves to be pure in the matter."
For lo, this very thing: see the happy results of a godly sorrow; these very things Paul begins to enumerate. You to have been made sorry according to God: Paul is describing this godly sorrow. How much diligence it worked out in you: Paul says that they expeditiously set to work ridding themselves of those sins that grieved the Lord, and of which Paul had exhorted them to do. Yea, what defense: they were very careful in not identifying with the sins that were prevalent among them. Yea, indignation: they displayed a great hatred for the sin that brought Paul's disapproval of them. Yea, fear: this was fear that they would quench the Spirit. Yea, longing: their earnest desire to remove the sin. Yea, zeal: their zeal to remove the sin and attach themselves to the doctrines of grace. Yea, vengeance: they immediately applied divine discipline to the offender. In every way ye proved yourselves to be pure in the matter: Titus had reported to Paul all these things, and now Paul could see that they had done exactly as he had commanded them in the particular issue of the man who slept with his stepmother. The man had repented, and they took him back into their fellowship.
Verse 12, "Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did not for his cause that had done the wrong, not for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you."
LGT "Then if also I wrote to you, not for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but for the sake of your diligence which is for us being manifested among you before God."
Then if also I wrote to you: This is the purpose I wrote to you. Not for the sake of him who suffered wrong: Paul makes it clear that it was not for the one who did wrong that he wrote his first letter to them, but it was for the welfare of the entire Church he had in mind. But for the sake of your diligence, which is for us: the KJV has "our care for you" which is wrong. "This difficult passage means that while Paul did desire the punishment and reformation of the offender, and the vindication of the wronged party, his main object was that the fidelity and zeal of the Church toward God should be manifested, as it was (vs. 11). This would appear in the manifestation of their zealous interest for him as God's minister. He states this as if it were his only object. Manifest unto you is rather among you, as in chp. 1:12" (Vincent). Being manifested among you before God: Paul says that all that they do is in the sight of God, and that they should keep this in remembrance, and not think of themselves as working for Paul's gratification alone.
Verse 13, "Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you."
LGT "On account of this we have been encouraged: and in your encouragement, rather the more abundantly we rejoiced at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you."
On account of this: the fact that the church repented and reformed. We have been encouraged: this makes Paul feel encouraged because his letter had the desired spiritual effect. And in your encouragement: the fact that the entire Church was encouraged made Paul's encouragement even greater. Rather the more abundantly we rejoiced at the joy of Titus: Paul, seeing the joy of Titus, and that he was so well received by the Corinthian believers, this gave Paul even greater joy. Because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you: Paul says that to see a Church so responsive to God's Word, it made Titus rejoice in his spirit abundantly, and this pleasure moved Paul's heart to rejoice. Nothing made Paul happier than to see God's Word obeyed, and received with such zeal.
Verse 14, For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed: but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth."
LGT "Because if anything to him about you I have boasted, I was not put to shame, but we spoke to you all things in truth, so also our boasting, which was to Titus became truth."
Because if anything to him about you I have boasted: Paul had evidently spoke favorably of the Corinthians to Titus before he sent him to them. I was not put to shame: you proved me right in all my boasting about you all. But we spoke to you all things in truth: Paul says that everything he wrote to them was truth. So all our boasting: Everything I boasted about you. Which was to Titus became truth: You all proved me right in the way you received Titus and your wonderful treatment of him proved me true.
Verse 15, "And his inward affection is more abundant toward you. Whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him."
LGT "And his tender affection are more abundantly toward you, remembering the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him."
And his tender affection are more abundantly toward you: Paul tells them that Titus is well pleased with his entire experience among the Corinthian believers. Remembering the obedience of you all: they were obedient to Bible Doctrine, that is, they not only heard the good news of grace, they put it into every day experience, and this is real wisdom. How with fear and trembling you received him: they feared remaining in sin, and trembled at the thought of offending Titus.
Verse 16, "I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things."
LGT "I am of good courage that in everything I have confidence in you."
Paul now has good courage because of the results of the growth of the Corinthian believers. This is so different from how he started the first letter, calling them babes, and carnal Christians. Paul now has much confidence in his family in Corinth.
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