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Paul’s Joy in the Corinthians
Paul speaks with warmth and honesty. He urges the Corinthians towards holiness, reminds them of his sincere conduct, and explains why their painful response to his earlier letter has now become a reason for joy.
Understanding the passage
The setting of these words
This part of 2 Corinthians focuses on Paul’s relationship with the church and the report brought by Titus. The passage moves from a call to holiness, to Paul’s affliction and comfort, to an explanation of grief that led the Corinthians to repentance and renewed confidence.
2 Corinthians 7:1–16Main takeaway
Godly sorrow is painful for a time, yet Paul shows that it is good when it leads to repentance, comfort, and restored confidence before God.
Follow the letter’s teaching
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Called to holinessPaul begins with an appeal based on God’s promises. He tells the believers to cleanse themselves from defilement of flesh and spirit and to perfect holiness in the fear of God.
Explanation
Paul begins with an appeal based on God’s promises. He tells the believers to cleanse themselves from defilement of flesh and spirit and to perfect holiness in the fear of God. He then asks them to open their hearts, insisting he has wronged, corrupted, or taken advantage of no one.
02Affection and boldnessPaul is not speaking to condemn them. He says they are in his heart to die together and live together, which shows deep attachment.
Explanation
Paul is not speaking to condemn them. He says they are in his heart to die together and live together, which shows deep attachment. Because of that relationship, he speaks boldly and even boasts about them. In all his affliction, he says he is still filled with comfort and joy.
03Comfort through TitusPaul describes pressure in Macedonia with no relief, fightings outside, and fear inside. Yet God is the one who comforts the lowly, and Paul says God comforted him through Titus.
Explanation
Paul describes pressure in Macedonia with no relief, fightings outside, and fear inside. Yet God is the one who comforts the lowly, and Paul says God comforted him through Titus. Titus also brought news of the Corinthians’ longing, mourning, and zeal, which increased Paul’s joy.
04Grief that led to repentancePaul admits that his earlier letter caused grief, and for a time he regretted that. Now he rejoices, not because they were hurt, but because their grief led to repentance.
Explanation
Paul admits that his earlier letter caused grief, and for a time he regretted that. Now he rejoices, not because they were hurt, but because their grief led to repentance. He distinguishes godly sorrow, which leads to repentance and salvation without regret, from worldly sorrow, which produces death.
05A proven responseTheir godly grief produced earnest care, defence, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and vindication.
Explanation
Their godly grief produced earnest care, defence, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and vindication. Paul says this revealed their earnest care before God. Titus was refreshed by them, Paul’s boasting proved true, and their obedient, serious reception of Titus strengthened Paul’s confidence in them.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What two responses does Paul connect with God’s promises in the opening verse?
Look for the commands about cleansing from defilement and perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
02Why does Paul say he now rejoices after his letter caused grief?
Notice that he does not rejoice in their pain itself, but in grief that led to repentance through godly sorrow.
03Which details at the end of the passage show that the Corinthians had responded well?
Look for the list in verse 11, the refreshing of Titus, and Paul’s renewed confidence.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
2 Corinthians 7:1–16
1Having therefore these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2Open your hearts to us. We wronged no one. We corrupted no one. We took advantage of no one.
3I say this not to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and live together.
4Great is my boldness of speech toward you. Great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I overflow with joy in all our affliction.
5For even when we had come into Macedonia, our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side. Fightings were outside. Fear was inside.
6Nevertheless, he who comforts the lowly, God, comforted us by the coming of Titus,
7and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you while he told us of your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.
8For though I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. For I see that my letter made you grieve, though just for a while.
9I now rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved in a godly way, that you might suffer loss by us in nothing.
10For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death.
11For behold, this same thing, that you were grieved in a godly way, what earnest care it worked in you. Yes, what defense, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and vindication! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be pure in the matter.
12So although I wrote to you, I wrote not for his cause that did the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered the wrong, but that your earnest care for us might be revealed in you in the sight of God.
13Therefore we have been comforted. In our comfort we rejoiced the more exceedingly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.
14For if in anything I have boasted to him on your behalf, I was not disappointed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth.
15His affection is more abundantly toward you, while he remembers all of your obedience, how with fear and trembling you received him.
16I rejoice that in everything I am confident concerning you.