Paul’s Joy in the Corinthians
Because these promises stand over them, Paul says they should cleanse themselves from every defilement of body and spirit and bring holiness to completion in the fear of God.
T1herefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Paul asks the Corinthians to make room for him in their hearts, insisting that he has wronged, corrupted, and exploited no one. He is not condemning them, for they remain in his heart, and even in trouble his confidence, encouragement, and overflowing joy in them are strong.
2Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. 3I do not say this to condemn you. I have said before that you so occupy our hearts that we live and die together with you. 4Great is my confidence in you; great is my pride in you; I am filled with encouragement; in all our troubles my joy overflows.
When Paul came to Macedonia, he says, there was no rest: outward conflicts and inward fears pressed on every side. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted him through Titus' arrival and through Titus' report of the Corinthians' longing, mourning, and zeal.
5For when we arrived in Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were pressed from every direction — conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus, 7and not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort he had received from you. He told us about your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced all the more.
Paul says he no longer regrets the letter that grieved them, because their sorrow did not merely pain them for a moment but led to repentance in the way God intended. He distinguishes godly sorrow from worldly sorrow and points to the earnestness, clearing, indignation, alarm, longing, zeal, and vindication that their grief produced.
8Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Although I did regret it— for I see that my letter caused you sorrow, but only for a short time— 9yet now I rejoice, not because you were made sorrowful, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you felt the sorrow that God had intended, and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11Consider what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what vindication! In every way you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 12So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong or the one who was harmed, but rather that your earnestness on our behalf would be made clear to you in the sight of God.
Because of this, Paul says, he is encouraged, and Titus is even more delighted because the Corinthians refreshed him and proved Paul's boasting about them true. Titus' affection has only deepened as he remembers their obedience, and Paul ends by rejoicing in complete confidence in them.
13On account of this, we are encouraged. 14In addition to our own encouragement, we were even more delighted by the joy of Titus. For his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. Indeed, I was not embarrassed by anything I had boasted to him about you. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus has proved to be true as well. 15And his affection for you is even greater when he remembers that you were all obedient as you welcomed him with fear and trembling. 16I rejoice that I can have complete confidence in you.