This verse is a continuation of the previous chapter. The ‘promises’ Paul spoke of are the indwelling of God, His walking with the Christian, and are known as God’s children, His people, as said in 2 Corinthians 6:16.
To ‘cleanse’ means to make clean, to cleanse. Sins of the ‘body and spirit’ would include the whole range of lawlessness, 1 John 3:4. We sin with our minds, and spirit, Acts 8:22, and with our hands, and body, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Both mind and body are to be clean and pure before God.
To ‘accomplish’ means to complete, finish. The present tense of this Greek verb indicates an ongoing action. The Christian must continue to accomplish holiness by the blood of Christ and individual diligence.
The word ‘holiness’, in Greek, is ‘hagiosune’, and it means to separate, consecrate, sanctify, and moral purity. When we confess our sins to the Lord, He cleanses and makes us holy, from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1:9. Because we sin from time to time, we must continue to cleanse ourselves, 1 John 3:3.
Paul began 2 Corinthians 6 by exhorting the Corinthians to hold on to their faith. Paul and his preaching companions had endured much so that the Gospel may be preached and accepted by all who would hear, 2 Corinthians 6:1-11.
Paul now called upon the Corinthians to show forth their love for him as he had shown to them through his preaching, 2 Corinthians 6:11-13. Lastly, Paul commanded that the Corinthian brethren be not ‘unequally yoked with unbelievers’, 2 Corinthians 6:14.
To establish his premise, Paul laid down five illustrations in the form of rhetorical questions to prove that two opposing sides cannot be yoked together to achieve a common goal, 2Corinthians 6:14-16.
This is Paul’s emotional appeal to the Corinthians. The A.V. says, ‘receive us’, the Greek word is ‘choresate’, but this translation of the word does not express the emotional stress under which Paul was writing!
Such a rendering is far too weak, and happily, virtually all modern translations reveal the strength of his feeling for the Corinthian congregation and supply much better translations, such as ‘make room for us’, or ’open your hearts to us’, 2 Corinthians 7:2, which more clearly expressed the strong emotion under which Paul was writing.
He felt the coldness in the attitude of the Corinthian church towards him, and he was also aware of the reason for the Corinthian coldness towards him. It is clear from what he writes that Paul considers he has been ‘shut out’ by the Corinthians.
They are ‘keeping him at a distance,’ they are ‘stand-offish,’ 2 Corinthians 7:2, as we might say today, and because the Corinthian church was established during the eighteen months he spent working in the city, such an attitude must have been extremely painful for him to bear.
After all, as he points out, he had never done or said anything to cause them to behave in this way towards him, and this is why, in 2 Corinthians 7:2, he again appeals to the appeals he already made in 2 Corinthians 6:11-12.
These two verses, found in 2 Corinthians 6:11-12, are very significant because they tell us that Paul knew why the Corinthians were now distant towards him. He was aware that critics had been attempting to undermine his reputation and destroy his influence in Corinth by spreading lies about him.
The verses imply that these opponents had accused him of dishonesty, of cheating, in connection with the special collection he was raising for the famine-stricken churches in Judea.
A collection which he had been requested by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, to take up as he travelled among the Gentile churches, a request with which, in his letter to the Galatians, he declared himself happy to comply, as he states in Galatians 2:19.
Furthermore, Acts 20:33-34 suggests that he knew that already his opponents were insinuating that he was misappropriating funds intended for the Jewish churches. We shall see more of this in 2 Corinthians 8.
For the moment, bear in mind that the Corinthians had not yet contributed to that fund, even though they had known about it for about a year, and actually begun to respond to the appeal.
But their delay in fulfilling the commitment they had promised was caused after his departure from Corinth, when Judaizing believers who opposed him had arrived and had lied about him, causing the church to grow cold towards him.
Of course, in this letter, Paul passionately repudiates the charges that have been levelled against him, and he again pleads, ‘Open your hearts! My heart is open to you, but you are ‘restricted in your emotions!’ 2 Corinthians 7:2.
Notice, though, he is not rebuking the Corinthians, nor is he accusing them, ‘condemning’ them, is how he expressed it, 2 Corinthians 7:3. On the contrary, he declares that he has been ‘boasting’ about them to Titus, his co-worker and messenger, telling him what fine people the Corinthian brethren are! 2 Corinthians 7:4.
He implies that his feelings for them are in complete contrast with their ‘coldness’ towards himself, and he even tells them that, ‘living or dying’, they remain in his heart, 2 Corinthians 7:3.
The idea of ‘make room for us in your hearts’, 2 Corinthians 7;2, is that Paul desired the Corinthians to accept his instructions as having divine origins, 2 Corinthians 6:11-13.
While preaching to the Corinthians, Paul and his preaching companions never wronged, corrupted, or took advantage of anyone, 2 Corinthians 7:2. Everything that Paul taught was for the benefit of his audience rather than himself, 2 Corinthians 4:15. Paul was not ‘condemning’ the Corinthians, 2 Corinthians 7:3.
He simply wanted them to have confidence in his words as having divine origins and thereby follow the instructions given. Paul truly loved these brethren, 2 Corinthians 7:4.
Keener, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The caveat that one was writing something not to stir negative emotion but to demonstrate affection, 2 Corinthians 7:3 / 1 Corinthians 4:14, was an appropriate way of showing love’.
Paul spoke boldly and confidently to the Corinthians because he wanted nothing but the best for their souls, 2 Corinthians 7:5. Paul was confident in the Corinthians’ ability to stand in truth, too. He often boasted of their faith to others.
Paul’s confidence in the Corinthians brought him comfort and the motivation to endure the heavy-duty afflictions suffered for preaching the Gospel message, 2 Corinthians 7:5 / 2 Corinthians 1:8.
Apparently, Paul continued his narrative from 2 Corinthians 2:13 at this point. There, Paul had revealed that he left Ephesus and travelled northward to Troas to meet Titus, 2 Corinthians 7:6.
Titus had gone before Paul to Corinth to assess the results of Paul’s first epistle. When Paul arrived in Troas, Titus was not there, and so he travelled on to Macedonia, 2 Corinthians 7:5.
As Paul travelled to northern Macedonia, and no doubt visited the churches that were earlier established, he saw that there were many troubles. These ‘conflicts’, 2 Corinthians 7:5, were likely the external doctrines that the churches were forced to combat, Acts 15.
The ‘fears’, 2 Corinthians 7:5, were Paul’s feelings of anxiety for the churches, 2 Corinthians 11:28. Paul was fearful that the Corinthians would permit the divisive group at Corinth to pervert their minds.
As Paul experienced anxiety for the church as a whole, the Lord comforted him with the report that Titus brought, 2 Corinthians 7:6-7. Titus spent time in Corinth seeing and hearing firsthand where the Corinthians were with their faith. Overall, Titus was encouraged by the changes that had been made in Corinth.
The church had a ‘longing, mourning, and deep concern’ for Paul as they desired to see him again, 2 Corinthians 7:7. Apparently, the efforts of the false teachers and accusers of Paul had not polluted all the minds of the Christians as a whole.
Paul himself clearly felt anxious, as in Macedonia, he waited for the return of Titus. Bearing in mind the cold response with which Timothy had met, he must have wondered how Titus was coping with his difficult commission. He reveals this anxiety when he writes that, whilst he waited for Titus to return, he was ‘restless and troubled’.
He speaks about ‘conflicts outside’ with those unbelievers and believers, who opposed his ministry and ‘fears within’, an expression which reveals his personal concern about his relationship with the Corinthian brethren and their spiritual condition at the time, 2 Corinthians 7:5.
Notice that he describes this stressful time as ‘physical restlessness’, 2 Corinthians 7:5. In 2 Corinthians 2:13, he writes about his ‘spiritual restlessness’. That expression describes the mental stress he was experiencing at that time in his ministry.
His mind was in turmoil, as he states in 2 Corinthians 1:8. There is no doubt that spiritual strength is often diminished because of physical weakness, and there is no doubt that Paul had been affected by the life-threatening sickness about which he writes in 2 Corinthians 1.
Here in this chapter, however, the expression suggests physical restlessness. We see Paul pacing up and down as he anxiously waits for Titus to return. He was experiencing stress that was caused and aggravated by the presumed ‘delay’ of the return of Titus. His messenger was late in bringing news from Corinth.
Such passages as these help us to appreciate that Paul was no superman, impervious to all difficult conditions and situations! He was a human being who experienced the joys and sorrows, successes and disappointments, hopes and fears, of people like ourselves.
One thing that weighed particularly heavily on his mind was his fear that perhaps the letter that Titus had carried to Corinth may have been too severe! He even confesses that he had been inclined to regret writing it, 2 Corinthians 7:6-7.
But when Titus returned with the news of the wonderful improvements that had been made in the congregation, the news of the change in their attitude towards him and the assurance that they were even longing for him to return and could not wait to see him again changed his mood completely! They were ‘mourning’ because of the way they had treated him, but now they were ‘zealous’ for him!
We do not know very much about Titus, because he is not mentioned in the accounts of the Missionary Journeys recorded in the Book of Acts, although, at some stage, he was one of the helpers and travelled with Paul.
What we know is that he was Greek, Galatians 2:3. Although he had become a believer, it would be advisable to have him circumcised, if he was to work among the churches, both Jewish and Gentile, Galatians 2:3.
When Paul and his co-workers travelled from Antioch in Syria to Jerusalem to resolve the thorny question of the position of Gentile Christians towards the Mosaic Law, Paul took Titus along with him, Acts 15:2 / Galatians 2:1, because his Greco-Jewish ancestry would probably enable him to speak with authority on the subject.
With regards to Paul’s group of helpers, it is interesting to consider his ‘missionary method’; we are inclined to forget the fact that Paul never travelled alone, and his journeys were usually well-planned.
Even if it may appear to us that sometimes they resulted from a sudden impulse, Acts 15:36. In fact, they must have taken some time to organise, once the decision to make the journey had been taken.
For instance, we see from Luke’s record in Acts that on his journeys, Paul was accompanied by groups of co-workers, whose names are not always recorded by the inspired historian.
Indeed, we know that Luke himself joined Paul at various times during his travels, as is proved by his use of the word ‘we’, but he never names himself in his writings, although he does give us the names of several of the men who were among those who did accompany the Apostle.
In Acts 20:4-5, Luke records the names of a group of seven men from various cities, who were Paul’s travelling companions. Romans 16 also provides us with interesting information about some of those with whom Paul shared his experiences, and whom he names ‘fellow-workers’.
When churches were established during those missionary journeys, the newly-formed congregations were not left to struggle alone. It was Paul’s practice to leave workers behind for a time, in order to help the new believers to become established in the faith.
1. Titus, who was one of those co-workers, is brought to our attention for the first time in 2 Corinthians, in which he is mentioned eight times.
2. He is twice mentioned in the Galatian letter, first in Galatians 2:1, where Paul records that fourteen years after his own conversion, he went up to Jerusalem, taking Titus with him, and again in Galatians 2:3, where we learn that Titus was a Greek.
3. He is later mentioned in Paul’s 2nd letter to Timothy, where we read that when Paul was a prisoner in Rome, Titus had been sent to Dalmatia, 2 Timothy 4:10.
That chapter is also interesting because, in it, we find the names of other unsung co-workers of Paul.
4. Finally, in the letter to Titus, Paul describes him as ‘a true son in our common faith’, Titus 1:4, and we learn that he had such confidence in Titus that he left him in Crete, commissioned with the responsibility of appointing Elders ‘in every city,’ Titus 1:5.
We should remember that the Corinthians and Titus now know each other. It is clear, however, that Titus was not with Paul during the time he spent establishing the church in Corinth, nor had he ever been to Corinth before he went as the messenger, carrying the letter which the apostle describes as the ‘painful letter’, 2 Corinthians 7:8.
This is why Paul tells the Corinthians that he had been ‘boasting’ about them to Titus. The fact that they did not know Titus, and Titus did not know them, obviously made this a difficult assignment for the messenger, and therefore, Paul wanted him to know that, despite the ongoing problem, the brethren in Corinth were fundamentally good people.
We should bear in mind that the young Timothy was with Paul in Corinth when the Roman letter was sent to the church in Rome, Romans 16:21, and also with Paul in Ephesus when 1 Corinthians was written. This was the letter that Timothy probably carried to Corinth as Paul’s messenger.
However, when he returned to Paul in Ephesus, and he had not stayed very long in Corinth, he reported that the letter had not been well received, and the situation was not good.
It was this disturbing report which resulted in the sending of another letter, the one which Paul describes as the ‘painful letter’. This time, however, it was Titus who was to be the messenger going to Corinth, not Timothy.
It may well be that the Corinthian problem had proved too serious for Timothy to manage. He was young, and the proud Corinthians may have had little respect for his youth, 1 Timothy 1:2 / 1 Timothy 4:12 / 2 Timothy 2:22, and may even have resented being told what to do by him, even though he was Paul’s personal representative.
Titus, on the other hand, was older and probably more experienced and more skilled in dealing with problems. Clearly, the ‘sorrow’ of 2 Corinthians 7:8 was the sorrow produced in the Corinthians by Paul’s first epistle regarding their sinful practices.
Paul realised that his teaching caused this sorrow in them; however, he would not apologise, that is, regret, helping them see their error and regain fellowship with God, 2 Corinthians 7:8.
At some point in the past, Paul did regret writing to the Corinthians, as we all do when admonishing an erring brother. It is difficult to admonish and never easy. Such admonishment often leaves us questioning ourselves as to what our motives were behind saying what we say. Paul was no different.
The other issue was that some were made sorry only for a ‘little while’, 2 Corinthians 7:8. Many had repented of the sins enumerated in 1 Corinthians; however, it is apparent that some had gone back to their old ways. Paul has revealed two new issues.
1. The Corinthians needed to forgive the sinner mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5:1-12 / 2 Corinthians 2:5-8.
2. They needed to clear their affections for the sinful things unbelievers loved, 2 Corinthians 6:11-18.
Paul’s joy and relief are found in the Corinthians’ repentance, 2 Corinthians 7:9. The epistle had its desired effects on many. Divine revelation pointed up their error, and rather than being hard-hearted, the Corinthians humbly submitted to Paul’s divine instructions and made the appropriate changes, 2 Corinthians 7:9.
Salvation cannot be obtained without repentance, and repentance will not occur without godly sorrow, and godly sorrow in the heart of man will not occur without the saving truths of the Gospel, 2 Corinthians 7:10 / Romans 1:16.
Judas is a perfect example of ‘worldly sorrow’; his sorrow led to his death, Matthew 27:3-5. Peter’s ‘godly sorrow’ led him to tears but also to life, Luke 22:54-62.
1. Man reads or hears divine revelation and is convicted of sin, Romans 7:7 / Galatians 3:24.
2. Man’s faith in God and His promises motivates him to great sorrow over his transgressions, 2 Corinthians 7:8-9.
3. Man determines to turn away from that sinful conduct due to regret, Acts 2:37-38, and hatred of sin, Romans 12:9, that reconciliation may occur.
This is Paul’s analysis, of what the Corinthians did when repentance was made due to their godly sorrow over their sins.
1. They had an ‘earnestness’ for God’s promises, and this moved them to repent.
Clearly, Paul is saying that his ‘painful letter’ produced a sense of serious urgency in the hearts of the faithful. They were convicted of their sins and hastened to make it right with God.
2. The first letter of Paul produced a ‘clearing’ of the Corinthians.
Repentance resulted in being cleared from sin. Secondly, the reputation of the Corinthians may have begun to waver among brethren. Their repentance cleared them as a defence, and they regained the respect and joy of brethren all over.
3. The ‘painful letter’ produced ‘indignation’ within the Corinthians. Matthew 21:25 uses the word ‘displeased’.
The ‘painful letter’ produced this displeasure; however, the displeasure was not in the epistle but in themselves. They had become known among brethren as those in error, and this greatly displeased them to the point of wanting to make things right with God.
4. The ‘painful letter’ produced in the Corinthians was ‘alarm.’
The alarm or fear of God is not that He terrifies us like a monster, but He terrifies us through our knowledge of what He is capable of doing to those who disobey him, Matthew 10:28.
5. The ‘painful letter’ to the Corinthians was a ‘longing’, that’s the Greek word ‘epipothesis’.
This word is defined as strong affection. As it was the Corinthians’ longing to see Paul, 2 Corinthians 7:7, even so, it was the Corinthians’ earnest desire to be forgiven of their sins that the first epistle pointed up.
6. The Corinthians had to receive the ‘painful letter’ as a concern.’
The brethren sought after forgiveness with a sense of fervent urgency.
7. The final reaction the Corinthians had because Paul wrote the ‘painful letter’ was ‘readiness to see justice done’.
The Greek word used is ‘ekdikesis’, which means to take revenge or exact satisfaction. Who was this revenge or vengeance taken out on?
Paul had exposed the deeds of false teachers among the Corinthians in the first epistle, and thereby the faithful’s vengeance must have been directed at them and Satan, 1 Corinthians 12:13 / 1 Corinthians 15:12. Paul had admonished them in 1 Corinthians 16:13. Apparently, these brethren took the admonition and dealt quickly with those who opposed truth.
8. Then Paul stated, ‘At every point, you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter’, 2 Corinthians 7:11. What Paul was addressing is not said.
Plummer, in his commentary, says the following.
‘He (Paul) acquits them of all responsibility for the offence which was committed. At first, they had been to blame. By not protesting against the outrage, they had seemed to acquiesce in it, but all this had been put right by their reception of Titus and submission to Paul’s letter.’
Yes, he had indeed felt a tinge of regret about the letter, which he knew would be ‘painful’ for them, and would probably hurt them, 2 Corinthians 7:8-9. But, hearing that they have acted on the advice he had given to them, he no longer feels sorry that he wrote it because he realises that the pain they have felt has led them to repentance.
It had not caused permanent hurt and resentment. It had made them ‘sorry’, and their sorrow is the good kind, the kind that leads to true repentance. This passage is important because it defines the sorrow that leads to salvation.
Paul points out that there are two kinds of ‘sorrow’. One he calls, ‘the sorrow of the world’ which Jeremiah 2:26 describes perfectly, ‘as a thief is ashamed when he is found out.’
This is ‘sorrow for self’, not ‘sorrow for sin’. The sorrow which the Corinthians had experienced, he calls ‘godly sorrow’ because it leads to genuine repentance, genuine regret for sin. And such sorrow is therapeutic, healing.
The word ‘repentance’, in Greek, is ‘melanoia’, and it literally means ‘to have another mind’, or ‘to think again’ and describes a change of mind which produces a change of behaviour.
In sin, we turn our backs on God and walk away from Him. We hear the Good News of His love as revealed in the sacrifice of His Son, and we change our minds about Him, about ourselves and our sin.
We say, in effect, ‘I can no longer continue to sin against the God Who has such love for me, nor can I live without Him. I must turn around and go back to Him’. That turnaround is repentance. It is a change of mind, producing a change of heart, resulting in a change of conduct.
Paul was not only excited about the news regarding the Corinthians, but he was also made happy because his beloved brother in Christ, Titus, was filled with joy over the Corinthians.
Titus apparently had the same anxiety over the Corinthians as did Paul. When Paul sent Titus to Corinth to check on their spiritual well-being, it appears that Titus had his doubts about them.
Paul assured Titus that the Corinthians were worthy of praise and was sure that all would be well. These encouraging words to Titus proved to be true for the most part; however, there continued to be those who stirred up trouble, 2 Corinthians 1:17 / 2 Corinthians 3:1 / 2 Corinthians 5:12-13.
When we read 2 Corinthians 7:13-14, it is apparent that Titus did not expect to be so received by the Corinthian brethren upon his arrival in Corinth.
Harris, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Paul’s relief stemmed from the fact that his generous assurances to Titus about the Corinthians had not proved unfounded and therefore embarrassing, 2 Corinthians 7:14. On the contrary, just as his own truthfulness had been vindicated at Corinth, 2 Corinthians 1:18-20, so also his boasting about them had now proved fully justified.’
Out of a sense of shame, repentance, and respect for God’s Word, the Corinthians received Titus with ‘fear and trembling,’ 2 Corinthians 7:15-16.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Paul was now completely confident of the Corinthians’ continuing submissive obedience to him as their spiritual father and apostle. Consequently, he proceeded to appeal to them again, 2 Corinthians 8:1 to 2 Corinthians 9:15.’
This series of verses speaks volumes regarding the attitude of the Corinthians. The types of people that the Lord seeks to serve him are those who are willing to admit their errors and repent with fear and trembling, 2 Corinthians 7:15 / Isaiah 57:15.
We may also reasonably assume that Paul would not have sent Titus to Corinth on such an important and critical mission without first explaining to him exactly why he was being sent, and what he should be prepared for, once he arrived.
Consequently, given what Paul told him, it would be quite understandable if Titus viewed his mission with some trepidation and with concern about the difficulties of the task that awaited him in Corinth and after having learned of the failure of Timothy’s visit, he would try to prepare himself for any unpleasantness he might have to face.
Paul then left Ephesus for Macedonia, probably going to Philippi, where he was well-loved by the brethren, and Titus left for Corinth carrying the letter which contained Paul’s stern, apostolic response to the news brought back by Timothy.
The objective of Paul’s second recorded letter to the Corinthians is to prove that he has no personal agenda whatsoever, 2 Corinthians 3:1. Paul had suffered at the hands of ungodly men for preaching truth rather than his opinions or personal conviction, 2 Corinthians 1:5-11.
The content of the message was not based on ‘worldly wisdom’, 2 Corinthians 1:12. Paul has repeatedly stated that the gospel message preached is ‘not from ourselves’, 2 Corinthians 4:5 / 2 Corinthians 4:7 / 2 Corinthians 5:12 / 2 Corinthians 5:20 / 2 Corinthians 6:4.
All the work that Paul and the other inspired men had done in the Gospel message was for the sake of the Corinthians, 2 Corinthians 4:15. Though some had charged Paul with having personal agendas, his words proved to be of a divine origin, 2 Corinthians 6:8.
Though the Corinthians had obviously repented and corrected the problems that were exposed by the first Corinthian letter, they needed to continue the process of perfection.
Paul and his companions continued to demand reconciliation on the part of the Corinthians with the Lord, 2 Corinthians 5:20. Paul was putting the Corinthian brethren to the test.
Would they be obedient in ‘all things’ or just some things, 2 Corinthians 2:8? The new error was in the area of forgiveness. The Corinthians needed to forgive the sinner of 1 Corinthians 5:1-2, because he had repented, 2 Corinthians 2:5-7.
Secondly, the Corinthians needed to put away their ‘affections’ for the things of this world, 2 Corinthians 6:11 / 2 Corinthians 5:14-21. Paul, as did Jesus, explains to the Corinthians that they cannot possibly serve God and be in agreement with the ungodliness of any form, Matthew 6:24.
Paul has displayed confidence in the Corinthians’ willingness to be reconciled to God, 2 Corinthians 2:3. Now was the time to be ‘cleansed from the defilement of body and spirit’, 2 Corinthians 7:1.
Paul was not trying to scam anyone, and neither was he trying to gain a personal following by preaching the Gospel. If only the Corinthians could move past such faulty rumours, they would see the true love Paul and his preaching companions had toward them, 2 Corinthians 7:2.
These rumours were the source of brethren stumbling over Paul’s words. The apostle had obviously lost his effectiveness among these brethren; however, Paul would not let such rumours move his beloved brethren.
Rather than giving up and moving on, like many preachers today, Paul sets out to prove the divine origin of his message, 2 Corinthians 1:12 / 2 Corinthians 2:16-17 / 2 Corinthians 4:4 / 2 Corinthians 4:7 / 2 Corinthians 5:12 / 2 Corinthians 6:3-4 / 2 Corinthians 6:8 / 2 Corinthians 6:11-12.
Paul tells the Corinthian brethren that his and Titus’ hearts were filled with anxiety over them until he finally met up with Titus and heard of their good behaviour and love for Paul, 2 Corinthians 7:7.
Paul knew that his first letter was a scathing rebuke; however, it was what a loving friend had to do. The apostle now calls upon the Corinthians to remember the ‘earnestness’ that the first epistle produced in them and respond equally now to the new charges against them, 2 Corinthians 7:11.
Apparently, Titus had told Paul of the Corinthians’ humble reaction and obedience regarding the sins revealed in the first epistle; however, two new issues had come about. Will the Corinthians correct these errors, too? 2 Corinthians 2:8.
Paul was excited over the fact that the Corinthians had obeyed in all the matters of the first epistle, 2 Corinthians 7:15-16. Such are the people that the Lord seeks to serve him, Isaiah 57:15 / Psalms 51:17. All of Paul’s work of love was done for the Corinthians’ benefit, 2 Corinthians 4:15 / 2 Corinthians 5:11.
His own change of mood is revealed in the language that he uses to describe the change in the mood of the Corinthian believers, as described by the returning Titus. They had been ‘cold’ towards him, as he states in his letter, but now their ‘godly sorrow’ has produced truly amazing changes!
He is almost overwhelmed by the transformation that has occurred as the Corinthians seek to ‘clear themselves’, that is, rid themselves of the sense of guilt they have felt, because of their treatment of him. He exclaims. ‘What Indignation’ as they realise what shame they have brought on themselves.
As they recognise the wrath of God to which they had exposed themselves by allowing the church to get into the state about which Paul had written in his first letter to them.
The church had shown in dealing with the offenders as it acted on the advice he had given them; and, also, as they had defended his honour, which had been sullied by the false accusations of his opponents.
At every point, Paul believes that the Corinthian believers have shown themselves ‘clear’ and the word, here, means ‘guiltless’. But there is another aspect to all of this, which also delights Paul. He sees the effect that the visit to Corinth has had on Titus!
His messenger had, undoubtedly, set out for Corinth with a good deal of apprehension! He would be wondering, after the failure of Timothy’s visit, what kind of reception awaited him!
How would they receive him? What would they say? And, more importantly, being a Greek himself and well-aware of the volatility of the Greek temperament, what would they do?
But, to his intense relief, they had treated him right royally, and he has returned to Paul in a truly buoyant mood. And Paul is delighted that Titus has benefited and learned from the experience. All this has prepared the way and set the tone for Paul to raise a pressing material issue.
In 2 Corinthians 8, he raises the matter of the collection for the famine-stricken churches in Judea, and reminds them of their promise of support, a promise which has not yet been kept.