2 Corinthians 7
Paul's Integrity and Affection 2–4
Comfort in Macedonia 5–7
Godly Sorrow Leads to Repentance 8–12
Confirmation of Reconciliation 13–16
Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain
Study Notes for 2 Corinthians 7
Verse 1
these promises — They are the ones just quoted in 6:16–18: ‘I will dwell in them, and walk in them’, ‘I will receive you’, ‘will be a Father unto you’. ‘Filthiness’ (molysmos) occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, and the cleansing reaches ‘flesh and spirit’, body and inner life. ‘Perfecting’ (epiteleo) is carrying a thing through to its end, ‘in the fear of God’.
Verse 2
Receive us — Choreo is to make room, to hold: it asks for the room he pleaded for in 6:12–13, ‘Ye are not straitened in us… be ye also enlarged’. Three denials follow: ‘wronged’ (adikeo), ‘corrupted’ (phtheiro) and ‘defrauded’ (pleonekteo, to take advantage for gain), the verb of 12:17–18, ‘Did I make a gain of you?’
Verse 3
to die and live with you — Both verbs carry sun-, ‘with’: synapothnesko and syzao. The same pair stands in ‘if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him’ (2 Tim 2:11), in the same order, dying first. ‘Condemn’ (katakrisis) is the word of ‘the ministration of condemnation’ (2 Cor 3:9); this is not what he is doing.
Verse 4
Great is my boldness of speech — Parrhesia, open, plain speech, as in ‘we use great plainness of speech’ (3:12). ‘Glorying’ (kauchesis, boasting) returns in v.14. ‘Filled with comfort’ uses the noun paraklesis of 1:3–7. ‘Exceeding joyful’ is huperperisseuo, to overflow, found elsewhere only in Rom 5:20, ‘grace did much more abound’.
Verse 5
when we were come into Macedonia — The account resumes from 2:12–13, where a door opened at Troas but he ‘had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus’, and went on into Macedonia. ‘Troubled on every side’ is the wording of 4:8. ‘Without were fightings, within were fears’: the outer and the inner are both named.
Verse 6
God, that comforteth those that are cast down — ‘Cast down’ is tapeinos, lowly, translated ‘humble’ in ‘giveth grace unto the humble’ (Jas 4:6). The title answers ‘the God of all comfort’ (1:3). ‘Coming’ is parousia, used of Stephanas (1 Cor 16:17), of Paul (Phil 1:26) and, in the Gospels, of the ‘coming’ of Christ (Matt 24:3).
Verse 7
your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind — These are three things Titus reported. ‘Earnest desire’ (epipothesis) and ‘fervent mind’ (zelos, zeal) return in the list of v.11 as ‘vehement desire’ and ‘zeal’. ‘Mourning’ is odurmos, a lament, as in ‘great mourning’ (Matt 2:18). Paul is comforted by the comfort Titus received ‘in you’.
Verse 8
I do not repent, though I did repent — Two different words are used. Paul’s is metamellomai, to regret, to have second thoughts; the Corinthians’ in vv.9–10 is metanoia, a change of mind. ‘Made sorry’ (lupeo) occurs six times in vv.8–11. The ‘letter’ (epistole) is the one written ‘with many tears’ (2:4); its grief lasted ‘but for a season’.
Verse 9
sorrowed to repentance — ‘To repentance’ is eis metanoian, the change of mind of ‘fruits meet for repentance’ (Matt 3:8). ‘After a godly manner’ is kata theon, ‘according to God’. ‘Receive damage’ is zemioo, to suffer loss, the verb of ‘he shall suffer loss’ (1 Cor 3:15): they lost nothing through him.
Verse 10
godly sorrow — Lupe kata theon, sorrow ‘according to God’. Each kind of sorrow ‘worketh’ (katergazomai): one repentance, the other death; the verb returns in v.11 (‘wrought’). ‘Not to be repented of’ is ametameletos, which Paul uses elsewhere only of God’s gifts: ‘without repentance’ (Rom 11:29). Its end is ‘salvation’.
Verse 11
what carefulness it wrought in you — Seven results follow, each led by ‘what’: spoude (earnestness), apologia (clearing, a defence), aganaktesis (indignation), phobos (fear), epipothesis (desire), zelos (zeal) and ekdikesis (vindication, ‘revenge’; ‘vengeance’ in Luke 21:22). ‘Clear’ is hagnos, pure, the word of ‘keep thyself pure’ (1 Tim 5:22).
Verse 12
our care for you in the sight of God — ‘Care’ is spoude, the ‘carefulness’ of v.11: the earnestness they showed is the earnestness he had for them. The letter was written that it ‘might appear’ (phaneroo, be made manifest) to them. He names neither the one who ‘had done the wrong’ nor the one who ‘suffered wrong’; compare 2:9, ‘that I might know the proof of you’.
Verse 13
his spirit was refreshed — Anapauo, to give rest, the word of ‘I will give you rest’ (Matt 11:28) and of Stephanas and his friends, who ‘refreshed my spirit and yours’ (1 Cor 16:18). It answers Paul’s own ‘no rest’ in v.5. Titus’s spirit is rested ‘by you all’, and Paul is ‘comforted in your comfort’.
Verse 14
our boasting… is found a truth — Kauchaomai, to boast: Paul had spoken well of the Corinthians to Titus before he went. ‘Ashamed’ is kataischuno. ‘In truth’ recalls 1:18, ‘as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay’: as he spoke all things to them truly, so what he said of them has proved true.
Verse 15
his inward affection — Splanchna, the ‘bowels’ as the seat of feeling, the word of ‘ye are straitened in your own bowels’ (6:12) and ‘the bowels of Jesus Christ’ (Phil 1:8). ‘Fear and trembling’ (phobos kai tromos) is the Corinthians’ manner of receiving (dechomai) Titus; Paul uses it of obedience in Phil 2:12.
Verse 16
I have confidence in you — Tharrheo, to be of good courage, the verb of ‘we are always confident’ (5:6). The long account of the painful letter closes on this note. Chapter 8 turns directly to ‘the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia’ (8:1), the country where Paul was when he wrote (v.5).