Notes on 2 Corinthians 7

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.
2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.
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.
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 our tribulation.

The promises referred to, from the last chapter, are that we will be the temple of God, that he will dwell among us, that he will be a Father to us, and that we will be his sons and daughters. Since God will be living among us, we should live and act in that realization, in holiness, and not in filthy attitudes and behavior like the world. "Perfecting" as used in the King James version usually has the sense of becoming mature, though the ultimate goal is, in fact, to be perfect, without any flaw. That's something we will only attain when we see Christ face to face, but we should still work toward it. We can't control everything around us, or live as hermits, but we can certainly control much of what we bring into our eyes and ears, through the popular media. We can avoid places and situations that are sources of temptation, when the choice is ours to make. By the same token, we can choose to spend time with God in his Word and in prayer, which makes it much easier to think on the good, pure things Paul lists in Philippians 4 (verses 8 and 9). How we live, the kinds of choices we make as Christians, reflects the degree of reverence, or fear, we have for God.

Paul makes another plea, one of several in this letter, that the Corinthian church would receive him and his companions as being what they were, ministers of the Gospel who loved them all deeply and sacrificially. That he would have to make the plea at all is a sad commentary on the state of the church since he had left them. Like so many churches, their focus was on personalities rather than on the Lord. Many congregations in our own time are built around great leaders, and when the leaders leave or die, the church flounders unless and until another Great Man is found. That is not to minimize the importance of pastoral leadership, but the pastor is only a shepherd; Christ is still the head of the church. Paul's affection for the Corinthians was so great, though, that even with all the problems they were experiencing, and the apparent attempts of some to reject him, he still was proud of them, and still joyful for their witness, even in the midst of his own personal troubles.

5 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.
6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
7 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.
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.
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.
10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, 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.

In the midst of his troubles in Philippi, Paul received the good news from Titus that, at least, the Corinthians had taken steps to deal with the heinous sin in their midst. They also demonstrated affection toward him, and some desire to change the problems he had addressed. this regard was not universal, though, or he would not have gone to such pains to defend his authority in the second letter. Repentance is a change of direction, a change of mind and heart, and is the desired response for godly sorrow. Being sorry for what we've done means nothing if we continue doing the same things. Sinners often feel contrition when confronted with the truth of what they've done, but if they refuse to repent and ask Christ into their lives, their sorrow is an empty exercise in emotion. Godly sorrow is universal for believers, and it leads to repentance and salvation; though we do not repent of our salvation, we still turn back to sin and disobedience, and the need for repentance on that level is a continuing one. That's why John's admonition in 1 John 1:9 is so important to know and to practice; if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Unconfessed sin destroys our fellowship with God, damages our witness, and limits our ability to serve.

When confronted with their indulgence of sin in the camp, the Corinthians took decisive action. That was relatively easy, though still important. What was not nearly so easy was confronting the spiritual pride, and the cult of personality connected with it, that occupied so much of the preceding letter. If the problems had not persisted, there would have been no need for the second letter, except as one of unqualified praise. Dealing with deep-seated spiritual problems, whether on an individual or corporate level, isn't something that can be done quickly, and with little effort. We carry our past with us when we become Christians, and resolving some of the issues that go back even into our childhood can require years of spiritual healing and counseling. Every journey, though, in the common parlance, must begin with a first step, and at least the church had made that first step. They were willing to take good advice, and willing to consider change, and there was reason to rejoice in that.

12 Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.
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 all.
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.
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.
16 I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.

In the spirit of godly love, Paul always wanted to think and believe the best of the churches, even though he found it necessary to correct them from time to time. Not only did he speak highly of them to his companion, Titus, but, later in the letter, he says he did so with the Macedonian churches as well (2 Corinthians 9:1-2). A well-known management technique, with strong scriptural basis, is to emphasize the positive qualities of an employee before speaking of needed areas of correction. This is also the spirit of the love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. One of the most common and damaging problems in the world now, as probably has always been the case, is that of people who are repeatedly put down, and told how worthless they are. Many go through their lives believing just that, including many Christians, not realizing that the commandment to "love thy neighbor as thyself" cannot be fulfilled if we never love ourselves to begin with. Such people base their self esteem on what others think of them, and either spend their loves trying to please everyone else, a hopeless proposition, or trying to build themselves up by trying to bring others down to their level.

Titus had a good experience with the Corinthian church, and brought back a good report. The news was far from being all good, but Paul takes pains repeatedly telling them how highly he regards them. We should take equal pains, with our own children, our spouses, and with our brethren in Christ. We should never assume that people know we appreciate them if we never bother to tell them.

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