‘Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.' The result of these promises should be that they set about separating themselves to God by cleansing themselves. Here Paul firmly exhorts them to do... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING CONFIRMED HIS OWN CREDENTIALS AND HIS OWN WAY OF LIVING HE PLEADS FOR A THEM TO TURN FROM ALL THAT MIGHT HINDER THEM AND FOR THEIR EQUAL FULL AND EXCLUSIVE RESPONSE TO GOD AND TO CHRIST (2 CORINTHIANS 6:11 TO 2 CORINTHIANS 7:1). Having spoken earlier of ‘receiving not the grace of God in vain... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF TITUS AND PAUL'S FULL RECONCILIATION WITH THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH (2 CORINTHIANS 7:1) Having searchingly examined their credentials by portraying to them the essence of the new covenant (chapter 3) and the Gospel (Chapter s 4-5), and having called them to depart from too close... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Make room in your hearts for us. We wronged no man, we corrupted no man, we took advantage of no man. I say it not to condemn you: for I have said before, that you are in our hearts to die together and live together.' The appeal reflects 2 Corinthians 6:11, but the initial verb means to make room b... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Great is my confidence (or ‘boldness of speech') toward you, great is my glorying on your behalf: I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in all our affliction.' Indeed he wants them to know that he is not speaking to them with any doubt as to their response. He speaks boldly towards them be... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For even when we were come into Macedonia our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. Nevertheless he who comforts the lowly, even God, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort with which he... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For though I caused you pain with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it, for I see that that letter made you sorry, though but for a season.' Looking back on the situation now he is glad for the pain that he had caused them (not as great as that which they had caused him) because o... [ Continue Reading ]
‘I now rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that you were made sorry resulting in repentance; for you were made sorry after a godly sort, that you might suffer loss by us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance unto salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produc... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For behold, this selfsame thing, that you were made sorry after a godly sort. What earnest care it wrought in you, yes, what clearing of yourselves, yes, what indignation, yes, what fear, yes, what longing, yes, what zeal, yes, what avenging! In everything you approved yourselves to be pure in the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘So although I wrote to you, it was not for his cause who did the wrong, nor for his cause who suffered the wrong, but that your earnest care for us might be made openly clear to you in the sight of God.' But he wants them to be clear why he had written to them. It had not been in order to allocate... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Therefore we have been comforted, and in our comfort we rejoiced the more greatly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.' Thus he has been comforted and encouraged by their response, and was also able to rejoice even more because Titus had been refreshed in spirit... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For if in anything I have gloried to him on your behalf, I was not put to shame, but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth.' And he rejoices in the fact that his faith in them had been justified, so that Titus had been able to... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And his affection is more abundantly toward you, while he remembers the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him.' For Titus has only good memories of them. He remembers how they responded to his authority, and received him with great concern and care for his words, and... [ Continue Reading ]
‘I rejoice that in everything I am of good courage concerning you.' Thus Paul himself rejoices in that he is assured in his heart concerning them in every way. So ends this section of his letter, a combination of rejoicing over their response, which is how it finishes, yet including the clear indic... [ Continue Reading ]