2 Corinthians 7

Self-Purification

7:1 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that could defile the body and the spirit, and thus accomplish holiness out of reverence for God.

At the end of chapter 6, God promised that if the Corinthians obey Him, that He would become a Father to them. The Corinthians were to cleanse themselves from everything that could defile the body and the spirit. There are two ways that a Christian can cleanse himself. One, bar of soap is the Word of God. Either the Bible will keep you out of sin or sin will keep you out of the Bible. Another is continuous confession of sin, as noted in 1 John 1:9. Pornography, homosexuality, adultery, and fornication were a prominent part of the prostitution temples in Corinth. The Corinthians were commanded to stay out of these areas.

7:2 Make room for us in your hearts; we have wronged no one, we have ruined no one, we have exploited no one.

The Greek word for "wronged" is ἀδικέω (adikeo), meaning to injure someone by ignoring God's justice. The Greek word for "ruined" is φθείρω (phtheiro), meaning to cause or experience moral deterioration. The Greek word for "exploited" is πλεονεκτέω (pleonekteo), meaning to lust and defraud what belongs to someone else. Paul assured the Corinthians that he had not injured anyone unjustly, he had not caused anyone to experience moral corruption, nor had he lust and defrauded after what did not belong to him. On the other hand, the Judaizers had committed all three of these offenses.

7:3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I told you before that you are in our hearts so that we die together and live together with you.

Because he had so much love for them, Paul did not hold this against the Corinthians. They were his spiritual children. He had led them to Christ and wished to see them grow in the Lord. 

A Letter That Caused Sadness

7:4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in the midst of all our suffering.

Paul had great confidence that the Corinthians would be able to see through the Judaizers and accept Paul's apostolic authority. He gave the reason in the next few verses.

7:5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our body had no rest at all, but we were troubled in every way – struggles from the outside, fears from within.

Paul had written a sharp letter to the Corinthians calling them babes and carnal. After Paul left, Judaizers came into the city to discredit Paul's apostolic authority. Paul was very concerned that these Judaizers would destroy the work that Paul had done earlier. Paul did not tickle the ears of the Corinthians, but the Judaizers did. Paul was concerned that the immature Corinthians might cave in to the ear tickling.

7:6 But God, who encourages the downhearted, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.

Titus left Corinth and met Paul in Macedonia. Paul was eager to hear news about how the Corinthians accepted his first letter.

7:7 We were encouraged not only by his arrival, but also by the encouragement you gave him, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your deep concern for me, so that I rejoiced more than ever.

Titus reported that the Corinthians had accepted Paul's rebukes and learned from them. The letter had produced some spiritual maturity in the Corinthians. Paul was overjoyed, because he loved the Corinthians like his own children. The Corinthians were the spiritual children of Paul, as Paul had led most of them to Christ.

7:8 For even if I made you sad by my letter, I do not regret having written it (even though I did regret it, for I see that my letter made you sad, though only for a short time).

Discipline is God's "strange work". Since God loves His children, He must discipline them when they stray into dangerous territory. Paul possessed God's divine viewpoint on discipline. Paul would rather bless the Corinthians than discipline them, but because of his love for them, he hoped they would mature and grow stronger from the experience. 

7:9 Now I rejoice, not because you were made sad, but because you were made sad to the point of repentance. For you were made sad as God intended, so that you were not harmed in any way by us.

The purpose of divine discipline is to turn a child of God away from human viewpoint and toward divine viewpoint. It is to remove a child of God from dangerous territory and place him on the path of God's blessing. God's blessing comes to believers who stay in constant fellowship with God.

7:10 For sadness as intended by God produces a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly sadness brings about death.

The Greek word for "repentance" is μετάνοια (metanoaia), meaning a change of mind. When an unbeliever changes his mind and believes in Christ, then he is saved. In this letter, Paul was writing to believers who were already saved. They were pagans who had changed their mind about idols and believed in Christ alone for salvation. The evidence of their salvation was their reception of Paul's message. Their original salvation experience resulted in this change of mind about the identity and work of Christ. The sadness of their lost condition produced this change. 

7:11 For see what this very thing, this sadness as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what punishment! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

Paul's first letter to the Corinthians caused great sadness that produced great changes. The Corinthians were more eager to study the Scriptures. They were more eager to defend themselves from the false teachings of the Judaizers. They were more angry at the motives of the Judaizers. They were more alarmed and awakened to the angelic conflict that was going on in their midst. They longed to see Paul again and restore the broken relationship that their sin had caused. They had deep concern for their spiritual state and for Paul's relationship with them. They were concerned about the divine discipline that would follow their sin. All of this sadness revealed to Paul that the Corinthians were believers and they were beginning to mature.

7:12 So then, even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong, or on account of the one who was wronged, but to reveal to you your eagerness on our behalf before God.

There were men in the church who needed discipline, but the Corinthians ignored the situation. After reading Paul's letter, they administered the discipline. The primary purpose of Paul's first letter was not to condemn the wrong doer, but to strengthen the Corinthian church.

7:13 Therefore we have been encouraged. And in addition to our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus, because all of you have refreshed his spirit.

Titus most likely did not look forward to his mission of visiting the carnal Christians. However, Titus and Paul were overjoyed at the effect that Paul's first letter had on the church.

7:14 For if I have boasted to him about anything concerning you, I have not been embarrassed by you, but just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus about you has proved true as well.

Paul was so overjoyed at the Corinthian's response, that he boasted about their spiritual maturity.

7:15 And his affection for you is much greater when he remembers the obedience of you all, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.

After Paul wrote such a stern letter to the Corinthians, calling them babes and carnal, Titus may have been hesitant about meeting with them. However, the Corinthians met Titus with fear and respect. They recognized that Paul's letter was a warning to them that they needed to change their attitudes.

7:16 I rejoice because in everything I am fully confident in you.

Paul is confident that the Corinthians are maturing in Christ. Many pastors today fear offending their congregations. Therefore, they tip toe around issues which need to be addressed. These pastors are falling into Satan's trap. Satan loves a seeker-friendly pastor who only gives encouraging messages. The last man that Satan wants in the pulpit is a pastor who does not compromise with sin.