1Paul exhorteth the Corinthians to purity of life, 2and to receive him, who had done nothing to forfeit their esteem: 3he repeateth the assurance of his love for them, and sheweth what comfort he had received in all his troubles from the report which Titus had brought of their good dispositions toward him: 8so that upon the whole he did not repent of having grieved them a little by letter, considering the good effects which that godly sorrow had produced. 13Above all he rejoiced to observe the good impressions which their behaviour, so answerable to his former boastings of them, had left in the mind of Titus.
1HAVING therefore 1these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness 2of the flesh and spirit, 3perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
1 Namely, whereof is spoken in the end of the previous chapter.
2 That is, of the body and of the soul; as whoredom, idolatry, etc., defile both body and soul. See 1 Cor. 6:20.
3 That is, accomplishing it more and more by bringing forth of the fruits of the same. See John 15:1, 2.
24Receive us; we have 5wronged no man, we have 6corrupted no man, we have 7defrauded no man.
4 That is, give place to our exhortation. Or, give us place in your hearts, as we do you in ours. See 2 Cor. 6:11, 12, 13.
5 Namely, by desire of domination over you.
6 Namely, by false doctrines or evil examples.
7 Namely, by flatteries to have gain of you. See the characteristic of this word defraud/advantage in 2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Thes. 4:6. These are the three faults whereby he describes at the same time the false apostles.
3I speak not this 8to condemn you: for I have said before,a that ye are in our hearts to die and live 9with you.
8 Namely, as if you had been unthankful or unfaithful towards me. Or, as if I complained about you; but (he would say) to stop the mouth of the false apostles, who seek to render me suspect unto you, and to show my care to you as is declared in verse 12.
a 2 Cor. 6:11, 12, 13.
9 A phrase whereby is expressed the greatest love and favor towards any man, namely, that he is ready to live and to die with him.
4Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, Ib am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
b Mat. 5:12; Acts 5:41; Philip. 2:17; Col. 1:24.
5For, when we were come into Macedonia, 10our flesh had no rest, butc we were troubled on every side; without were 11fightings, within were 12fears.
10 That is our body. Not that the soul has not its part in tribulations, but because persecutions are most executed upon the outward man, and in the mean while God oftentimes refreshes and comforts the spirit.
c Acts 16:19, 23.
11 Namely, which was inflicted on us by the Gentiles and Jews, who were outside the congregation.
12 Namely, through the care we had concerning the troubles which were arisen within the congregation, 2 Cor. 11:28, 29. See the like phrase, 1 Cor. 5:12.
6Neverthelessd God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us 13by the coming of Titus;
d 2 Cor. 1:4.
13 Namely, who strengthened us against the persecution from the outside by his presence, and better informed us of the state of your congregation from within, and of your inclination unto us, as the following verse declares.
7And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us 14your earnest desire, 15your mourning, 16your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.
14 Namely, relating to my coming unto you.
15 Namely, about my tribulations and grievances.
16 Namely, against the disobedient; and also in receiving the reproofs and exhortations given you by me in the previous epistle; whereof he treats more at length in the following verses.
8For though I made you sorry 17with a letter, I do not repent, though I 18did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
17 Namely, by my earnest writing and reproving you for tolerating of the incestuous person, and other faults among you. See 1 Corinthians 5, and the following.
18 That is, grieved me that I must write so harshly; even as it grieves a father when he must harshly reprove his children, although he justly does so, and for their good.
9Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, 19that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
19 Or, that ye might suffer hurt by us in nothing.
10Fore20godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but 21the sorrow of the world worketh death.
e 2 Sam. 12:13; Mat. 26:75; Luke 18:13.
20 That is, which comes from God, is acceptable to God, and brings the sinner unto God; namely, when the heart of the sinner is rightly grieved for this, that he has provoked God his Father to wrath by his sin, with a confidence of the forgiveness of the same through Christ Jesus, accompanied with a firm purpose to avoid sin, as the examples of David, the prodigal son, the woman who was a sinner, Peter, and others do show.
21 That is, which is in worldly men, for the loss of worldly things, or which is occasioned only for fear of God’s judgment, whereupon follows hardening in sin, despair, and finally damnation itself, as is to be seen in Cain, Ahithophel, Ahab, Judas, and the like.
11For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort,f what 22carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what 23clearing of yourselves, yea, what 24indignation, yea, what 25fear, yea, what 26vehement desire, yea, what 27zeal, yea, what 28revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be 29clear in this 30matter.
f manner*
22 Or, diligence and anxiety over sin, which was committed, to amend it.
23 Or, excusing; namely, that this was not done out of willfulness, or consent to the sin committed.
24 Or, heaviness, for the same sin, being sorrowful, being amiss.
25 Namely, of Divine and ecclesiastical punishment for that sin, if it were not amended.
26 That is, a willingness and singular desire to amend the same.
27 Namely, in fulfilling of what the apostle had commanded them for the removing of this scandal.
28 This may be understood of the ecclesiastical punishment itself for this sin, or also of the sorrow which they have shown for it, which was as a revenge upon themselves that they had been so negligent herein before.
29 Namely, not from all faults, for, negligence is also a fault, but from having any satisfaction therein, or of having dealt willfully therein.
30 Or, business, deed.
12Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it 31not for his cause 32that had done the wrong, nor for his cause 33that suffered wrong, but that 34our care 35for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.
31 Namely, so much or principally. A manner of speech as in 1 Cor. 9:9, 10.
32 That is, the person who had committed incest. Or, of those who had hauled their brethren before the unbelieving judges or wronged them.
33 Hereby some understand the father of this person, whose wife he had taken unto him. Others understand it of them to whom injury was done before the judgment of the unbelieving magistrates, whereof he had written, 1 Cor. 6:1, etc.
34 That is, our care for the welfare and good name of the entire congregation. Others read: your diligence for us.
35 Or, to you, that is, which is employed for your service.
13Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed 36by you all.
36 Namely, seeing how willing you were to receive my exhortations and his person and to show him all good will.
14For 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 37a truth.
37 That is, found to be true.
15And his 38inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.
38 Gr. bowels, that is, affection and love. An Hebrew phrase.
16I rejoice therefore that I 39have confidence in you in all things.
39 Gr. confide in you.