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2 Corinthians 7
New English Translation

Self-Purification

7 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves[a] from everything that could defile the body[b] and the spirit, and thus accomplish[c] holiness out of reverence for God.[d] 2 Make room for us in your hearts;[e] we have wronged no one, we have ruined no one,[f] we have exploited no one.[g] 3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I told you before[h] that you are in our hearts so that we die together and live together with you.[i]

A Letter That Caused Sadness

4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride[j] on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement;[k] I am overflowing with joy in the midst of[l] all our suffering. 5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our body[m] had no rest at all, but we were troubled in every way—struggles from the outside, fears from within. 6 But God, who encourages[n] the downhearted, encouraged[o] us by the arrival of Titus. 7 We were encouraged[p] not only by his arrival, but also by the encouragement[q] you gave[r] him, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning,[s] your deep concern[t] for me, so that I rejoiced more than ever. 8 For even if I made you sad[u] by my letter,[v] I do not regret having written it[w] (even though I did regret it,[x] for[y] I see that my letter made you sad,[z] though only for a short time). 9 Now I rejoice, not because you were made sad,[aa] but because you were made sad to the point of repentance. For you were made sad as God intended,[ab] so that you were not harmed[ac] in any way by us. 10 For sadness as intended by God produces a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly sadness brings about death. 11 For see what this very thing, this sadness[ad] as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves,[ae] what indignation,[af] what alarm, what longing, what deep concern,[ag] what punishment![ah] In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 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[ai] before God. 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.[aj] 14 For if I have boasted to him about anything concerning you, I have not been embarrassed by you,[ak] but just as everything we said to you was true,[al] so our boasting to Titus about you[am] has proved true as well. 15 And his affection for you is much greater[an] when he remembers the obedience of you all, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice because in everything I am fully confident in you.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 7:1 tn Or “purify ourselves.”
  2. 2 Corinthians 7:1 tn Grk “from every defilement of the flesh.”
  3. 2 Corinthians 7:1 tn Grk “accomplishing.” The participle has been translated as a finite verb due to considerations of contemporary English style, and “thus” has been supplied to indicate that it represents a result of the previous cleansing.
  4. 2 Corinthians 7:1 tn Grk “in the fear of God.”
  5. 2 Corinthians 7:2 tn The phrase “in your hearts” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
  6. 2 Corinthians 7:2 tn “We have ruined no one” may refer to financial loss (“we have caused no one to suffer financial loss”) but it may also refer to the undermining of faith (“we have corrupted no one’s faith,”). Both options are mentioned in L&N 20.23.
  7. 2 Corinthians 7:2 tn Or “we have taken advantage of no one.”
  8. 2 Corinthians 7:3 sn See 2 Cor 1:4-7.
  9. 2 Corinthians 7:3 tn The words “with you” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
  10. 2 Corinthians 7:4 tn Grk “great is my boasting.”
  11. 2 Corinthians 7:4 tn Or “comfort.”
  12. 2 Corinthians 7:4 tn Grk “I am overflowing with joy in all our suffering”; the words “in the midst of” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to clarify that Paul is not rejoicing in the suffering itself, but in his relationship with the Corinthians in the midst of all his suffering.
  13. 2 Corinthians 7:5 tn Grk “our flesh.”
  14. 2 Corinthians 7:6 tn Or “comforts,” “consoles.”
  15. 2 Corinthians 7:6 tn Or “comforted,” “consoled.”
  16. 2 Corinthians 7:7 tn Because of the length and complexity of this Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the phrase “We were encouraged.”
  17. 2 Corinthians 7:7 tn Or “comfort,” “consolation.”
  18. 2 Corinthians 7:7 tn Grk “by the encouragement with which he was encouraged by you.” The passive construction was translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style, and the repeated word “encouraged” was replaced in the translation by “gave” to avoid redundancy in the translation.
  19. 2 Corinthians 7:7 tn Or “your grieving,” “your deep sorrow.”
  20. 2 Corinthians 7:7 tn Or “your zeal.”
  21. 2 Corinthians 7:8 tn Grk “if I grieved you.”
  22. 2 Corinthians 7:8 sn My letter. Paul is referring to the “severe” letter mentioned in 2 Cor 2:4.
  23. 2 Corinthians 7:8 tn Grk “I do not regret”; direct objects in Greek must often be supplied from the context. Here one could simply supply “it,” but since Paul is referring to the effects of his previous letter, clarity is improved if “having written it” is supplied.
  24. 2 Corinthians 7:8 tn Grk “I did regret”; the direct object “it” must be supplied from the context.
  25. 2 Corinthians 7:8 tc A few significant mss (P46c B D* it sa) lack γάρ (gar, “for”), while the majority of witnesses have it (א C D1 F G Ψ 0243 33 1739 1881 M sy bo). Even though P46* omits γάρ, it has the same sense (viz., a subordinate clause) because it reads the participle βλέπων (blepōn, “seeing”; the Vulgate does the same). A decision is difficult because although the overwhelming external evidence is on the side of the conjunction, the lack of γάρ is a significantly harder reading, for the whole clause is something of an anacoluthon. Without the conjunction, the sentence reads more harshly. This would fit with Paul’s “vehemence of spirit” (A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament, 435) that is found especially in 2 Corinthians and Galatians. However, the mss that omit the conjunction are prone to such tendencies at times. In this instance, the conjunction should probably stand.
  26. 2 Corinthians 7:8 tn Grk “my letter grieved you.”
  27. 2 Corinthians 7:9 tn Grk “were grieved” (so also twice later in the verse).
  28. 2 Corinthians 7:9 tn Grk “corresponding to God,” that is, corresponding to God’s will (κατὰ θεόν, kata theon). The same phrase occurs in vv. 10 and 11.
  29. 2 Corinthians 7:9 tn Grk “so that you did not suffer loss.”
  30. 2 Corinthians 7:11 tn Grk “this very thing, to be grieved.”
  31. 2 Corinthians 7:11 tn The words “of yourselves” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
  32. 2 Corinthians 7:11 sn What indignation refers to the Corinthians’ indignation at the offender.
  33. 2 Corinthians 7:11 tn Or “what zeal.”
  34. 2 Corinthians 7:11 sn That is, punishment for the offender.
  35. 2 Corinthians 7:12 tn Grk “but in order that your eagerness on our behalf might be revealed to you.”
  36. 2 Corinthians 7:13 tn Or “all of you have put his mind at ease.”
  37. 2 Corinthians 7:14 tn Grk “I have not been put to shame”; the words “by you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
  38. 2 Corinthians 7:14 tn Grk “just as we spoke everything to you in truth.”
  39. 2 Corinthians 7:14 tn The words “about you” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
  40. 2 Corinthians 7:15 tn Or “is all the more.”
Listen to 2 Corinthians 7
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2 Corinthians 7
1599 Geneva Bible

7 1 Lest by overmuch urging them he should dismay their tender minds, 2 he proveth that all that he said, 4 proceeded of the great good will he bare unto them: 8 and therefore they should not be offended, that he made them sorry, 10 and brought them to repentance not to be repented of.

1 Seeing then we have these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the [a]flesh and spirit, and finish our sanctification in the fear of God.

2 [b][c]Receive us: we have done wrong to no man: we have corrupted no man: we have defrauded no man.

3 I speak it not to your [d]condemnation: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts, to die and live together.

4 I use great boldness of speech toward you: I rejoice greatly in you: I am filled with comfort, and am exceeding joyous in all our tribulation.

5 For when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side, fightings without, and terrors within.

6 But God, that comforteth the [e]abject, comforted us at the [f]coming of Titus:

7 And not by his coming only, but also by the consolation wherewith he was comforted of you, when he told us your great desire, your mourning, your fervent mind to me-ward, so that I rejoiced much more.

8 [g]For though I made you sorry with a letter, I repent not, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same Epistle made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

9 I now rejoice, not that ye were sorry, but that ye sorrowed to [h]repentance: for ye sorrowed godly, so that in nothing ye were hurt by us.

10 For [i]godly sorrow causeth repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of: but the worldly sorrow causeth death.

11 For behold, this thing that ye have been godly sorry, what great care hath it wrought in you: yea, what clearing of yourselves: yea, what indignation: yea, what fear: yea, how great desire: yea, what a zeal: yea, what revenge: in all things ye have showed yourselves, that ye are pure in this matter.

12 Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did not it for his cause that had done the wrong, neither for his cause that had the injury, but that our care toward you in the [j]sight of God might appear unto you.

13 Therefore we were comforted, because ye were comforted: but rather we rejoiced much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.

14 For if that I have boasted anything to him of you, I have not been ashamed: but as I have spoken unto you all things in truth, even so our boasting unto Titus was true.

15 And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, when he remembereth the obedience of you all, and how with fear and trembling ye received him.

16 I rejoice therefore that I may put my confidence in you in all things.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 7:1 Both of body and soul, that by this means the sanctification may be perfect, consisting in both the parts thereof.
  2. 2 Corinthians 7:2 He returneth again from that admonition to his own person, opposing the testimonies both of his faithfulness and also of his continual good will towards them.
  3. 2 Corinthians 7:2 Let me have some place amongst you, that I may teach you.
  4. 2 Corinthians 7:3 To condemn you of unkindness or treachery.
  5. 2 Corinthians 7:6 Whose hearts are cast down, and are very far spent.
  6. 2 Corinthians 7:6 With those things which Titus told me of you at his coming, to wit, how fruitfully you read over my letters, moreover and besides that, I am exceedingly refreshed with his presence.
  7. 2 Corinthians 7:8 An objection: But thou hast handled us roughly. The Apostle answereth that he used not this toughness without grief. And he addeth moreover, that he is also glad now that he drove them to that sorrow, although it was against his will, since it was so profitable unto them: for there is a sorrow not only praiseworthy, but also necessary, to wit, whereby repentance groweth by certain degrees, for the which repentance he praiseth them highly. And this is the fifth part of this Epistle.
  8. 2 Corinthians 7:9 Insomuch that that sorrow did you much good toward the amending of your lewdness and sins.
  9. 2 Corinthians 7:10 Godly sorrow is when we are not terrified with the fear of punishment, but because we feel we have offended God our most merciful Father: contrary to this, there is another sorrow, that only feareth punishment, or when a man is vexed for the loss of some worldly goods: the fruit of the first, repentance, and the fruit of the second, is desperation, unless the Lord helps speedily.
  10. 2 Corinthians 7:12 It was not colored nor counterfeit, but such as I dare stand to before God.
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