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Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

Please open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone, nor led anyone astray, nor taken advantage of anyone. I’m not saying this to condemn you. I said before that you are in our hearts, and we live or die together with you. I have the highest confidence in you, and I take great pride in you. You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles.

Paul’s Joy at the Church’s Repentance

When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside. But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. His presence was a joy, but so was the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you. When he told us how much you long to see me, and how sorry you are for what happened, and how loyal you are to me, I was filled with joy!

I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right. 12 My purpose, then, was not to write about who did the wrong or who was wronged. I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us. 13 We have been greatly encouraged by this.

In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was about the way all of you welcomed him and set his mind[a] at ease. 14 I had told him how proud I was of you—and you didn’t disappoint me. I have always told you the truth, and now my boasting to Titus has also proved true! 15 Now he cares for you more than ever when he remembers the way all of you obeyed him and welcomed him with such fear and deep respect. 16 I am very happy now because I have complete confidence in you.

Footnotes

  1. 7:13 Greek his spirit.

Since echō then oun we have echō these houtos · ho promises epangelia, dear friends agapētos, let us cleanse katharizō ourselves heautou from apo every pas defilement molysmos of flesh sarx and kai spirit pneuma, perfecting epiteleō holiness hagiōsynē in en the fear phobos of God theos.

Make room chōreō for us hēmeis in your hearts; we have wronged adikeō no one oudeis, we have corrupted phtheirō no one oudeis, we have taken advantage of pleonekteō no one oudeis. I do legō not ou say legō this to pros condemn katakrisis you, for gar I have said previously that hoti you are eimi in en · ho our hēmeis hearts kardia; thus eis we live syzaō and kai die synapothnēskō together . I egō have great polys confidence parrēsia in pros you hymeis; I egō take great polys pride kauchēsis in hyper you hymeis. I am filled plēroō with ho encouragement paraklēsis; I am overflowing hyperperisseuō with ho joy chara in epi all pas · ho our hēmeis distress thlipsis.

For gar even kai when we hēmeis came erchomai to eis Macedonia Makedonia, our hēmeis bodies sarx had echō no oudeis rest anesis, · ho but alla on en all pas sides we were distressed thlibō from the outside exōthen came conflicts machē, from within esōthen there were fears phobos. But alla God theos, who ho encourages parakaleō the ho downcast tapeinos, encouraged parakaleō us hēmeis · ho with en the ho arrival parousia of Titus Titos. And de not ou only monon by en · ho his autos arrival parousia but alla also kai by en the ho encouragement paraklēsis with which hos he was encouraged parakaleō by epi you hymeis, as he reported anangellō to us hēmeis · ho your hymeis strong affection epipothēsis, · ho your hymeis deep sorrow odyrmos, · ho your hymeis ardent concern zēlos for hyper me egō, so that hōste I egō rejoiced chairō more mallon than ever . For hoti even kai if ei I made you hymeis sad lypeō by en my ho letter epistolē, I do not ou regret metamelomai it. Even kai if ei I did regret metamelomai it— for gar I see blepō that hoti · ho that ekeinos letter epistolē did make lypeō you hymeis sad lypeō, though ei only kai for pros a short time hōra now nyn I rejoice chairō, not ou because hoti you were made sad lypeō, but alla because hoti your sadness lypeō led to eis repentance metanoia; for gar you were made sad lypeō as kata God theos intended, so that hina in en nothing mēdeis you suffered loss by ek us hēmeis. 10 · ho For gar sadness lypē as intended kata by God theos produces ergazomai a repentance metanoia that leads to eis salvation sōtēria, leaving no regret ametamelētos; · ho but de · ho worldly kosmos sadness lypē produces katergazomai death thanatos. 11 For gar see idou what posos eagerness spoudē this houtos very autos thing this ho sadness lypeō as kata God theos intended— has produced katergazomai in you hymeis; what alla defense apologia of yourselves, what alla indignation aganaktēsis, what alla alarm phobos, what alla longing epipothēsis, what alla deep concern zēlos, what alla punishment ekdikēsis! In en everything pas you have proved synistēmi yourselves heautou to be eimi innocent hagnos in this ho matter pragma. 12 So then ara, even kai though ei I wrote graphō to you hymeis, it was not ou on account of the ho offender adikeō, nor oude on account of the ho one offended adikeō, but alla that your hymeis earnestness spoudē toward hyper us hēmeis might be revealed phaneroō · ho · ho to pros you hymeis in the sight enōpion of ho God theos. 13 Because of dia this houtos we are encouraged parakaleō. And de in addition epi to ho our own hēmeis encouragement paraklēsis, we rejoiced chairō more mallon than ever perissoterōs at epi the ho joy chara of Titus Titos, because hoti his autos spirit pneuma has been refreshed anapauō · ho by apo all pas of you hymeis. 14 For hoti if ei I have boasted kauchaomai to him autos about kauchaomai anything tis regarding hyper you hymeis, I have not ou been embarrassed kataischunō, but alla just as hōs everything pas we said laleō to you hymeis was true en alētheia, so houtōs also kai · ho our hēmeis boast kauchēsis · ho to epi Titus Titos about you has proved ginomai true alētheia. 15 And kai · ho his autos affection splanchnon for eis you hymeis is eimi even greater perissoterōs when he recalls anamimnēskō the ho obedience hypakoē of you hymeis all pas, how hōs with meta fear phobos and kai trembling tromos you welcomed dechomai him autos. 16 I rejoice chairō because hoti in en everything pas I have complete confidence tharreō in en you hymeis.