The Corinthians’ Repentance

7 Therefore,^(A) having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

The Corinthians’ Repentance

² Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, ^(B)we have cheated no one. ³ I do not say this to condemn; for ^(C)I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. ^4 (D)Great is my boldness of speech toward you, ^(E)great is my boasting on your behalf. ^(F)I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.

⁵ For indeed, ^(G)when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but ^(H)we were troubled on every side. ^(I)Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. ⁶ Nevertheless ^(J)God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by ^(K)the coming of Titus, ⁷ and not only by his coming, but also by the ^[a]consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

⁸ For even if I made you ^(L)sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; ^(M)though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. ⁹ Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰ For ^(N)godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; ^(O)but the sorrow of the world produces death. ¹¹ For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what ^(P)clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be ^(Q)clear in this matter. ¹² Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, ^(R)but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.

The Joy of Titus

¹³ Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit ^(S)has been refreshed by you all. ¹⁴ For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true. ¹⁵ And his affections are greater for you as he remembers ^(T)the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him. ¹⁶ Therefore I rejoice that ^(U)I have confidence in you in everything.