2 Corinthians 7:4

Contextual Overview

¹Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. ¹ Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. ¹ Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. ¹Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. ¹ Listen to me, cowboys. We have these amazing promises from God so we should always do the best we can to stay away from things he tells us to stay away from. If you truly respect the brand, then you will strive to live holy lives. ¹ Because God, then, will give us such rewards, dear brothers, let us make ourselves clean from all evil of flesh and spirit, and become completely holy in the fear of God. ¹ Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us purify ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in God's fear. ¹ Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, completing our sanctification in the fear of God. ¹ Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. ¹ Having therefore, beloved, these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all pollution of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

my boldness: 2 Corinthians 3:12, 2 Corinthians 6:11, 2 Corinthians 10:1, 2 Corinthians 10:2, 2 Corinthians 11:21, Ephesians 6:19, Ephesians 6:20, Philippians 1:20, 1 Thessalonians 2:2

great: 2 Corinthians 1:14, 2 Corinthians 9:2-4, 1 Corinthians 1:4, 1 Thessalonians 2:19

I am filled: 2 Corinthians 7:6, 2 Corinthians 7:7, 2 Corinthians 1:4, 2 Corinthians 2:14, 2 Corinthians 6:10, Acts 5:41, Romans 5:3, Philippians 2:17, Colossians 1:24, 1 Thessalonians 3:7-9, James 1:2

Reciprocal: John 16:33 - In the Acts 20:24 - none Romans 1:12 - that I may Romans 15:17 - whereof 2 Corinthians 7:14 - if 2 Corinthians 12:10 - I take Philemon 1:20 - let me

Cross-References

Genesis 2:5
and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground,

Genesis 2:5
Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground,

Genesis 2:5
Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet grown, for Yahweh God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.

Genesis 2:5
Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.

Genesis 2:5
And euery plant of the fielde before it was in the earth, and euery hearbe of the fielde before it grewe. For the Lord God had not [yet] caused it to rayne vppon the earth, neither [was there] a man to tyll the grounde.

Genesis 2:5
This was before there were plants on the earth. Nothing was growing in the fields because the Lord God had not yet made it rain on the earth, and there was no one to care for the plants.

Genesis 2:5
when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up--for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground;

Genesis 2:5
and ech litil tre of erthe bifore that it sprong out in erthe; and he made ech erbe of the feeld bifore that it buriownede. For the Lord God had not reyned on erthe, and no man was that wrouyte erthe;

Genesis 2:5
And euery plant of the field, before it was in the earth, and euery herbe of the field, before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to raine vpon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

Genesis 2:5
And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Great is my boldness of speech towards you,.... Or "liberty of speaking", which I use with you; I very freely, and without any disguise, open my mind to you; I faithfully tell you your faults; I am free in my exhortations and counsels to you, as in the case of the incestuous person, and in other instances, which is a sign of true friendship; for had I any suspicion of you, or not cordial affection for you, I should have been more reserved, more upon my guard, and have spoke and wrote with more caution: besides,

great is my glorying, or "boasting of you"; of your faith in Christ, your love to the people of God, respect to the ministers of the Gospel, obedience to us, and very great liberality to the poor saints, of which the apostle frequently boasts in this epistle: now as speaking freely to them when present with them, or in writing to them, so glorying in them, and speaking well of them when absent, clearly showed what an opinion he had of them, and what true hearty respect he had for them:

I am filled with comfort, says he; not only with divine and spiritual consolations from God, but with the news Titus brought of the state of this church, of the good effect the apostle's reproof and advice had both upon them, and the offender among them, and of their tender and affectionate regard to him: this filled him brimful of comfort, yea, adds he,

I am exceeding joyful; I abound, I over abound in joy; such is the joy that possesses my soul, at the tidings brought me, that it superabounds all the sorrow and anguish of spirit, out of which I wrote unto you, occasioned by the unhappy affair among you: yea, it makes me inexpressibly joyful in all our tribulation; which is not small we meet with, wherever we go, in preaching the Gospel of Christ.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Great is my boldness of speech toward you - This verse seems designed to soften the apparent harshness of what he had said 2 Corinthians 6:12, when he intimated that there was a lack of love in them toward him (Bloomfield), as well as to refer to the plainness which he had used all along in his letters to them. He says, therefore, that he speaks freely; he speaks as a friend; he speaks with the utmost openness and frankness; he conceals nothing from them. He speaks freely of their faults, and he speaks freely of his love to them; and he as frankly commends them and praises them. It is the open, undisguised language of a friend, when he throws open his whole soul and conceals nothing.

Great is my glorying of you - I have great occasion to commend and praise you, and I do it freely. He refers here to the fact that he had boasted of their liberality in regard to the proposed collection for the poor saints of Judea 2 Corinthians 9:4; that he had formerly boasted much of them to Titus, and of their readiness to obey his commands 2 Corinthians 7:14; and that now he had had abundant evidence, by what he had heard from Titus (verses 5ff), that they were disposed to yield to his commands, and obey his injunctions. He had probably often had occasion to boast of their favorable regard for him.

I am filled with comfort - That is, by the evidence which I have received of your readiness to obey me.

I am exceeding joyful - I am overjoyed. The word used here occurs nowhere else in the New Testament except in Romans 5:20. It is not found in the classic writers; and is a word which Paul evidently compounded (from ὑπὲρ huper and περισσεύω perisseuō), and means to superabound over, to superabound greatly, or exceedingly. It is a word which would be used only when the heart was full, and when it would be difficult to find words to express its conceptions. Paul’s heart was full of joy; and he pours forth his feelings in the most fervid and glowing language. I have joy which cannot be expressed.

In all our tribulation - see the note, 2 Corinthians 1:4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Corinthians 7:4. Great is my boldness of speech — He seems to refer to the manner in which he spoke of them to others.

Great is my glorying of you — They had probably been very loving and affectionate previously to the time in which they were perverted by their false apostle. He therefore had boasted of them in all the Churches.

I am filled with comfort — My affection for you has still the most powerful ascendancy in my soul. Here we may see the affection of the most tender father to his children.

I am exceeding joyful — υπερπερισσευομαι. I superabound in joy; I have a joy beyond expression. υπερπερισσευω is an extremely rare verb. I have not met with it in any Greek author; and it occurs no where in the New Testament but here and in Romans 5:20.

In all our tribulation. — Perhaps επι here should be rendered under instead of in, as it signifies, Mark 2:26; Luke 3:2; Acts 11:28. Under all our tribulations, I feel inexpressible joy on your account.