Bible Commentaries
2 Corinthians 7

Verse 1

These promises ; the promises of God referred to in the last chapter.

Filthiness of the flesh ; excessive sensual indulgences.

And spirit ; as pride, anger, malice, revenge, envy, covetousness. The promises of God to believers, instead of leading them to be careless in sin, excite them to the most earnest desires and strenuous efforts to be delivered from it. No hope is genuine, or will stand in the day of trial, but that which tends to purify the soul even as Christ is pure.

Verse 2

Receive us ; into your hearts, as apostles and ministers of Christ; give us your affectionate confidence and ready obedience. There is here an allusion to the exhortation, "Be ye also enlarged," 2 Corinthians 6:13 .

Verse 3

I speak not this to condemn you ; what he has just said, 2 Corinthians 7:2 , might seem to the Corinthians to be uttered in a spirit of censure. He wishes them to understand that he cannot speak to them except from the impulse of love.

Said before ; chap 2 Corinthians 6:11-12 .

To die , and live with you ; such is his affection for them, that he would gladly be joined with them in life and death.

Verse 4

My glorying of you ; on account of their ready compliance with his directions.

Verse 5

Fightings ; great opposition to the gospel and to him for preaching it.

Fears ; lest his first epistle should not have produced the desired effect. The best ministers may be called to endure great afflictions both from without and within. But God is mindful of their trials; and when their sorrows are the greatest, he is preparing them for the greatest joys.

Verse 6

The coming of Titus ; from Corinth to Macedonia with the news of their compliance with Paul’s directions. 1 Corinthians 5:4-5 .

Verse 7

Earnest desire ; the original word, rendered "vehement desire" in verse 2 Corinthians 7:11 , seems to denote earnest affection towards the apostle; of course with reference to the matter for which he had reproved them. This would be accompanied with diligence in complying with his wish as to the incestuous person.

Mourning ; for the sins into which they had fallen.

Fervent mind toward me ; zeal in complying with my wishes.

Verse 8

Though I did repent ; this expresses his distress in having been called to write as he did in his first epistle. Chap 2 Corinthians 2:4 .

Verse 9

After a godly manner ; according to the will of God.

Verse 10

Godly sorrow ; such as God requires; which grieves for sin because it dishonors God.

Repentance to salvation ; that sorrow for sin which leads a man to forsake it, and look to Christ for salvation.

Not to be repented of ; a change that will never be regretted or renounced.

Sorrow of the world ; that which is supremely selfish, and grieves principally because of the evil which sin occasions to the transgressor.

Worketh death ; tends to undermine health, shorten life, and hurry men to the second death.

Verse 11

Carefulness ; diligence to remove the offence.

Clearing of yourselves ; from fault in this matter.

Indignation ; against the offender, and yourselves for having suffered him.

Fear ; towards God, and me his apostle.

Vehement desire ; affectionate longing towards me, who had been constrained to rebuke you for your sin.

Zeal ; to discipline the offender.

Revenge ; the infliction of just discipline and punishment upon him in your treatment of the matter.

Clear ; by having done your duty, according to the apostle’s directions, 1 Corinthians 5:4-5 , etc. The difference between worldly and godly sorrow is, one has supreme respect to the creature, the other to the Creator: one tends to inaction, murmuring, despair, and death; the other to earnest, persevering efforts for deliverance from sin, a dread of repeating it, a readiness to justify God in his threatenings against it, and a hearty reliance on Christ for pardon, sanctification, and eternal life.

Verse 12

His cause that had done the wrong ; not for his only, or chiefly.

His-that suffered wrong ; the father. 1 Corinthians 5:1 .

Care for you ; regard for your good. It was no private feeling towards the incestuous person or any one wronged by him that had induced the apostle to rebuke the Corinthian church. He wished rather to manifest his zeal for their purity, and thus bring them to repentance.

Verse 13

His spirit was refreshed ; by your good behavior on the receipt of my first epistle.

Verse 14

Our boasting ; his representation of their general readiness to do their duty.

Verse 15

With fear and trembling ; lest they should not properly treat Titus and his message.

Verse 16

I have confidence in you ; as Christians, that as you learn the will of God you will do it, and thus secure his favor. That repentance of sin which leads to the forsaking of it, and to a prompt, persevering discharge of duty, gives great joy to faithful ministers. And well it may, for it is evidence of true religion and of preparation for eternal life.