S
E C O N D C O R I N I T H I A N S
CHAP. VII.
This
chapter begins with an exhortation to progressive holiness and a due regard to
the ministers of the gospel, ver. 1-4. Then the apostle returns from a long
digression to speak further of the affair concerning the incestuous person,
and tells them what comfort he received in his distress about that matter,
upon his meeting with Titus (ver. 5-7), and how re rejoiced in their
repentance, with the evidences thereof, ver. 8-11. And, lastly, he concludes
with endeavouring to comfort the Corinthians, upon whom his admonitions had
had so good an effect, ver. 12-16.
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Progressive
Holiness.
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A. D. 57.
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1 Having therefore these promises, dearly
beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Receive us; we have
wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.
3 I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that
ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. 4 Great is
my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am
filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
These verses contain a double exhortation:--
I. To make a progress in holiness, or to perfect holiness in the fear of
God, v. 1. This exhortation is given with most tender affection to
those who were dearly beloved, and enforced by strong arguments, even the
consideration of those exceedingly great and precious promises which were
mentioned in the former chapter, and which the Corinthians had an interest in
and a title to. The promises of God are strong inducements to sanctification,
in both the branches thereof; namely, 1. The dying unto sin, or mortifying our
lusts and corruptions: we must cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of
flesh and spirit. Sin is filthiness, and there are defilements of body and
mind. There are sins of the flesh, that are committed with the body, and sins
of the spirit, spiritual wickednesses; and we must cleanse ourselves from the
filthiness of both, for God is to be glorified both with body and soul. 2. The
living unto righteousness and holiness. If we hope God is our Father, we must
endeavour to be partakers of his holiness, to be holy as he is holy,
and perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. We must be still perfecting
holiness, and not be contented with sincerity (which is our gospel
perfection), without aiming at sinless perfection, though we shall always come
short of it while we are in this world; and this we must do in the fear of
God, which is the root and principle of all religion, and there is no
holiness without it. Note, Faith and hope in the promises of God must not
destroy our fear of God, who taketh pleasure in those that fear him and
hope in his mercy.
II. To show a due regard to the ministers of the gospel: Receive us, v.
2. Those who labour in the word and doctrine should be had in reputation,
and be highly esteemed for their work's sake: and this would be a help
to making progress in holiness. If the ministers of the gospel are thought
contemptible because of their office, there is danger lest the gospel itself
be contemned also. The apostle did not think it any disparagement to court the
favour of the Corinthians; and, though we must flatter none, yet we must be
gentle towards all. He tells them, 1. He had done nothing to forfeit their
esteem and good-will, but was cautious not to do any thing to deserve their
ill-will (v. 2): "We have wronged no man: we have done you
no harm, but always designed your good." I have coveted no man's
silver, nor gold, nor apparel, said he to the elders of Ephesus, Acts xx.
33. "We have corrupted no man, by false doctrines or flattering
speeches. We have defrauded no man; we have not sought ourselves, nor
to promote our own secular interests by crafty and greedy measures, to the
damage of any persons." This is an appeal like that of Samuel, 1 Sam.
xii. Note, Then may ministers the more confidently expect esteem and favour
from the people when they can safely appeal to them that they are guilty of
nothing that deserves disesteem or displeasure. 2. He did not herein reflect
upon them for want of affection to him, v. 3, 4. So tenderly and
cautiously did the apostle deal with the Corinthians, among whom there were
some who would be glad of any occasion to reproach him, and prejudice the
minds of others against him. To prevent any insinuations against him on
account of what he had said, as if he intended to charge them with wronging
him, or unjust accusations of him for having wronged them, he assures them
again of his great affection to them, insomuch that he could spend his last
breath at Corinth, and live and die with them, if his business with
other churches, and his work as an apostle (which was not to be confined to
one place only), would permit him to do so. An he adds it was his great
affection to them that made him use such boldness or freedom of speech
towards them, and caused him to glory, or make his boast of them,
in all places, and upon all occasions, being filled with comfort, and
exceedingly joyful in all their tribulations.
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Various
Exhortations.
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A. D. 57.
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5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our
flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were
fightings, within were fears. 6 Nevertheless God, that
comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of
Titus; 7 And not by his coming only, but by the consolation
wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your
mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.
8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did
repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it
were but for a season. 9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made
sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a
godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but
the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11 For behold this selfsame
thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in
you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation,
yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what
zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved
yourselves to be clear in this matter.
There seems to be a connection between ch. ii. 13 (where the apostle
said he had no rest in his spirit when he found not Titus at Troas) and the
fifth verse of this chapter: and so great was his affection to the
Corinthians, and his concern about their behaviour in relation to the
incestuous person, that, in his further travels, he still had no rest till he
heard from them. And now he tells them,
I. How he was distressed, v. 5. He was troubled when he did not meet
with Titus at Troas, and afterwards when for some time he did not meet with
him in Macedonia: this was a grief to him, because he could not hear what
reception he met with at Corinth, nor how their affairs went forward. And,
besides this, they met with other troubles, with incessant storms of
persecutions; there were fightings without, or continual contentions
with, and opposition from, Jews and Gentiles; and there were fears within,
and great concern for such as had embraced the Christian faith, lest they
should be corrupted or seduced, and give scandal to others, or be scandalized.
II. How he was comforted, v. 6, 7. Here observe, 1. The very coming of
Titus was some comfort to him. It was matter of joy to see him, whom he long
desired and expected to meet with. The very coming of Titus and his company,
who was dear to him as his own son in the common faith (Tit. i. 4), was
a great comfort to the apostle in his travels and troubles. But, 2. The good
news which Titus brought concerning the Corinthians was matter of greater
consolation. He found Titus to be comforted in them; and this filled the
apostle with comfort, especially when he acquainted him with their earnest
desire to give good satisfaction in the things about which the apostle had
written to them; and of their mourning for the scandal that was found among
them and the great grief they had caused to others, and their fervent mind or
great affection towards the apostle, who had dealt so faithfully with them in
reproving their faults: so true is the observation of Solomon (Prov. xxviii.
23), He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that
flattereth with his tongue. 3. He ascribes all his comfort to God as the
author. It was God who comforted him by the coming of Titus, even the God of
all comfort: God, who comforteth those that are cast down, v. 6.
Note, We should look above and beyond all means and instruments, unto God, as
the author of all the consolation and the good that we enjoy.
III. How greatly he rejoiced at their repentance, and the evidences thereof.
The apostle was sorry that he had grieved them, that some pious persons among
them laid to heart very greatly what he said in his former epistle, or that it
was needful he should make those sorry whom he would rather have made glad, v.
8. But now he rejoiced, when he found they had sorrowed to repentance, v.
9. Their sorrow in itself was not the cause of his rejoicing; but the nature
of it, and the effect of it (repentance unto salvation, v. 10),
made him rejoice; for now it appeared that they had received damage by him in
nothing. Their sorrow was but for a season; it was turned into joy, and
that joy was durable. Observe here,
1. The antecedent of true repentance is godly sorrow; this worketh repentance.
It is not repentance itself, but it is a good preparative to repentance, and
in some sense the cause that produces repentance. The offender had great
sorrow, he was in danger of being swallowed up with overmuch sorrow;
and the society was greatly sorrowful which before was puffed up: and this
sorrow of theirs was after a godly manner, or according to God (as it is in
the original), that is, it was according to the will of God, tended to the
glory of God, and was wrought by the Spirit of God. It was a godly sorrow,
because a sorrow for sin, as an offence against God, an instance of
ingratitude, and a forfeiture of God's favour. There is a great difference
between this sorrow of a godly sort and the sorrow of this world. Godly sorrow
produces repentance and reformation, and will end in salvation; but worldly
sorrow worketh death. The sorrows of worldly men for worldly things will bring
down gray hairs the sooner to the grave, and such a sorrow even for sin as
Judas had will have fatal consequences, as his had, which wrought death. Note,
(1.) Repentance will be attended with salvation. Therefore, (2.) True
penitents will never repent that they have repented, nor of any thing that was
conducive thereto. (3.) Humiliation and godly sorrow are previously necessary
in order to repentance, and both of them are from God, the giver of all grace.
2. The happy fruits and consequences of true repentance are mentioned (v.
11); and those fruits that are meet for repentance are the best
evidences of it. Where the heart is changed, the life and actions will be
changed too. The Corinthians made it evident that their sorrow was a godly
sorrow, and such as wrought repentance, because it wrought in them great
carefulness about their souls, and to avoid sin, and please God; it wrought
also a clearing of themselves, not by insisting upon their own justification
before God, especially while they persisted in their sin, but by endeavours to
put away the accursed thing, and so free themselves from the just imputation
of approving the evil that had been done. It wrought indignation at sin, at
themselves, at the tempter and his instruments; it wrought fear, a fear of
reverence, a fear of watchfulness, and a fear of distrust, not a distrust of
God, but of themselves; an awful fear of God, a cautious fear of sin, and a
jealous fear of themselves. It wrought vehement desires after a thorough
reformation of what had been amiss, and of reconciliation with God whom they
had offended. It wrought zeal, a mixture of love and anger, a zeal for duty,
and against sin. It wrought, lastly, revenge against sin and their own folly,
by endeavours to make all due satisfaction for injuries that might be done
thereby. And thus in all things had they approved themselves to be clear in
that matter. Not that they were innocent, but that they were penitent, and
therefore clear of guilt before God, who would pardon and not punish them; and
they ought no longer to be reproved, much less to be reproached, by men, for
what they had truly repented of.
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Case of Incestuous Person.
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A. D. 57.
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12 Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did
it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that
suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear
unto you. 13 Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and
exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was
refreshed by you all. 14 For if I have boasted any thing to him of
you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our
boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth. 15
And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth
the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.
16 I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.
In these verses the apostle endeavours to comfort the Corinthians, upon whom
his admonitions had had such good effect. And in order thereto, 1. He tells
them he had a good design in his former epistle, which might be thought
severe, v. 12. It was not chiefly for his cause that did the wrong,
not only for his benefit, much less merely that he should be punished; nor was
it merely for his cause that suffered wrong, namely, the injured
father, and that he might have what satisfaction could be given him; but it
was also to manifest his great and sincere concern and care for them,
for the whole church, lest that should suffer by letting such a crime, and the
scandal thereof, remain among them without due remark and resentment. 2. He
acquaints them with the joy of Titus as well as of himself upon the account of
their repentance and good behaviour. Titus was rejoiced, and his spirit
refreshed, with their comfort, and this comforted and rejoiced the apostle
also (v. 13); and, as Titus was comforted while he was with them, so
when he remembered his reception among them, expressing their obedience to the
apostolical directions, and their fear and trembling at the reproofs that were
given them, the thoughts of these things inflamed and increased his affections
to them, v. 15. Note, Great comfort and joy follow upon godly sorrow.
As sin occasions general grief, so repentance and reformation occasion general
joy. Paul was glad, and Titus was glad, and the Corinthians were comforted,
and the penitent ought to be comforted; and well may all this joy be on earth,
when there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. 3. He concludes
this whole matter with expressing the entire confidence he had in them: He was
not ashamed of his boasting concerning them to Titus (v. 14); for he
was not disappointed in his expectation concerning them, which he signified to
Titus, and he could now with great joy declare what confidence he still had in
them as to all things, that he did not doubt of their good behaviour for the
time to come. Note, It is a great comfort and joy to a faithful minister to
have to do with a people whom he can confide in, and who he has reason to hope
will comply with every thing he proposes to them that is for the glory of God,
the credit of the gospel, and their advantage.
Contents
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