2 Corinthians, Chapter 7
© Copyright 2003 Darroll Evans, all rights reserved

2 Corinthians 7:1 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.

God has made wonderful promises to us.

Because God has been so gracious to us, we need to do our part, and that begins with an extremely deep respect for God.

2 Corinthians 7:2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.

"Receive us," means to make room for us in your hearts. It was Paul’s way of telling the Corinthians to love and care for his band of evangelists.

Paul also reminded them that none in his group had taken unfair advantage of anyone.

2 Corinthians 7:3 I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.

Paul was not admonishing them for any wrongdoing. Instead, he was using this opportunity to explain that all Christians drink from the same cup. 

Paul’s love for all Christians, but his grace-gospel message was not loved by all.

2 Corinthians 7:4-5
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.
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.

The Corinthian Church was, to say the least, odd. And yet, Paul showed great confidence in their stand for Christ.

Advanced theological concepts do not make us Christians. Our relationship with Christ does!

 When Paul and his group first went to Macedonia, there was no Church.

Although he began with a meeting of Jews (worshippers of God in Philippi) he would be working among mostly Gentiles. Cutting a new path tests our metal.

Do we really depend on Christ, or is it just bravado?

How would we react if sent to an area that had no history of Christianity?

Today’s missionaries face that and react as Paul did.

Americans are guaranteed the right to teach the gospel. Islam doe not guarantee one’s right to freedom of worship. Muslims kill Arabs that accept Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 7:6-7
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.

When we depend on Christ, we have the Holy Spirit within. He is our Comforter.

We are comforted by the "coming" (Gr. parusia-parusia), or presence of old friends and co-workers. Titus is referred to as one of Paul’s sons-in-the-Spirit. 

The mourning mentioned here refers to the severity of Paul’s first letter to them.

Due to their condoning of sin in the midst, Paul dealt harshly with the Corinthian Church.

At this point, it seems that they had accepted his admonishment and long to see him in person again.  

2 Corinthians 7:8 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.

This verse verifies the thoughts on verse seven. His letter caused them sorrow.

Paul was sorry that he had to send the letter, but he did not back down or apologize for writing it. The sorrow as short lived. 

2 Corinthians 7:9 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.

At the time of the writing of this letter, Paul rejoiced. His joy was based in their repentance from the situation that initiated the first letter.

God may need to make you sad in order to achieve His goals in your life.  As His children, we may, from time to time, need to be admonished.

2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Godly sorrow brings true repentance. Non-Christians may feel sorry for a short time.

Christians repent, and others go back to sin. Sin does not give you a "no sin" choice.

2 Corinthians 7:11 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.

Godly repentance produces diligence, clear thought and speech, indignation toward sin, a reverence toward God, a great desire to serve Christ, a zeal for justice, acquittal of sin and vindication of life in Christ that is evidenced in true evangelism.

America was founded to be a Christian nation. The first Europeans came here seeking freedom to worship the God in Christ. They did not come to establish a Hindu, Buddhist, or Muslim state.

The original immigrants came here to get away from Roman Catholics and Protestants who had gone berserk in their loyalty to state-run religion/and religion-run states with no concern for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Most of the September 11th terrorists were Saudi Arabian Muslims. They killed our people indiscriminately.

Their sin is not an indictment of all Muslims. It is an indictment of Islam.

Islam feeds on hatred. The New Testament tells us that the one true God is love.

Most Jews, Muslims and Hindus are better off living among Christians than they are their own religious people. The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are American Christian concepts, and not Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist.

Conversion to Christ brings about political and economic retribution in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and India, and yes, even in Israel! The Islamic nations still kill Arabs that convert to Christianity.

The world fears Christ!

Even most Jews are better off in America than in Israel. That is why New York City has the largest population of Jews among all the cities of the world. 

2 Corinthians 7:12 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.

Paul’s first letter was not written to offend anyone, or to make anybody feel offended. It was written to point the way to God. That fact may be lost of many today. 

Christians should not do things just to evoke emotional responses. We should say and do those things that make Christ known.  

2 Corinthians 7:13 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.

Paul was comforted in this situation because the Corinthians were comforted. He was joyous because Titus had been so well received.   

2 Corinthians 7:14 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.

Paul was not ashamed of his boasting concerning Titus. In fact, his boasting was revealed to be without enhancement, or true.

Titus was all Paul said he would be.  Paul was not afraid to express his love for Titus or the Corinthian Church

2 Corinthians 7:15 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.

Titus’ inward feelings of love for the Corinthians was justified, and indeed reciprocated.  

"Obedience" indicates that the Corinthians submitted to the word of God, and the message of Christ’s grace. Not all Churches today are obedient to the word of grace. 

2 Corinthians 7:16 I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.

The Corinthian Church is looked down upon today as a Church that went astray. Yet, they acknowledged their problems and dealt with them.

Is there something we can learn from that wild bunch of Corinthians?

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