1 Having therefore these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Open your hearts to us. We wronged no one. We corrupted no one. We took advantage of no one. 3 I say this not to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and live together. 4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you. Great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I overflow with joy in all our affliction. 5 For even when we had come into Macedonia, our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side. Fightings were outside. Fear was inside. 6 Nevertheless, he who comforts the lowly, God, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you while he told us of your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. 8 For though I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. For I see that my letter made you grieve, though just for a while. 9 I now rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved in a godly way, that you might suffer loss by us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For behold, this same thing, that you were grieved in a godly way, what earnest care it worked in you. Yes, what defense, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and vindication! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be pure in the matter. 12 So although I wrote to you, I wrote not for his cause that did the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered the wrong, but that your earnest care for us might be revealed in you in the sight of God. 13 Therefore we have been comforted. In our comfort we rejoiced the more exceedingly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14 For if in anything I have boasted to him on your behalf, I was not disappointed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth. 15 His affection is more abundantly toward you, while he remembers all of your obedience, how with fear and trembling you received him. 16 I rejoice that in everything I am confident concerning you.
2 Corinthians · World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
2 Corinthians 7 World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
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Cross references (16)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Thessalonians 4:7; 1 Peter 2:11; James 4:8; Proverbs 8:13; Psalm 51:10
- 2 Acts 20:33; 2 Corinthians 6:12–13; 2 Corinthians 11:9; Romans 16:18; 1 Thessalonians 2:3–6
- 3 Philippians 1:8–9; 2 Corinthians 6:11–12; Ruth 1:16–17; 1 Thessalonians 2:8; 2 Corinthians 12:15
- 4 2 Corinthians 1:4; James 1:2; 2 Corinthians 3:12; Romans 5:3; 1 Corinthians 1:4
- 5 2 Corinthians 2:13; Deuteronomy 32:25; 2 Corinthians 11:23–30; Matthew 11:28–30; Acts 20:1
- 6 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17; 2 Corinthians 1:3–4; 3 John 2–4; 2 Corinthians 7:13; Jeremiah 31:13
- 7 Jude 3; 2 John 4; James 5:17; James 4:9–10; Colossians 2:5
- 8 Revelation 3:19; John 16:6; Exodus 5:22–23; Hebrews 12:9–11; Jeremiah 20:7–9
- 9 Luke 15:7; Jeremiah 31:18–20; Ecclesiastes 7:3; 2 Corinthians 13:8–10; 2 Corinthians 7:10–11
- 10 Acts 3:19; Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25–26; 2 Samuel 12:13; Luke 18:13
- 11 Romans 14:18; 1 Timothy 5:21–22; 2 Timothy 2:15; Psalm 2:11; Ephesians 5:11
- 12 2 Corinthians 2:9; 1 Timothy 3:5; 2 Corinthians 7:8; 2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 2:3–4
- 13 2 Corinthians 7:6; Romans 15:32; 1 Peter 3:8; 1 Corinthians 16:13; Romans 12:15
- 14 2 Corinthians 7:4; 2 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Corinthians 1:18–20; 2 Corinthians 9:2–4; 2 Corinthians 8:24
- 15 Philippians 2:12; 2 Corinthians 2:9; 1 John 3:17; Psalm 119:120; Isaiah 66:2
- 16 2 Corinthians 2:3; Philemon 8; Philemon 21; 2 Thessalonians 3:4
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Again he raiseth the discourse about love, mitigating the harshness of his rebuke. For since he had convicted and reproached them as being beloved indeed, yet not loving in an equal degree, but breaking away from his love and mixing up with other pestilent fellows; again he softens the vehemence of his rebuke, saying, "Make room for us," that is, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 12 (1889)
For, behold, this selfsame thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you!" Consequently the Stoics may defend themselves by replying, that sorrow is indeed useful for repentance of sin, but that this can have no place in the mind of the wise man, inasmuch as no sin attaches to him of which he could …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
This Paul also clearly declared, when he said, "The sorrow of the world worketh death, but godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of." These then He too Himself calls blessed, whose sorrow is of that kind; yet not simply them that sorrow did He designate, but them that sorrow intensely.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… spectacle to angels and men, and pressing onwards for the prize of his high calling, --very joyfully do we with the eyes of faith behold him rejoicing with them that rejoice, and weeping with them that weep; though hampered by fightings without and fears within; desiring to depart and to be with Christ; longing to see the Romans, that he …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Declaring this, Paul said, "Without were fightings, within were fears;" and, "In perils among false brethren;" and in his discourse to the Milesians too He said, "Also of you shall some arise speaking perverse things;" and He Himself too said, "The man's foes shall be they of his own household." But when He said, "It must needs be," it is …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)