2 Corinthians 7

So then, dear friends, since we have these promises, let us wash ourselves clean from everything that dirties the body and the spirit, bringing our holiness to completion out of awe for God.

1Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Note"These promises" points back to the string of Old Testament quotations Paul has just stacked up at the end of chapter 6, where God promises to live among his people and be a father to them. In KJV "filthiness of the flesh," flesh has its plain sense of the physical body. The Greek word behind "fear of God" covers the whole range from fright to reverence, which is why the rendering says awe.

2Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have ruined no one, we have cheated no one.

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

NoteKJV "Receive us" translates a verb meaning make room, give space, the picture being of clearing a place for someone. "Corrupted" in 1611 English meant ruined or spoiled in any sense, not specifically bribed. "Defrauded" means took financial advantage; Paul appears to be answering talk about money, since he was organizing a collection from his churches for the Christians in Jerusalem.

3I am not saying this to blame you. As I said before, you are in our hearts, so that we die together and live together.

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

Note"To die and live with you" is a stock phrase of loyalty in Greek, the kind of thing said between close friends or political allies. The odd order, dying before living, belongs to the set expression and is not a sequence of events.

4I speak to you very openly. I am very proud of you. I am full of comfort. In all our troubles my joy overflows.

4Great 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.

NoteKJV "boldness of speech" translates parrhesia, the freedom to say everything openly: the speech of a free citizen rather than a flatterer. "Glorying" in 1611 English simply means boasting or taking pride in something, and has nothing to do with glory in a religious sense.

5For even after we reached Macedonia, our bodies got no rest. We were pressed from every direction: fights on the outside, fears on the inside.

5For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

NoteMacedonia was the Roman province covering the north of mainland Greece, including Philippi and Thessalonica. Paul had crossed over to it from Troas because he had missed Titus there and was desperate for news from Corinth. KJV "our flesh had no rest" means our bodies got no rest.

6But God, who comforts those who are beaten down, comforted us when Titus arrived,

6Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;

NoteTitus was a Greek co-worker of Paul's. Paul had sent him to Corinth carrying a severe letter, and had been waiting anxiously to learn how the church there received it.

7and not only by his arrival, but by the comfort he had received from you. He told us how much you longed for me, how sad you were, and how strongly you cared about me. That made me even happier.

7And 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.

NoteKJV "consolation" and "comforted" here render the same Greek word group, which means encouraging and putting strength into someone as much as soothing them. "Fervent mind toward me" means burning zeal on Paul's behalf.

8Even though my letter made you sad, I do not regret sending it. I did regret it for a while, since I can see that the letter hurt you, though only for a short time.

8For 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.

NoteKJV uses "repent" here in its older English sense of regret, wishing a thing undone, and the Greek word is a different one from the "repentance" of the next two verses. Paul is saying he no longer regrets sending the letter. The letter in question was a stern one sent to Corinth between the letter we call 1 Corinthians and this one. It has not survived as a separate document, though some readers think part of it is preserved in chapters 10 to 13 here.

9Now I am glad, not because you were made sad, but because your sadness led you to change your hearts and turn around. Your sadness was the kind God wanted, so we did you no harm at all.

9Now 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.

Note"Repentance" translates metanoia, a change of mind that turns into a change of direction. It is not primarily a word about feeling sorry. KJV "that ye might receive damage by us in nothing" means so that you suffered no loss at our hands.

10For the sadness that comes from God produces a change of heart that leads to being saved, and no one ever regrets that. But the sadness of this world produces death.

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

NoteKJV "repentance to salvation not to be repented of" is as ambiguous in Greek as in English: the phrase meaning never regretted may attach to the repentance or to the salvation, and translators divide over which. "Worketh" means produces or brings about.

11Look at what this very thing, your God-given sadness, produced in you: what seriousness, what eagerness to clear your name, what anger at the wrong, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what readiness to see justice done. In every way you have shown yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

11For 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.

NoteSeveral words here have shifted since 1611. "Carefulness" meant earnestness or diligence, not anxiety. "Clearing of yourselves" translates apologia, a spoken defense, the word for the case one makes when answering a charge. "Revenge" translates a word for justice being carried out against a wrong, and does not carry the modern sense of private payback. "Approved yourselves to be clear" means proved yourselves innocent, with "clear" in the sense of unstained.

12So although I wrote to you, it was not because of the man who did the wrong, or the man who was wronged. It was so that, in God's sight, you could see for yourselves how deeply we care about you.

12Wherefore, 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.

NotePaul never says who the man who "had done the wrong" was, who suffered it, or what happened; something had occurred at Corinth serious enough to require discipline, and his first readers knew the details. KJV "for his cause" means on his account. The manuscripts also differ at the end of the verse: some read "our care for you" and others "your care for us," so Paul is either showing the Corinthians how much he cares for them or giving them a chance to see how much they care for him.

13That is why we have been comforted. And on top of our own comfort, we were even happier to see how glad Titus was, because all of you put fresh heart in him.

13Therefore 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.

NoteKJV "his spirit was refreshed" uses a word meaning given rest, the relief of a traveler or a laborer stopping to catch his breath.

14I had bragged to him about you, and I was not embarrassed. Everything we told you was true, and in the same way our bragging to Titus has turned out to be true.

14For 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.

15And his affection for you grows even stronger when he remembers how all of you did what you were asked, and how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.

15And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.

NoteKJV "inward affection" translates splanchna, literally the inner organs, which Greek speakers treated as the seat of strong feeling much as English uses "heart." "Fear and trembling" was a set phrase for anxious, deferential eagerness to do the right thing, not terror.

16So I am glad that I can trust you completely.

16I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.