QuickThoughts: Paul’s Corinthian Comfort

The Apostle Paul once wrote a letter to Christians in Corinth.

In this letter, he spoke harshly to them, rebuking them for their idolatry and immorality. He seems to have been reluctant to come down so hard on them, but knew he had to speak what the Holy Spirit had for him to say.

Some time later, he wrote a second letter to the, revealing that he was deeply saddened that his words had wounded them, causing them sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:8).

And yet, chapter 7 also reveals an immense joy and comfort that they had taken his first letter to heart and their sorrow had driven them to genuine repentance!

Paul’s excitement over Titus’s report to him drips off the page as he writes. Here is the entirety of this passage, because it is just too beautiful as a whole to pick apart and analyze:

📘 Make room for us in your hearts. We wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one. I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together. Great is my boldness toward you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I have been filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.

For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side—conflicts without, fears within.

But God, who comforts the humbled, comforted us by the coming of Titus; and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more. For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while— I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to repentance.

For you were made to have godly sorrow, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For godly sorrow produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world brings about death. For behold what earnestness this very thing—this godly sorrow—has brought about in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.

So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be manifested to you in the sight of God. For this reason we have been comforted.

And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame, but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth. And his affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. I rejoice that in everything I am encouraged about you.

2 Corinthians 7:2-16 LSB

My beloved brothers and sisters, do not fear to speak the Word of God to those whom He has called you to speak, whether they be believers or unbelievers!

Speak truth in love and pray for Godly sorrow to invade the hearts of sinners. Pray that He would lead them, by His Spirit, to genuine repentance, to a hatred of sin, and to a love for our Savior Jesus Christ.

And I pray that, like Paul, you may be comforted in seeing the fruits of your labors. What an incredible blessing the Lord gave Paul to reveal that his labors were not in vain! We may not all be so blessed, yet we must persevere and remain faithful to preach the gospel in season and out.