1Dear friends, we have these promises from God. So let us make ourselves pure from everything that makes our bodies and spirits impure. Let us be completely holy. We want to honour God.
Paul has joy when the church turns away from sin
2Make room for us in your hearts. We haven’t done anything wrong to anyone. We haven’t caused anyone to sin. We haven’t taken advantage of anyone.3I don’t say this to judge you. I have told you before that you have an important place in our hearts. We would live or die with you.4I have spoken to you very honestly. I am very proud of you. I am very happy. Even with all our troubles, my joy has no limit.5When we came to Macedonia, we weren’t able to rest. We were attacked no matter where we went. We had battles on the outside and fears on the inside.6But God comforts those who are sad. He comforted us when Titus came.7We were comforted not only when he came but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us how much you longed for me. He told us about your deep sadness and concern for me. That made my joy greater than ever.8Even if my letter made you sad, I’m not sorry I sent it. At first I was sorry. I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while.9Now I am happy. I’m not happy because you were made sad. I’m happy because your sadness led you to turn away from your sins. You became sad just as God wanted you to. So you were not hurt in any way by us.10Godly sadness causes us to turn away from our sins and be saved. And we are certainly not sorry about that! But worldly sadness brings death.11Look at what that godly sadness has produced in you. You are working hard to clear yourselves. You are angry and alarmed. You are longing to see me. You are concerned. You are ready to make sure that the right thing is done. In every way you have proved that you are not guilty in that matter.12So even though I wrote to you, it wasn’t because of the one who did the wrong. It wasn’t because of the one who was hurt either. Instead, I wrote you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how faithful you are to us.13All this encourages us. We were also very glad to see how happy Titus was. You have all renewed his spirit.14I had boasted about you to him. And you have not let me down. Everything we said to you was true. In the same way, our boasting about you to Titus has also turned out to be true.15His love for you is even greater when he remembers that you all obeyed his teaching. You received him with fear and trembling.16I am glad I can have complete faith in you.
2 Corinthians 7
English Standard Version
1Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body[1] and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. (1Pe 2:11; 1Jo 3:3)
Paul’s Joy
2Make room in your hearts[2] for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. (Ac 20:33; 2Co 6:12; 2Co 11:20)3I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. (2Co 6:11)4I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. (2Co 1:4; 2Co 1:12; 2Co 3:12; 2Co 6:10; 2Co 8:24; 2Co 9:2; Php 2:17; Col 1:24)5For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. (De 32:25; La 1:20; 2Co 2:13)6But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, (2Co 1:4; 2Co 7:13; 1Th 3:6)7and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.8For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. (2Co 2:2; 2Co 2:4)9As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. (Ps 38:18; 1Co 5:2)10For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. (2Sa 12:13; Pr 17:22; Ac 11:18)11For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. (2Co 2:6)12So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. (1Co 5:1)13Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. (Ro 15:32; 2Co 7:6)14For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. (2Co 4:2; 2Co 6:7; 2Co 8:24; 2Co 9:2; 2Co 10:8; 2Th 1:4)15And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. (2Co 2:9; 2Co 10:6)16I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you. (2Co 2:3)