The Bible — World English Bible

2 Corinthians 7

In brief

In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul urges the believers in Corinth to purify themselves and to make room for him in their hearts. He then tells of his troubles in Macedonia, and of the comfort God gave him through the arrival of Titus, who came back with good news from Corinth. His earlier letter had grieved them, but that sorrow produced repentance, eagerness and zeal in them. The chapter thus distinguishes godly sorrow from the sorrow of the world and ends on restored joy and confidence.

The chapter in 4 parts

  1. v. 1-4Cleansing ourselves and making room for the apostle in our hearts
  2. v. 5-7God comforts the downcast through the arrival of Titus
  3. v. 8-12Godly sorrow produces repentance
  4. v. 13-16Titus's joy and Paul's confidence

1Having therefore these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2Open your hearts to us. We wronged no one. We corrupted no one. We took advantage of no one.

3I say this not to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and live together.

4Great 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.

5For 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.

6Nevertheless, he who comforts the lowly, God, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

7and 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.

8For 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.

9I 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.

10For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death.

11For 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 vengeance! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be pure in the matter.

12So 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.

13Therefore 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.

14For 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.

15His affection is more abundantly toward you, while he remembers all of your obedience, how with fear and trembling you received him.

16I rejoice that in everything I am confident concerning you.

Key verses

Verse 1
Having therefore these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Paul draws a conclusion from the promises of God cited in the previous chapter: cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit and pursue holiness in the fear of God. Purification is the response to promises, not a condition for receiving them.

Verse 6
Nevertheless, he who comforts the lowly, God, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

Paul sums up his experience: God comforts the downcast. His comfort comes here through a person, Titus, and through the news of how the Corinthians responded.

Verse 9-10
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. For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death.

Paul rejoices not that they were made sorry, but that their sorrow led them to repentance. He contrasts godly sorrow, which leads to salvation, with the sorrow of the world, which leads to death. Regret is not enough, what it produces is what counts.

Verse 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 vengeance! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be pure in the matter.

Paul describes the concrete fruits of this godly sorrow: earnestness, a desire to clear themselves, zeal, a readiness to set things right. True repentance is recognized by a visible change.

Verse 16
I rejoice that in everything I am confident concerning you.

The chapter ends with a word of confidence. The relationship between Paul and the church in Corinth, which had been damaged, has been restored.

Bible verses to meditate on

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What the sermons say

What Does Repentance Mean in the Bible?This article relies on verse 10 to distinguish repentance from regret. Regret can exist without any change of life, like Judas's remorse, whereas biblical repentance is a change of mind that brings us back to God.Read the summary →What Shape Are Your Gospel Shoes In?Timothée Serra cites verse 10 to share the Gospel without falling into either judgment or soft love. We can confront sin, as Paul did with Elymas, but for salvation and not for condemnation.Read the summary →Dust to the Earth, Spirit to GodThe evangelist Judit recalls, in a message on death given in Tokyo, that godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation. As long as you are alive, the question that matters is where your soul will go.Read the summary →Forgiven: Your Guilt Is Erased at the CrossThe Tabernacle Church distinguishes guilt that accuses from godly sorrow: forgiveness rests on the objective verdict of the cross, not on what you feel. It cites the chapter in the section on life as a forgiven person.Read the summary →

Frequently asked questions about 2 Corinthians 7

What does 2 Corinthians 7:10 mean?

This verse contrasts two kinds of sorrow. Godly sorrow leads to a repentance that brings salvation and is never regretted. The sorrow of the world, centered on oneself or on the consequences, produces no change and leads to death. What distinguishes the two is what they produce: a return to God or a withdrawal.

What is the difference between repentance and regret according to 2 Corinthians 7?

Regret is sorrow over having done wrong, often because of the consequences, and it can exist without any change. Biblical repentance is a change of mind that leads us to turn away from sin and return to God. In verse 11, Paul describes its fruits: earnestness, zeal, a desire to set things right.

What is the main message of 2 Corinthians 7?

God comforts the downcast and can use even a painful word to lead to repentance. The chapter invites us to cleanse ourselves, to receive correction with humility and to recognize that true repentance produces a visible change and brings back joy and reconciliation.

Articles quoting 2 Corinthians 7

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World English Bible translation — public domain.