2Cor 7:5-6 | KingComments | STEP | . This verse clearly belongs to chapter 6. The promises given at the end of chapter 6 are meant as an encouragement to cleanse yourself. The world is impure and if you stay in touch with the world the impurity will stick to you and defile you. The Lord Jesus would like to present the church to Himself “in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing” ( ). Spots mar a garment and must be removed. Also the spots that mar the life of a believer must be removed. “Defilement of flesh” means the visible outward life of the believer. Examine if you are guided by God and by His Word in your behavior, in your speech, in your clothes etcetera or whether you are led by the motives by which unbelievers are led. If you discover that you are guided by wrong motives you need to cleanse yourself. Again: What was the promise? In addition to this defilement of flesh there is also the “defilement … of spirit”. The advice to cleanse yourself holds true here as well. The defilement of spirit is a danger that you are constantly exposed to. What are your reading materials? What kind of movies are you watching? These are things you choose yourself. What fills your thought field? On top of this there are incredible numbers of things which come to you without invitation. The current thinking in the world is permeated with demonic principles. This is evidenced in the world’s acceptance of the alternative style of living together, in same sex marriage and in the lack of acknowledging the authority relationships. I was shocked once when I realized that I also thought the same way as the world thinks on a certain issues. When I looked at this issue in the light of the Bible I saw how my spirit was defiled. To cleanse ourselves from both the defilement of flesh and of spirit we must read the Word of God. The Bible is compared to water. How it works we read in Ephesians 5: “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word” ( ). The Lord Jesus is making every effort to bring you in conformity to Himself. The Father desires that He is able to acknowledge you as His child. The Father and the Son give you all that is necessary to help you reach Their standard. The purpose of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is that you will be “perfecting holiness”. God wants you to live totally for Him and for Him alone. If you live “in the fear of God”, that is, in reverence and awe for Who He is, you will meet the purpose He has for your life. . In the previous chapter Paul shows how to identify the servants of God. They are not people who make themselves comfortable. They are people who will not spare themselves in order to serve others. The Corinthians knew Paul as such a man. He had sacrificed everything to bring them the gospel. They also accepted it. Now Paul asks if they would again give him a place in their hearts. Did he do any injustice to them when he preached Christ to them? Did he condemn anyone citing wrong reasons? Did he exploit them? One gets the impression that some people accused him of doing so. Jealous people claiming to be servants of God were whispering into the ears of the Corinthians evil reports about Paul. The danger was that the believers in Corinth pushed Paul into insignificance and denied him his due place in their hearts. They should not have listened to such people. . Paul says this to teach them a lesson, but please note how he does this. He does this not in the judgmental tone and he does not look down upon them. When someone does this he has already lost what he wanted to win. The apostle reiterates that they had a place in his heart; and what kind of a place? He opens his heart to them. He vents out his feelings toward them, and says how he and they belong to each other in order “to die together and to live together”. Yes, this is a remarkable order. Normally people say that they would first live together and then would die together. But faith and love argue otherwise. In 2 Samuel 15 Ittai says to David: “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be” ( ). David was on the run, and Ittai, although he was with him only for a short time, loved him. That brought him to a complete commitment to David regardless of the outcome. Love sees that there are dangers, but is willing to face them no matter the cost. In this way Paul speaks to the Corinthians. He loves them and expects their love in return. United in this love they can die together for the Lord and if this is not necessary then they can live together for Him. This sequence shows how his love for them was unshakeable. . In this verse he continues to enumerate the things that must touch their hearts. He does not restrain but he gives a free rein to his heart and feelings. He now writes frankly and without any restraint. He can boast of them to others, for his first letter produced the desired result. . How worried he was until Titus arrived with a joyful report. What a consolation his restless heart found in his report. An overflowing joy took possession of him and that in the midst of all afflictions. Indeed Paul had been in great distress in Macedonia. He already mentioned a little about it in chapter 1. In chapter 2 he wrote how troubled he was and how anxiously he was waiting for the arrival of Titus who would come with news from and about Corinth. At that time things were not easy for Paul. He was surrounded by hostile people and he was troubled in his heart over the uncertainty about the Corinthians. If you have ever had such feelings yourself, you can imagine what a great relief it was for Paul when Titus brought him the good news that his first letter had the desired effect upon his readers. How much can good news mean for a person! May be you can also be a kind of Titus for believers who have a hard time. Tell or write to them a few nice things from your experience what God can do in the lives of believers. Paul was greatly comforted by what Titus told him. He received that comfort from the hand of God “Who comforts the depressed”. You see Paul’s mind here. You can be sure that he called upon God for the sake of the Corinthians. He knew that it was not in his hands to change their condition; but it was God who influenced their hearts. That realization brought him down to his knees. He humbled himself before God. A believer who assumes this position always receives comfort. . Paul enjoyed a twofold comfort. First, the report of Titus which assured that the threat of a breach in the relationship between Paul and the Corinthians had been averted. Second, he was comforted when he heard that Titus himself was comforted by the Corinthians. When Titus reported this Paul rejoiced even more. What beautiful moments both would have experienced when they shared their joyful feelings about the Corinthians. Titus also reports about their earnest desire for the apostle. They loved Paul and would have him once again with them. How they mourned when they realized what terrible evil they had tolerated in their midst. That is why Paul had to admonish them sternly ( ). It made them zealous to do what Paul had told them in his letter. Paul’s letter produced the right result and he was happy about it. . The fact that the letter caused sorrow was not a matter of grief for Paul. This type of sorrow is necessary. God is not happy to see superficiality in sensing sin. What God expects is genuine sorrow over evil. First Paul regretted having written this letter. He had posted, so to speak, this letter and then he thought of the stern tone of it. Then the big question that plagued him was how the Corinthians would react to the letter. Paul’s empathy shows that he does not feel exalted over the believers like people who expound the truth coldly and without any feelings for the listeners. The way he talks here is certainly not inconsistent with the inspiration of the Bible. Some see inspiration as though the writer wrote down like a robot what was dictated to him being completely detached from himself. But that is not inspiration. What inspiration is you can read in 2 Peter 1 ( ). When you read the Bible you will notice that each writer has his own style which is not apart from his personality. This makes the Bible a book in which every word is inspired by God ( ) and in which each writer, chosen to be an instrument of God, retains his own character still. makes it clear that Paul did not feel sorry for what he wrote but that he was worried about the consequences. This gives a beautiful picture of his love for the Corinthians. Similarly it can happen that you have someone who means a lot to you, such as a friend, and you have to tell him or her something which is altogether unpleasant. But you are constrained to do so out of your love for him or for her. However, having done that the fear then can be that you would lose your friend. But how happy you are when you discover that your admonition did not lead to a rupture in the friendship but it was well received. Now read 2 Corinthians 7:1-8 again. Reflection: What is Paul’s consolation in this section? Write down for yourself what comfort means to you.

‏ 2 Corinthians 7:5-6

God, Who Comforts the Downcast

2Cor 7:1. This verse clearly belongs to chapter 6. The promises given at the end of chapter 6 are meant as an encouragement to cleanse yourself. The world is impure and if you stay in touch with the world the impurity will stick to you and defile you. The Lord Jesus would like to present the church to Himself “in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (Eph 5:27). Spots mar a garment and must be removed. Also the spots that mar the life of a believer must be removed.

“Defilement of flesh” means the visible outward life of the believer. Examine if you are guided by God and by His Word in your behavior, in your speech, in your clothes etcetera or whether you are led by the motives by which unbelievers are led. If you discover that you are guided by wrong motives you need to cleanse yourself. Again: What was the promise?

In addition to this defilement of flesh there is also the “defilement … of spirit”. The advice to cleanse yourself holds true here as well. The defilement of spirit is a danger that you are constantly exposed to. What are your reading materials? What kind of movies are you watching? These are things you choose yourself. What fills your thought field? On top of this there are incredible numbers of things which come to you without invitation.

The current thinking in the world is permeated with demonic principles. This is evidenced in the world’s acceptance of the alternative style of living together, in same sex marriage and in the lack of acknowledging the authority relationships. I was shocked once when I realized that I also thought the same way as the world thinks on a certain issues. When I looked at this issue in the light of the Bible I saw how my spirit was defiled.

To cleanse ourselves from both the defilement of flesh and of spirit we must read the Word of God. The Bible is compared to water. How it works we read in Ephesians 5: “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word” (Eph 5:25-26). The Lord Jesus is making every effort to bring you in conformity to Himself. The Father desires that He is able to acknowledge you as His child. The Father and the Son give you all that is necessary to help you reach Their standard.

The purpose of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is that you will be “perfecting holiness”. God wants you to live totally for Him and for Him alone. If you live “in the fear of God”, that is, in reverence and awe for Who He is, you will meet the purpose He has for your life.

2Cor 7:2. In the previous chapter Paul shows how to identify the servants of God. They are not people who make themselves comfortable. They are people who will not spare themselves in order to serve others. The Corinthians knew Paul as such a man. He had sacrificed everything to bring them the gospel. They also accepted it. Now Paul asks if they would again give him a place in their hearts. Did he do any injustice to them when he preached Christ to them? Did he condemn anyone citing wrong reasons? Did he exploit them?

One gets the impression that some people accused him of doing so. Jealous people claiming to be servants of God were whispering into the ears of the Corinthians evil reports about Paul. The danger was that the believers in Corinth pushed Paul into insignificance and denied him his due place in their hearts. They should not have listened to such people.

2Cor 7:3. Paul says this to teach them a lesson, but please note how he does this. He does this not in the judgmental tone and he does not look down upon them. When someone does this he has already lost what he wanted to win. The apostle reiterates that they had a place in his heart; and what kind of a place? He opens his heart to them. He vents out his feelings toward them, and says how he and they belong to each other in order “to die together and to live together”.

Yes, this is a remarkable order. Normally people say that they would first live together and then would die together. But faith and love argue otherwise. In 2 Samuel 15 Ittai says to David: “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be” (2Sam 15:21). David was on the run, and Ittai, although he was with him only for a short time, loved him. That brought him to a complete commitment to David regardless of the outcome. Love sees that there are dangers, but is willing to face them no matter the cost.

In this way Paul speaks to the Corinthians. He loves them and expects their love in return. United in this love they can die together for the Lord and if this is not necessary then they can live together for Him. This sequence shows how his love for them was unshakeable.

2Cor 7:4. In this verse he continues to enumerate the things that must touch their hearts. He does not restrain but he gives a free rein to his heart and feelings. He now writes frankly and without any restraint. He can boast of them to others, for his first letter produced the desired result.

2Cor 7:5-6. How worried he was until Titus arrived with a joyful report. What a consolation his restless heart found in his report. An overflowing joy took possession of him and that in the midst of all afflictions. Indeed Paul had been in great distress in Macedonia. He already mentioned a little about it in chapter 1. In chapter 2 he wrote how troubled he was and how anxiously he was waiting for the arrival of Titus who would come with news from and about Corinth. At that time things were not easy for Paul. He was surrounded by hostile people and he was troubled in his heart over the uncertainty about the Corinthians.

If you have ever had such feelings yourself, you can imagine what a great relief it was for Paul when Titus brought him the good news that his first letter had the desired effect upon his readers. How much can good news mean for a person! May be you can also be a kind of Titus for believers who have a hard time. Tell or write to them a few nice things from your experience what God can do in the lives of believers. Paul was greatly comforted by what Titus told him.

He received that comfort from the hand of God “Who comforts the depressed”. You see Paul’s mind here. You can be sure that he called upon God for the sake of the Corinthians. He knew that it was not in his hands to change their condition; but it was God who influenced their hearts. That realization brought him down to his knees. He humbled himself before God. A believer who assumes this position always receives comfort.

2Cor 7:7. Paul enjoyed a twofold comfort. First, the report of Titus which assured that the threat of a breach in the relationship between Paul and the Corinthians had been averted. Second, he was comforted when he heard that Titus himself was comforted by the Corinthians. When Titus reported this Paul rejoiced even more.

What beautiful moments both would have experienced when they shared their joyful feelings about the Corinthians. Titus also reports about their earnest desire for the apostle. They loved Paul and would have him once again with them. How they mourned when they realized what terrible evil they had tolerated in their midst. That is why Paul had to admonish them sternly (1Cor 5:1-13). It made them zealous to do what Paul had told them in his letter. Paul’s letter produced the right result and he was happy about it.

2Cor 7:8. The fact that the letter caused sorrow was not a matter of grief for Paul. This type of sorrow is necessary. God is not happy to see superficiality in sensing sin. What God expects is genuine sorrow over evil. First Paul regretted having written this letter. He had posted, so to speak, this letter and then he thought of the stern tone of it. Then the big question that plagued him was how the Corinthians would react to the letter. Paul’s empathy shows that he does not feel exalted over the believers like people who expound the truth coldly and without any feelings for the listeners.

The way he talks here is certainly not inconsistent with the inspiration of the Bible. Some see inspiration as though the writer wrote down like a robot what was dictated to him being completely detached from himself. But that is not inspiration. What inspiration is you can read in 2 Peter 1 (2Pet 1:21). When you read the Bible you will notice that each writer has his own style which is not apart from his personality. This makes the Bible a book in which every word is inspired by God (2Tim 3:16) and in which each writer, chosen to be an instrument of God, retains his own character still.

2Cor 7:8 makes it clear that Paul did not feel sorry for what he wrote but that he was worried about the consequences. This gives a beautiful picture of his love for the Corinthians. Similarly it can happen that you have someone who means a lot to you, such as a friend, and you have to tell him or her something which is altogether unpleasant. But you are constrained to do so out of your love for him or for her. However, having done that the fear then can be that you would lose your friend. But how happy you are when you discover that your admonition did not lead to a rupture in the friendship but it was well received.

Now read 2 Corinthians 7:1-8 again.

Reflection: What is Paul’s consolation in this section? Write down for yourself what comfort means to you.