Fathers

2 Corinthians 7

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Having therefore these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Open your hearts to us. We wronged no one. We corrupted no one. We took advantage of no one. I say this not to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and live together. Great 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. For 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. Nevertheless, he who comforts the lowly, God, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and 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. For 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. 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. 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. So 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. Therefore 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. For 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. His affection is more abundantly toward you, while he remembers all of your obedience, how with fear and trembling you received him. I rejoice that in everything I am confident concerning you.

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What the Fathers say

2 Corinthians 7:12

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

For that they might not say, Why then dost thou rebuke us if we were "clear in the matter?" setting himself to meet this even further above, and disposing of it beforehand, he said what he said, namely, "I do not regret, though I did regret." 'For so far,' says he, 'am I from repenting now of what I wrote then, that I repented then more than I do now when ye have approved yourselves.' Seest thou again his vehemence and earnest contention, how he has turned around what was said unto the very opposite. …

Homily 15 on 2 Corinthians ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

Lest they should say to him: why then did you rebuke us, if we were clean of transgression? he says: I so respect what was previously written by me and do not repent of rebuking you, that I say: I wrote that so that my love for you and my care for you might be revealed "before God," that is, before God, who sees that this is just. I was afraid lest the infection should spread to you as well. Whom does he mean by "the one who did the wrong" and "the one who suffered the wrong"? …

Commentary on 2 Corinthians ↗

Western Saints

Thomas Aquinas

Here the Apostle assigns the reason why he rejoices over them; then he draws his conclusion, in which he does two things. First, he discloses the intention he had in writing; secondly, he reveals the joy he had over their amendment (v. 13). He says therefore: from the fact that you are undefiled, it is apparent that although I wrote to you to rebuke you in my epistle, it was not only on account of the one who did the wrong by staining his father's chamber with incest, as it says in 1 Cor. (chap. …

Commentary on 2 Corinthians ↗