2 Coríntios 7
F.B. Meyer · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Coríntios 7
Meyer adds this exhortation "Learn to put your hand on all spiritual blessings in Christ and say 'Mine'." And all God's people said "Amen"!) Beloved (27) (agapetos from agapao = love; agape) means beloved, dear, very much loved. Agapetos is love called out of one’s heart by preciousness of the object loved. In Scripture agapetos is used only of Christians as united with God or with each other in love. God the Father uses this same word describing Jesus declaring that "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." (Mt 3:17+) In fact the first 9 uses in the NT are of God the Father speaking of Christ, His beloved Son. This gives you some idea of the preciousness of the word beloved! This truth makes it even more incredible that Paul described the saints at troubled church at Corinth as beloved. In short, by addressing the saints at Corinth as beloved, Paul is conveying the deep feeling he has in his heart towards them. And recall that the Corinthian church was far from problem free! Grace is truly an amazing thing! All Paul's uses of agapetos - Ro 1:7; 11:28; 12:19; 16:5, 8,9, 12; 1Co 4:14, 17; 10:14; 15:58; 2Co 7:1; 12:19; Eph. 5:1; 6:21; Phil 2:12; 4:1; Col 1:7; 4:7, 9, 14; 1Th 2:8; 1Ti 6:2; 2Ti 1:2; Philemon 1:1, 1:16) Let us cleanse (2511) (katharizo from katharos = pure, clean, without stain or spot; English words - catharsis = emotional or physical purging, cathartic = substance used to induce a purging, Cathar = member of a medieval sect which sought the purging of evil from its members) means to make clean by taking away an undesirable part. To cleanse from filth or impurity. Click here (and here) for more background on the important Biblical concept of clean and cleansing. In secular Greek katharizo occurs in inscriptions for ceremonial cleansing in some of the false religious systems. Figuratively katharizo is used in the NT to describe cleansing from ritual contamination or impurity (Acts 10:15) as well as the cleansing lepers from ceremonial uncleanness (Mt 8:2-3, et al). Another figurative use in 1John 1:9 (cf James 4:8, Hebrews 10:2-+) describes the purifying or cleansing from sin and a guilty conscience thus making one acceptable to God and reestablishing fellowship. In short this word group (katharizo, katharos = pure, kathairô = prune) conveys the idea of physical, religious, and moral cleanness or purity in such senses as clean, free from stains or shame, and free from adulteration. For a good sense of the meaning of katharizo, study the NT uses in context (or do the quick study by holding pointer over each reference) noting who does the cleansing and from what. Observe for God's sovereignty and man's responsibility (Mt 8:2,3; 10:8; 11:5; 23:25,26; Mk 1:40, 41, 42; 7:19; Lk 4:27; 5:12,13; 7:22; Lk 11:39; 17:14,17 Acts 10:15; 11:9; 15:9; 2Co 7:1 Eph 5:26; Titus 2:14; Heb 9:14, 22, 23; James 4:8; 1Jn 1:7, 9 ) Defilement (3436) (molusmos from moluno = stain or soil/smear as with with mud ~ defile in a religious or cultic sense - see uses of moluno in 1Co 8:7, Rev 3:4, 14:4) describes that which stains, defiles or soils and thus produces foulness; dirtiness; uncleanness. Defilement is the corruption of morals, principles or character produced by the corrupting influence of fleshly desires (cf 2Pe 1:4+). The related verb moluno is used twice in Revelation 3:4; 14:4 and once in 1Co 8:7 describing defiling the conscience through the indiscriminate eating of meat sacrificed to idols (compare Jer 23:15). This brings us back full circle to Paul's opening injunction to stop entering into unequal partnerships with unbelievers (2Cor 6:14). The close association of molusmos with idolatry suggests that Paul is thinking especially of defilement that comes from dining in the local temples, membership in the pagan cults, ritual prostitution, active engagement in pagan worship and the like. Perfecting (2005)(epiteleo from epí = intensifies meaning, in the sense of meaning "fully" + teleo = to complete, bring not just to the end but to the destined goal from télos = end, goal. Note: télos originally meant the turning point, hinge, the culminating point at which one stage ends and another begins; later the goal, the end. Marriage and death are is in this sense both a telos) conveys the intensified meaning to fully complete or to fully reach the intended goal in the sense of successfully completing what has been begun (Gal 3:3, Ro 15:28-+), to fully finish this "race of grace", to press on to a successful finish. Holiness (42) (hagiosune from hagios = holy - from "a" = privative signifies the absence of a quality + "ge" = earth and thus hagios = literally that which is separated from the earth!) basically refers to separation from what is common or unclean, and consecration unto God (Lev 20:24-26 Acts 6:13; 21:28). Hagiosune refers to holiness not in the sense of describing the process of becoming "holy" but rather the quality, state or condition of exhibiting an ethical quality that reveals itself in purity or integrity of one's character and conduct. Holiness is a state of spiritual soundness and unimpaired virtue. Hagiosune refers to a quality of life expressed in careful obedience to God. In fact holiness is a chief attribute of God and a quality to be developed in His people. Holy is from the Saxon word “halig” which means “whole” or “sound”. Holiness then is a general term used to indicate moral wholeness. Tyndale Bible Dictionary adds that "The primary OT word for holiness means “to cut” or “to separate.” Fundamentally, holiness is a cutting off or separation from what is unclean and a consecration to what is pure." Separation from the world involves more than keeping our distance from sinners but also means staying close to God. More than avoiding entertainment that leads to sin, holiness extends into how we spend our time and money. There is no way to separate ourselves totally from all sinful influences. Nevertheless, we are to resist the sin around us, without either giving up or giving in. When you know what God wants you to do, make a clean break with sinful practices. But beware of the trap of falling prey to keeping a list of do's and don't's or you will fall into the bondage of legalism. Fear (5401) (phobos from verb phébomai = to flee from or to be startled) refers first to flight, to alarm, to fright or to terror (of the shaking type) (cf. Mt 14:26; Luke 21:26; 1Co 2:3). This type of fear is connected with fear of the unknown, fear of the future, and fear of authorities. It speaks of the terror which seizes one when danger appears. On the other hand phobos as used in the present context refers to reverence, respect and honor or in short the attitude believers should have toward a holy God (cf. Acts 2:43; 9:31; 2Co 5:11). Jerry Bridges - HOLINESS IN SPIRIT 2 CORINTHIANS 7:1 A number of years ago in campus evangelism, we used an illustration calculated to make our collegiate audiences vividly aware that they were personally sinners. We would say, “If I could flash on a screen before us tonight all of your thoughts of this past week, you would have to leave town.” This remark not only made the point, but always drew a laugh. But for the Christian such a charge is no laughing matter. Our thoughts are just as important to God as our actions, and are known to God as clearly as our actions (Psalm 139:1–4, 1 Samuel 16:7). Jesus taught us in the Sermon on the Mount that God’s commands are intended not only to regulate outward conduct, but inner disposition as well. It is not enough that we do not kill; we must also not hate. It is not enough that we do not commit adultery; we must not even entertain lustful looks and thoughts. Just as we must learn to bring the appetites of our bodies under control, so we must also learn to bring our thought lives under obedience to Jesus Christ. In fact, Paul warns us against misguided and wrongly motivated attempts to control the body that leave our thought lives unrestrained (Colossians 2:23). It is possible to curb the natural appetites of the body outwardly and yet be filled with all manner of inner defilement. The Bible indicates that our thought lives ultimately determine our character. Solomon said, “For as he thinks within himself, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7, NASB). An old well-known verse puts it this way: Sow a thought, reap an act; Sow an act, reap a habit; Sow a habit, reap a character. It is because of the importance of our thought lives that Paul said, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). As Christians we are no longer to be conformed to the pattern of this world but we are to be renewed in our minds (Romans 12:1–2, Ephesians 4:23, 1 Peter 1:14). Holiness begins in our minds and works out to our actions. This being true, what we allow to enter our minds is critically important. The television programs we watch, the movies we may attend, the books and magazines we read, the music we listen to, and the conversations we have all affect our minds. We need to evaluate the effects of these avenues honestly, using Philippians 4:8 as a standard. Are the thoughts stimulated by these various avenues true? Are they pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy? The world around us constantly seeks to conform our minds to its sinful ways. It is earnest and pressing in its endeavors. It will entice and persuade us (Proverbs 1:10–14). When we resist, it will ridicule and abuse us as “old-fashioned” and “puritanical” (1 Peter 4:4). Too many Christians, instead of resisting, are more and more giving ground to the world’s constant pressure. A few years ago sincere Christians were quite selective about the movies they attended, if they attended them at all. Today the same movies that were avoided are being shown on television in the living rooms of Christians across the nation. A friend of mine told me of a young couple in full-time Christian work who came to him wanting to know if it was wrong to attend X-rated movies! That the question should even be entertained illustrates the degree to which the world has infected our minds. The music we listen to often carries the message of the world, and the world uses the medium of music to squeeze us into its mold. And a Christian cannot help being gradually influenced if he continually listens to the world’s music. Perhaps it should go without saying that Christians are to abstain from indulging in or listening to suggestive stories and jokes. But Paul could not take this for granted among the early churches, and neither can we in this century. Listen to Paul’s clear warning on the subject: “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:3–4). “Not even a hint of immorality” places any suggestive speech whatsoever outside the bounds of a holy walk. Another stimulus to impure thoughts we must be alert for is what our eyes see. Jesus warned against the lustful look (Matthew 5:28). Job made a covenant with his eyes (Job 31:1). David’s wanton look was almost fatal to his spiritual life (2 Samuel 11:2). Not only must we guard our own eyes; we must be careful that we are not the source of temptation to others. For this reason, modesty of dress and actions is required among both men and women (1 Timothy 2:9; 5:2). But Philippians 4:8 speaks to more than just immoral and unclean thoughts. Our thoughts must not only be pure—they must also be true, lovely, and praiseworthy. Just as we can commit adultery in our hearts (Matthew 5:28), so we can also commit murder in our hearts (Matthew 5:21–22). In one of his letters Paul listed some acts of the sinful nature. These included defilements of the body—sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. Others in the list defile the spirit: hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, and so on. We must purify ourselves not only from the gross sins of the body, but also from the more “acceptable” sins of the spirit. Alas, here again we Christians have so often failed miserably. Focusing on our particular group’s list of do’s and don’ts, we neglect the inner life where envy, pride, bitterness, and a critical, unforgiving spirit may reign unchecked. The elder brother in the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15) is a classic example of one who led an exemplary outward life but who was consumed by a spirit of envy and self-righteousness. He could claim never to have disobeyed his father’s commandments, yet his jealousy and anger over his father’s joy in the return of his prodigal brother marks him to this day as an example to be shunned rather than followed. The spirit of envy was the root of King Saul’s unrelenting warfare against David. Initially Saul was highly pleased with David and set him over his men of war. But one day Saul heard the women of Israel singing, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7). Saul was very angry that they had ascribed ten thousands to David and to him only thousands. And the Scripture says, “Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on” (1 Samuel 18:9, NASB). God has placed each one of us in the body of Christ as it has pleased Him (1 Corinthians 12:18), and has assigned to each of us a place in life (1 Corinthians 7:17). To some God has assigned a place of prominence, to others a place of obscurity; to some a place of wealth, to others a place of daily struggle to make ends meet. But regardless of our station in life or place in the Body, there is always the temptation to envy someone else. The elder brother would one day inherit all his father’s possessions, yet he became jealous over a banquet to celebrate his brother’s return. Saul was king over all Israel but could not stand someone else receiving more praise than he. The cure for the sin of envy and jealousy is to find our contentment in God. Asaph in Psalm 73 was envious of the wicked as he saw their apparent prosperity (verse 3). He felt his pursuit of a holy life was in vain (verse 13). Only when he was enabled to say to God, “Earth has nothing I desire besides you” (verse 25), was he delivered from the sin of envy. Another defilement of spirit that has shipwrecked many Christians is bitterness. Bitterness arises in our hearts when we do not trust in the sovereign rule of God in our lives. If ever anyone had a reason to be bitter it was Joseph. Sold by his jealous brothers into slavery, falsely accused by his master’s immoral wife, and forgotten by one he had helped in prison, Joseph never lost sight of the fact that God was in control of all that happened to him. In the end he was able to say to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). We can become bitter against God or against other people. Asaph was bitter against God because he felt God was not giving him a fair shake in life (Psalm 73:21). Job was bitter because he felt God was not recognizing his righteousness and even came to the place where his attitude was described as, “It profits a man nothing when he tries to please God” (Job 34:9). Bitterness toward people is the result of an unforgiving spirit. Someone has wronged us, either apparently or actually, and we refuse to forgive that person. Instead we harbor thoughts of bitterness toward the person. We refuse to forgive because we will not recognize that God has forgiven us of far, far greater wrongs. We are like the servant who, having just been forgiven a debt of several million dollars, had a fellow servant thrown into prison over a debt of a few dollars (Matthew 18:21–35). Closely akin to bitterness is the spirit of retaliation. When we are wronged, the tendency is to retaliate—often in our minds if not in actions. When David was fleeing the insurrection of his son Absalom in Jerusalem, Shimei of the family of Saul came out to curse David and throw stones at him. One of David’s men wanted to retaliate by killing Shimei, but David restrained him with these words: “Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today” (2 Samuel 16:11–12). Paul wrote, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). Peter said of our Lord, “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). This is the way to cleanse ourselves from the defiling spirit of retaliation: to entrust ourselves to Him who judges justly and who said, “It is Mine to avenge, I will repay.” One of the most difficult defilements of spirit to deal with is the critical spirit. A critical spirit has its root in pride. Because of the “plank” of pride in our own eye we are not capable of dealing with the “speck” of need in someone else. We are often like the Pharisee who, completely unconscious of his own need, prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men” (Luke 18:11). We are quick to see—and to speak of—the faults of others, but slow to see our own needs. How sweetly we relish the opportunity to speak critically of someone else—even when we are unsure of our facts. We forget that “a man who stirs up dissension among brothers” by criticizing one to another is one of the “six things which the Lord hates” (Proverbs 6:16–19). All of these attitudes—envy, jealousy, bitterness, an unforgiving and retaliatory spirit, and a critical and gossiping spirit—defile us and keep us from being holy before God. They are just as evil as immorality, drunkenness, and debauchery. Therefore, we must work diligently at rooting out these sinful attitudes from our minds. Often we are not even aware our attitudes are sinful. We cloak these defiling thoughts under the guise of justice and righteous indignation. But we need to pray daily for humility and honesty to see these sinful attitudes for what they really are, and then for grace and discipline to root them out of our minds and replace them with thoughts pleasing to God. (The Pursuit of Holiness - THIS BOOK IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - TAKE TIME TO READ IT AND THEN PRACTICE THE PRINCIPLES IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT) Jon Courson - 2 Corinthians 7:1 - For the Old Testament picture of this New Testament principle, turn to 2 Kings 5… In the Old Testament, leprosy is a very appropriate picture of sin, for it begins seemingly insignificantly, but spreads insidiously. When Naaman, a prominent Syrian ruler who had contracted this terrible disease was told by his servant girl that there was a prophet in Israel who could cure him, he sent a message to the king of Israel, who, in turn, sent for Elisha. Expecting Elisha to pronounce some sort of magical incantation over him, Naaman was ‘wroth’ when Elisha told him to wash in the Jordan River seven times. After all, Naaman thought the Jordan nothing more than a muddy creek compared to the rivers of his own country. Thus, Scripture says he ‘turned and went away in a rage.’ But his servants didn’t give up so easily. ‘If Elisha had asked you to do something difficult, you would have done it,’ they said to Naaman. ‘Therefore, why not see what happens if you comply with this seemingly simple command?’ So Naaman did indeed dip himself into the Jordan seven times—the number of completion—and he came out healed and whole. Likewise, we who are eaten by the leprosy of sin must dip in the water over and over and over again. What water? Didn’t David say in Psalm 119 that a young man shall cleanse his way by taking heed according to the Word? Didn’t Jesus say in John 15 that we are clean through the Word which He has spoken unto us? Didn’t Paul declare in Ephesians 5 that we are washed by the water which is the Word of God? Let the Word of God cleanse you and an amazing thing will happen. You may never become a scholar of theology, but as you submerge yourself in Scripture, the leprosy which once gnawed on you will begin to be cleansed from you. To those who are struggling with their flesh and looking for a quick answer, we need to say, ‘Plunge into Scripture. Plug into Bible study. And keep at it over and over and over again—for it’s God’s Word which will cleanse you and wash away the sin which hounds you.’ (A Day's Journey) A number of years ago in campus evangelism, we used an illustration calculated to make our collegiate audiences vividly aware that they were personally sinners. We would say, “If I could flash on a screen before us tonight all of your thoughts of this past week, you would have to leave town.” This remark not only made the point, but always drew a laugh. But for the Christian such a charge is no laughing matter. Our thoughts are just as important to God as our actions, and are known to God as clearly as our actions (Psalm 139:1–4, 1 Samuel 16:7). Oswald Chambers - Shall I rouse myself up to this? Perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Cor. 7:1. “Having therefore these promises.” I claim the fulfilment of God’s promises, and rightly, but that is only the human side; the Divine side is that through the promises I recognize God’s claim on me. For instance, am I realizing that my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, or have I a habit of body that plainly will not bear the light of God on it? By sanctification the Son of God is formed in me, then I have to transform my natural life into a spiritual life by obedience to Him. God educates us down to the scruple. When He begins to check, do not confer with flesh and blood, cleanse yourself at once. Keep yourself cleansed in your daily walk. I have to cleanse myself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit until both are in accord with the nature of God. Is the mind of my spirit in perfect agreement with the life of the Son of God in me, or am I insubordinate in intellect? Am I forming the mind of Christ, Who never spoke from His right to Himself, but maintained an inner watchfulness whereby He continually submitted His spirit to His Father? I have the responsibility of keeping my spirit in agreement with His Spirit, and by degrees Jesus lifts me up to where He lived—in perfect consecration to His Father’s will, paying no attention to any other thing. Am I perfecting this type of holiness in the fear of God? Is God getting His way with me, and are other people beginning to see God in my life more and more? Be serious with God and leave the rest gaily alone. Put God first literally. Oswald Chambers - Perfecting Holiness 2 Corinthians 7:1 “Having therefore these promises”—what promises? “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (2 Corinthians 6:16)—“let us cleanse ourselves”—no “excusing the sins we’re most inclined to while condemning those we’ve no mind to”; there must be no moral partiality in the saint—“from all defilement of flesh and spirit” (rv)—nothing contrary to God’s nature: “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin”—“perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” It is perilously possible to cultivate a spurious, unhealthy holiness not “in the fear of God.” There is a subtle form of carnal pride that is set on my holiness; it is unscriptural and morbid and ends in experience rather than in character, in taking myself more and more seriously and God less and less seriously. The cultivation of holiness is impossible without the spiritual concentration which the Holy Spirit enjoins. “I beseech you . . . to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God” (rv). Practical holiness is the only holiness of any value in this world, and the only kind God will endorse. Romans 12:1-2 is a passionate entreaty to rouse ourselves out of that stagnation in which we are ensnared by thinking that because it is all of grace there is no need for “gumption”; whereas the tremendous initiative given us to sanctification ought to rouse us to determined activity until we are transformed by the renewing of our mind and able to make out the will of God. This mental renewing means the strenuous and courageous lifting of the problems of the world, individual, family, and social, into the spiritual domain, and habitually working out a life of practical holiness. It is not an easy task, but a heroically difficult one, requiring the mightiest effort of our human nature; a task which by the grace of God lifts us into thinking God’s thoughts after Him until they become our unconscious inheritance. The secret of spiritual otherworldliness is not found in adhering to a set of rules, but lies deep down in a hidden spring of life and thought which the saint continually obeys. (God's Workmanship) On Sunday morning, January 24, 1861, Charles Haddon Spurgeon closed his sermon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle with these words… An unholy Church! It is of no use to the world, and of no esteem among men. Oh, it is an abomination, hell's laughter, heaven's abhorrence. And the larger the Church, the more influential, the worst nuisance does it become, when it becomes dead and unholy. The worst evils which have ever come upon the world, have been brought upon her by an unholy Church. Alexander
2 Coríntios 7
Meyer - The closing paragraph of the previous chapter tells us what this defilement stands for; and in the enumeration note the increasing bonds of approximation which each word indicates. An unequal yoke in ill-matched intercourse with unbelievers leads to fellowship, and this to communion, and this again to concord, and this to partnership; whilst the culmination of the entire series is agreement, and the yielding up of the body for the possession and indwelling of idols (cp 1Co 10:14, 1Jn 5:21). Let us beware of the beginning of this awful approximation. It is impossible to stand still; and they who think lightly of marrying an unbeliever may in the end hear words like those which watchers heard spoken in the doomed temple on the night before it fell into the hands of Titus (Ed: Roman General before whom Jerusalem and the Temple fell in 70AD). There was, as it were, the rushing of wings, and voices were heard saying, Let us depart. There is not only defilement of the flesh, but of the spirit. It is not enough to avoid the gross sins of the outward life. Those of the inner temple and disposition are equally abhorrent to the holiness of God (cp Mt 5:27-28, 29, 30+). We must come out and be separate from the latter as well as the former, or we shall never realize what God means when He promises to receive us, and to be a Father to us (cp Jesus' words in John 14:21) The word cleanse (katharizo) is very decisive in the Greek. It calls for sudden, decisive action; and if you answer that sin is too closely interwoven with your nature to be thus summarily disposed of, remember that God demands our will only. Directly we are perfectly willing and eager, He steps in and does all the rest (cp Ro 8:13+,, Col 3:5+). At unknown depths the Spirit of God is at work within us (cp Phil 2:12+; Phil 2:13+;; Ezek 36:27+) to let us work out what He works in, that we may be welcomed to God's heart. (Cross references added) Steve Gallagher - DECONTAMINATE YOURSELVES!” “Do not touch what is unclean!... Cleanse (yourselves) from all the defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Is not Paul speaking of the contaminating influences of this fallen world? Imagine, if you will, a healthy person living in a leper colony. Germs are everywhere: on the furniture, on the walls, on the floors. There are the agents of a hideous, debilitating, and detestable disease. One feels the inside pressure, “Don’t touch ANYTHING!” In spiritual terms, the message to every believer is, “Don’t have close contact with anything that is a part of the foul existence of Satan’s kingdom! Shun all evil, uncleanness, pollution!” Kosmos is constantly seeking to transfer its repulsive and diabolical mindset onto believers. It does this primarily through the varied forms of mass media and through the educational system. Any believer who lends his ear to the voice of kosmos is going to be affected by it. We have to remember that the spirit of the world appeals to the desires of our lower nature. The pull exerted by those lusts should never be underestimated. The enemy knows how to lure believers into his camp by catering to those ungodly passions. Here’s how it works when it comes to the mass media. The unsuspecting person simply wants to watch television when he gets home from work, for instance. Kosmos provides him with a wide variety of entertainment. At the same time his mind goes into a satisfied stupor, he is flooded with a barrage of unholy images and messages. Consequently, his worldly mentality is reinforced. And here is how it often works in the field of academia. A young person desires to better himself through education. The spirit of the world provides him with a wealth of knowledge while underhandedly slipping in its own ungodly agenda. To all this Paul cries out, “Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” We as believers should set up barricades to every avenue the devil seeks access into our minds. The Word of God will daily wash away all the contaminating thoughts as we bathe ourselves in it. Let us decry the tendency in ourselves and in others to merely affiliate with Christianity while at the same time retaining close ties with the spirit of the world. (Intoxicated With Babylon: The Seduction of God's People in the Last Days). Related Resource: Theology of Sex - Grant Richison's biblical study of a subject that we don't like to talk about but which is consuming Christian men because of the availability of (free) internet pornography! It may be free but the corrupting consequences are not "free" and always demand a high price regarding one's soul and one's soulmate! Spurgeon's Sermon Notes on 2 Corinthians 7:1 Kindling with strong emotion, constrained by the love of Christ, and animated by the fellowship of all spiritual blessings, the apostle here strikes out an exhortation, in which he appeals to the noblest passions of the children of God, to their possession of divine lineage, a present endowment, and their expectation of an exalted destiny. These he uses as incentives to holiness of life. To stir up in us this godly ambition he sets before us the Christian in various lights— I. AS POSSESSED OF MOST GLORIOUS PRIVILEGES. “Having these promises.” Not promises in reversion merely, but in actual possession, received, embraced, enjoyed. The promises referred to are mentioned in the previous chapter. 1. Divine indwelling: “I will dwell in them.” (Chap. 6:16.) 2. Divine manifestation: “I will walk in them.” 3. Divine covenanting: “I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” 4. Divine acceptance: “I will receive you.” (Chap. 6:17.) 5. Divine adoption: “I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (Chap. 6:18.) These promises are already fulfilled in our experience. II. AS LABOURING TO BE RID OF OBNOXIOUS EVILS. “Let us cleanse ourselves.” The matter has in it— 1. Personality: “Let us cleanse ourselves.” 2. Activity: we must continue vigorously to cleanse both body and mind. 3. Universality: “From all filthiness.” 4. Thoroughness: “Of the flesh and spirit.” If God dwells in us, let us make the house clean for so pure a God. Has the Lord entered into covenant with us that we should be his people? Does not this involve a call upon us to live as becometh godliness? Are we his children? Let us not grieve our Father, but imitate him as dear children. III. AS AIMING AT A MOST EXALTED POSITION. “Perfecting holiness.” 1. We must set before us perfect holiness as a thing to be reached. 2. We must blame ourselves if we fall short of it. 3. We must continue in any degree of holiness which we have reached. 4. We must agonize after the perfecting of our character. IV. AS PROMPTED BY THE MOST SACRED OF MOTIVES. “Perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 1. The fear of God casts out the fear of man, and thus saves us from one prolific cause of sin. 2. The fear of God casts out the love of sin, and with the root the fruit is sure to go. 3. The fear of God works in and through love to him, and this is a great factor of holiness. 4. The fear of God is the root of faith, worship, obedience, and so it produces all manner of holy service. See how promises supply arguments for precepts. See how precepts naturally grow out of promises. OUTPOURINGS “Cleanse ourselves.” It is the Lord that is the sanctifier of his people, he purges away their dross and tin. He pours clean water, according to his promises, yet doth he call us to cleanse ourselves; having such promises, let us cleanse ourselves. He puts a new life into us, and causes us to act, and excites us to excite it, and call it up to act in the progress of sanctification. Men are strangely inclined to a perverse construction of things: tell them that we are to act and work, and give diligence, then they would fancy a doing in their own strength, and be their own saviours. Again, tell them that God works all our works in us, and for us, then they would take the ease of doing nothing: if they cannot have the praise of doing all, they will sit still with folded hands, and use no diligence at all. But this is the corrupt logic of the flesh; its base sophistry. The apostle reasons just contrary, Phil. 2:13: “It is God that worketh in us both to will and to do.” Therefore, would a carnal heart say, we need not work, or at least, may work very carelessly. But he infers, “Therefore let us work out our salvation with fear and trembling,” i. e., in the more humble obedience to God, and dependence on him, not obstructing the influences of his grace, and, by sloth and negligence, provoking him to withdraw or abate it. Certainly many in whom there is truth of grace, are kept low in the growth of it by their own slothfulness, sitting still, and not bestirring themselves, and exercising the proper actions of that spiritual life, by which it is entertained and advanced.—Archbishop Leighton. Virtue, for ever frail, as fair, below, Her tender nature suffers in the crowd, Nor touches on the world without a stain: The world’s infectious; few bring back at eve, Immaculate, the manners of the morn— Something we thought, is blotted; we resolved, Is shaken; we renounc’d, returns again. Edward Young. “Let us go on to perfection” (Heb. 6:1) should rather be rendered, “Let us be carried on.”.… If we are unable to go on, we are surely able to be carried on to perfection.—Charles Stanford. The promises, as they have a quickening, so they have a purging power; and that upon sound reasoning. Doth God promise that he will be my Father, and I shall be his son? and doth he promise me life everlasting? and doth that estate require purity? and no unclean thing shall come there? Certainly, these promises being apprehended by faith, as they have a quickening power to comfort, so they purge with holiness. We may not think to carry our filthiness to heaven. Doth the swearer think to carry his blasphemies thither? Filthy persons and liars are banished thence, there is “no unclean thing.” He that hath these promises purgeth himself, and “perfecteth holiness in the fear of God.” “He that hath this hope purifieth himself, as he is pure”: 1 John 3:3.—Richard Sibbes. A spiritual mind has something of the nature of the sensitive plant: a holy shrinking from the touch of evil.—Richard Cecil. 2 Corinthians 7:2 Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one. KJV 2 Corinthians 7:2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. NET 2 Corinthians 7:2 Make room for us in your hearts; we have wronged no one, we have ruined no one, we have exploited no one. BGT 2 Corinthians 7:2 Χωρήσατε ἡμᾶς· οὐδένα ἠδικήσαμεν, οὐδένα ἐφθείραμεν, οὐδένα ἐπλεονεκτήσαμεν. NLT 2 Corinthians 7:2 Please open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone, nor led anyone astray, nor taken advantage of anyone. ESV 2 Corinthians 7:2 Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. NIV 2 Corinthians 7:2 Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. YLT 2 Corinthians 7:2 receive us; no one did we wrong; no one did we waste; no one did we defraud; ASV 2 Corinthians 7:2 Open your hearts to us: we wronged no man, we corrupted no man, we took advantage of no man. CSB 2 Corinthians 7:2 Accept us. We have wronged no one, corrupted no one, defrauded no one. MIT 2 Corinthians 7:2 Make room for us. We wronged no one. We corrupted no one. We took advantage of no one. NKJ 2 Corinthians 7:2 Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one. NRS 2 Corinthians 7:2 Make room in your hearts for us; we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. NAB 2 Corinthians 7:2 Make room for us; we have not wronged anyone, or ruined anyone, or taken advantage of anyone. NJB 2 Corinthians 7:2 Keep a place for us in your hearts. We have not injured anyone, or ruined anyone, or taken advantage of anyone. GWN 2 Corinthians 7:2 Open your hearts to us. We haven't treated anyone unjustly, ruined anyone, or cheated anyone. BBE 2 Corinthians 7:2 Let your hearts be open to us: we have done no man wrong, no man has been damaged by us, we have made no profit out of any man, Make room for us: 2Co 11:16 Mt 10:14,40 Lu 10:8 Php 2:29 Col 4:10 Phm 1:12,17 2Jn 1:10 3Jn 1:8-10 we wronged: 2Co 1:12 4:2 6:3-7 11:9 2Co 12:14-18 Nu 16:15 1Sa 12:3,4 Ac 20:33 Ro 16:18 1Th 2:3-6,10 2Th 3:7-9 2 Corinthians 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 2Co 12:17-18 Certainly I have not taken advantage (pleonekteo) of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? 18 I urged Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit and walk in the same steps? 2 Cor 6:11-12 Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide. 12 You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections. PAUL'S APPEAL FOR RECONCILIATION