2 Coríntios 7

2 Coríntios 7

Stedman says "they begin to recover a sense of their own identity." Homer Kent - Our knowledge of the details prompting this letter is admittedly meager, and thus we can only suggest possibilities. The view espoused in this commentary sees the offender as the ringleader of opposition against Paul (and perhaps Titus). The one offended was probably Paul, or perhaps Titus, but this is less likely. (The other view identifies the offender as the incestuous man of 1 Corinthians 5, and regards the one offended as the man’s aggrieved father.) With this understanding, Paul is regarded as saying that his primary concern was not to secure punishment for the offender or vindication for himself. What he really wanted was for the Corinthians to prove to themselves that their response to spiritual truth and to God’s messengers was right. To accede to the directives of the apostle would rectify the situation. True repentance and an altered course of action would bring God’s approval, and this in turn would remind the Corinthians of the importance of heeding the instruction of Christ’s duly chosen apostles. (A Heart Opened Wide: Studies in 2 Corinthians) Here is John MacArthur's interpretation of this difficult verse - one of the apostle’s goals was to strip away their sinful, fleshly attitudes and reveal to the Corinthians their real attitude toward him. Paul led up to his point by first eliminating other potential reasons for writing. That roundabout approach served to heighten the dramatic impact of his words. When he wrote the severe letter, it was not for the sake of the offender. He did not write primarily to condemn the man who had caused him so much grief during his painful visit to Corinth (2 Cor. 2:1). Nor was his main concern for himself as the one offended; he was not seeking personal vengeance. The most important reason Paul wrote the severe letter was that the Corinthians’ earnestness on his behalf might be made known to them in the sight of God. Sin’s deceitfulness had caused them to lose sight of their earnestness (eagerness), loyalty, and love for Paul and the truth he preached. They had been so deceived that their outward attitude toward the apostle was inconsistent with how they really felt about him. His letter peeled back the layers of deceit that had encrusted their hearts and made known to them their true feelings for him. It restored their spiritual sight and enabled them to see Paul as the trusted servant of God they had always known him to be. (2 Corinthians Commentary) Colin Kruse - Because of such a positive response on the part of the Corinthians to the ‘severe’ letter Paul is now able to say to them that his real motive in writing was not simply to get action taken against the ‘offender’ (not on account of the one who did the wrong), nor was it just to have his own position vis-à-vis the Corinthians clarified and vindicated (nor on account of the one who suffered the wrong), but rather that the Corinthians themselves, by experiencing such godly grief, might realize just how much Paul really meant to them (in order that your zeal for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God). (Full text of the Tyndale NT Commentary on 2 Corinthians) But that your earnestness (spoude) on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God - NLT = "I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us." AMP "but in order that you might realize before God [that your readiness to accept our authority revealed] how zealously you do care for us." THOUGHT - If you care, you’ll confront. People will know that you care for them when you risk being “the bad guy” and saying something that’s a little hard, but saying it in love. "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. " (Pr 27:6) (Rich Cathers) Offender (91) adikeo from adikos = unjust) means do wrong Col 3:25; the evildoer Rev 22:11. Be in the wrong Acts 25:11. Do wrong to someone, cheat someone Mt 20:13; Ac 7:26; Gal 4:12; 2 Pt 2:13. Injure, harm, damage, spoil Rev 9:4, 10, 19; if he has caused you any loss Philemon 1:18. Note 3 uses of adikeo in Acts 7:24, 26, 27 and two more in Acts 25:10; Acts 25:11. Steve Zeisler - Characteristics of a Corrector Paul makes two important points. First, his motives are right. When he had to say hard things to them, it was not for his own sake. He didn't have an axe to grind, and he didn't come to get riches, prominence, or ego satisfaction from them. I used to play football, and I recall good and bad coaches. One demanded a lot of the team, insisting we go beyond what we thought we could physically do. We ran until we dropped, practiced till it hurt, and call on reserves we didn't know we had. Sometimes the coach's demands on us succeeded in producing efforts that went beyond our expectations. But he wasn't centered on his own ego. He was demanding, but he wanted to serve his team, to see those in his charge succeed. But other coaches I've known are exactly the opposite. They treat their players like cattle, and if an individual is injured or needs extra help, he is "thrown away" and someone else put in his place because the program exists to promote the coach. Paul is making that distinction here. He has had to demand hard things of the Corinthians. He has pointed out areas of their lives that they needed to hear about even though they didn't want to, but he didn't do it for his own sake. His motives were pure. That's a very important place to start if we are ever to be Micaiahs ourselves. Remember what Jesus said about logs and splinters in one's eye. Jesus said, first the log needs to be removed from your own eye before you can remove the splinter from another's eye. If we don't deal with our own motives and shortcomings, we shouldn't be in the ministry of shaping up someone else. Paul alludes to another qualification in saying that the Corinthians are in his heart; he would live or die with them. Whatever happens in this correction process, he is not going to hold himself at a distance. Whatever pain or hardship they have to go through, his shoulder will be under the burden with them. Christian ministry of this sort cannot possibly take place at great distance. When the apostle must come to his church, or when a brother must come to his brother or sister, then he needs to be willing to say, "I know it's going to cost me something if you suffer because you matter so much to me." To conclude, last week we talked about being yoked to non-Christians and why that's such a bad idea-having an unbreakable, inflexible oneness that dilutes our influence, that makes us live in a way that is less and less of the Lord. The exact opposite point is being made here, isn't it? We're not yoked enough to each other! We're not involved enough with those who are our family-we don't get close enough, speak forcefully enough; we're unwilling to do the courageous thing or we're too hardened to receive godly sorrow. We've taken communion today, and the Bible forbids us to take communion in an unworthy manner. It may very well be that we need someone to help us see our unworthiness. I need someone to come to me and tell me when I'm being arrogant, or when greed has infiltrated me, or I've stopped caring for other people. You need people like that to come to you. So it's good to avoid being unequally yoked with unbelievers. But let's be more yoked to eachother! Let's be more willing to say the hard thing when it's required, and expect godly sorrow to have its result, that life should abound. 2 Corinthians 7:13 For this reason we have been comforted. And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. KJV 2 Corinthians 7:13 Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all. NET 2 Corinthians 7:13 Therefore we have been encouraged. And in addition to our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus, because all of you have refreshed his spirit. BGT 2 Corinthians 7:13 διὰ τοῦτο παρακεκλήμεθα. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ παρακλήσει ἡμῶν περισσοτέρως μᾶλλον ἐχάρημεν ἐπὶ τῇ χαρᾷ Τίτου, ὅτι ἀναπέπαυται τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ πάντων ὑμῶν· NLT 2 Corinthians 7:13 We have been greatly encouraged by this.In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was about the way all of you welcomed him and set his mind at ease. ESV 2 Corinthians 7:13 Therefore 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. NIV 2 Corinthians 7:13 By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. YLT 2 Corinthians 7:13 because of this we have been comforted in your comfort, and more abundantly the more did we rejoice in the joy of Titus, that his spirit hath been refreshed from you all; ASV 2 Corinthians 7:13 Therefore we have been comforted: And in our comfort we joyed the more exceedingly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit hath been refreshed by you all. CSB 2 Corinthians 7:13 For this reason we have been comforted. In addition to our comfort, we rejoiced even more over the joy Titus had, because his spirit was refreshed by all of you. MIT 2 Corinthians 7:13 Because that was achieved, we have been consoled. Beyond our being encouraged in this manner, we rejoiced enthusiastically to an even greater degree over Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed from contact with all of you. NKJ 2 Corinthians 7:13 Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. NRS 2 Corinthians 7:13 In this we find comfort. In addition to our own consolation, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his mind has been set at rest by all of you. NAB 2 Corinthians 7:13 For this reason we are encouraged. And besides our encouragement, we rejoice even more because of the joy of Titus, since his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. NJB 2 Corinthians 7:13 That is what I have found encouraging. In addition to all this to encourage us, we were made all the more joyful by Titus' joy, now that his spirit has been refreshed by you all. GWN 2 Corinthians 7:13 This is what has comforted us. In addition to being comforted, we were especially pleased to see how happy Titus was. All of you had put his mind at ease. BBE 2 Corinthians 7:13 So we have been comforted: and we had the greater joy in our comfort because of the joy of Titus, for his spirit had been made glad by you all. For this reason we have been comforted: 2Co 2:3 Ro 12:15 1Co 12:26 13:5-7 Php 2:28 1Pe 3:8 because his spirit has been refreshed by you all: 2Co 7:15 Ro 15:32 1Co 16:13 2Ti 1:16 Phm 1:20 THE JOY OF TITUS For this reason we have been comforted (parakaleo) - What reason? The general reason would be the favorable report from Titus of their favorable response. Specifically Paul's letter had had the desired effect of bringing forth abundant fruit in keeping with repentance. This truth comforted Paul. Comforted is in the perfect tense indicating Paul began to experience comfort when he was reunited with Titus and the good report he gave regarding the Corinthians and that this comfort was his present state. NLT = We have been greatly encouraged by this. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was about the way all of you welcomed him and set his mind at ease. David