2 Corinthians 7–8

⁷Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and of spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God.^*

Paul’s Joy at the Church’s Repentance

²Make room in your hearts^b for us; we have wronged no one; we have corrupted no one; we have taken advantage of no one.^{* 3}I do not say this to condemn you, for I have already said that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.^{* 4}I am being completely frank with you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with consolation; I am overjoyed in all our affliction.^*

⁵For even when we came into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way—disputes without and fears within.^{* 6}But God, who consoles the downcast, consoled us by the arrival of Titus,^{* 7}and not only by his arrival but also by the consolation with which he was consoled about you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. ⁸For although I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it. Although I did regret it (for^c I see that that letter caused you grief, though only briefly), ⁹now I rejoice, not because you were grieved but because your grief led to repentance, for you felt a godly grief, so that you were not harmed in any way by us. ¹⁰For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.^{* 11}For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves guiltless in the matter. ¹²So although I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account of the one who suffered the wrong but in order that your zeal for us might be made known to you before God.^{* 13}In this we have found consolation.

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.^{* 14}For if I have been somewhat boastful about you to him, I was not put to shame, but just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus has proved true as well.^{* 15}And his heart goes out all the more to you, as he remembers the obedience of all of you and how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.^{* 16}I rejoice because I have complete confidence in you.^*

Encouragement to Be Generous

⁸We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia, ²for during a severe ordeal of affliction their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. ³For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means and even beyond their means, ⁴begging us earnestly for the favor^d of partnering in this ministry to the saints,^{* 5}and not as we expected. Instead, they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, ⁶so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking^e among you.^{* 7}Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you^f—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.^g*

⁸I do not say this as a command, but I am, by mentioning the eagerness of others, testing the genuineness of your love.^{* 9}For you know the generous act^h of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.^{* 10}And in this matter I am giving my opinion: it is beneficial for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something.^{* 11}Now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means.^{* 12}For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.^{* 13}For I do not mean that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality between ¹⁴your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may also supply your need, in order that there may be equality. ¹⁵As it is written,

“The one who had much did not have too much,

and the one who had little did not have too little.”^*

Commendation of Titus

¹⁶But thanks be to God, who put in the heart of Titus the same eagerness for you that I myself have. ¹⁷For he not only accepted our appeal, but since he is more eager than ever, he is going to you of his own accord. ¹⁸With him we are sending the brother who is praised among all the churches for his work for the gospel,^{* 19}and not only that, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us while we are administering this generous undertakingⁱ for the glory of the Lord himself^j and to show our goodwill.^{* 20}We are making this arrangement lest anyone blame us about this generous gift that we are administering, ²¹for we are setting our minds on what is right not only before the Lord but also before the people.^{* 22}And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found eager in many matters but who is now more eager than ever because of his great confidence in you. ²³As for Titus, he is my partner and coworker in your service; as for our brothers, they are messengers^k of the churches, the glory of Christ.^{* 24}Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you to them.^*