Godly Sorrow Works Repentance to Salvation (2 Cor. 7:9–16)

2 Cor. 7:9. Now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved into repentance. You were grieved in a godly way, so that you might suffer no loss through us.

“Not only,” he says, “do I not regret this, but on the contrary, I rejoice; I rejoice not at your grief itself, but at the spirit and fruit of that grief. ‘I rejoice seeing not grief itself, but the fruit of that grief, for this grief has produced commendable repentance’ (Theodoret). ‘When a father sees his son undergo surgery, he rejoices not that his son suffers pain, but that he is being healed. So too does the holy Paul rejoice. Observe that he attributes all success to you: he assigns the grief to his letter, but he credits the benefit to you. For he did not say: I rejoice that the letter corrected you, although that was indeed the case, but ‘you were grieved into repentance’ (St. Chrysostom). You were grieved, but not in anger, and did not become indignant at the one who grieved you; rather, you blamed yourselves, acknowledging that you deserved the rebuke, repented of your fault, and resolved to amend. This kind of grieving is grieving according to God. Hence he says: ‘you were grieved in a godly way’ — kata Theon — in accordance with divine requirements, or in accordance with godly living, in accordance with pleasing God and salvation, or in fear of God, looking toward God, not reckoning according to outward appearance. When rebuked, you remembered God and his judgment, and hastened to correct what was amiss. For God always requires one thing: that all be corrected, and those who are amiss should repent. One who remembers God, if he is corrected, gives thanks to God; if uncorrected, he repents and hastens to correct himself. Whoever acts thus acts according to God, as God wishes, as requires reverent thought of him.”

“That you might suffer no loss through us.” Blessed be God, for he has so arranged it that he moved us to rebuke you rather sharply, and in you awakened the desire for repentance. He arranged it so that you suffer no loss in your spiritual progress, or any harm in the matter of your salvation through our fault. Had we not rebuked you, you would have remained in your negligence and consequently suffered harm. But if even after we rebuked you the Lord had not turned your affections to good, that would have been terrible. Now I see that everything has turned out for the best, and I cannot help but rejoice. “Observe,” says St. Chrysostom, “his extraordinary prudence! If we had not done this, he says, we would have done you harm; and he attributes the correction to you, while he claims the harm would have come from his silence. If we had not rebuked you when it was possible to correct you by rebuke, we would have done you harm, and the loss would have been not only for you but for us as well. For as one who gives merchants no means of sailing does them harm, so too would we have done you harm if we had not given you reason to repent. Do you see that failure to rebuke sinners is harmful both to the teacher and to the student?”

2 Cor. 7:10. For the grief according to God produces repentance leading to salvation without regret, while the grief of the world produces death.

“Therefore,” he says, “although I regretted it before I saw the fruit and benefit of the letter, now I do not regret it; the fruit was grief according to God” (St. Chrysostom). And what does godly grief produce? Salvation. Grief according to God is sorrow and painful contriteness of heart, when by remembering God and one’s relation to him, one recognizes oneself guilty before him without defense. Such recognition strikes fear of judgment and condemnation; this fear compels one to seek sure deliverance from one’s bitter state. Since there is no other such deliverance except heartfelt repentance with firm resolution to live from now on according to the known will of God without wavering, one in grief according to God flees to him; and this means to set one’s foot firmly upon the path of salvation. This is why the Apostle said: “grief according to God produces repentance leading to salvation without regret.”

“Repentance without regret” means repentance with firm resolve never to turn back; or repentance in whose fulfillment no one regrets, despite the considerable sacrifices it demands, because one immediately learns from experience what great good it brings.

To this saving grief the holy Paul opposes deadly worldly grief, saying: “the grief of the world produces death.” Worldly grief is grief over loss of glory, honor, possessions, comforts, disorder in one’s secular or civil affairs, or in general over anything earthly, limited to this life, touching neither salvation nor eternity. All such griefs kill by sorrow and strike with hopelessness. When earthly goods are taken away, one who loses them acts as though his soul is being drawn out. But one grieving according to God, although also struck by deep sorrow, yet this sorrow is always tempered by hope of mercy, for to the whole world God’s readiness to receive the penitent is known. Therefore, grief according to God does not kill but vivifies, does not bring death but extracts from death and converts to life.

St. Chrysostom speaks at length about these two griefs. “What is meant by the grief of this world? It is when you grieve over possessions, over glory, over the dead; all this is worldly grief, and therefore brings death. Whoever grieves over glory envies and often comes to inevitable ruin. By worldly grief Cain and Esau grieved. So he means by worldly grief that which harms the very ones who grieve. For grief over sins alone is beneficial, and this is clearly seen from what follows. One grieving over loss of wealth does not recover the loss; one grieving over the dead does not raise him; one grieving from illness not only does not free himself from illness but increases it. Only one grieving over sins gains benefit from sorrow: it wears down and destroys sins. Grief is a medicine prepared for this one case; only here does it have strength and benefit, and in other cases it harms. True, what is heavier than grief? But when it is grief according to God, it is far better than worldly joy, for that joy turns to nothing, whereas that grief ‘produces repentance leading to salvation without regret.’ In it too is something worthy of wonder: no one ever grieving with it repents, whereas repentance is most natural to worldly grief. For what is dearer than a son? And what more sorrowful than his death? Yet fathers, who during their heavy grief received no comfort and tormented themselves, later repent of grieving without measure; and not only gained no benefit but further disturbed themselves. Not so with grief according to God! It has two advantages: it does not make one repent of the grief itself, and it transforms the very grief into salvation. Worldly grief lacks both advantages. In it one grieves to one’s harm and after strong grief regrets it, and this serves as strong proof that in grieving they harm themselves. Completely opposite are the effects of grief according to God. No one will blame himself for grieving, weeping, and being contrite over sin.”

2 Cor. 7:11. For see what this very thing—being grieved in a godly way—has accomplished in you: what eagerness, what defense! What indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! In everything you have shown yourselves pure in the matter.

St. Chrysostom says: “The blessed Paul, in speaking of the good fruits of grief according to God, had no need to bring foreign examples to confirm what he said, but points to the Corinthians themselves and draws his proof from what they did, so that in praising them, he both instructs and draws them to himself. ‘For see,’ he says, ‘what this very thing—being grieved in a godly way—has accomplished in you: what eagerness?’ That is, your grief according to God (the fact that you came into fear of God, were contrite, and repented), see how it made you zealous for yourselves (to show yourselves corrected in all things before God, before your conscience, and before the holy Apostle). And here are the signs of such zeal! ‘What defense’ (‘But’, alla, in all these expressions stands for “and”—Oecumenius), apologian, explanation before me (expressed perhaps before Titus and passed on to the Apostle); ‘what indignation’ toward the one who sinned; ‘what fear’ (“Into fear of God you came,” Theodoret), for such zeal and very quick correction showed that you were greatly frightened (perhaps of the holy Paul himself, says Oecumenius and Theophylact). And lest you think he is praising himself, see how he immediately softens his speech by saying: ‘what longing,’ that is toward me [“and you loved us more earnestly than before,” Theodoret. “For,” he says, “loving me and not wanting to grieve me, you hastened to correct yourselves”—Oecumenius; “so it would not seem that by pointing to fear he was claiming some authority over them, he hastens to turn away this thought by pointing to “‘longing,” epipothēsin, warm affection toward himself, which is a sign of love, not subordinate obedience”—Theophylact]; ‘what zeal,’ that is toward God (“being filled with righteous zeal, you wept over the violated laws”—Theodoret; “either toward God, or toward me before those who slandered me as false apostles”—Oecumenius); ‘what punishment,’ for they punished those who violated God’s law (“they armed themselves in indignation against the sinners”—Theodoret). ‘In everything you have shown yourselves pure in the matter,’ that is, not only in that you yourselves did not commit such a transgression, but also in that you did not indulge the one who did. In the first letter he said: ‘And you became puffed up’ (1 Cor. 5:2); therefore here he says: you have purified yourselves also from this suspicion, when you not only did not approve the sinner but punished him and became indignant at him.”

2 Cor. 7:12. Although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did wrong, nor for the sake of the one who was wronged, but so that your eagerness on our behalf might be revealed to God.

Who is the one who did wrong and who the one who was wronged? Theodoret says: “The Apostle calls the one guilty of fornication the one who did wrong, and the father the one who was wronged, because he was dishonored even after his death by the desecration of his bed.” Oecumenius and Theophylact think it was those who fornicated, for they wronged both themselves and each other. St. Chrysostom does not address this question. But whoever they were, the force of the speech lies not in defining who they are, but in pointing out the intention with which such stern decisions were written in the first letter. “This was not written for their sake,” he says. He does not mean that in writing he had them in mind not at all, but that he did not write primarily for them, but chiefly for you, so that one through another and you all might not be infected with the same evil. Now those are correcting themselves, and you have been filled with zeal and indignation at such sin. Yet even if those did not correct themselves, but only such indignation appeared in you, the letter’s purpose would be achieved. It was dictated by my care for the whole body of the Church. I showed you thereby my eagerness for all of you, which I have before God. It is the same before God as it is revealed before you. The Apostle seems to hear an objection from their side: when we are pure, why did you rebuke us? Now that’s clear, but then I could not have assumed this; and concern for you, prompted by love for you, made me stern. St. Chrysostom says: “He conveys that he feared for the whole Church, for he was afraid the evil might spread and, continuing onward, might embrace the whole Church. Therefore he said: ‘a little leaven leavens the whole lump’ (1 Cor. 5:6). But he said that then; now, when they have corrected themselves, he expresses the same thought not as before but differently, and although he has the same meaning, presents it with greater agreeableness, saying: ‘so that your eagerness for you’ might be revealed, that is, so you might see how I love you. Since I love you greatly, I feared that you might suffer harm from this scandalous example and yourselves be forced to grieve.”

2 Cor. 7:13. Therefore we have been comforted by your comfort, and we rejoiced all the more abundantly at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

“Therefore we have been comforted by your comfort.” By your comfort — επι, on account of, or because of, your comfort, not the comfort you received, but the comfort you gave us by your correction in all things and in every way that resulted from my letter. The holy Chrysostom says: “We have been comforted; for we showed our care for you, and everything turned out according to our wishes.” Similarly, I said elsewhere: “we are now alive, if you stand firm in the Lord” (1 Thess. 3:8). For the progress of students is the life, comfort, and joy of a wise teacher. And nothing shows a leader in a better light than his love for those under him.

“And we rejoiced all the more abundantly at the joy of Titus.” “See how the Apostle again praises the Corinthians and expresses his love for them! For after mentioning above his own joy, that his first letter had such success and brought such benefit, and expressing his love for them, he now presents another mark of their benevolence, which also brings them great praise and shows the sincerity of their love: ‘And we rejoiced all the more abundantly at the joy of Titus.’ Titus was comforted by you; but I rejoiced not so much for Titus as for you” (St. Chrysostom). Titus was at peace among you not bodily, not in having food to eat or a comfortable bed, but in spirit. His spirit was at peace, and not from one thing or another, but from all of you. That the apostolic spirit of Titus found rest among the Corinthians is a testimony to their high spiritual perfection. For a spiritual man like Titus cannot find rest among those in whom there is no movement and manifestation of spiritual life, and bodily comfort cannot satisfy his spirit so that he feels at peace.

2 Cor. 7:14. For if I have boasted to him about you in anything, I am not ashamed; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus has been truthful.

“For if I have boasted to him about you.” “It is great praise when a teacher boasts of his students and rejoices that his boasting is shown to be true, for he says: I am not ashamed. Therefore I rejoiced because you showed yourselves to be better and indeed justified my words. From this I have double comfort: you showed yourselves to be more perfect, and I did not appear to be a liar contrary to the truth; ‘but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus has been truthful.’ Here he implies something else as well: just as I spoke nothing but truth to you, so probably he praised them greatly to Titus; and so what I said about you to Titus has proven to be true” (St. Chrysostom).

That in the words: ‘as we spoke all things to you in truth,’ the Apostle means his praises of Titus before the Corinthians, St. Chrysostom considers only probable. So do all the others. The direct meaning here is that falsehood never proceeded from the Apostle’s mouth, whatever his speech touched upon, and especially that his preaching is true. Theodoret writes: “We never had to resort to lying, but have both taught you true doctrine and adorned your praises with truth.” So too Oecumenius and Theophylact: “As what I preached to you is true, so also my word about you to Titus proved true.”

2 Cor. 7:15. And his affection is abundantly toward you, remembering the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling.

“And his heart has overflowed toward you.” “This refers to the praise of Titus, that he is well-disposed toward you and attached to you” (Saint Chrysostom). “He presents Titus to them in such a way so that they too might love him in return, as one who is bound to them in heart and holds a warm disposition toward them. Therefore he said: ‘his heart is toward you,’ to show the depth and warmth of his sincere love for you” (Theophylact). “Then he brings, as he does everywhere, the reason for such a disposition, so as not to seem flattering, but on the other hand to move the Corinthians themselves to greater things by giving all praise to them and showing that they themselves gave Titus occasion and reason for such love. For having said: ‘his heart has overflowed toward you,’ he adds: ‘remembering the obedience of all of you.’ — ‘Remembering.’ By this the Apostle expresses Titus’s gratitude, who parted from you, having impressed all in his soul, and always remembers you, constantly has you on his lips and in his heart; and at the same time he even more praises the Corinthians, that they sent off Titus with such warm reception. Then he reminds them of their obedience: ‘remembering ‘your obedience,’ stirring thereby their zeal also” (Saint Chrysostom). Obedience both to the word of the Apostle in the letter, which obedience was so pleasant for Titus to encounter, and perhaps to the word of Titus himself, with which he accompanied the reading of the letter, adding to what was written his own counsel and exhortations. Thus Theodoret: “And he is very well-disposed toward you and keeps an unforgettable memory of you, telling how you yielded to his counsel.” — “How you received him with fear and trembling.” “That is, not only with love, but with great honor. Do you see how he testifies to their twofold virtue, that is, that they both loved Titus as a father and feared him as a leader, so that neither did fear cloud their love, nor did love weaken their fear?” (Saint Chrysostom).

And obedience, fear, and trembling were shown in the person of Titus to the Apostle himself, yet he, by the modesty customary to him, attributes all of it now to Titus, now to the goodness of the Corinthians. The following words guide us to this thought:

2 Cor. 7:16. Therefore I rejoice, because I have confidence in you in all things.

“Do you see that he rejoices more about them? For he says: you neither brought shame to your teacher in anything and showed yourselves worthy of my testimony about you. Consequently, he rejoiced not so much that Titus received such honor, but that they showed such goodwill toward Titus. But so that they would not think he rejoiced more for Titus, see how he also presents the reason for joy here. As he said above: ‘if I boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame;’ so now he says: ‘I am confident in all of you.’ If I need to rebuke you, I am not afraid that you will turn away on account of it; if I need to boast about you, I am not concerned about being convicted of empty boasting. ‘I am confident in you,’ whether I praise you as obedient, or as loving, or as zealous. I said: separate, and you separated; I said to Titus that you are great, worthy of wonder, and know how to honor teachers, and you proved it in deed; he learned this not so much from me as from you yourselves. Therefore he returned to me, filled with strong love for you, since you showed in deed more than I told him.” (Saint Chrysostom).