Good Grief (2 Corinthians 7:2–16)
Gospel faithfulness can be grievous. It can rip your heart out as unbelievers reject the truth and when believers bite the hand that feeds them the truth. The apostle Paul experienced such grief. But he also knew the experience of God’s grace transforming this grief into good grief. This is at the heart of the passage before us. As Kent Hughes explains, “This text is about how God brings comfort and joy to a ministering heart.” So how does God bring such “comfort and joy”? Paul makes “clear that his comfort and joy have come from the repentance of the Corinthians” (Seifrid).
Brothers and sisters, when sinning, suspicious, seditious church members repent, the whole church is poised for God’s joyous comfort. It is also then poised to be a blessing to others (chapters 8–9). This was clearly the case in Corinth.
The Occasional Context
Paul had planned on making another visit to Corinth after his necessary “painful visit” (2:1; cf. 1 Corinthians 16:10—Timothy was anything but at ease from what he observed!). On that painful visit, an individual had apparently slandered Paul to such a degree that his ministry had been cut short. Suspicion and sedition had made it impossible for him to carry on a face-to-face ministry. Therefore, rather than making another visit, he had made a prudent change to those plans. Deciding that a letter would be better received than an in-person visit, he had sent one with Titus (2:1–4). In that letter, he had addressed the church’s need to discipline the offending church member while also admonishing the church about false apostles who were now taking advantage of his absence.
The culmination of those afflictions had resulted in great grief for Paul—grief so intense that this Christ-devoted, church-loving minister had become depressed. This is made clear in several passages, but most clearly in 2:12–13. Paul had become deeply troubled in Troas.
Titus, having delivered Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, was apparently to meet up with Paul in Troas and give feedback. From what we will see in our study of this text, Paul had initially expected a favourable response. But the longer he had waited, the more concerned he had become. And so he had left for Macedonia, hoping to meet up with Titus there. If Titus wouldn’t come to him, he would go to Titus. But, as we will see, his shift from troubled Troas landed him in what Hughes labels a “Macedonian misery” (7:5)—at least initially.
Eventually, the Lord, in his kind providence, had brought Titus to Paul, who had been greatly encouraged by his fellowship and the follow-up report concerning the Corinthian church. They had received Titus well. They had sorted out the sinning church member, and the majority of the church had expressed affection for Paul.
Paul’s great grief over the Corinthian church had resulted in their godly grief effecting repentance of spiritual indifference. Their repentance had encouraged Paul that they would indeed set matters right, including censuring and separating from the false teachers (6:14–7:1). His great grief had been transformed into good grief.
We will study this “good grief” under three major headings:
2. Great Grief (vv. 5–9)
3. Godly Grief (vv. 10–16)
Graced Grief
Reading Paul’s letters, one might be excused for thinking that he experienced episodes of bi-polar. He could be very low and then very high within a short span of time. Certainly, within the span of a few verses. This is because he experienced both grief for God and grace from God—as here.
Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.
Paul had been grieved by the behaviour of both church members and infiltrating interlopers seeking to undermine the influence of his ministry. He had been grieved because of his concern for the good of the church and the ultimate glory of God. Unlike many, however, his grief had not resulted in grumpiness but graciousness.
In these verses, Paul expresses, again, great affection for the church (“you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together”) and therefore appeals to them to “make room in your hearts for us.” Having “kicked out” evil influences (6:14, 17a), they had plenty of space now for the apostle’s godly and wise presence.
Paul then expresses his “great pride in” them. This, as we will see, was because of the report that Titus had brought to him, which “filled” him “with comfort in all our affliction”. He had been graced with good news and thus he was now “overflowing with joy.”
Brothers and sisters, as my pastor used to often remind us, “your present condition is not your final condition.” Without minimising your grief, hang on to Christ, for he will provide you with the grace you need for grief to be transformed into good grief. Such transformation is at the heart of the gospel.
Consider all the grief experience by Jesus. And yet his “present” condition was not to be his final condition, for he rose from the dead! So will you. So can you. So can your grievous affliction.
Great Grief
For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.
For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.
Paul writes about he and his co-workers “bodies” having “no rest.” Instead, they “were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within” (v. 5). Pausing to ponder this, we realise that Paul’s entire person was consumed with concern and grief for the situation in Corinth. As Guthrie observes, “Real Christian ministry … enters into the suffering of Christ for the sake of the church.”
The word “bodies” can be translated “flesh.” It refers to human nature as it is because of the fall. The emphasis is not so much the depravity of the flesh but its weakness due to fallen, sinful nature. The “weakness of the flesh,” as it is called elsewhere (Romans 8:3, 26). Paul is saying that, while he waited in Macedonia, this church was always on his mind, which messed with his mind! Paul loved the church and his love made him vulnerable to disappointment, pain, discouragement, and, yes, to the grief of depression.
Hughes helps us to appreciate the intensity of Paul’s combats and fears by pointing to several other texts regarding his concern for congregations: “I am afraid I have laboured over you in vain” (Galatians 4:11). “For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labour would be in vain” (1 Thessalonians 3:5). “There is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28–29). He comments,
These ministerial fears weighed heavy on Paul. He was always fearful for some troubled soul in one of the churches who was falling away. There was never a time when someone was not unhappy with him and maligning him. Ecclesiastic conflicts were his daily fare, and he was constantly writing to calm the waters and set things straight. Such depressing fears were recurrent for Paul, and the aggregate sometimes got him down.” Fundamentally “the reason Paul was sorrowing and downcast was his other-directed love, here to Titus and to the church in Corinth.
Paul’s great grief was the consequence of Christ-driven love.
Christians Get Depressed, Too
Church history is replete with many examples of depressed Christian: Martin Luther; Adoniram Judson; Charles Spurgeon; Martyn Lloyd-Jones; Christopher Ash; etc. Some are dispositionally disposed to depression, but often it is due to their commitment to God and his calling upon their lives. Again, Hughes is insightful: “Depression sometimes visits the most godly believers, and often it is because they have willingly followed God into the fray so that their bodies have had no rest, and pressures have squeezed them as they are surrounded by fightings without and fears within.”
Brothers and sisters, love for Jesus and for his church will lead to strife and sorrows and deep sadness. Great grief is inescapable for those who take Christ and his commission seriously. When the church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas as their first missionaries, perhaps they had little inkling of the cost. Luke’s historical record of their endeavours are filled with “fighting and fear,” and yet the record is equally filled with faithfulness and fruitfulness. Great grief, but great gladness, as in our text.
But God
“But God” (v. 6). What a wonderful phrase! It has been said that the surest way to discouragement is to tell someone the truth while leaving God out of the conversation. Paul’s great grief would have continued “but” for “God.” Grief-laden servants need a loving touch from God.
The word “downcast” can be literally translated “depressed,” and pictures one who is low with the ground. Really, really down. This was how Paul was feeling, “but God” sent comfort (see 1:1–5).
The word translated “comfort” is associated with the word meaning “to come alongside.” Encouragement sometimes, as here, requires proximity. God came to Paul through the instrument of a friend—a co-worker, in fact. Titus was one of Paul’s disciples, a genuine son in the faith (Titus 1:4).
The Titus Touch
When we are grieving, even depressed, we have God’s promise that he will “comfort” us. As our Father, he comforts his children. We might assume that his comfort will come in the form of a calmed spirit—perhaps a word from him in his word. These, no doubt, are ways that the Lord comforts us in great grief. But probably the more common way in which the Lord comforts us is by the instrumentality of others. God uses fellow church members to come alongside and have coffee with us, to share a meal with us, to talk with us, to counsel us. In this case, God brought comfort to one of his children by a fellow Christian bringing a report that assured Paul that all was not as dismal as he perhaps assumed. God used Titus to bring “gospel”—good news!—to Paul.
Gossip or Gospel?
Gossip is a horrible and ugly sin, which has proved immensely destructive to churches. But what if we chose to use our tongues to build up rather than to tear down? How wonderful to hear, “I was speaking with so and so the other day and they were saying what a blessing you have been to them,” rather than, “I am sorry to tell you that she has said this about you and your attempted ministry to her.” The Titus touch is more valuable than the treacherous tongue.
Titus’s physical presence was a blessing in itself (v. 6). To have a friend with him assuaged Paul’s loneliness. When discouraged, having someone near, even if only to sit with you, can be a great encouragement. Yet we are told that Titus brought news with him—good news that transformed Paul from despair to delight. Titus informed Paul that those who had burdened his heart had responded biblically to a divisive church member and had communicated their affection for Paul (vv. 7–9).
Listen to how Titus described the Corinthian change of heart to Paul (in the context of their obedience to carry out his apostolic directive for church discipline). He spoke of their “longing, ” or their desire for reconciliation with Paul. He spoke of their “mourning” over their failure to stand up for Paul; their failure to confront the sinning member. He spoke of their “zeal” for Paul’s honour. The net effect of this news of changes hearts brought Paul great joy. But, as he will say, the greatest joy was that they stood on principle. Their repentance from indifference and inactivity to a biblical response (2:5–11) made him a “proud father” (6:13; 7:4).
Good parents know the self-inflicted pain of disciplining their children. Those who appropriately love their children will at times need to say and do the hard thing for the welfare of their child(ren). It will pain them. They will feel a sense of sad regret that they have been the means of inflicting pain—emotional or otherwise—on their child. Yet wise parents will not regret their regret! As Chrysostom put it, “Like a father who watches his son being operated on, Paul rejoices not for the pain being inflicted but for the cure which is the ultimate result. He had no desire to cause harm for its own sake” (Chrysostom).
He felt pain over his painful visit and he felt pain over his subsequent painful letter. Nevertheless, he now rejoices because the pain was productive. His loving and painful resolve resulted in the Corinthian’s righteous repentance. His great grief did not deter him from saying the hard thing. The result was twofold: godly and productive grief for the church, and grace for his own grief, resulting in joy and praise to God.
Brothers and sisters, you may be experiencing great grief—a sense of spiritual failure as you consider those who were once faithful church members who have since faded, even forsaking you and the church. Perhaps you are grieved over a broken relationship. Perhaps parents are grieved by the spiritual condition of their children. Seek the comfort the Lord offers. And when that comfort shows up in the form of a Titus, embrace it, listen, and pray with him or her.
Brothers and sisters, people today are grieved. Make yourself available to give the Titus touch. Be God’s instrument of grace for those with great grief.
Godly Grief
“Godly grief” (v. 9) is literally, “grief according to God” or “grief that is in accord with God’s will.” It is grief that is productive and leads to something good that God intends (Casto). Paul now expands and expounds on this (vv. 10–16). Their godly grief resulted in good win accordance with God’s will—repentance and reconciliation.
What Godly Grief Produces
Most, I assume, are aware that, when it comes to grieving over our wrongs and our sins, there are two kinds of grief: godly and worldly. Here Paul describes the difference by pointing out what each produces. As Jesus taught, we know a tree by its fruit.
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.
“Godly grief” brings forth the fruit of “repentance that leads to salvation without regret.” “Repentance” has been defined as “the conscious turning of the regenerate person away from sin and toward God in a complete change of living, which reveals itself in a new way of thinking, feeling, and willing” (Anthony Hoekema). It is accompanied by sorrow of offending God.
The “salvation” to which Paul refers is not initial conversion (though the same principle applies) but rather the Christian’s ongoing sanctification. And there is nothing to regret about “bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (7:1)!
On the other hand, “worldly grief” is sorrowful about the consequences to oneself with no concern about how our sin offends God. The fruit of this superficial repentance is the opposite of holiness, the opposite of salvation; that is, “death.” This is cause for plenty of grief.
Paul contrasts this with “worldly grief.” Hughes helpfully explains this “sorrow of the world.”
It is not sorrow because of the heinousness of sin as rebellion against God, but sorrow because of the painful and unwelcome consequences of sin. Self is its central point; and self is also the central point of sin. Thus the sorrow of the world manifests itself in self-pity rather than in contrition and turning to God for mercy.
We learn from this that, if you want a life of continual fruitless grief, then refuse to repent. However, if you want grace for your grief, then repent. As Casto says, “The outcome of genuinely godly grief is that it leads us away from ourselves to Christ.”
In v. 11, Paul describes the visible “salvation”: the sanctifying result of their repentance in concrete terms. He speaks of their “earnestness” (their diligence to do the right thing of confronting the slanderous and the seditious) and their “eagerness” to “clear” themselves (that is, to do the right thing in accordance with God’s word). He writes of their “indignation” (righteous contempt for sin), “fear” (reverence for God rather controlled by fear of man), “longing” (to put matters right relationally between them and Paul), and their “zeal” (their speedy response to put into effect what they knew they needed to do) for “punishment” (with reference to enacting discipline). Even though they went a bit over the top (2:6–7), he commends their commitment to righteously responding.
By their repentance, they proved their grief was godly and, like all godly grief, they experienced the Lord’s grace for their good (“salvation”) for God’s glory. Godly grief produces life. Therefore, it is a wonderful thing when a church experiences ongoing deliverance from sin. What do you and I need to have godly grief over?
What Godly Grief Promotes
Godly grief promotes unity in the gospel.
So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. Therefore we are comforted.
This had been the problem. Some in the church had been led astray from the apostle’s gospel and ministry. But, by God’s grace, which included Paul’s apostolic letters and ministry, they had repented and now were aware that, in the sight of God, they were submitting to Paul’s gospel-driven ministry. He was comforted to know that this local church was showcasing the gospel by confronting and dealing with sin by the grace of God. “Paul’s comfort and joy is that the Corinthians in their repentance are innocent of defection from the apostolic Gospel and remain zealous for him as their apostle” (Seifrid).
When he wrote to them, though he was concerned about the repentance of the wrongdoer, and he was concerned about the wrongdoer’s effect on his ministry to the Corinthians, this was not his major concern. Instead, his main concern was that they, as a congregation, would experience a healthy unity in the gospel evidenced by how they responded to his ministry. When he learned from Titus of the church’s faithful response, he was greatly “comforted” (13a). Hearing of their commitment to the gospel was as if the congregation had come alongside him to strengthen him. So it is with biblical leadership.
Apostolic fidelity is essential for healthy church life. In other words, a church that is faithful to apostolic ministry—to gospel teaching—is well-placed to be a healthy church. When church leaders observe the congregation living out gospel loyalty (repenting, forgiving, etc.) they are greatly encouraged.
Nothing depresses a pastor more than those who claim to be Christian living unrepentant or unforgiving lives. A gospel-less response to sin is nothing but a worldly, and therefore hopeless, response.
Conversely, nothing lifts the spirits of church leaders more than those whose lives are driven by the gospel (repenting, restoring, forgiving, persevering, growing in grace).
As Paul brings this to a close, he seamlessly reveals that this godly grief, in the end, proves to be good grief.
What Godly Grief Proves
In short, godly grief proves in the end to be good grief.
And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling
I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you.
Paul closes this passage on a note of great joy. Though he had experienced great grief over the behaviour of some within the Corinthian church, nevertheless their response to his apostolic instruction resulted in great gladness. By their fidelity to Jesus Christ, great grief graciously became good grief. Paul identifies at least two reasons for his joy—two reasons that his great grief had been transformed into good grief.
Communion of the Saints
Paul was not the only one encouraged and strengthened by the gospel-faithful response of the Corinthian church, but so was Titus. And this tangible communion between Titus and the saints at Corinth was cause for great joy. “We rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus.”
As a father, I have great joy as I watch my children loving one another. I have a sketch in my office of my five daughters, underlined by these words: “She stands firmly on her own two feet. And I just behind her. Should she ever need me.” It brings me great joy to know that my daughters love and care for each other. So it was with Paul.
Paul’s spiritual children (1 Corinthians 4:14) had opened their hearts wide to Titus, ministering comfort and joy to him. “His spirit was refreshed by” their Christlike reception (cf. Matthew 11:28).
One can imagine Titus’s possible hesitancy to deliver the “severe” or “painful” letter to the church at Corinth. But his apprehensions were relieved when they humbly accepted the message rather than shooting the messenger! Good grief, indeed!
Yet apparently Titus should not have been totally surprised, because Paul had “boasted” to him that the Corinthian church was the “real deal” and therefore he assumed they would respond in a godly way to Titus’s ministry. This is quite a statement (v. 14)!
Though some members of the Corinthian church had been the source of much grief to Paul, nevertheless he was certain that the majority were committed to godliness (cf. 2:6). He therefore assumed they would behave with godly grief once confronted by God’s truth (v. 14). Clearly, Titus found this to be the case, for they “received him with fear and trembling.” That is, “they took his role seriously and the situation he addressed seriously” (Guthrie). The result was great affection for faithful church members.
We can learn a few lessons here.
First, if you want your heart filled with joy, hang around after a service and watch the communion of the saints.
Second, don’t let a handful of mangy sheep or hypocritical goats put you off from what is really going on here.
Third, realise that, even when a church is experiencing great grief, there is plenty of godly and good grief at the same time.
Confidence in the Saints
Verse 16 ends a long section that commenced with chapter 2. Paul has appealed for their affection, hoping that his absence would lead to increased fondness of heart. Therefore, he fittingly concludes by expressing his joyful confidence in the saints at Corinth: “I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you” (v. 16).
The word “confidence” can be translated “good courage” or “good cheer.” When Paul though of the Corinthian church, he was of good courage about their future. Titus’s report had contributed to this. Their reception of an apostolic message had brought about much good. Their humble grief had proved to be real and thus good. Paul could rejoice in this biblically healthy church. This brings us to an important conclusion.
The church is not to be friendly to sin, but it is to be friendly to sinners—and therefore, it is not friendly to the sin which destroys sinners! When church members sin, in love, we should seek their restoration. We should assist them, like Titus, towards a godly grief. And when they repent, our joy should abound!
It is grievous when church members cause disruption to the communion of the saints. But when God graciously grants godly grief that leads to repentance, we can and should and must rejoice! We welcome the repentant into fellowship, having forgiven them, and we are committed to their full restoration. We do so confidently because of our confidence in our Saviour.
Brothers and sisters, let us repent. Let us forgive and restore the repentant. And let us rejoice that, because of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, great grief can be transformed to godly grief, which, in the end, will prove to be good grief.
AMEN