2CO 7:1-16

Paulʼs Joy in the Corinthians

1Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

2Make room for us; we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one.

3I do not say this to condemn you; for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.

4I have great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I overflow with joy 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, fears within.

6But God, who encourages the downcast, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus;

7and not only by his arrival but also by the encouragement with which he was encouraged concerning you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

8For even if I caused you grief 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 time.

9Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved according to God, so that you were not harmed in any way by us.

10For grief according to God produces repentance leading to salvation — a repentance not to be regretted; but the grief of the world produces death.

11For see what earnestness this grief according to God has produced in you — what defense, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! In every way you have shown yourselves to be innocent in the matter.

12So then, though I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who was wronged, but in order that your earnestness for us might be made known to you before God.

13Because of this we have been encouraged. And in addition to our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more over the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.

14For if I have boasted to him about you at all, I was not put to shame; but just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be true.

15And his affection for you is all the greater as he remembers the obedience of all of you, and how you received him with fear and trembling.

16I rejoice that in everything I can be confident about you.

In the world it was spoken into

In this passage, Paul addresses the Corinthians with a mix of exhortation and emotional transparency, rooted in the cultural dynamics of 1st-century Greco-Roman relationships. The term (defilement) would resonate with both Jewish and Gentile listeners, as it evokes ritual impurity in Jewish thought and moral corruption in Greco-Roman ethics. Paul’s call to cleanse oneself aligns with Jewish purity practices but extends it to include spiritual and moral integrity, appealing to a broader audience. His use of (boldness) reflects the Greco-Roman ideal of frank speech, particularly in the context of friendship and patronage, where honesty was a mark of trust and mutual respect. Paul’s emphasis on (encouragement) draws from its multifaceted meaning, encompassing comfort, exhortation, and advocacy, which would resonate in a society where communal support and rhetorical persuasion were highly valued. His joy amidst affliction reflects the Stoic ideal of endurance, yet it is framed within the relational bond of shared suffering and mutual care, a hallmark of early Christian communities.

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How other translations render this

2CO 7:1

KJV: Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
BSB: Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Koinōnos: Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

2CO 7:2

KJV: Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.
BSB: Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.
Koinōnos: Make room for us; we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one.

2CO 7:3

KJV: I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.
BSB: I do not say this to condemn you. I have said before that you so occupy our hearts that we live and die together with you.
Koinōnos: 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.

2CO 7:4

KJV: Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
BSB: Great is my confidence in you; great is my pride in you; I am filled with encouragement; in all our troubles my joy overflows.
Koinōnos: I have great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I overflow with joy in all our affliction.

2CO 7:5

KJV: For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
BSB: For when we arrived in Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were pressed from every direction—conflicts on the outside, fears within.
Koinōnos: For even when we came into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way — disputes without, fears within.

2CO 7:6

KJV: Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
BSB: But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus,
Koinōnos: But God, who encourages the downcast, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus;

2CO 7:7

KJV: And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.
BSB: and not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort he had received from you. He told us about your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced all the more.
Koinōnos: and not only by his arrival but also by the encouragement with which he was encouraged concerning you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

2CO 7:8

KJV: For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
BSB: Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Although I did regret it-for I now see that my letter caused you sorrow, but only for a short time
Koinōnos: For even if I caused you grief 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 time.

2CO 7:9

KJV: Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
BSB: yet now I rejoice, not because you were made sorrowful, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you felt the sorrow that God had intended, and so were not harmed in any way by us.
Koinōnos: Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved according to God, so that you were not harmed in any way by us.

2CO 7:10

KJV: For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
BSB: Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
Koinōnos: For grief according to God produces repentance leading to salvation — a repentance not to be regretted; but the grief of the world produces death.

2CO 7:11

KJV: For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
BSB: Consider what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what vindication! In every way you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
Koinōnos: For see what earnestness this grief according to God has produced in you — what defense, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! In every way you have shown yourselves to be innocent in the matter.

2CO 7:12

KJV: Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.
BSB: So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong or the one who was harmed, but rather that your earnestness on our behalf would be made clear to you in the sight of God.
Koinōnos: So then, though I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who was wronged, but in order that your earnestness for us might be made known to you before God.

2CO 7:13

KJV: 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.
BSB: On account of this, we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were even more delighted by the joy of Titus. For his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
Koinōnos: Because of this we have been encouraged. And in addition to our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more over the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.

2CO 7:14

KJV: For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth.
BSB: Indeed, I was not embarrassed by anything I had boasted to him about you. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus has proved to be true as well.
Koinōnos: For if I have boasted to him about you at all, I was not put to shame; but just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be true.

2CO 7:15

KJV: And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.
BSB: And his affection for you is even greater when he remembers that you were all obedient as you welcomed him with fear and trembling.
Koinōnos: And his affection for you is all the greater as he remembers the obedience of all of you, and how you received him with fear and trembling.

2CO 7:16

KJV: I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.
BSB: I rejoice that I can have complete confidence in you.
Koinōnos: I rejoice that in everything I can be confident about you.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

2CO 7:1

defilement:The word translated 'defilement' refers to ritual or moral impurity that makes one unfit for sacred service or fellowship, often with a sense of contamination.

2CO 7:4

boldness:The term translated 'boldness' carried the sense of freedom of speech and frankness, often implying confidence and openness in public address.
with encouragement,:The word translated 'encouragement' also encompassed the idea of comfort, consolation, and exhortation, often in a supportive and strengthening way.

2CO 7:10

produces,:The word translated 'produces' implies an active working or bringing about, often with the sense of laboring to achieve a result.