Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1721)

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S E C O N D   C O R I N T H I A N S.

CHAP. VII.

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This chapter begins with an exhortation to progressive holiness and a

due regard to the ministers of the gospel,

ver. 1-4.

Then the apostle returns from a long digression to speak further of the

affair concerning the incestuous person, and tells them what comfort he

received in his distress about that matter, upon his meeting with Titus

(ver. 5-7),

and how re rejoiced in their repentance, with the evidences thereof,

ver. 8-11.

And, lastly, he concludes with endeavouring to comfort the Corinthians,

upon whom his admonitions had had so good an effect,

ver. 12-16.

Progressive Holiness.	A. D. 57.

     

1 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.

  2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man,

we have defrauded no man.

  3 I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before,

that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.

  4 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.

     

These verses contain a double exhortation:–

     

I. To make a progress in holiness, or to perfect holiness in the

fear of God,
v. 1.

This exhortation is given with most tender affection to those who were

dearly beloved, and enforced by strong arguments, even the

consideration of those exceedingly great and precious promises which

were mentioned in the former chapter, and which the Corinthians had an

interest in and a title to. The promises of God are strong inducements

to sanctification, in both the branches thereof; namely,

1. The dying unto sin, or mortifying our lusts and corruptions: we must

cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit. Sin

is filthiness, and there are defilements of body and mind. There are

sins of the flesh, that are committed with the body, and sins of the

spirit, spiritual wickednesses; and we must cleanse ourselves from the

filthiness of both, for God is to be glorified both with body and soul.

2. The living unto righteousness and holiness. If we hope God is our

Father, we must endeavour to be partakers of his holiness, to be

holy as he is holy, and perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. We

must be still perfecting holiness, and not be contented with sincerity

(which is our gospel perfection), without aiming at sinless perfection,

though we shall always come short of it while we are in this world; and

this we must do in the fear of God, which is the root and

principle of all religion, and there is no holiness without it. Note,

Faith and hope in the promises of God must not destroy our fear of God,

who taketh pleasure in those that fear him and hope in his

mercy.

     

II. To show a due regard to the ministers of the gospel: Receive

us,
v. 2.

Those who labour in the word and doctrine should be had in

reputation, and be highly esteemed for their work’s sake:

and this would be a help to making progress in holiness. If the

ministers of the gospel are thought contemptible because of their

office, there is danger lest the gospel itself be contemned also. The

apostle did not think it any disparagement to court the favour of the

Corinthians; and, though we must flatter none, yet we must be gentle

towards all. He tells them,

1. He had done nothing to forfeit their esteem and good-will, but was

cautious not to do any thing to deserve their ill-will

(v. 2):

“We have wronged no man: we have done you no harm, but always

designed your good.” I have coveted no man’s silver, nor gold, nor

apparel, said he to the elders of Ephesus,

Acts xx. 33.

“We have corrupted no man, by false doctrines or flattering

speeches. We have defrauded no man; we have not sought

ourselves, nor to promote our own secular interests by crafty and

greedy measures, to the damage of any persons.” This is an appeal like

that of Samuel,

1 Sam. xii.

Note, Then may ministers the more confidently expect esteem and favour

from the people when they can safely appeal to them that they are

guilty of nothing that deserves disesteem or displeasure.

2. He did not herein reflect upon them for want of affection to him,

v. 3, 4.

So tenderly and cautiously did the apostle deal with the Corinthians,

among whom there were some who would be glad of any occasion to

reproach him, and prejudice the minds of others against him. To prevent

any insinuations against him on account of what he had said, as if he

intended to charge them with wronging him, or unjust accusations of him

for having wronged them, he assures them again of his great affection

to them, insomuch that he could spend his last breath at Corinth, and

live and die with them, if his business with other churches, and

his work as an apostle (which was not to be confined to one place

only), would permit him to do so. An he adds it was his great affection

to them that made him use such boldness or freedom of speech

towards them, and caused him to glory, or make his boast of

them, in all places, and upon all occasions, being filled with

comfort, and exceedingly joyful in all their tribulations.

Various Exhortations.	A. D. 57.

     

5 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.

  6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down,

comforted us by the coming of Titus;

  7 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.

  8 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.

  9 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.

  10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be

repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

  11 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.

     

There seems to be a connection between

ch. ii. 13

(where the apostle said he had no rest in his spirit when he found not

Titus at Troas) and the

fifth verse of this chapter:

and so great was his affection to the Corinthians, and his concern

about their behaviour in relation to the incestuous person, that, in

his further travels, he still had no rest till he heard from them. And

now he tells them,

     

I. How he was distressed,

v. 5.

He was troubled when he did not meet with Titus at Troas, and

afterwards when for some time he did not meet with him in Macedonia:

this was a grief to him, because he could not hear what reception he

met with at Corinth, nor how their affairs went forward. And, besides

this, they met with other troubles, with incessant storms of

persecutions; there were fightings without, or continual

contentions with, and opposition from, Jews and Gentiles; and there

were fears within, and great concern for such as had embraced

the Christian faith, lest they should be corrupted or seduced, and give

scandal to others, or be scandalized.

     

II. How he was comforted,

v. 6, 7.

Here observe,

1. The very coming of Titus was some comfort to him. It was matter of

joy to see him, whom he long desired and expected to meet with. The

very coming of Titus and his company, who was dear to him as his own

son in the common faith

(Tit. i. 4),

was a great comfort to the apostle in his travels and troubles. But,

2. The good news which Titus brought concerning the Corinthians was

matter of greater consolation. He found Titus to be comforted in them;

and this filled the apostle with comfort, especially when he acquainted

him with their earnest desire to give good satisfaction in the things

about which the apostle had written to them; and of their mourning for

the scandal that was found among them and the great grief they had

caused to others, and their fervent mind or great affection towards the

apostle, who had dealt so faithfully with them in reproving their

faults: so true is the observation of Solomon

(Prov. xxviii. 23),

He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he

that flattereth with his tongue.

3. He ascribes all his comfort to God as the author. It was God who

comforted him by the coming of Titus, even the God of all comfort:

God, who comforteth those that are cast down,
v. 6.

Note, We should look above and beyond all means and instruments, unto

God, as the author of all the consolation and the good that we

enjoy.

     

III. How greatly he rejoiced at their repentance, and the evidences

thereof. The apostle was sorry that he had grieved them, that some

pious persons among them laid to heart very greatly what he said in his

former epistle, or that it was needful he should make those sorry whom

he would rather have made glad,

v. 8.

But now he rejoiced, when he found they had sorrowed to

repentance,
v. 9.

Their sorrow in itself was not the cause of his rejoicing; but the

nature of it, and the effect of it (repentance unto salvation,
v. 10),

made him rejoice; for now it appeared that they had received damage by

him in nothing. Their sorrow was but for a season; it was turned

into joy, and that joy was durable. Observe here,

     

1. The antecedent of true repentance is godly sorrow; this worketh

repentance. It is not repentance itself, but it is a good preparative

to repentance, and in some sense the cause that produces repentance.

The offender had great sorrow, he was in danger of being swallowed

up with overmuch sorrow; and the society was greatly sorrowful

which before was puffed up: and this sorrow of theirs was after a godly

manner, or according to God (as it is in the original), that is, it was

according to the will of God, tended to the glory of God, and was

wrought by the Spirit of God. It was a godly sorrow, because a sorrow

for sin, as an offence against God, an instance of ingratitude, and a

forfeiture of God’s favour. There is a great difference between this

sorrow of a godly sort and the sorrow of this world. Godly sorrow

produces repentance and reformation, and will end in salvation; but

worldly sorrow worketh death. The sorrows of worldly men for worldly

things will bring down gray hairs the sooner to the grave, and such a

sorrow even for sin as Judas had will have fatal consequences, as his

had, which wrought death. Note,

(1.) Repentance will be attended with salvation. Therefore,

(2.) True penitents will never repent that they have repented, nor of

any thing that was conducive thereto.

(3.) Humiliation and godly sorrow are previously necessary in order to

repentance, and both of them are from God, the giver of all grace.

     

2. The happy fruits and consequences of true repentance are mentioned

(v. 11);

and those fruits that are meet for repentance are the best

evidences of it. Where the heart is changed, the life and actions will

be changed too. The Corinthians made it evident that their sorrow was a

godly sorrow, and such as wrought repentance, because it wrought in

them great carefulness about their souls, and to avoid sin, and please

God; it wrought also a clearing of themselves, not by insisting upon

their own justification before God, especially while they persisted in

their sin, but by endeavours to put away the accursed thing, and so

free themselves from the just imputation of approving the evil that had

been done. It wrought indignation at sin, at themselves, at the tempter

and his instruments; it wrought fear, a fear of reverence, a fear of

watchfulness, and a fear of distrust, not a distrust of God, but of

themselves; an awful fear of God, a cautious fear of sin, and a jealous

fear of themselves. It wrought vehement desires after a thorough

reformation of what had been amiss, and of reconciliation with God whom

they had offended. It wrought zeal, a mixture of love and anger, a zeal

for duty, and against sin. It wrought, lastly, revenge against sin and

their own folly, by endeavours to make all due satisfaction for

injuries that might be done thereby. And thus in all things had

they approved themselves to be clear in that matter. Not that they

were innocent, but that they were penitent, and therefore clear of

guilt before God, who would pardon and not punish them; and they ought

no longer to be reproved, much less to be reproached, by men, for what

they had truly repented of.

Case of Incestuous Person.	A. D. 57.

     

12 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.

  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.

  14 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.

  15 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.

  16 I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all

things.

     

In these verses the apostle endeavours to comfort the Corinthians, upon

whom his admonitions had had such good effect. And in order thereto,

1. He tells them he had a good design in his former epistle, which

might be thought severe,

v. 12.

It was not chiefly for his cause that did the wrong, not only

for his benefit, much less merely that he should be punished; nor was

it merely for his cause that suffered wrong, namely, the injured

father, and that he might have what satisfaction could be given him;

but it was also to manifest his great and sincere concern and care

for them, for the whole church, lest that should suffer by letting

such a crime, and the scandal thereof, remain among them without due

remark and resentment.

2. He acquaints them with the joy of Titus as well as of himself upon

the account of their repentance and good behaviour. Titus was rejoiced,

and his spirit refreshed, with their comfort, and this comforted and

rejoiced the apostle also

(v. 13);

and, as Titus was comforted while he was with them, so when he

remembered his reception among them, expressing their obedience to the

apostolical directions, and their fear and trembling at the reproofs

that were given them, the thoughts of these things inflamed and

increased his affections to them,

v. 15.

Note, Great comfort and joy follow upon godly sorrow. As sin occasions

general grief, so repentance and reformation occasion general joy. Paul

was glad, and Titus was glad, and the Corinthians were comforted, and

the penitent ought to be comforted; and well may all this joy be on

earth, when there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.

3. He concludes this whole matter with expressing the entire

confidence he had in them: He was not ashamed of his boasting

concerning them to Titus

(v. 14);

for he was not disappointed in his expectation concerning them, which

he signified to Titus, and he could now with great joy declare what

confidence he still had in them as to all things, that he did not doubt

of their good behaviour for the time to come. Note, It is a great

comfort and joy to a faithful minister to have to do with a people whom

he can confide in, and who he has reason to hope will comply with every

thing he proposes to them that is for the glory of God, the credit of

the gospel, and their advantage.

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1721)

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