To this point in 2 Corinthians. Paul has been defending the integrity of his ministry. At times that meant disclosing his godly motives. He also explained his gospel message. Also, his sufferings—far from being a sign of illegitimacy, they prove his legitimacy. Paul embodied Christ.

So, if Paul is legit, how should the Corinthians respond? Last week, we learned that some in Corinth needed to open their hearts to Paul and sever their ties with idolatry. But today we learn that many had started warming to Paul’s message already; and it causes him great joy. Let’s read about that, starting in verse 4…

⁴ I’m acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I’m filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I’m overflowing with joy. ⁵ For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. ⁶ But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, ⁷ 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. ⁸ For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I don’t regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. ¹¹ 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. ¹² 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. ¹³ Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. ¹⁴ 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. ¹⁵ And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. ¹⁶ I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you.

What on earth makes heaven happy? It’s not a mystery. Jesus told us. In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables. One about a man who leaves ninety-nine sheep to find the one that’s lost; and when he finds it, he rejoices. Jesus says, “[Likewise] there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” The second parable is about a woman who searches her house diligently until she finds her lost coin; and when she finds it, she rejoices. “[Likewise],” Jesus says, “there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Then we get the parable of the two sons. The prodigal son dishonors his father, squanders his inheritance, and lives corruptly. He is lost. But after repenting, he returns home; and when his father finds him, he rejoices. Of course, the other son in that parable doesn’t rejoice. He’s like the self-righteous Pharisees who think they need no repentance. And that becomes the knockout punch of Jesus’ three parables. The Pharisees think they’re on God’s side. But Jesus shows they’re not—they grumble when sinners repent but heaven rejoices. What on earth causes heaven to rejoice? Repentance.

In our passage today, Paul rejoices with heaven over repentance. Yes, some problems in the Corinthian church still linger. But Titus brings Paul a good report: many in Corinth have responded to Paul’s previous letter with repentance; and it brings great joy to the apostle. We’re going to close our time today looking at the nature of their repentance and reflecting on what that means for us.

Titus’ Reception and Refreshment

But first I want to look at the opening and closing sections about Titus’ reception and how God works through it to bring Paul comfort. Verse 4 mentions boldness, boasting, comfort, joy. Paul expands on these in the following sections; you’ll find those words repeated. His boldness relates to the tough things Paul says to them—he doesn’t pull any punches. At the same time, not all is lost. He still finds reasons to boast about them to others. He boasts in the good things God has done in this church; and those good things have recently brought him comfort and joy.

In verse 5, he then picks up a travel narrative that he’d started but paused in 2:13. At some point in Paul’s missionary travels, he visited the Corinthians after hearing of rising problems. That trip didn’t go well. Paul called it a “painful visit.” He then wrote them a letter “out of much anguish of heart.” He had to write some hard things—rebukes, corrections, pleading with them not to tolerate false teachers. But he wrote with “many tears.” Titus was the delivery boy—he took the letter to Corinth and was supposed to meet Paul back in Troas. But that didn’t happen. Paul reflects on that moment in 2:13, “my spirit was not at rest because I didn’t find my brother Titus there.”

So, time passes. Paul travels to Macedonia for the gospel. But that didn’t mean his concerns subsided. Quite the opposite—they became a heavy burden. In 7:5, he picks up where he left off: “For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within.”

Don’t ever get the impression that ministry is always chipper. Paul is a Spirit-filled man. He is solid in doctrine, inflexible in persecution. Yet he speaks frankly of how ministry can be emotionally taxing. Paul’s hardships were diverse and difficult, external and internal. Not only was he battling controversies with others, but even fear within. Perhaps that fear was related to not yet knowing how the Corinthians received his tearful letter. Perhaps it was related to Titus’ whereabouts and what came of his visit. Perhaps he was fearful of how much damage the false teachers might cause in Corinth.

Whatever the inner fears, he says, “our bodies had no rest.” It was bad. Some of you have walked through similar seasons—where circumstances have pressed the limits of your emotional frailty, where the burdens of ministry nearly did you in. The apostle Paul experienced seasons like this as well. He even describes his state as one of depression. The ESV uses “downcast” in verse 6. NASB uses “depressed.” NET uses “downhearted.” Depression is not an abnormal experience for the Christian. At times, Paul felt this way; and I hope that brings relief to some of you. The same man who wrote, “Rejoice always!” also knows what it’s like to be sad, depressed, emotionally undone.

At the same time, emotions are not his master. In his depressed state, he’s still looking to God, waiting for him to work. Notice what he says in verse 6: “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us…” He states it as a timeless truth: “God, [you know], the one who comforts the downcast.” He’s known for it. It’s part of his character. In 1:3, Paul called him “the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction.” God is the type who doesn’t leave his children alone in suffering. He looks on us with compassion and gives us whatever encouragement we need to keep going. Whatever afflictions we might face, it never stretches beyond God’s ability to comfort.

That’s the kind of God he is. Perhaps Paul is also alluding to Isaiah 49:13, “The LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.” I wouldn’t make much of this connection, except that he already quoted from Isaiah 49 earlier in 6:2. If it’s still in the back of Paul’s mind, perhaps some of his comfort comes by viewing the Corinthians’ repentance as an outworking of God restoring his people. Their repentance is proof that God hasn’t abandoned his promises.

In any case, Paul’s view of his circumstances is a God-centered one. He goes on to describe earthly, human activity between Titus, the Corinthians, and Paul. But God the Comforter stands behind all of it. Paul’s comfort is ultimately tethered to the God of all comfort; and that’s how he discerns God working through several means.

One of those means is the coming of Titus. Verse 6, “[God] comforted us by the coming of Titus.” To this point, Paul was in the dark. Titus wasn’t sending text updates: “Hey, I made it! People are lovin’ ya here!” Paul just had to wait. And finally, they connected. He meets Paul in Macedonia; and Titus’ presence is a comfort to Paul.

What else does God use to comfort Paul? The comfort of the Corinthians. Verse 7: “and not only by [Titus’] 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.” Remember, given how Paul’s last visit went, there was a big question mark on whether they would reject Paul or receive Paul. Titus was comforted because they received Paul—they mourned over their sin; they longed for things to be different between them; they were even zealous to see Paul again.

Their comfort also played out in refreshment. Look at verse 13, “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 wasn’t 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.” “Fear and trembling” is a phrase that Paul uses to describe one’s response to God.[i] It’s fear and trembling before God. Before God they want to make things right.

But notice, in both sections how God is working to comfort others through human agents. The Corinthians refresh Titus. Titus returns with good news. And God works through both to comfort Paul. Remember, this comfort is more than a “lifting of a person’s spirit.”[ii] It’s also “instilling someone with courage.” God is strengthening weak knees. He’s stiffening the spine. He’s fortifying the heart to stay faithful. God works these things for Paul through human agents.

I wonder, has God sent you comfort through others but you’re just not seeing it? At times, we might be looking for something more direct—like a prophetic word or a miraculous sign or a fresh outpouring of God’s Spirit; and God certainly works like that at times. But many times, he works through ordinary means like someone calling to check on you, someone stopping by the house, someone leaving you a gift, someone responding positively to the gospel. Be careful that you’re not so caught up in wanting direct comfort that you miss all the indirect ways God is seeking to comfort you.

Also, look for ways to bring God’s comfort to others. If God works through us, don’t hesitate to act in ways that will encourage the downcast. Pray for their comfort; but then ask God to use you in bringing them comfort, bringing them refreshment. We’re in this together. Who do you know that is depressed, downcast, discouraged? How might the God of all comfort use you to comfort them? God works through means; and one of his primary means is the body of Christ responding in faithfulness to his word.

The Corinthians’ Repentance

But let’s go back to the comfort of the Corinthians. When Paul says in verse 7, “I rejoiced still more,” he’s reviewing Titus’ report about their positive response to Paul’s tearful letter. He then makes that the focus of verses 8-13. So, in between his words about Titus’ reception and refreshment, we learn of the Corinthians’ repentance.

Verse 8, “For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I don’t regret it. Though I did regret it (for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while), now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting.”

You can almost see it playing out. Titus returns. He’s telling Paul about the grief they felt. And for a moment, Paul begins to regret the pain he caused. But then he learns of the grief’s effect; and it erases any regrets. In place of regret, he rejoices. The ancient commentator, John Chrysostom put it this way: “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.”[iii]

That fits what Paul himself said in 2:4, “I wrote not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love I have for you.” Love will sometimes have to cause others grief to get them where they need to be. Just like a parent must tell their child No, and at times, follow that with a spanking; just like a surgeon must cut someone open to remove the cancer; just like exercise puts the body through pain to make it healthier—so also our love will sometimes require us to say hard words to make someone a healthier Christian. We must also do this, of course, with clarity, wisdom, and grace.

At the same time, we need to be willing to receive hard words. People might have to say things to you that feel severe and might even make you cry, as you see your sins in a new light. Initially, you might even think, “Oof, that was a bit painful to hear. I don’t like this.” But as Proverbs 27:6 tells us, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” We’re not here to flatter one another. We’re not here to boost each other’s self-esteem. We’re here to help one another become more like Jesus. That’s what Paul was aiming for in Corinth; and, praise God, that’s what happened. Many were grieved into repenting.

Let’s look at this grief more closely. He presents a contrast in verses 9-10 between godly grief and worldly grief: “For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

Worldly grief stops at the things of this world. It feels bad not because of heartfelt contrition over sin but because you got caught. It feels bad not from a concern for God’s reputation but because you’re humiliated before others and your reputation is at stake. It feels bad because you’re now having to face earthly consequences. You lost a job due to a lack of integrity, but your sad about having no job. You got tipsy and wrecked your car, and now your sad about the car. You yelled at your kid and now he’s distant, and your only concern is patching things up. But the “feeling bad” stops there. Worldly grief has nothing to do with God.

If you want examples of worldly grief, think of Esau. He sold his birthright; and then afterward, Hebrews tells us, “When he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.” What did Esau seek with tears? Not repentance. He wanted his inheritance back. He didn’t want the Lord. That’s why his grief did not lead to repentance; he found no chance to repent. He was sad about the wrong things, things merely tied to this world.

Revelation 18 is another example—horrible judgments fall on Babylon for their crimes against humanity, but the people who mourn the downfall are only sad at their loss of profits.[iv] Or think of Judas Iscariot. Eventually, Judas felt bad for betraying Jesus. He changed his mind. He tried giving the money back to the priests. But none of his feeling bad led him to put his trust in Jesus. Instead, he took matters into his own hands and killed himself. Worldly grief produces death. Be careful that you do not equate feeling bad with repentance. Even non-Christians feel bad about their wrongs.

But godly grief is just that, godly. The language behind “godly grief” is literally “a grief according to God.” It’s a grief that flows from our wills being aligned with God’s will; a grief that flows from the Holy Spirit bringing the truth of God’s law to bear upon our souls. It’s a grief that’s broken over what our disobedience means before God. Like when David sins against Bathsheba and sins against her husband and sins against the nation; yet he cries to the Lord in Psalm 51:4, “Against you, you only, have I sinned.” His utmost concern is what his sins mean for his relationship with God.

Godly grief also produces repentance. What is repentance? Well, we see here that it’s more than just feeling misery over sin. Some have said it means changing your mind—in this case, changing your mind about God; agreeing with his will and ways. Repentance is at least that much. But that’s not quite enough. Repentance throughout Scripture also affects the will and our inner motives. The concept is closer to the Old Testament idea of “turning” to the Lord.[v] It’s an internal “180” away from sin and toward God. Repentance is incomplete if the soul does not return to God.

J. I. Packer describes repentance as “the settled refusal to set any limit to the claims which [Christ] may make on [our] lives.”[vi] If we ever think we can have God and keep our sin too, we’re self-deceived. The sin for which Christ died to forgive, he also rose to release us from and conquer within (Rom 6:1-12). A few of you are moving toward baptism; and your baptism will signify a break with the old way of living. Your life will now be one that’s characterized by repentance. We must hate sin for the offense it is to God; and we must turn from it. At the level of deeds, thoughts, and even desires—we must repent from all that opposes our Lord.

In some cases, repentance might feel easy. But in other cases, repentance can feel like life is being turned upside down. Or the roots of sin have entangled themselves beneath the surface, and repentance feels like a deep plow ripping through the soil of your life. Rosaria Butterfield, once a professor of queer theory and boldly declaring herself a lesbian—she describes her conversion to Christ as a “train wreck.” It’s hard to let go of sinful patterns; and in these moments we can be tempted to regret having to let go of the patterns and pleasures we’re used to.

But Paul says here that godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret. You might be facing certain sins right now—and wrestling with thoughts like, “I don’t know if I could ever bring this into the light.” “I don’t know if I could confess this; it’ll cause too many rifts and I’ll regret it.” But Paul’s saying there are no regrets when you return to the Lord. In him, you will find salvation—full and free.

What is this salvation? It’s what Paul called in 5:19 reconciliation with God: “In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” The reason you can turn from sin is that Jesus died to release you from sin, to break sin’s power and bring you to God. Repentance is only possible in Christ, because it’s only through Christ that we come to God. And when we have God, we have everything that satisfies and gives meaning to our lives.

Paul sees this repentance playing out in the Corinthians. Whereas before they caused him a painful visit, now they’ve responded with obedience. Their inward change is seen in their outward change. Verse 11, “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’ve proved yourselves innocent in the matter. 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 [likely Paul], but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God.”

At least part of what Paul has in view is the discipline situation he mentioned back in 2:5-11. Apparently, there was a man causing problems in the church—enough that the church should’ve punished him with church discipline. But for a while it seems like the Corinthians were tolerating him. Paul had to convince them to act. Well, later he learns that a majority in the church finally punished the man. It also seems that the man repented and, in 2:8, Paul exhorts them to restore that man.

But here he’s reflecting on their actions after the fact. After hearing from Titus, Paul sees how eager they are to make things right. They now fear God. They’ve acted with zeal. They’ve punished the wrongdoer. And the result is assurance before God. Their “earnestness was revealed in the sight of God.” Paul’s tearful letter was like a test; and they proved themselves obedient in the sight of God. That should always be our goal: obedience in the sight of God. Doing life together is about walking with God, living before him with a posture that wants to please him in all we do.

Paul observes this change in the Corinthians. “Therefore,” verse 13 says, “we are comforted.” Verse 16 is like it: “I rejoice, because I have perfect confidence in you.” Given the repentance of many, he’s confident that God will continue to transform them and help them respond faithfully to everything else he writes in this letter.

After hearing Paul’s teaching on godly grief and worldly grief, where does that leave you? We must admit, repentance isn’t something that only those non-Christian folk need to do. Here, Paul rejoices over the repentance of Christians. We’re also seeing that repentance is not a one-time event, something you do only to start the Christian life. Repentance is necessary for all in us that’s still out of line with Jesus. Repentance is a necessary piece to our ongoing progress in the Christian life.

When it comes to sin, what is the nature of your grief? When someone points out your wrongs, how do you receive that correction? When the Holy Spirit brings you face to face with your own sinful responses, what’s your grief like? Do you grieve because of the offense your sins are to God? Or do you grieve because of things the world offers? Has your grief lead to repentance, a return to God? Or has your grief left you embittered and regretful? Has your grief resulted in greater obedience to God? Or has it left you unchanged? When you look at your life, maybe you’ve found a mixture of both types of grief. In some cases, your grief has been godly; in others, it has been worldly.

For others of you, this might be the first time you’ve heard of the difference; and for years you’ve thought your grief was a good thing, but now you realize that it hasn’t had much of anything to do with God. The answer is the same for all of us—we must cast ourselves once again upon the mercies of Christ. As Jesus said, “I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). Heaven doesn’t rejoice over people who think they’re okay; it rejoices over people who know they’re not okay and come running to Jesus to make them okay.

Ultimately, this repentance is the fruit of God’s work to save the nations. In Luke 24:46-47—after Jesus rises from the dead—he opens the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings, and he teaches the apostles everything concerning himself. He tells them, “It is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations.” Repentance and forgiveness are only possible because of the work of Jesus. The Corinthians’ repentance is a fruit of the gospel being preached to all nations; and it made Paul happy. Your ongoing repentance is a fruit of the gospel as well. Does it make you happy? Do rejoice in repentance? It makes heaven happy.

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[i] 1 Cor 2:3; Phil 2:12; Eph 6:5; cf. Mark 5:33; Acts 16:29.

[ii] BDAG, s.v. “paraklēsis.”

[iii] As cited in George Guthrie, 2 Corinthians, BECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2015), 377.

[iv] Murray J. Harris, 2 Corinthians, NIGTC (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005), 540.

[v] E.g., Isa 55:7; Jer 3:12, 14, 22; Hos 14:1; Joel 2:12-13; Zech 1:1-6; Mal 3:7.

[vi] J. I. Packer, Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God (Grand Rapids: InterVarsity, 1961), 72.