If we were to have all over Paul’s letters to the church in Corinth then this would be chapter 7 of his 4TH letter. 1st Corinthians would be letter number 2. We do not have his 3rd letter and by the tone we have in this chapter we can assess that letter number 3 was pretty harsh.
Paul was concerned about the reaction of the church but encourages them that God can comfort them in the sorrow his ministry to them must have produced.
Paul teaches us some important principles of God’s comfort in his response to their condition. Might not have 3rd letter because it was of such personal nature.
• Titus had made a visit to the church and then returned to give a report to Paul.
6 But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more.
Paul was delighted by how Titus was treated by the church and that they expressed thru Titus and longing and zeal to see him again.
Titus isn’t mentioned in the book of Acts, but Paul mentions him 13 times in his letters. He is called his “son”, his “partner and fellow worker” and his “brother”. Titus probably came from Antioch and accompanied Paul to Jerusalem to give a gift to the famine stricken brothers. Titus became a test case of whether a Gentile needed to be circumcised to be a Christian (Gal.2:3).
He accompanied Paul on his third journey (the present one), being sent to Corinth at least once. Paul eventually leaves him in Crete to pastor the church there, and writes to him the letter of “Titus”. During Paul’s last imprisonment in Rome, he was with Paul awhile, then left to go to Dalmatia. (2Tim.4)
• Titus became a channel of COMFORT for Paul in his absence from the Corinthian church. Paul lived with a constant concern for the Christians and churches God had allowed him to have a ministry to. Any news was very welcome and he often mentioned a thankfulness for those who brought him news from time to time.
13 For this reason we have been comforted. And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.
14 For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth.
15 His affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling.
16 I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you.
comforts – parakaleo – call to one’s side, call for, summon; to admonish, console, encourage and strengthen. Same word used for the Holy Spirit. COMFORTER
It was very hard on Paul to have to confront this church over the problems they had: Problems such as Abusing gifts / Communion / Suing / Divorce and remarriage / Sexual immorality / Idolatry Huge issue – Tolerance of Man who was with his Fathers wife.
Paul struggled to the point of his own depression over the issue.
One Sunday morning in 1866, the famous preacher C. H. Spurgeon shocked 5,000 listeners from the pulpit of London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle announcing, “I am the subject of depressions of spirit so fearful that I hope none of you ever gets to such extremes of wretchedness as I go to.”
Martin Luther was subject to such fits of darkness that he would hide himself away for days, and his family would remove all dangerous implements from the house for fear he would harm himself.
At one point in his depression his wife entered the room he was in. She was dressed in total black. Luther asked who died and she said by the way he was acting God must have.
If these people and even Paul can get down I think all of us will not escape it from time to time. One person I read said that times of depression are when God is placing us where He can teach us truths that we otherwise won’t learn.
Paul told Galatians, “I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain” (Gal 4:11);
and he wrote to the Thessalonians, “For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain” 1 Thess 3:5
He must have been thankful for the news he received thru Titus.
Paul knew the enemy of the church and what he could do. That is why he constantly appealed to believers to protect and prepare themselves by being filled with the Spirit, clothed with the armor of God and praying for one another and himself. They were fighting an enemy that was not flesh and blood and who never rested.
Paul did not enjoy being as blunt as he had to be in the previous letter. Some people seem to enjoy confrontation and telling people what is wrong with them. Paul definitely balanced encouragement in his letters and often expressed of heart of tremendous concern.
Starting in verse 8 Paul gives us some thoughts about his insights regarding sorrow and comfort.
PAUL WAS ABLE TO SEE THE PURPOSE BEYOND THE PAIN:
8 For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it-for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while - 9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.
We live in a day where discipline is rarely practiced. It is a day of counting to 1 – 2 – 2 ½ - 2 ¾ - 2 & 999/1000th. Few parents disciple, few schools discipline like they used to. Society allows any and all behavior to go without criticism(except intolerance). Even churches no longer share the full gospel lest it be too offensive to the hearers.
Paul did not like having to bluntly confront this church but he was spiritually deep enough to know that God makes some of His greatest progress through the pain that our lives encounter.
Paul did not like it but did not regret it for three reasons:
1) It was temporary: only for a while
2) It led to repentance: you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance
3) It was used by God to keep them from suffering spiritual loss: for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss
How helpful is it to know these three truths when we are going thru a difficult time. We can know that God will never allow us to suffer or struggle beyond the time necessary to accomplish His purpose in our lives. God has a target or goal He is working towards by allowing us to struggle or suffer to a ‘point of repentance’.
The process that God allows is actually a protection for us spiritually.
Our parents or as parents we often know the dangers that surround our children and grandchildren that they themselves are oblivious towards. It is the same with God and us. He understands what the dangers are in our lives and what prepares us and transforms us so that we will not go backwards but forwards in our spiritual growth.
SOMETIMES THE LAST THING WE WANT IS THE FIRST THING WE NEED and THE FIRST THING WE WANT IS SOMETIMES THE LAST THING WE NEED.
PAUL WAS ABLE TO SEE THE PRODUCTION IN THE PROCESS:
We can know by faith and eventually see by results that God’s purposes in our lives are always there for the production of His perfect end.
Paul compares the work of God in our lives to that of the impact that the sorrow of the world has upon us. God uses ALL THINGS TO WORK TOGETHER(Rom 8:28), even the things that bring us temporary pain, to create greater spiritual depth in our lives.
10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.
There is a ‘repentance without regret’ because the end result of it is our salvation. Nobody likes to have the direction they have chosen to be changed on them but when that change leads to salvation then people can be thankful for the most difficult things life may have brought them.
I am amazed at how people can look back and be thankful for the most hurting and difficult experiences by sharing how those very things led them to know God.
In comparison the sorrow of the world can be destructive and bring no good end apart from God using it for our benefit. Some worldly reactions to sorrow are:
Dejection: “I’m sorry I got caught.”
Defensiveness: “It wasn’t my fault.”
Self-justification: “You just don’t understand the situation.”
Anger: “Get off my back.”
Unkind words: “Who are you to be judging me?”
Projection: “You’re not so perfect yourself.”
TOTAL LACK OF REPENTANCE, LEARNING OR GROWTH. Usually only bitterness and blame, especially towards God.
Paul stressed the visible difference that GODLY SORROW had produced in the believers in Corinth.
11 For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong!
In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
Here are seven marks of godly sorrow: First, we are quick to make things right.
Second, we are anxious to clear our record of wrongdoing.
Third, we are upset that our lives should contain such compromise.
Fourth, we are alarmed over our sin.
Fifth, we long to be restored to spiritual wholeness.
Sixth, we are concerned for the preservation of the body of Christ.
Seventh, we are ready to do whatever is necessary to make things right.
Specific things that Paul mentions regarding the Corinthians church members:
1) They had the right attitudes towards it: vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! They seem to go through a whole list of possible emotions and worked their way towards the solutions of the problems Paul confronted them with in his last letter.
2) They had the right actions throughout it: In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
Proverbs 29 has some good insights on the proper response to issues like Paul has encountered with the church in Corinth. “A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed-without remedy” (29. 1)
Some lessons we can learn from this passage:
1) Just because it is not fun does not mean is it to be avoided:
Heb.12:11 “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
2) We need to learn to listen for God’s reproofs through: parents, teachers, coaches, counselors, from friends, from failures, from Scripture, from sickness, from losses, by disaster, by disappointment. {reproofs come in all shapes & sizes}
3) When God speaks to our lives through whatever avenue He chooses the sooner we listen, learn and change our direction the quicker His work is done.
There is a big difference between godly sorrow & the sorrow of the world… Repentance is from God…Regret is from the world. A sorrow that draws people closer to God…A sorrow drives people away from God. One brings them to a place of confessing & forsaking sin…The other only brings them into the hand of Satan. Repentance leads to salvation…Regret leads to spiritual death.
Peter showed Repentance - Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly.(Mt.26:75)
Judas showed Regret - Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." …… Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.”(Mt.27:3-5)
The sorrow of the world is only “resentment that has been found out!”
If it got the chance to do the same again & thought it could escape the consequences, it would do it?
(weirsbe) “Regret involves the mind primarily & remorse involves the emotions. But repentance includes “a change of mind, a hatred for sin, & a willingness to make things right.” If the will is not touched, conviction has not gone deep enough.”
God knows how deep He had to dig into our lives until He finally touches our wills and turns us in the right direction to stay.
