The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

⭑ Unlocked Literal Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 7 -

Loved ones, since we have these promises let us cleanse ourselves of everything that makes us unclean in our body and spirit. Let us pursue holiness in the fear of God.

Make room for us! We have not wronged anyone. We have not harmed anyone or taken advantage of anyone.

It is not to condemn you that I say this. For I have already said that you are in our hearts, for us to die together and to live together.

I have great confidence in you, and I am proud of you. I am filled with comfort. I overflow with joy even in all our afflictions.

When we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest. Instead, we were troubled in every way by conflicts on the outside and fears on the inside.

But God, who comforts the discouraged, comforted us by the arrival of Titus.

It was not only by his arrival that God comforted us. It was also by the comfort that Titus had received from you. He told us of your great affection, your sorrow, and your deep concern for me. So I rejoiced even more.

Even though my letter made you sad, I do not regret it. But I did regret it when I saw that my letter made you sad. But you were sad just for a little while.

Now I am happy, not because you were distressed, but because your sadness brought you to repentance. You experienced a godly sorrow, so you suffered no loss because of us.

For godly sorrow brings about repentance that accomplishes salvation without regret. Worldly sorrow, however, brings about death.

See what great determination this godly sorrow produced in you. How great was the determination in you to prove you were innocent. How great was your indignation, your fear, your longing, your zeal, and your desire to see that justice should be done! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

Although I wrote to you, I did not write for the sake of the wrongdoer, nor for the one who suffered the wrong. I wrote so that your earnestness for us should be made known to you in the sight of God.

It is by this that we are encouraged. In addition to our own comfort, we also rejoiced even more because of Titus’ joy, because his spirit was refreshed by all of you.

For if I boasted to him about you, I was not embarrassed. On the contrary, just as everything we said to you was true, our boasting about you to Titus proved to be true.

His affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of all of you, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.

I rejoice because I have complete confidence in you.

Having therefore these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Open your hearts to us. We wronged no one. We corrupted no one. We took advantage of no one.

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

Great is my boldness of speech toward you. Great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I overflow with joy in all our affliction.

For even when we had come into Macedonia, our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side. Fightings were outside. Fear was inside.

Nevertheless, he who comforts the lowly, God, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you while he told us of your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.

For though I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. For I see that my letter made you grieve, though just for a while.

I now rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved in a godly way, that you might suffer loss by us in nothing.

For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death.

For behold, this same thing, that you were grieved in a godly way, what earnest care it worked in you. Yes, what defense, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and vindication! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be pure in the matter.

So although I wrote to you, I wrote not for his cause that did the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered the wrong, but that your earnest care for us might be revealed in you in the sight of God.

Therefore we have been comforted. In our comfort we rejoiced the more exceedingly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

For if in anything I have boasted to him on your behalf, I was not disappointed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth.

His affection is more abundantly toward you, while he remembers all of your obedience, how with fear and trembling you received him.

I rejoice that in everything I am confident concerning you.