Paul now
relates his experience with a stern letter to the Corinthians. He followed that
letter by sending Titus to the Corinthians, and we see the story of that letter
and its results in this passage:
{5} For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no
rest, but we were harassed at every turn‑‑conflicts on the outside, fears 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 you had given him. He
told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for
me, so that my joy was greater than ever. {8} Even if I caused you sorrow by my
letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it‑‑I
see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while‑‑
{9} yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your
sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so
were not harmed in any way by us. {10} Godly sorrow brings repentance that
leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. {11}
See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what
eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what
concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved
yourselves to be innocent in this matter. {12} So even though I wrote to you,
it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but
rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are.
{13} By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we
were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has
been refreshed by all of you. {14} I had boasted to him about you, and you have
not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our
boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. {15} And his
affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all
obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. {16} I am glad I can have
complete confidence in you. ‑‑ 2 Corinthians 7:5‑16
(NIV)
Paul is
often pictured as a rather crusty, somewhat antagonistic fellow. Perhaps there
is some justice to this, but this passage presents rather a different picture.
It is a past tense history of Paul's rebuke to the Corinthians. It's
interesting to think how such a rebuke might be greeted today, in the era of
"do your own thing," but in Paul's time we see some of the principles
which might serve as example to our generation.
The Art of Rebuke
Rebuke is often necessary. There is no sense
in putting off or softening a rebuke. You will only get greater trouble later.
My dentist knows this, and no matter how much I'd love to hear, "we can
fix that tooth next time" he never says it. The same is true of rebuke of
sin:
{17} "'Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke
your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt. ‑‑
Leviticus 19:17 (NIV)
You see
the point. If you really love someone, you will rebuke their sin frankly out of
love for them. More to the point, if you don't, you share the guilt. Silence is
consent.
Rebuke is not a pleasure, but a duty. Nothing
quite feels so good as the thought that I (myself, personally) am the
embodiment of righteousness, delivering just rebuke to you. Nothing is quite so
disastrous to Christian life. Paul gave instruction to Timothy on this point,
concerning older men rebuked by the young Timothy:
{5:1} Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as
if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, ‑‑
1 Timothy 5:1 (NIV)
Rebuke is to be taken as a good thing. If
delivered out of love, rebuke is to be taken as a blessing:
{5} Let a righteous man strike me‑‑it
is a kindness; let him rebuke me‑‑it is oil on my head. My head will not
refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers; ‑‑
Psalms 141:5 (NIV)
It may be
seen as something of fatherly instruction:
{11} My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not
resent his rebuke, {12} because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a
father the son he delights in. ‑‑ Proverbs 3:11‑12
(NIV)
Indeed, it
is seen as a path to wisdom:
{31} He who listens to a life‑giving rebuke
will be at home among the wise. ‑‑ Proverbs 15:31 (NIV)
Why should
this be? Because the whole intent of rebuke is to produce repentance.
The Art of Repentance
There is a
distinct difference between Godly and worldly sorrow. Worldly sorrow now goes
by the psychiatric name of "guilt" - meaning a feeling, not a fact,
as it does in the Scripture. The great portion of the money spent on
psychiatrists is spent dealing with the problem of worldly sorrow. That is not
the sorrow of which Paul speaks here; rather, Godly sorrow is characterized by
one thing: repentance.
Godly
sorrow brings repentance. We saw this at Pentecost. Remember what the crowd
cried out, after Peter's sermon?
{37} When the people
heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other
apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" ‑‑
Acts 2:37 (NIV)
What shall
we do? Peter told them to repent and be
baptized. Indeed, Godly sorrow leads to salvation, says Paul. This has always
been so, even in the times of the Old Testament:
{14}
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and
seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and
will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
‑‑ 2 Chronicles
7:14 (NIV)
Godly
sorrow leaves no regrets, for confessed sin is forgiven sin. Some Christians
have a hard time with this; hear the words of the apostle John:
{19} This then is how we know that we belong to the truth,
and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence {20} whenever our hearts
condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ‑‑
1 John 3:19‑20 (NIV)
Sorrow
which does not lead to repentance is worldly sorrow; and it is indeed
fruitless. There is a sad example from the Old Testament, King Saul:
{16} When David finished saying this, Saul asked, "Is
that your voice, David my son?" And he wept aloud. {17} "You are more
righteous than I," he said. "You have treated me well, but I have
treated you badly. {18} You have just now told me of the good you did to me;
the LORD delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. {19} When a man
finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you
well for the way you treated me today. {20} I know that you will surely be king
and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. {21} Now
swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my
name from my father's family." {22} So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul
returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold. ‑‑
1 Samuel 24:16‑22 (NIV)
Saul knew
what was wrong; he was sorry for his sins - and did nothing about it. He died
in his sins. Godly sorrow leads to repentance; repentance bears fruit.
The Fruit of Repentance
The first
fruit of repentance is mentioned by Paul here as earnestness and eagerness to
clear yourselves. This is known in the commentaries as zeal. It is that eagerness to do the right things in the right
way. David gives us an example of this. Relying on his own wisdom, he decides
to count the people, a way of gauging his military might. The thing does not
please the Lord, who sends his Angel. The angel stops at a particular place
(now the site of the Temple) - and David speaks to the Lord:
{17} When David saw the angel who was striking down the
people, he said to the LORD, "I am the one who has sinned and done wrong.
These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my
family." {18} On that day Gad went to David and said to him, "Go up
and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the
Jebusite." {19} So David went up, as the LORD had commanded through Gad.
{20} When Araunah looked and saw the king and his men coming toward him, he
went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. {21}
Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?"
"To buy your threshing floor," David answered, "so I can build
an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped." {22}
Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take whatever pleases him and
offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing
sledges and ox yokes for the wood. {23} O king, Araunah gives all this to the
king." Araunah also said to him, "May the LORD your God accept
you." {24} But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying
you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost
me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid
fifty shekels of silver for them. ‑‑ 2 Samuel 24:17‑24
(NIV)
Paul puts
the command more simply to the Romans"
{11} Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual
fervor, serving the Lord. ‑‑ Romans 12:11 (NIV)
The next
fruit of repentance given here is indignation.
Life in the late twentieth century, with its constant exposure to violence and
sin, has robbed us of the capability of being indignant without hypocrisy. The
ancient Psalmist knew it well, however:
{51} The arrogant mock me without restraint, but I do not
turn from your law. {52} I remember your ancient laws, O LORD, and I find
comfort in them. ‑‑ Psalms 119:51‑52
(NIV)
Third,
there is the longing every Christian should have, or hope - here expressed and longing and concern. Jeremiah knew
this well, in a passage which has been the basis for many songs:
{21}
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: {22} Because of the Lord's
great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. {23} They are
new every morning; great is your faithfulness. {24} I say to myself, "The
LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." {25} The LORD is good
to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; {26} it is good to
wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
‑‑ Lamentations
3:21‑26 (NIV)
Finally,
there is what Paul here calls a readiness to see justice done. This burning
desire to see justice is the foundation of "social Gospel" in its
best sense:
{7} The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the
wicked have no such concern. ‑‑ Proverbs 29:7 (NIV)
Rebuke produces Repentance
Repentance produces Fruit