Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
{Greek: Make room for us.}Open your hearts to us: we wronged no man, we corrupted no man, we took advantage of no man.
I say it not to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die together and live together.
Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying on your behalf: I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in all our affliction.
For even when we were come into Macedonia our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
Nevertheless he that comforteth the lowly, even God, comforted us by the {Greek: presence. Compare 2 Thessalonians 2:9.}coming of Titus;
and not by his {Greek: presence. Compare 2 Thessalonians 2:9.}coming only, but also by the comfort wherewith he was comforted in you, while he told us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced yet more.
For though I made you sorry with my epistle, I do not regret it: though I did regret it ( {Some ancient authorities omit for.}for I see that that epistle made you sorry, though but for a season),
I now rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto repentance; for ye were made sorry after a godly sort, that ye might suffer loss by us in nothing.
For godly sorrow worketh repentance {Or, unto a salvation which bringeth no regret}unto salvation, a repentance which bringeth no regret: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
For behold, this selfsame thing, that ye were made sorry after a godly sort, what earnest care it wrought in you, yea what clearing of yourselves, yea what indignation, yea what fear, yea what longing, yea what zeal, yea what avenging! In everything ye approved yourselves to be pure in the matter.
So although I wrote unto 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 made manifest unto you in the sight of God.
Therefore we have been comforted: and in our comfort we joyed the more exceedingly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit hath been refreshed by you all.
For if in anything I have gloried to him on your behalf, I was not put to shame; but as we spake all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth.
And his affection is more abundantly toward you, while he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.
I rejoice that in everything I am of good courage concerning you.
Querverweise zu 2. Korinther 7,3 2Kor 7,3
So although I wrote unto 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 made manifest unto you in the sight of God.
Our mouth is open unto you, O Corinthians, our heart is enlarged.
Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men;
And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God;
For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be made sorry, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own affections.
Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.
But if any hath caused sorrow, he hath caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I press not too heavily) to you all.
And I will most gladly spend and be {Greek: spent out.}spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?
even so, being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart unto you, not the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were become very dear to us.
For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not when present deal sharply, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for casting down.
For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.
I write not these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;
For though ye have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I begat you through the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel.