In spite of everything that is going wrong at Corinth, Paul remains supremely confident that the Spirit will have His way in the Church. But the path to holiness is often a painful one. For the Corinthians, as for us all, there are aspects of their character, their relationships with each other, their worship and experience as Christians that are dissonant with authentic Spirit-uality. There are places where they need to grow more fully into the likeness of Christ. That will involve a recognition of where things have gone wrong, and the commitment to change, and where possible to put things right! In the Christian life, that process is called repentance.
It’s born out of ‘godly sorrow’ (v.10). I’m not sure if you’ve ever thought of sorrow as a critical part of Christian experience. It’s the response of a genuine Christian when they are confronted with the reality of their sin. Paul has exposed a number of such sins in his first letter to the Corinthians. That had been an incredible painful letter to write (see II Cor.2:4), and he knew it had been equally painful to receive (7:8). In fact, it had put such a strain on Paul’s relationship with the Corinthian Church he seems to unsure whether it would survive at all. He is thrilled that Titus is able to reassure him that the Corinthians had in fact repented, and were looking forward to Paul’s visit. Paul’s boast about the impact of the Spirit’s life and work in this Church was vindicated.
This explains Paul’s rather odd sentiment of being comforted by the Corinthians’ sorrow. But the sorrow is a godly one, a sorrow such that God intended, and that lead to repentance (v.9). Almost nothing demonstrates spiritual authenticity more profoundly than genuine repentance. It is the indisputable mark of the Spirit’s work in transforming us to the image of Christ. And as long as there are aspects of who we are that don’t yet conform to that Image, repentance will be an aspect of our experience of Christian discipleship. ‘Repentance is’, as Thomas Boston put it centuries ago, ‘a wound that bleeds till glory’.
Questions:
What are the promises Paul is referring to in II Cor.7:1? How do they inspire us in our pursuit of holiness?
What does it look like to have ‘reverence for God’ (v.1)? How can we cultivate that in our life together as a Church?
As you read through II Cor.7, it’s hard to miss the deep expression of emotions in all concerned. Do you think that is appropriate, or is Paul being manipulative? What does a redeemed emotional life look like? Does Paul’s emotions seem sanctified to you?
How would you help someone who felt that their emotions were out of control, so that they couldn’t reflect a Christ-like emotional life?
Do we feel emotion with regard to our own relationship with our Church? Do you feel joy when you see people grow in Christ, or when relationships are restored (v.7)? …comforted when you see people repent (v.6)? …take pride in MIE (v.4)? …affection for the Church (v.15)?
What does ‘worldly sorrow’ in response to the challenging of sin look like (v.10)? Why does it lead to death?
How is ‘godly sorrow’ different from ‘worldly sorrow’? How could you tell which kind of sorrow you were feeling when convicted of sin?
As you work your way through the characteristics in v.11 (earnestness, eagerness to clear yourselves, indignation etc.), can you describe how each of them work, and how they are produced by the godly sorrow that has produced repentance?
How has Paul boasted to Titus about the Church at Corinth? How could he be sure that he could have complete confidence in them?
Why did they receive Titus with ‘fear and trembling’? How can that be an appropriate way for a Church to relate to their leaders?
