After an introduction (1:1-2) and meditation of suffering (1:3-11), Paul launches into the body of his letter, focused on the marks of genuine apostleship for the purpose of reconciling with the Corinthians (1:12-7:16). The overall literary structure of the section seems to be a chiasm:

• A 1:12-2:13 – Boasting, Letter, Titus
  • B 2:14-4:6 – Genuine Apostolic Conduct and New Covenant Ministry
    • C 4:7-5:10 – Apostolic Suffering
      • D 5:11-6:2 – Ministry of Reconciliation 
    • C’ 6:3-10 – Apostolic Suffering
  • B’ 6:11-7:4 – Genuine Apostolic Appeal and New Covenant Living
• A’ 7:5-16 – Titus, Letter, Boasting 

Paul’s final section mirrors the opening of the section but in reverse. Paul mentions that the Corinthians can boast in him (1:12-22), the outcome of his severe letter (1:23-2:11), and looking for Titus in Macedonia (2:12-13). In this section, Paul speaks of the arrival of Titus (7:5-7), the purpose of writing the severe letter (7:8-12) and Paul’s rightful boasting about the Corinthians (7:13-16). 

Translation

5 For when we came into Macedonia, our flesh did not even have any rest. But we were afflicted in every way: conflicts outside of us and fears within us. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us with the arrival of Titus. 7 And we were not only comforted by his arrival, but we were also comforted—by the comfort with which he was comforted by you—when he reported your desire, your mourning and your zeal for me, so that I was filled with much joy! 8 Because even if I caused you sorrow with my letter, I did not regret it. But even if I did regret it—because I saw that that letter caused you sorrow for a little while–9 I now rejoice! I do not rejoice that I caused you sorrow. But I rejoice because it made you sorrowful to the point of repentance. For you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you would not suffer the loss of anything through us. 10 For the sorrow, which is according to the will of God, leads to a repentance without regret for salvation. But the sorrow of the world leads to death. 11 For behold! Look at what this very sorrow according to the will of God has worked in you: what diligence! What vindication of yourselves! What indignation! What fear! What longing! What zeal! What readiness to punish wrong! You have commended yourselves to be pure in the matter in all things! 12 Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not write for the sake of the one who did wrong or for the sake of the one who was wronged. Instead, I wrote so that your diligence for us would be made manifest to yourselves before God. 13 Therefore, I am comforted. And, besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more over Titus’ joy, because his spirit had been refreshed by all of you. 14 Because if I have boasted about anything to him about you all, then I was not put to shame. But, just as I have spoken all thing in truth to you, so also, our boast to Titus proved true. 15 And his affection is great towards you as he remembers your obedience in all things—how you received him with fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice because I have confidence in you in all things. 

Commentary

Paul did not have any rest in his soul when he came to Macedonia until God comforted him by the arrival of Titus (7:5-6). Paul was anxious to hear the report from Titus, which ended up filling Paul with joy due to the Corinthians’ affection for Paul (7:7). Paul was relieved at their response because he caused them sorrow through his letter (7:8-12). But regretted his letter a little bit because it causes them sorrow (7:7-8). But, ultimately, he didn’t really regret it because it caused him to rejoice because it moved them to repentance (7:9). Their sorrow was godly sorrow, which kept from forfeiting their faith and lead them to salvation (7:10). The outcome of their sorrow was a kind of zeal and desire for not only Paul but also holiness and justice (7:11). So Paul did not really write to speak to the church discipline situation, but he wrote more for the purpose of exposing where the Corinthians’ affections lie…to themselves! He wanted them to realize how much they actually cared for Paul and would listen to his authority (7:12). Consequently, Paul receive comfort and joy through their repentance (7:13-16). Paul was comforted by their repentance and Titus was as well (7:13). Their behavior confirmed Paul’s boasting about them to Titus (7:14). They lived up to the hype so to speak because their acceptance of and obedience to Titus (7:15). In all things, Paul is confident about their acceptance of himself and he thus can rejoice (7:16). 

5 For when we came into Macedonia, our flesh did not even have any rest. But we were afflicted in every way: conflicts outside of us and fears within us.

Paul came into Macedonia after he escaped the riot in Ephesus (Acts 20:1-2). While the book of Acts does not detail the trials Paul faced here, Paul himself recounts his suffering. He was afflicted in every way with both external and internal troubles. “Affliction” is a key word through chapters 1-7 (1:4, 6, 8; 2:4; 4:8, 17; 6:4; 7:5) and is a key feature of Paul’s apostolic ministry. Almost every major advance of the gospel through Paul occurred in the midst of opposition, persecution, and suffering. But Paul also faced great internal turmoil, most explicitly detailed in 11:28: “I faced the daily pressure of my concern for all the churches” (cf. 1:8; 2:4; 4:8-9; Gal. 4:19-20; Phil. 2:27-28).  

 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us with the arrival of Titus.

At just the right moment, God shattered Paul’s despair with the arrival of Titus. Just as affliction is a key word throughout the letter, so is the word “comfort” (1:3, 4, 5, 6, 7; 2:7; 7:4, 6, 7, 13). The dynamic of Paul’s ministry is that in the midst of suffering, God also provides Paul comfort. In fact, it is through suffering that comfort comes to Paul, which he is then able to meditate to others. Paul describes himself as “downcast,” or depressed. God shows up for those who face suffering, affliction, and discouragement. Significantly, the comfort God brought to Paul was through a person, Titus. God did not abstractly deem some kind of encouragement directly into Paul’s heart. Rather, the encouragement that Paul needed came through the lips and presence of an actual person in his midst.

 7 And we were not only comforted by his arrival, but we were also comforted—by the comfort with which he was comforted by you—when he reported your desire, your mourning and your zeal for me, so that I was filled with much joy! 

The comfort Paul derived came from more than Titus’s arrival. It also came in response to the Corinthians themselves. Titus reported their “desire,” “mourning” and “zeal” for Paul. The Corinthians had received Paul’s “Severe Letter” and responded with repentance and faith. The Corinthians really did desire to see Paul again. They were also probably mourning over how badly they treated Paul (Barnett, 371). And they were zealous to unite to him instead of the super-apostles. As you can imagine, such a report brought much joy to Paul! 

8 Because even if I caused you sorrow with my letter, I did not regret it. But even if I did regret it—because I saw that that letter caused you sorrow for a little while–

Titus’ report to Paul detailed the Corinthians’ response to his “Severe Letter.” Now Paul gives his side of the story as to why he wrote the letter and his feelings about it (7:8-12). Paul shows how complicated life and ministry can be. On the one hand, Paul did not regret writing the “Severe Letter.” As he stated earlier, it was necessary to test their faith to make sure they be obey him (2:9). On the other hand, he did regret writing the letter because it caused them to be sad. He really wasn’t trying to upset them; he was writing out of love (2:4). But he knows he caused them pain. 

9 I now rejoice! I do not rejoice that I caused you sorrow. But I rejoice because it made you sorrowful to the point of repentance. For you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you would not suffer the loss of anything through us.

While Paul had some regrets over writing the letter, he ultimately now rejoices over having written the letter. He’s happy about the outcome of the letter. He didn’t write it to cause them pain. But he wrote it, longing for the very outcome that happened: it made them sorrowful which moved them to repentance. But the repentance of the Corinthians was not merely feeling bad about getting caught. Instead, they were made sorrowful “according to the will of God” or they have “godly sorrow.” Their godly sorrow moved them to repent which ultimately proved to be a good thing for them. While it could have seemed that the Corinthians would have suffered the “loss” of a lot of a things from being sad sorrowful—close relationship with Paul, the person they had to exercise church discipline upon—ultimately, they did not suffer the loss of anything. In fact, they were made whole! 

 10 For the sorrow, which is according to the will of God, leads to a repentance without regret for salvation. But the sorrow of the world leads to death. 

Paul now describes in more detail the different kinds of sorrow that exist. On the one hand, there is “godly” sorrow. This godly sorrow moves people to repent. Believers will never regret repenting for it is the path to “salvation.” Paul is not arguing that the Corinthians could have lost their salvation. Instead, he is making the point that unrepentant sin demonstrates someone never had real faith in the first place. Paul saw the Corinthians in a tenuous position. They had allowed sin to fester in the community, just like they did previously (1 Cor. 5:1-7). If the Corinthians did not deal with the sin in their midst, they might have been exposed as having only “wordly sorrow” which ultimately leads to spiritual death. 

11 For behold! Look at what this very sorrow according to the will of God has worked in you: what diligence! What vindication of yourselves! What indignation! What fear! What longing! What zeal! What readiness to punish wrong! You have commended yourselves to be pure in the matter in all things! 

Paul amplifies the power of godly sorrow by detailing all the good it did within the Corinthians. By explaining all the positive benefits he saw in the Corinthians, Paul is subtly vindicating his decision to write the “Severe Letter.” Having been humbled by the “Severe Letter,” the Corinthians grew in their character and did what needed to be done with swiftness. The letter motivated their “diligence” in enacting church discipline. It moved them to vindicate themselves, to behave in such a way that they would not longer be in danger of the spiritual death Paul just mentioned (7:10). They had indignation over the sin they allowed to fester among themselves. They were motivated by a fear of God and the accountability they would face (cf. 5:10-11). The letter stirred in them a longing to see Paul and a zeal to be united to him instead of the “super-apostles” (cf. 7:7). Most importantly, they had a “reading to punish wrong.” They were willing to do what needed to be in this church discipline case. Through their actions, they proved themselves to be “pure…in all things.” 

12 Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not write for the sake of the one who did wrong or for the sake of the one who was wronged. Instead, I wrote so that your diligence for us would be made manifest to yourselves before God. 

Paul also amplifies his purpose in writing the “Severe Letter” to the Corinthians. He didn’t really write his letter to condemn the perpetrator (“the one who did wrong.”). And he didn’t write the letter to defend himself (“the one who was wronged.” Instead, Paul wrote the letter as a kind of self-examination exercise for the Corinthians. He wanted them to be convinced by their own actions how much they care for Paul. By exercising church discipline upon the man who opposed Paul, the Corinthians would have seen that they really did care for Paul and want to come up under his authority. More significantly, their actions would be done “before God.” Paul emphasized throughout the opening chapters that his actions and ministry is being performed “before God” or in his presence (cf. 2:17; 4:2; 5:11). But it is the same thing with the Corinthians. There is a much closer relationship between Paul’s ministry and behavior of the church than they might imagine. 

13 Therefore, I am comforted. And, besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more over Titus’ joy, because his spirit had been refreshed by all of you. 

Paul was comforted by the Corinthians’s response to his “Severe Letter.” In addition to the comfort Paul derived from their response, he received even more joy when he saw how happy the Corinthians had made Titus. Titus was “refreshed” by the Corinthians, being encouraged and built up on his faith.

14 Because if I have boasted about anything to him about you all, then I was not put to shame. But, just as I have spoken all things in truth to you, so also, our boast to Titus proved true. 

Paul had bragged about the Corinthians to Titus before (cf. 1 Cor. 1:4-6). But Paul could have rightly been a little nervous for Titus to visit them, especially in light of how they had behaved towards himself. Would Paul’s pride and confidence in them be misplaced? Would have embarrassed Paul, possibly even rejected Titus as his emissary? Thankfully, none of that proved true. In fact, the opposite was confirmed: the Corinthians lived up to Paul’s glowing recommendations.  

15 And his affection is great towards you as he remembers your obedience in all things—how you received him with fear and trembling. 

Titus ended up deeply loving the Corinthians. As Titus remembers their obedience, his love for them grows. The obedience the Corinthians exhibited was by receiving Titus as Paul’s representative with “fear and trembling.” The phrase is drawn from the Old Testament and speaks of dread (Exod. 15:16; Deut. 2:25; Deut. 28:66; Isa. 19:16), or extreme reverence (Ps. 2:11; Jer. 33:9; Dan. 10:11-12). The New Testament reaffirms that it can mean dread (Mark 5:33; Luke 8:47; Heb. 12:21), or reverence and deep respect (Eph. 6:5; Phil. 2:12). Most likely, it means here a deep dread that moves one to respect and repentance. Titus arrival as Paul’s representative functioned much like a father arriving home to discipline his kids after receiving a call about their obstinate conduct from their mother. When Titus arrived, the time was up for them to delay putting Paul’s words into action.  

16 I rejoice because I have confidence in you in all things. 

Through everything that happened, Paul rejoices (cf. 7:4, 7, 9, 13)! He is able to rejoice because he has confidence about the Corinthians in all things. Their response to the “Severe Letter” and their acceptance of Titus have confirmed their faith and obedience in Paul’s mind. Paul’s confidence also sets the table for his discussion of the collection of money (chaps. 8-9) that they should complete (Barnett, 386).