Grief and Encouragement
(Thematic parallels: Luke 15:11-24; Psalm 51:1-17)
- 1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, we should cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, completing holiness in the reverent fearfn“reverent fear” is one word in Greek. Its primary meaning is “fear”, but it can also mean “awe” or “reverence” depending on the context. (The Hebrew word for “fear” has the same range of meaning.) Since both fear and reverence are appropriate toward God, and both were likely intended, both definitions were included. of God.
- 2 Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one.
- 3 I don’t speak for your condemnation, for I have previously said that you’re in our hearts, for us to die together and to live together.
- 4 My confidence in you is great; my boast concerning you is great; I have been filled with comforting encouragement; I exceedingly overflow with joy at all our affliction.
- 5 For even with us having come into Macedonia, our flesh *had no rest, but we’re hard-pressed in everything; conflicts are outside, fears are within.
- 6 But God – the One comforting the lowlyfnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 49:13 – comforted us by the arrival of Titus.
- 7 And not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, reporting to us your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me, in order for me to rejoice more.
- 8 Because even if I grieved you in the letter, I don’t regret it (even if I was regretting it). For I see that thefn“the” is literally “that” letter grieved you, even if only for a while.
- 9 I rejoice now; not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved into repentance.fn“repentance” this Greek word doesn’t primarily speak of remorse or guilt for wrong actions. Rather, it literally means to “think differently after” or to “reconsider”, with an assumed change in behavior. To both the Hebrews and 1st century Greeks/Romans, a change in mind was synonymous with a change in behavior; you couldn’t have the first without the second. All that meaning is captured by a single Greek word here. For you were grieved in accordance with God’s will, so that through us you might suffer loss in nothing.
- 10 For the grief in accordance with God’s will produces repentance leading into salvation without regret, but the world’s grief produces death.
- 11 For behold, this same thing – to be grieved in accordance with God’s will – produced much diligence in you, much verbal defense, much indignation, much fear, much longing, much zeal, and much vindication. In everything, you proved yourselves to be pure in the matter.
- 12 So even though I wrote to you, it wasn’t for the man who did wrong, nor for the man who suffered wrong, but for [your]fn“your” many later manuscripts read “our” here. diligence concerning [us]fn“us” many later manuscripts read “you” here. to be revealed to you in the sight of God.
- 13 Because of this, we have been encouraged.fn“encouraged” could also be translated “comforted”, since the Greek word here can mean either depending on the context. And by [our]fn“our” many later manuscripts read “your” here. encouragement, we rejoiced even more abundantly at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
- 14 For if I have boasted anything about you to him, I wasn’t put to shame. But just as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boast to Titus became truth.
- 15 And his affections toward you are abundant, remembering the obedience of you all, and how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.
- 16 I rejoice that I’m boldly confident in you in everything.