John Calvin Commentary 2 Corinthians 7

These promises, therefore. God, it is true, anticipates us in his promises by his pure favor; but when he has, of his own accord, conferred upon us his favor, he immediately afterwards requires from us gratitude in return. Thus what he said to Abraham, I am thy God, (Genesis 17:7) was an offer of his undeserved goodness, yet he at the same time added what he required from him—Walk before me, and be thou perfect. As, however, this second clause is not always expressed, Paul instructs us that in all the promises this condition is implied: that they must be incitements for us to promote the glory of God.

For from what does he deduce an argument to stimulate us? It is from this: that God confers upon us such a distinguished honor. Such, then, is the nature of the promises, that they call us to sanctification, as if God had interposed by an implied agreement. We know, too, what the Scripture teaches in various passages in reference to the design of redemption, and the same thing must be viewed as applying to every token of his favor.

From all filthiness of flesh and spirit. Having already shown that we are called to purity, he now adds that it ought to be seen in the body, as well as in the soul; for that the term flesh is taken here to mean the body, and the term spirit to mean the soul, is manifest from this: if the term spirit meant the grace of regeneration, Paul’s statement concerning the pollution of the spirit would be absurd. He would have us, therefore, be pure from defilements, not merely inward, such as have God alone as their witness, but also outward, such as fall under the observation of men. “Let us not merely have chaste consciences in the sight of God. We must also consecrate to him our whole body and all its members, that no impurity may be seen in any part of us.”

Now if we consider the point he handles, we will readily perceive that those who excuse outward idolatry on I know not what pretexts act with excessive impudence. For as inward impiety and superstition, of whatever kind, are a defilement of the spirit, what will they understand by defilement of the flesh but an outward profession of impiety, whether it is pretended or uttered from the heart?

They boast of a pure conscience; that, indeed, is on false grounds, but granting them what they falsely boast of, they have only half of what Paul requires from believers. Hence they have no ground to think that they have satisfied God with that half. For if a person shows any appearance of idolatry at all, or any indication of it, or takes part in wicked or superstitious rites, even if he were—which he cannot be—perfectly upright in his own mind, he would, nevertheless, not be exempt from the guilt of polluting his body.

Perfecting holiness. As the verb ἐπιτελεῖν in Greek sometimes means to perfect, and sometimes to perform sacred rites, it is elegantly used here by Paul in the former meaning, which is the more frequent one—in such a way, however, as to allude to sanctification, which he is now discussing. For while it denotes perfection, it seems to have been intentionally transferred to sacred offices, because there ought to be nothing defective in the service of God, but everything complete. Hence, so that you may sanctify yourself to God rightly, you must dedicate both body and soul entirely to him.

In the fear of God. For if the fear of God influences us, we will not be so much disposed to indulge ourselves, nor will there be a bursting forth of that audacity of wantonness which showed itself among the Corinthians. For how does it happen that many delight themselves so much in outward idolatry and haughtily defend so gross a vice, unless it is because they think that they mock God with impunity? If the fear of God had dominion over them, they would immediately, at the very first moment, leave off all cavils, without requiring to be constrained to it by any disputations.

Make room for us. Again he returns from a statement of doctrine to address what more specifically concerns himself, but simply with this intention—that his efforts in admonishing the Corinthians may not be in vain. Furthermore, he closes the preceding admonition with the same statement he had used as a preface. For what is meant by the expressions Receive us, or Make room for us? It is equivalent to, Be you enlarged (2 Corinthians 6:13); that is, “Do not allow corrupt affections or unfavorable perceptions to prevent this doctrine from entering your minds and finding a place within you. For as I devote myself to your salvation with a fatherly zeal, it would be unfitting for you to turn a deaf ear to me.”

We have done injury to no man. He declares that there is no reason why they should have their minds alienated from him, since he had not given them cause for offense in anything. Now he mentions three kinds of offenses, regarding which he declares himself to be guiltless:

1. The first is, manifest hurt or injury.
2. The second is, the corruption that springs from false doctrine.
3. The third is, defrauding or cheating in worldly goods.

These are three things by which, for the most part, pastors tend to alienate the minds of the people from them: when they conduct themselves in an overbearing manner and, using their authority as a pretext, erupt into tyrannical cruelty or unreasonableness; or when they lead astray from the right path those for whom they should have been guides, and infect them with the corruption of false doctrine; or when they show an insatiable covetousness by eagerly desiring what belongs to another.

If anyone wishes for a more concise summary:

1. The first is, fierceness and an abuse of power by excessive insolence.
2. The second, unfaithfulness in teaching.
3. The third, avarice.

I say not this to condemn you. As the previous apology was a kind of expostulation, and we can scarcely avoid reproaching when we expostulate, he therefore softens what he had said. “I clear myself,” he says, “in such a way as to desire to avoid what would tend to your dishonor.” The Corinthians, it is true, were unkind, and they deserved that, on Paul’s being acquitted from blame, they should be substituted in his place as the guilty party; furthermore, that they should be held guilty in two respects—for ingratitude, and for having slandered the innocent. Such, however, is the Apostle’s moderation that he refrains from recrimination, contenting himself with simply standing on the defensive.

For I have before said. Those who love do not attack; indeed, if any fault has been committed, they either overlook it or soften it by kindness. For a disposition to reproach is a sign of hatred. Hence Paul, to show that he has no inclination to distress the Corinthians, declares his affection towards them. At the same time, he undoubtedly, in a way, condemns them, even while saying that he does not do so. However, just as there is a great difference between gall and vinegar, so there is also between the condemnation by which we harass a man in a spirit of hatred, with the intention of blasting him with infamy, and, on the other hand, that by which we endeavor to bring an offender back to the right way, so that, along with safety, he may also regain his honors unimpaired.

Ye are in our hearts—that is, “I carry you about with me enclosed in my heart.” To die and live with you—that is, “So that no change can loosen our attachment, for I am prepared not merely to live with you, but also to be associated with you in death, if necessary, and to endure anything rather than renounce your friendship.” Note well how all pastors ought to be disposed.

Great is my boldness. Now, as if he had obtained the enlargement of heart from the Corinthians that he had desired, he stops complaining and pours out his heart with cheerfulness. “What need is there for me to spend so much effort on a matter already accomplished?

“For I think I already have what I asked. For the things that Titus has reported to me concerning you are not merely sufficient for quieting my mind, but also give me reason for glorying confidently on your account. Furthermore, they have effectively dispelled the grief that many great and heavy afflictions had caused me.”

He goes on step by step, as a climax, because glorying is more than having an easy and quiet mind, and being freed from grief caused by many afflictions, is greater than either of those.

Chrysostom explains this boldness somewhat differently, in this way—“If I deal with you more freely, it is because, relying on the assurance of your goodwill toward me, I think I can take such liberty with you.” I have stated, however, what seemed to me to be the more probable meaning—that the report given by Titus had removed the unfavorable impression, which had previously racked his mind.

For when we had come into Macedonia, the heaviness of his grief tends to show how effective the consolation was. "I was pressed on every side," he says, "by afflictions both internal and external. All this, however, has not prevented the joy that you have given me from prevailing over it, and even overflowing." When he says that he had no rest in his flesh, it is as if he had said, "As a man, I had no relief." For he excepts spiritual consolations, by which he was meanwhile sustained. He was afflicted, therefore, not merely in body, but also in mind, so that, as a man, he experienced nothing but great bitterness of afflictions.

Without were fightings: by fightings he means outward assaults with which his enemies troubled him. By fears he means the anxieties that he endured on account of the internal problems of the Church, for it was not so much by personal as by public evils that he was disturbed. What he means, then, to say is this: that there were not merely open enemies who were hostile to him, but that he endured, nevertheless, much distress because of internal evils.

For he saw how great was the infirmity of many, indeed of almost all, and meanwhile what, and how varied, were the schemes by which Satan attempted to throw everything into confusion—how few were wise, how few were sincere, how few were steadfast, and how many, on the other hand, were either mere pretenders, and worthless, or ambitious, or unruly.

Amid these difficulties, the servants of God must necessarily feel alarmed and be racked with anxieties, and all the more so because they are compelled to bear many things silently, so that they may preserve the peace of the Churches. Therefore, he aptly expressed himself when he said: Without were fightings; within were fears.

For faithful pastors openly oppose those enemies who openly attack Christ’s kingdom, but they are inwardly tormented and endure secret tortures when they see the Church afflicted with internal evils, to eliminate which they dare not openly speak out.

But although he had almost constant conflicts, it is probable that he was at that time more severely pressed than usual. The servants of Christ, undoubtedly, are rarely exempt from fears, and Paul was seldom free from outward fightings; but as he was at that time more violently oppressed, he uses the plural terms—fightings and fears—meaning that he had to fight in many ways and against various enemies, and that he had at the same time many kinds of fear.