Thomas Aquinas Commentary 2 Corinthians 7:4-9

"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 coming of Titus; and not by his 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] (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." — 2 Corinthians 7:4-9 (ASV)

After giving an admonition based on what came before, the Apostle now offers his commendation. He first commends the Corinthians and then explains his commendation (v. 5).

He commends them by showing his love, which springs from the good works the Corinthians performed. In the hearts of those who love, four feelings typically arise from the good works their loved ones accomplish.

1. First is a feeling of confidence. Thus, he says, "I have great confidence in you," because he is sure that, having begun well, they will continue to improve. From the good things he has heard about them, he hopes for greater things to come: And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6); Though we speak thus, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things that belong to salvation (Hebrews 6:9). This confidence is good and beneficial: Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward (Hebrews 10:35).
2. Second, from this confidence, he develops a sense of pride. Because a person loves his friend's good as his own, he glories in that good as he would in his own. This is especially true here, for Paul is the cause of their good qualities, just as a teacher is the cause of his disciple's learning. Therefore, he says, "I have great pride in you": The glory of a father is a wise son (Proverbs 10:1).
3. Third, from these two feelings, he develops a sense of comfort. When someone rejoices and glories in his own good deeds or in those of a friend, he has a remedy against sadness. This comfort is a cure for sadness; according to the Philosopher, all delight lessens or completely destroys sadness. If the delight is contrary to the sadness, it eliminates the sadness entirely; if it is not contrary, it only weakens or diminishes it. This is why a person's sadness is lessened whenever something joyful is announced. Because Paul heard joyful things about the Corinthians' repentance, he says, "I am filled with comfort": For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too (2 Corinthians 1:5); So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind (Philippians 2:1–2).
4. Fourth, a feeling of exuberant joy finally arises. Although sadness is lessened by certain delights, it is not entirely displaced without great joy. The Apostle had endured many trials, but because he found great joy in the good actions of the Corinthians, his sadness was not only completely absorbed, but his joy overflowed. Thus, he says, "With all our affliction, I am overjoyed," meaning his joy overcomes every trial that was in his soul: For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? (1 Thessalonians 2:19); Be patient in tribulation (Romans 12:12).

Next, when he says, For even when we came, he explains his commendation. He mentioned experiencing two things: joy and tribulation. Therefore, he first makes his tribulation clear, and second, his comfort (v. 6).

He elaborates on his trials for two reasons: because his relief was removed, and because the trials were multiplied. Regarding the removal of relief, he says, For even when we came... It is as if he is saying: "Indeed I am in tribulation, because I am comforted by no one, for even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest." Here he refers to the persecution he suffered in Macedonia when he freed a certain demon-possessed servant girl, as we read in Acts 16:16.

He says, our bodies had no rest, but not "our spirit," because the saints always have peace in their spirit. Even in adversity, the soul, which suffers in the body, rests in the hope of a future reward, although it endures many things contrary to the desires of the flesh.

He also elaborates on his trials by reason of their number when he says, we were afflicted at every turn—that is, with every type of trial in body and soul: In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33). He explains that he suffered all kinds of trials when he says, fighting without and fear within. This means external combat from persecutions, but internal fear of evil in the heart, fearing future persecutions: In the open the sword shall bereave (Deuteronomy 32:25).

This might seem to contradict Proverbs 28:1: But the righteous are bold as a lion. I answer that the righteous person is without fear in his spirit, but not in his flesh. Alternatively, "without" could mean outside the Church, where conflicts are started by unbelievers, while "fear within" refers to the fear that those inside the Church might fall away from the faith because of persecutors.

A third interpretation is that "without" refers to public fighting, because they are attacked by obvious enemies, while "fear within" is produced by those who call themselves friends but are not. As Boethius says in The Consolation, "No pest can inflict more harm than a friendly enemy." As Scripture says, A man’s foes will be those of his own household (Matthew 10:36).

Then, when he says, But God, who comforts, he states the reason for his comfort, which he commends from two perspectives: the pleasing presence of Titus and the comfort Titus himself had received (v. 7).

He says, therefore: although we were gravely afflicted, God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, whose presence was very pleasing and a great help to me: Who comforts us in all our affliction (2 Corinthians 1:4). He specifies who comforts the downcast [humble] because God does not comfort the proud but resists them, as it says in James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5. Instead, He comforts the humble by giving grace, which is the comfort of the Holy Spirit: To comfort all who mourn (Isaiah 61:2).

Paul was comforted not only by Titus's coming but also by the comfort Titus himself had received from the Corinthians. This gives another reason for the Apostle's own comfort. The reason for Titus's comfort was twofold: first, the repentance of the Corinthians in his presence, and second, the devotion they showed to him (v. 13b).

Regarding the first point—their repentance—the Apostle does two things: first, he mentions his comfort in their repentance, and second, he explains something he has said (v. 9b). In discussing his comfort, he does three things: first, he mentions the comfort of Titus; second, the reason for that comfort (v. 7b); and third, the effect of that comfort on his own mind (v. 7c).

Therefore, he says that God comforted them not only by the coming of Titus but also by the comfort with which Titus was comforted by and among the Corinthians.

The reason for this comfort is that Titus himself was comforted by them, as he reported their "longing, your mourning, your zeal for me." Here, the Apostle mentions three praiseworthy qualities to counter three blameworthy qualities they had previously shown:

• They had been lazy regarding good works; against this, he mentions their "longing" to make more progress.
• They had been inclined toward evil; against this, he mentions their "mourning" for sins committed: Make mourning as for an only son (Jeremiah 6:26).
• They had been easily deceived by the false apostles; against this, he mentions their "zeal" against the false apostles, which was born of love for him. For previously, they had been zealous for the false apostles against him.

Then, with the words, so that I rejoiced still more, he describes the feeling he developed from Titus's comfort: joy. In this regard, he does three things: first, he mentions the joy he felt; second, he alludes to his previous doubts; and third, he gives the reason for his joy.

He says, therefore: "I was so pleased with the things Titus related to me that I rejoiced in that news even more than I had grieved in my trials." This is because spiritual things must be preferred to temporal things. Alternatively, he means that he rejoiced more for having made them sad than he had sorrowed before.

The Corinthians had sinned by fornication, and the Apostle had rebuked them, as is evident from the first letter (chapters 5-6). At that time, he wondered what effect that sorrow would have on them—whether good or bad—and this uncertainty made him sad. But later, seeing that good had come from it, he was glad.

Hence, he says: For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it now, because you have been corrected. And though I did regret it before—that is, when I was uncertain whether the sadness would lead you to correction or to despair—seeing that that letter grieved you, though only for a while, now I am glad, because you have been converted. He then gives the reason for his joy: he is not glad that they were made sorrowful, but at the effect, which was their repentance. They were grieved not to the point of despair, but grieved into repenting. This is just as a doctor is not glad for the bitterness of the medicine, but for its effect, which is health: As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing (2 Corinthians 6:10).