2 Corinthians 7:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Only grief over sins is profitable, and this is clear from what follows. One who grieves over the loss of wealth does not repair the loss. One who grieves over the dead does not raise him.

One who grieves because of sickness not only is not delivered from the sickness, but even makes it worse. Only one who grieves over sins receives benefit from grief, because he exhausts and destroys sins.

Grief is a medicine prepared for this one occasion. Therefore here alone it has force and brings benefit. In other cases it causes harm.

“But Cain,” they will say, “grieved because God did not look favorably upon him.” No, not for this reason, but because he saw his brother shining with virtues. Otherwise, if he had lamented for that reason, he ought to have emulated his brother and rejoiced with him.

Instead, in his sorrow he revealed grief according to the world. David, Peter, and each of the righteous did not grieve in this way. Therefore they pleased God, grieving either over their own sins or over the sins of others.

What is heavier than grief? Yet when it is grief according to God, it proves far better than worldly joy. That joy turns to nothing, while this grief “produces repentance unto salvation, not to be regretted.”

It is also worthy of wonder that none of those who grieve with this grief has ever repented of it. Regret is especially characteristic of worldly grief.

Indeed, what is more desired than one’s own son? And what is more bitter than his death? Yet fathers who, in the time of their intense grief, accepted no comfort and tormented themselves afterward regret that they grieved beyond measure.

They understand that they not only gained no benefit from it, but even upset themselves still more. Grief according to God is not like this. On the contrary, it has a twofold advantage.

First, it does not make one regret what he grieves over. Second, it turns the grief itself into salvation. Worldly grief is deprived of both these advantages.

In it people grieve to their own harm, and after intense grief they condemn themselves. This serves as the strongest proof that those who grieve with it only harm themselves.

The consequences of grief according to God are entirely opposite. Therefore the Apostle said that it “produces repentance unto salvation, not to be regretted.” No one will condemn himself because he grieved, wept, and was contrite over sin.

For this reason blessed Paul, speaking of this, had no need to bring outside examples to confirm his words. Nor did he need to present from Old Testament history those who had grieved.

Instead, he points to the Corinthians themselves and takes proof from what they did. In this way, together with praises, he gives them instruction and also draws them still more to himself.

Brothers, will you find manure in sifted wheat? Yet wheat attains such brightness, such appearance, such splendor, with the help of manure. Such foulness became the path to splendor.

Therefore, my brothers, as I have said, manure in the proper place brings fruit. In an improper place it leads to uncleanness.

Manure in the right place is not there in vain. It bears fruit. This is truly the time of fruitful sorrow.

We may lament our mortality, the abundance of temptations, the evil thoughts of sinners, the deceit of passions, and the battle of desires against good thoughts. Let us grieve. Let us be sorrowful over these things.

All who have sinned before the Lord, but have turned back and repent, must have this sorrow, that is, sorrow for God’s sake.

They must grieve, I say, that by evil deeds they offended God, Who is eternal love and goodness. They dishonored by a lawless life Him Whom they ought to have honored.

They did not love Him Whom they ought to have loved above all. They did not obey Him Whom they ought to have obeyed.

This is true sorrow for God’s sake. The faithful soul has it not because of the torment that follows sins, but because it has offended God.

This is the “sorrow for God’s sake, which produces unchanging repentance unto salvation.” For this sorrow the apostle praises the Corinthians and rejoices over it: “Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved unto repentance. For you were grieved according to God” (2 Cor 7:9).

Thus the Apostle Peter was grieved when he denied Christ, “and he went out and wept bitterly” (Mt 26:75).

“Peter,” says Saint Chrysostom, “when he denied Christ, wept not because of punishment, but because he had denied the Beloved. This was worse for him than any punishment” (Homily 5 on Romans).

Christians must also have sorrow when they hear or see their neighbor sinning. They must grieve and not condemn, since they themselves are subject to the same fall.

For the one who sins angers the good God, their heavenly Father. This ought to grieve them as children of God, and also because their brother is perishing in this way.

Holy David had such sorrow: “Sorrow,” he says, “seized me at the sight of sinners who forsake Thy law” (Ps 118:53).

Paul, the teacher of the whole inhabited world, had such sorrow, as is evident from his epistles. All Christians must have such sorrow, but especially pastors, bishops, and priests.

They must suffer over their spiritual children “until Christ is formed in them” (Gal 4:19).

“Saint Paul rejoices in the same thing. If we had not rebuked you when correction by rebuke was possible, we would have harmed you. The loss would not have been yours alone, but ours also, because we would not have given you occasion for repentance.

“Do you see that failing to rebuke sinners harms both teacher and disciple? Therefore, he says, although I regretted it before I saw the fruit and benefit of the epistle, now I do not regret it. For the fruit was grief according to God.

“For grief over sins alone is profitable, and this is clear from what follows. One who grieves over the loss of wealth does not thereby repair the loss. One who grieves over the dead does not thereby raise him.

“One who grieves because of sickness not only is not delivered from the sickness, but even makes it worse. Only one who grieves over sins receives benefit from grief, because he exhausts and destroys sins.

“Grief is a medicine prepared for this one occasion. Here alone it has power and brings benefit. In other cases it causes harm. What is heavier than grief? Yet when it is grief according to God, it is far better than worldly joy.

“For that joy turns to nothing, while this grief works repentance unto salvation, not to be regretted. None of those who grieve with this grief has ever regretted it. Regret is especially characteristic of worldly grief.

“Blessed Paul, when speaking of the good fruits of grief according to God, had no need to bring outside examples to confirm what he said. He points to the Corinthians themselves and takes proofs from what they did.

“Thus, while praising them, he also instructs them and draws them still more to himself. ‘For behold this very thing, that you were grieved according to God, what earnestness it worked in you.’

“That is, look how your grief according to God made you concerned for yourselves. Such zeal and such very swift correction showed that they had been afraid.

“‘In everything you proved yourselves to be pure in the matter.’ This means not only that they themselves had not committed such a crime, but also that they did not indulge the one who had done it. They punished him and were indignant against him.

“The Apostle feared for the whole Church. He feared that the evil might spread and, going further, embrace the whole Church. Therefore he said, ‘A little leaven leavens the whole lump’ (1 Cor 5:6).

“Now, when they had corrected themselves, he expresses the same thing differently, saying, ‘that my care for you might be made manifest among you.’ That is, that you might see how I love you.

“Since I love you greatly, I feared that you might suffer harm from this scandalous example. I feared that you would be compelled to grieve on your own account.”

According to Theodoret’s explanation, “by the offender the Apostle means the one guilty of fornication, and by the offended, his father. For even after death he was offended by the dishonoring of his bed.”

Chrysostom says, “He lets them perceive that he feared for the whole Church. He feared that the evil might spread and, going further, embrace the whole Church” (cf. 1 Cor 5:6).

The one who grieves according to God runs to this. This means the same as setting one’s foot firmly upon the path of salvation. This is why the Apostle said that grief according to God works repentance unto salvation, not to be regretted.

Repentance not to be regretted means repentance with a firm resolve not to turn back. Or it means repentance for which no one repents, despite the considerable sacrifices it requires. For he immediately learns by experience what great good it brings with it.

Saint Paul contrasts this saving grief with the deadly grief of the world, saying, “but the grief of this world works death.” The grief of the world is grief over losses of glory, honor, possessions, pleasures, or disorder in earthly or civil affairs.

In general, it is grief over anything earthly, confined to this life, and not touching salvation and eternity. All these griefs kill with sorrow and strike with hopelessness. When earthly goods are taken away, the one deprived of them feels as though his soul were being torn out.

But the one who grieves according to God is also struck by deep sorrow. Yet this sorrow is always mingled with good hope of mercy. For the whole world knows God’s readiness to receive the repentant.

Therefore grief according to God does not kill, but gives life. It does not cause death, but draws one out of death and transfers him into life.

Chrysostom speaks at length about these two kinds of grief. “What does the grief of this world mean? It is when you grieve over possessions, glory, or one who has died. All this is grief of the world, and therefore it causes death.

“He who grieves over glory envies, and often comes to inevitable destruction. Cain and Esau grieved with such grief. Thus by grief of the world he means that grief which harms those who sorrow.

“For grief over sins alone is profitable, and this is clear from what follows. One who grieves over the loss of wealth does not thereby repair the loss. One who grieves over the dead does not raise him.

“One who grieves because of sickness not only is not delivered from the sickness, but even makes it worse. Only one who grieves over sins receives benefit from grief, because he exhausts and destroys sins.

“Grief is a medicine prepared for this one occasion. Here alone it has force and brings benefit. In other cases it causes harm. What is heavier than grief? Yet when it is grief according to God, it is far better than worldly joy.

“For that joy turns to nothing, while this grief works repentance unto salvation, not to be regretted. It is also worthy of wonder that none of those who grieve with it ever regrets it. Regret is especially characteristic of worldly grief.

“For what is dearer than one’s own son? And what is more bitter than his death? Yet fathers who, in the time of their intense grief, accepted no comfort and tormented themselves afterward repent that they grieved beyond measure.

“They not only gained no benefit from it, but even upset themselves still more. Grief according to God is not like this. It has a twofold advantage. It does not make one regret what he grieves over, and it turns the very grief into salvation.

“Worldly grief is deprived of both these advantages. In it people grieve to their own harm, and after intense grief they are indignant with themselves. This serves as the strongest proof that, by grieving, they harm themselves.

“The consequences of grief according to God are entirely opposite. No one will accuse himself because he grieved, wept, and was contrite over sin.”