2 Corinthians 7:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“In everything you showed yourselves pure in this matter.” That is, not only because you yourselves did not dare to do such a transgression, which was not in doubt, but also because you did not connive at the one who did.

Since in the first epistle he said, “And you are puffed up” (1 Cor 5:2), here he says: “You have purified yourselves even from this suspicion, when you not only did not praise the sinner, but also expressed your censure and indignation against him.”

“In everything you showed yourselves pure in this matter.” You not only did nothing like what the fornicator did, he says, but you also did not connive at him.

In the former epistle he said: “And you are puffed up” (1 Cor 5:2), which made them sharers in the transgression. Therefore he says here: now you have purified yourselves even from this suspicion, and have shown yourselves free from blame.

“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).

“And here are the signs of such care. ‘But vindication.’ In all these clauses ‘but,’ alla, stands for ‘and,’ as Oecumenius says. Apologia means vindication before me, perhaps expressed before Titus and conveyed by him to the Apostle.

“‘But indignation’ against the one who sinned. ‘But fear.’ ‘You came into the fear of God,’ says Theodoret. Such zeal and very swift correction showed that they were greatly afraid, perhaps also of Saint Paul, according to Oecumenius and Theophylact.

“And lest they think he is praising himself, see how he immediately softens the discourse by saying: ‘but longing,’ that is, for me. ‘You loved us more warmly than before,’ says Theodoret.

“‘For,’ says Oecumenius, ‘because you loved me and did not want to grieve me, you hastened to correct yourselves.’

“‘Lest it seem that, by pointing to fear, he assigns himself some lordship over them, he hastens to avert this thought by pointing to longing,’ epipothesis.

“This is a warm disposition toward him, which is a sign of love, not of subordinate submission,” says Theophylact.

“‘But zeal,’ that is, toward God. ‘Filled with righteous zeal, you lamented the laws that had been transgressed,’ says Theodoret. Or, according to Oecumenius, either for God, or for me before the false apostles who reviled me.

“‘But punishment,’ for they punished those who transgressed the law of God. ‘You armed yourselves with indignation against those who sinned,’ says Theodoret.

“‘In everything you showed yourselves pure in this matter.’ That is, not only because you yourselves did not commit the same transgression, but also because you did not connive at the one who did.

“In the first epistle he said, ‘And you are puffed up’ (1 Cor 5:2). Therefore here he says: you have purified yourselves also from this suspicion, when you not only did not praise the sinner, but punished him and became indignant against him.”