2 Corinthians 7:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He no longer refuses to speak boldly even what is pleasant to them, now that this has become possible.

Before, he said that “he who is joined to a harlot becomes one body with her” (1 Cor 6:16). And: “Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh” (1 Cor 5:5).

He also said: “Every sin that a man commits is outside the body” (1 Cor 6:18), and other such things.

How, then, does he say here, “not for the sake of the offender, nor for the sake of the one offended”? Here too he does not contradict himself. On the contrary, he is in full agreement with himself.

In what way is he in agreement? He greatly desired to show his love for them.

Thus he does not deny that he was concerned for the fornicator. But at the same time he shows, as I have observed, the love he had for them.

He also shows that he feared still more for the whole Church. He feared lest the evil spread and, going farther, embrace the whole Church.

Therefore he said: “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Cor 5:6). He said this then. But now that they have corrected themselves, he expresses the same thing differently.

Though he expresses the same thought, he does so with greater pleasantness, saying: “that our care for you might be revealed to you.” That is, “to you, so that you might see how I love you.”

This is the same as the former statement, but expressed differently it appears to have another meaning. To see that it is the same, examine his thought and you will find no difference.

“Because I love you greatly,” he says, “I feared that from this scandalous example you might suffer distress and be forced to grieve over yourselves.”

Similarly, when he said, “Is it for oxen that God is concerned?” (1 Cor 9:9), he did not mean that God does not provide for oxen. No thing can exist without the providence of God.

Rather, he meant that He gave the commandment not chiefly for the sake of oxen.

So also here: “I wrote first for you, and then also for him. I loved you inwardly even before my epistle. But through this epistle I wished to show my love both to you and to everyone generally.”

So also when he says, “Is it for oxen that God is concerned?” (1 Cor 9:9), he does not mean that God is not concerned for them. Otherwise, why were they created?

Rather, he means that God gave the law not chiefly for the sake of oxen.

“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).

He wrote so that, from one person, all of you would not be infected with the same evil. Now those persons are being corrected, and you have been filled with zeal and indignation against such sin.

Even if they had not been corrected, but such indignation had only appeared in you, the aim of the epistle would have been achieved. My concern for the whole body of the Church dictated it.

By it I showed my diligence for all of you, which I have before God. It is the same before God as it has been shown before you.

It is as though the Apostle heard from them the objection: if we are pure, why did you reprove us? Now it is so, but then I could not have supposed this.

Concern for you, arising from love for you, compelled me to be strict.

Saint Chrysostom says: “He lets them understand that he feared for the whole Church. He feared lest the evil spread and, going farther, embrace the whole Church.

“Therefore he also said: ‘A little leaven leavens the whole lump’ (1 Cor 5:6). He said this then. But now that they have corrected themselves, he expresses the same thing differently.

“He has the same thought, but presents it more pleasantly, saying: ‘that my diligence for you might be revealed among you.’ That is, so that you might see how I love you.

“Because I love you greatly, I feared that you might suffer harm from this scandalous example and be forced to grieve over yourselves.”