2 Corinthians 7:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Great is the praise when the teacher boasts. For he says, "I was not put to shame." Therefore I rejoiced, Paul says, because you proved better and confirmed my words in deed. "But as we always spoke the truth to you, so our boasting before Titus proved true." Here he also implies something else. As I spoke only truth among you, for he evidently praised Titus much to them, so what I said about you to Titus proved true.

Therefore I was not put to shame if I boasted about you in anything before him. The fact that Paul boasts in his disciples shows that they were virtuous, and that he was loving toward his children.

Disciples and teachers should be like this even now. “But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved true.” Just as everything I preached to you was true, or perhaps he means the praises he had spoken about Titus, so everything in which I boasted about you proved true.

For I boasted of you to him before he came to you. But just as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting about you to Titus proved to be just.

"Therefore we were comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For if I boasted anything to him about you, I was not put to shame." Above all, I rejoiced that Titus keeps remembrance of you in his soul. He proclaims the love of you all, and learned by experience that everything often said to him about you was true. "But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved true." For we never endured speaking falsehood. We delivered true teaching to you, and adorned our praises of you with truth.

I do not now regret even having grieved you by my epistle, though I had regretted it. For your sorrow was not worldly sorrow, which produces death, but sorrow for God's sake, which produces repentance unto salvation and is not to be regretted.

Still, I wrote the reproof to you "not for the sake of the offender," the incestuous man, "nor for the sake of the one offended," the father of the incestuous man, "but that our care for you before God might be made manifest to you" (2 Cor 7:8-12).

"And we rejoiced still more," the Apostle adds, "at the joy of Titus, because you all refreshed his spirit. I was not put to shame if I had boasted of you to him in anything. Therefore I rejoice that in everything I can rely on you" (2 Cor 7:13-16).

Expressing joy over the Corinthians' good reception of Titus, the Apostle speaks of the consolation given through this to Titus and to himself. He had not been mistaken in praising the Corinthians before him, and he had become assured that now he could rely on them in everything.

Thus the essence of the discourse comes down to praise of the Corinthians. They were wholly faithful to their teacher, whose truthfulness was confirmed among them, as Titus himself witnessed. For this reason Titus came to love the Corinthians.

Yet praise of those taught and established in the faith also includes praise of their guide. Therefore he is not without reason consoled, more than all, by the common consolation.

"If I boasted of you to him in anything." "Great is the praise when the teacher boasts of his disciples and rejoices that his praise proves true. For he says: I was not put to shame.

For this reason I rejoiced: you showed yourselves better, and in deed justified my words. From this I have a twofold consolation. You showed yourselves more perfect, and I was not found to have lied against the truth.

'But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved true.' Here he implies something else also. Just as he spoke only truth among you, and probably praised Titus much to them, so what I said about you to Titus proved true" (St. Chrysostom).