2 Corinthians 7:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He said this not because he had in fact rebuked them beyond measure, but in order to increase their praise. He says, “You showed such correction that, even if I had punished you too severely and had to blame myself, yet now, looking at the outcome, I would praise myself.”

Just as we confidently caress children after some painful treatment has been applied to them, such as cutting, cauterizing, or a bitter drink, so also Paul acts.

“I see that that epistle grieved you, though only for a time. Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved unto repentance” (2 Cor 7:8-9).

After saying, “I do not regret,” he gives the reason, showing the benefit of the epistle. He prudently justifies himself and says, “though only for a time,” because the grief was brief, while the benefit proved lasting.

He ought to have said, “Even if I offended you for a time, through this I brought you joy and benefit forever.” Yet he does not say this. Before speaking of the benefit, he again begins to praise them and to show his care for them.

He says, “Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved.” For what profit would there be to me from your grief? “But because you were grieved unto repentance,” that is, because your grief bore fruit.

As a father, when he sees his son being cut, rejoices not because the son suffers pain but because he is healed, so Paul also rejoices.

And notice how he attributes the whole success of the matter to them. He attributes the grief to the epistle when he says, “that epistle grieved you, though only for a time.” But he counts its benefit as their merit.

He did not say, “because the epistle corrected you,” though this was in fact the case. Rather he said, “you were grieved unto repentance; for you were grieved according to God, so that you suffered no loss from us.”

Do you see his ineffable prudence? “If we had not done this,” he says, “we would have harmed you.” He attributes the correction to them, and to himself the harm that would have come from his silence.

“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.

“Just as one who does not give a merchant the means for sailing harms him, so we would have harmed you if we had not given you occasion for repentance.” Do you see that failing to rebuke sinners harms both teacher and disciple?

Why did he regret it? And why again does he not regret it? He regretted it because he had struck them very forcefully. He does not regret it because he corrected them.

That you may be convinced this is truly the reason, hear what follows: “I see that that epistle grieved you, though only for a time. Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved unto repentance.”

If, he says, I grieved you for a time, that grief was brief, while the benefit is lasting.

Just as we confidently caress children after they have endured some painful treatment, such as cutting, cauterizing, or a bitter medicine, so Paul acts. As a father, when he sees his son being cut, rejoices not because the son suffers pain but because he is healed, so the Apostle rejoices.

And see how he attributes the whole success of the matter to them, while he refers the grief to the epistle. He says, “that epistle grieved you, though only for a time,” and he counts its benefit as their progress.

“For I see that that epistle grieved you, though only for a time. Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved unto repentance. For you were grieved according to God, so that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.”

Even if that epistle grieved you for a long time, it nevertheless brought you very great benefit. I rejoice, not seeing sorrow in itself, but the fruit of sorrow, because this sorrow produced praiseworthy repentance.

“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 did not say, ‘I rejoice that the epistle corrected you,’ though this was in fact so. Rather, he says, ‘because you were grieved unto repentance’” (Saint Chrysostom).

You were grieved, he says, but you did not come from this to vexation and indignation against the one who had grieved you. Instead you blamed yourselves, acknowledging that you deserved the rebukes.

You repented of your guilt and resolved to correct yourselves. Such grieving is grieving according to God.

Therefore he says: “For you were grieved according to God,” kata Theon. This means according to the order of divine requirements, or of a life pleasing to God, in the order of pleasing God and salvation.

It also means by the fear of God, looking to God and not judging current events merely by outward appearance. Because of our reproof, you remembered God and His judgment, and hastened to correct what was disordered.

For God always requires one thing: that all be upright, and that those who are not upright should repent. One who remembers God, if upright, thanks God. If not upright, he repents and hastens to amend.

Whoever acts in this way acts according to God, according to what God wills, and according to what reverent thought of Him requires.

“So that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.” Thanks be to God, he says, that He so ordered things. He inspired us with the thought to reprove you more strictly, and He awakened in you a disposition toward repentance.

He so ordered things that you would not suffer any loss in your spiritual progress, nor any harm in the work of salvation, through our fault. Had we not reproved you, you would have remained in your disorder and therefore suffered harm.

Yet if, after we reproved you, the Lord had not turned your feelings toward good, that too would have been bad. Now I see that everything has been ordered for the better, and I cannot but rejoice.

“Observe,” says Saint Chrysostom, “his ineffable prudence. If we had not done this, he says, we would have harmed you. He attributes the correction to them, but to himself the harm that would have come from his silence.

“If we had not reproved you, when it was possible to correct you by reproof, we would have harmed you. The loss would have been not only yours, but ours also.

“As one who does not provide a merchant with means for sailing harms him, so we would have harmed you if we had not given you an occasion for repentance. Do you see that failing to reprove sinners is harmful both to teacher and disciple?”