2 Corinthians 7:1-16 (NKJV)
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2 Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one.
3 I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.
4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.
5 For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.
6 Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,
7 and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.
8 For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while.
9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.
10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
12 Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.
13 Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.
14 For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true.
15 And his affections are greater for you as he remembers the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him.
16 Therefore I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything.
In 1 Corinthians 5—and perhaps in another lost letter written between 1 and 2 Corinthians—Paul speaks with strong conviction, rebuking the church for tolerating a man living in open and defiant sin. This situation undoubtedly grieved the congregation, stirring feelings of offense, pain, and resistance. Their personal ties to this man may have made it especially difficult to obey Paul’s instruction to remove him from their fellowship and “deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved.” Yet, from 2 Corinthians 2:5–11, it’s clear the man eventually repented and turned away from his sin, finding restoration.
In this chapter, Paul commends the church for its obedience and willingness to put away the filth of the flesh, thereby perfecting holiness. Their faithful response not only transformed the man but also renewed the holiness of the entire body. Paul also acknowledges their humility and submission to Timothy’s guidance, which deepened their fellowship with God and reflected His holiness. What could have been a moment of painful division instead became a testimony of unity, healing, and spiritual maturity.
This moment powerfully illustrates the importance of removing anything that hinders fellowship with the Master—not only for those directly involved but for the health of the whole body. Correction, when embraced in love and obedience, releases the power of God’s love to produce true godliness and holiness. In this, hearts are knit together in a purpose far greater than any fragile acceptance of sin could ever offer.