Godly Sorrow

II Corinthians 7:2-16

Good morning. Before we get into today’s message, I want to take a moment and pray that God would speak to us today.

Lord God, You are sovereign. You have authority over all things. And, “You have exalted above all things your name and your word.” (Ps 138:2b) I pray that your spirit would stir in our hearts. I pray that I would speak Your words, and I pray that our hearts would receive them and live them out. Thank You for giving us your Word both in Jesus Christ as the Word made flesh and the Bible that we can read every day. Amen.

Okay, so we’re in chapter 7 of II Corinthians. Today’s message will bring us to the end of the first section of this letter. Through the first 7 chapters, Paul wrote to the Corinthians with an apologetic focus. He has been explaining his conduct, his ministry, and his heart.

In today’s passage, Paul is going to make some reference to his travel plans as well as a trip by Titus. So, I’d like to take some time to make an overview of who’s going where when and who’s writing what when and from where. Got it?

As I started to try and untangle this in my mind, I came to the realization that these guys could really get around. They are traveling thousands of miles over sea and rough/wild terrain. They are often being separated and reunited at different times and at different places. It is really quite fascinating and obviously God is at work bringing together these “workers for the harvest.”

If you look on the map at the straight beeline distance from Jerusalem to the area of Thessalonica/Berea, this is a thousand miles. Of course, these journeys are not straight line trips. There are winding journeys through many towns and different terrains. In his life, Paul probably traveled in excess of 15,000 miles and possibly much more than that.

That may not seem like much today where the average car gets driven 10,000 miles per year, but think about the roads and condition of the ships. There was no air conditioning. Heating was solely by fire. While the Romans were well known for building superior roads, there were no interstates, and in some cases, there were probably no roads at all. There were no “Comfort Inns” along the way. In a year, our average speed of travel is probably more than 40 mph. Paul’s average speed of travel was probably 4 mph if that much.

Paul wrote II Corinthians around 55 AD before his fateful trip to Rome and about 23 years before his death. At that time, he could already say …

Three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits … in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea … I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked … In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. [And probably in the most unusual mode of transportation] But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands. II Corinthians 11:25-32

Just getting from point A to point B was a trial and resulted in suffering.

So, this is a map of Paul’s Second Missionary Journey. Paul first came to Corinth during that trip. Paul’s “base of operations” was Syrian Antioch. He had spent about 8 years in that area doing ministry after his conversion on the road to Damascus. He ended his First Missionary Journey there in 48 AD. It is at this time that we have the first mention of Titus. Based on the book of Titus, it is apparent that Titus was one of Paul’s converts, but we do not have a record of where Titus was from but likely he was met in Syrian Antioch or during the First Missionary Journey. According to Galatians, Titus was a Greek, and he accompanied Paul and Barnabus to the Jerusalem Conference in 49/50 AD. He is mentioned in Galatians because although he went to Jerusalem he was not compelled to be circumcised. Titus lived out Paul’s command from I Corinthians …

Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. I Corinthians 7:17-19

Titus is not mentioned again until the time between First and Second Corinthians which was at least 5 years later. It appears that was when he began a more active or at least more visible role in ministry.

So in 50 AD, Paul set out on his Second Missionary Journey. As we studied in the book of Acts, this was the point where Paul and Barnabas parted ways. Barnabas who is originally from Cyprus takes John Mark and goes back to Cyprus where the First Missionary Journey began. Rather than traveling by sea to Cyprus, Paul takes Silas and travels by land and visits some of the same towns and cities he preached in during the second part of the First Missionary Journey.

Then in Lystra, Paul hears good reports about Timothy and brings him along. It is interesting to note that Paul circumcised Timothy at Lystra but we just said before that Titus was not circumcised. This seems like somewhat of a contradiction, but it is really not. The expectation or demand for Titus to be circumcised was as a condition for salvation. Paul’s decision to circumcise Timothy was a decision for ministry. Titus’ case fit with I Corinthians 7 while Timothy’s case fits with I Corinthians 9

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. I Corinthians 9:19-20

Literally, Timothy became like one under the law to win those under the law. Okay.

They travel across the northern part of the province of Asia and come to the border of Mysia planning to go up into the area of Bithynia. This is where Paul has a vision of the man in Macedonia who says “come over to Macedonia and help us.” They leave at once and sail from Troas to Neapolis. Skipping over a lot of cool stories, they come to Berea and Jews from Thessalonica follow them and stir up the crowds against them. From here, Paul goes on alone down to Athens. Silas and Timothy stay in Berea with instructions to join him as soon as possible.

Paul stays a short time in Athens but then departs for Corinth. Here he meets Priscilla and Aquila. They had fled Rome to Corinth because the Emperor Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. According to the historian Suetonius, “the expulsion order was given because of ‘their [the Jews] continual tumults instigated by Chrestus.’” Chrestus was a common misspelling of Christ, and the riots were not “led” by him but were obviously “about” him. Since the conversion of Priscilla and Aquila is not mentioned and Paul immediately stays and works with them as a tentmaker, it seems likely that they were already Christians when they arrived in Corinth.

Paul spent a year and a half in Corinth which was about half the time spent making the whole Second Missionary Journey. This occurred during 51 and 52 AD. Paul departs Corinth and stops in Ephesus on his return to Jerusalem and Syrian Antioch.

Priscilla and Aquila join Paul on the journey, but they stay in Ephesus. While in Ephesus, they met Apollos who “was a learned man with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures … He had been instructed in the way of the Lord and spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately,” but Apollos did not know about the Holy Spirit, so Priscilla and Aquila “invited him into their home and explained the way of God more adequately.” Apollos then goes to Achaia, the region of Corinth and “was a great help to those who by grace had believed.”

At this time, Paul has already begun his Third Missionary Journey which lasts from 53-57 AD. The Third Missionary Journey follows the initial track of the Second Missionary Journey up through Galatia and Phrygia, but then bends more westerly to Ephesus instead of north to Troas. Paul spends three years of his Third Missionary Journey in Ephesus while Apollos is at least part of that time in Corinth.


It is during Paul’s stay at Ephesus that the first letters to the Corinthians are written. As we’ve mentioned before, there are at least four letters that Paul wrote to the Corinthians. The first letter preceded I Corinthians and in that letter Paul had written not to associate with sexually immoral people. Then, he writes I Corinthians in the spring of 55 AD, and in part he clarifies that he meant not to associate with sexually immoral people claiming to be Christians.

Also, Paul writes in I Corinthians 16:5 that he plans to go through Macedonia first then come to Corinth not in a passing visit but to spend some time there, possibly the whole winter. This is ultimately what he ends up doing according to Acts 20.

However, there are the other two letters. There was a third letter written between First and Second Corinthians. Paul laments in II Corinthians 7:8 that this third letter “caused them sorrow.” In addition, Paul mentions that there was another visit to Corinth. According to II Corinthians 2:1, Paul did not want to “make another painful visit to [Corinth].” Also, it is clear from II Corinthians 12:14 and 13:1 that his subsequent visit would be the third time he had come to Corinth.

There was a harsh letter and a painful visit that occurred. Because Paul lays out his actual travel plan accurately in I Corinthians 16, I believe that the painful visit may have occurred before I Corinthians was written.

I share that in part because of the criticism that Paul had received and that he responds to in II Corinthians 1. False teachers made a big deal about Paul’s change of plans. They said that since Paul was supposed to come to Corinth before going to Macedonia, but in reality wasn’t going to do that, he was not trustworthy and therefore unreliable. Paul responds that his change of plans was for their good. He wanted to give them time between the writing of First and Second Corinthians to spare them. According to II Corinthians 1:24 …

Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.

The Corinthians were to use that time to their advantage so that they could deal with some of the sin issues in the body, including divisions within the church, sexual immorality among believers, arguments and lawsuits between believers, using freedom in Christ such that weaker believers were caused to stumble, eating the Lord’s Supper in a disgraceful manner, worshiping and displaying spiritual gifts in disorderly and confusing ways.

I wonder what that painful visit was like. Did Paul surprise them by coming unannounced? Did he slip across the Aegean Sea without invitation and walk into the church during a meeting? I’m thinking of a class with a substitute teacher. The students are out of control, talking laughing, running around, chaos and disorder. The substitute is at the head of the class maybe carefree, not intervening. Then, the principal walks in. What happens? Total silence. Everyone tries to get back to their seat without it looking like they were ever out of their seat. How does that principal feel? Well, what if it was a class of his best students, ever?

That’s how Paul viewed the Corinthians, they were some of his dearest disciples. He said of them in II Corinthians 7:2-4 …

Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

And yet, they were acting in a dishonorable and disgraceful way, toward each other, toward Paul, and toward the Lord. Paul did not want to beat them into submission; he wanted them to make the right choices on their own. He wanted them to “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ,” not out of fear of Paul.

Okay, it seems like I’ve slipped off track. Paul was in Ephesus. Say around 54 AD he made the “painful visit” to Corinth returning to Ephesus. Then, in the spring of 55 AD, he wrote I Corinthians from Ephesus.

Sometime after that, he wrote the harsh letter which was delivered to Corinth by Titus. It is clear that Titus’ return to Paul and the response to this harsh letter are linked together. In II Corinthians 7:6-8, we read …

But God … comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever. Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it - I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while …

Paul could not wait to find out how the Corinthians had responded to this harsh letter.

So, as Paul had written in I Corinthians, he left Ephesus after Pentecost in 55 AD and began to travel into Macedonia. According to II Corinthians 2:12-13 …

Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia.

Carl made a point of this during the message on II Corinthians 2, but it is still impressive how deep a love and concern that Paul felt for the Corinthians. He had no peace of mind even though he had an open door in Troas. It brings to mind I Corinthians 13 where Paul explains that …

And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing … And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Paul truly loves the Corinthians and demonstrates his love in keeping with I Corinthians 13 (patient, kind, not self-seeking, not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs). Paul is walking the walk. And he moves on to Macedonia in anticipation of finding Titus.

It is hard for us to sympathize with Paul or even to understand his anxiety about meeting up with Titus because of the technology we have at our fingertips. If I want to know where someone is, I just pull out my handy cell phone and make a call.

Now our family doesn’t use the cell phone very much. But we were on vacation week before last, and there was a lot of coordination done by cell phone. We were in Baltimore for the graduation of my brother-in-law. Melissa planned to attend the ceremony, so the plan was I would drop her off at the coliseum while the kids and I went on to the Maryland Zoo.

Okay, so our family doesn’t do anything quickly, and in an effort to maximize every opportunity, we generally do each activity a little longer than we should. So, we spent every minute we could being tourists in the morning, and we were a little later than we wanted to be for our dropoff. But still, we’re going to make it 30 minutes prior to the start of graduation. Melissa’s dad will meet her outside with her ticket. All is well. Well, the cell phone rings. They announced that the coliseum will close 30 minutes prior to graduation to make sure everyone gets seated before the procession begins.

Now I know its just a scare tactic, but I have only been to Baltimore one time before this, and I have never been to Towson before in my life. I looked at the map once in Clemson before I left, and I’m following the GPS to a generic address for the entire university. So I’m envisioning not only Melissa missing graduation, but her dad missing the graduation of his only son. Lord help!

There is a flurry of cell phone calls as I try to get Melissa as close as I can to the coliseum and make sure that her dad ends up in the same place. Of course, I drop Melissa off, but I don’t know whether she made it or not. So I drive about a block and a half and find a parallel parking place and parallel park a 15 passenger van for the first time in my life. I wait about 5 minutes and then … I call Melissa using my cell phone. And, yes she made it and all is finally well.

So unfortunately, Paul does not have a cell phone, a land line, email, or even snail mail. He wrote the harsh letter to Corinth and sent it not by the Roman Postal Service, Certified Mail with Return Receipt. He wrote the letter and then said, “Here, Titus. Please go to Corinth and deliver this letter. Come back as quickly as you can. Oh and by the way, I’m not going to be here in Ephesus. I’m coming to Corinth, too, by way of Macedonia. Here’s the itinerary. Meet me along the way.” I don’t think I can even fathom communication of that kind.

Now this itinerary probably didn’t even have any dates on it, except maybe a possible start date, plus or minus a week. It must have been just a list of cities along the path Paul planned to travel.

So even though Paul reached Troas and found an open door, he was constantly plagued that the speed of his rendezvous with Titus was cut in half. It’s like your classic word problem. If Paul is traveling from Ephesus to Corinth along a path through Macedonia at 4 mph and Titus is traveling from Corinth to Ephesus along the same path through Macedonia at 5 mph. How long will it take them to meet, and where will their journeys intersect? Part B: If Paul stops in Troas, how much longer will it take for them to meet?

Paul couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t stand to let a minute pass longer than was necessary to find out how the Corinthians were.

For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn-conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever. II Corinthians 7:5-7

Continuing in II Corinthians 7

Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it - I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while - yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. II Corinthians 7:8-9

And now we come to the gem of II Corinthians 7. You probably know it already …

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. II Corinthians 7:10

We can look at this verse from the point of view of getting saved. Godly sorrow is God-centered sorrow, and God-centered sorrow is sorrow over the wickedness of sin that manifests itself by repentance and the experience of divine grace.

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 8:24-25

Worldly sorrow is self-centered sorrow, and self-centered sorrow is sorrow over the painful consequences of our sin. We are sad, angry or depressed because our lives are messed up, not because we are hopeless sinners in need of a redeeming savior.

Now many of the people in the church at Corinth were believers already, particularly the ones which Paul is addressing in this letter. So, he is talking about sin and repentance, but not sin in the life of the unbeliever. Instead, he is focusing more on sin in the life of a believer.

We can have deep seated and firmly rooted sin areas in our lives. We can also be somewhat blind to our sin, especially if we keep disregarding the Holy Spirit’s nudging or prompting. Our hearts will get closed up and hardened.

Something has to happen to break in and open up our hearts. We have to be convicted of our sin. Acts 19 has an example of this happening to the believers in Ephesus.

This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out."

Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"

Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. --Acts 19:10-20

Fifty thousand drachmas was more than 150 years of wages. Many of those who believed were still holding on to their former way of life. Even though they knew in their heads it was wrong, they had kept their scrolls. Their change of heart came when they were confronted with the reality of God. Head knowledge affects our outward appearance and actions. Heart knowledge or attitude affects who we are and how we live 24/7.

Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God. I Corinthians 8:1-3

Maybe you are familiar with the story of Keith Green. He was a Christian and a singer, pianist and songwriter. He was very bold in his faith and his music is very convicting, especially to the lukewarm believer. Keith Green was a kind of modern day John the Baptist. He actually got saved in 1974, and was in active ministry starting in 1975. He recorded his first Christian album in 1976. His wife Melody wrote about one day in February 1979 when Keith woke her up and said, “Listen, I was up praying all night. And I just got saved.”

And the logical response was, “You what?”

And Keith repeated, “I just got saved!”

Keith went on to call the entire community of believers together and have time where he confessed sin to them.

Then Keith picked up his Bible and read a scripture to us from Hosea [10:12]: “Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you …” Keith continued, “Fallow ground is ground that was once tilled, but has gotten hard and unusable. Before it can receive seed it needs to be broken up and made soft again. Finney says to break up the fallow ground of our heart we need to examine our motives, actions, and state of mind carefully.” Then picking up the Finney book [Revival Lectures by 19th century revivalist Charles Finney], Keith read to us:

“Many people never seem to think about doing this. They pay no attention to their own hearts, and never know whether they are doing well in their walk with the Lord or not – whether they are bearing fruit or are totally barren. There are many professing Christians who are willing to do almost anything in religion that does not require self-denial. They are so far from realizing that self-denial is a condition of discipleship, that they do not even know what it is!”

Rushing Wind - from No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green, By Melody Green
http://www.forerunner.com/ By Editorial Staff, Published March 2008

And that’s the challenge from today’s message. Are we bearing fruit or are we barren? Are we willing to deny ourselves for Christ’s sake? If the answer is yes, the effect is transformational. You are a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come. You are no longer a brittle old wineskin that will crack under the pressure of new wine. You are a soft and pliable new wineskin ready to be yielded and stretched by the Holy Spirit.

I don’t know about you, but that’s where I want to be.

What did the effect of godly sorrow look like in the lives of the Corinthians …

See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. II Corinthians 7:11-12

What effect did their repentance have on Paul and Timothy and Titus?

By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. II Corinthians 7:13-15

When we yield ourselves, the work of the Spirit of God has impacts far beyond just you or me. Don’t get me wrong. The impact on our own lives is the process of sanctification, being made more like Christ. But I can’t help but thinking that this event was a turning point in Titus’ life, as well. He was mentioned only once before this in the Bible, for not falling into legalism and works based salvation. But as we read here, Titus begins to develop a true affection for the Corinthians as a result of their yielding and repentance.

Titus will go on to have a ministry in Crete appointing elders and serving as an example to the believers there. Eventually he would go on to his own missionary journey to Dalmatia north of Macedonia. Was the attitude of the Corinthians a fan to the flame of the Holy Spirit in Titus’ life? I think it is very likely.

So today, right now, if you want to transform some aspect of your life or to transform lives around yours, the key will be to yield yourself to the Holy Spirit. If your problem is at work and you don’t know how to handle a difficult person … or if your problem is within the family and you don’t know how to repair a damaged or broken relationship … or if you have financial problems or marital problems or any kind of problem … if you are in any kind of pit or trouble … the very best starting point will be to humble yourself before the Lord.

Just to make it absolutely clear: James (4:10) wrote, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” Peter (1st 5:6) wrote, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” And the Lord himself said …

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:3-5

How do you know if you have a plank in your eye? If you have any feeling of pride or any attitude that you are better than someone else, I am almost certain you have a plank in your eye. You may not be able to see it, but if you humble yourself God will bring it to light. He will lift you up.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like I’ve got a stack of lumber sticking out of my eye. Sometimes I wonder, how long will I walk around with a plank sticking out of my eye? It can be overwhelming if we let it be. But if we are humble, God will continue to work and to set things right as we turn away from sin, take up our cross and follow him …

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

How did the Corinthian’s right response impact Paul, their “father through the gospel?”

Paul said, I am glad I can have complete confidence in you. II Corinthians 7:16

Let’s pray.
God, may we have your complete confidence. Soften our hearts, O God. Help us to break up the fallow ground. Show us our unconfessed sin and lead us to godly sorrow. In this, glorify Your Name. Thank you for weaving our lives into Your story, the history of grace. In Jesus Name, Amen.