Chapter 7

1My friends, since we've got these promises, let's clean ourselves up from everything that makes the body and spirit dirty, and get completely holy out of respect for God. Clean. Squeaky clean.

2Make room for us in your hearts. We haven't wronged anybody. We haven't corrupted anybody. We haven't taken advantage of anybody. Perfect record. Nobody can say otherwise.

3I'm not saying this to blame you. I told you before, you're in our hearts. We'd die with you or live with you.

4I'm very confident in you. I brag about you a lot. I'm very encouraged. In all our troubles, I'm overflowing with joy. Bragging about Corinth all the time. Great people.

5When we got to Macedonia, we couldn't rest at all. Trouble at every turn. Fights on the outside, fears on the inside.

6But God, who comforts people who are down, comforted us when Titus showed up. Titus. Finally. Found him.

7And not just because he showed up, but because of how much you'd encouraged him. He told us how much you miss me, how sorry you are, how loyal you are to me. So I was even happier. Very loyal people. I like hearing that. I love hearing that.

8Even if my letter made you sad, I don't regret it. I did regret it for a minute, because I see that letter hurt you, but only for a little while. I don't regret anything. Never apologize. Never regret.

9Now I'm happy. Not because you were sad, but because your sadness made you turn around. You were sad the way God wants, so you weren't hurt by us at all.

10God's kind of sadness makes you turn around, which leads to salvation and leaves no regret. The world's kind of sadness leads to death. Sad the right way. Sad, then fix it.

11Look what this God kind of sadness did for you. How serious you got. How eager to clear yourselves. How angry. How alarmed. How much you wanted to see me. How passionate. How ready to see justice done. You proved you were innocent in the whole thing. Total exoneration. Good.

12So even though I wrote to you, it wasn't about the guy who did wrong or the guy who got wronged. It was so you'd see for yourselves, in front of God, how loyal you are to us.

13That's why we're encouraged. And on top of that, we were thrilled to see how happy Titus was, because all of you put his mind at ease.

14I'd bragged to him about you, and you didn't embarrass me. Everything we said to you was true, and our bragging about you to Titus turned out to be true too. Everything I say turns out to be true.

15And his affection for you is even bigger when he remembers how all of you followed orders and welcomed him with respect and fear. Respect. And a little fear. The right amount of fear.

16I'm glad I can count on you completely. A hundred percent. Total confidence.