Perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

 

Perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

 

(2 Corinthians 7:1)Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

It is holiness that distinguishes the church from the world and makes the church the church. The essence of the church is the cross. In other words, the church is the assembly of the dead with Jesus Christ. The church is not a building, but the members of the Holy Spirit. The saints are the church, and the place where the saints are gathered is the church. So, the saints enter into the Word, have fellowship with the Word, look to the cross, remember that they are the dead, and gain strength to fight the world. The believer must remember that the dead are dead to the world and dead to sin.

Just as light reveals more light in a dark place, the church built in Corinth, a city that is representative of darkness and corruption, needed this holiness more. That is why Paul exhorts the members of the Corinthian church to say, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

However, some Corinthian believers framed, criticized, and attacked Paul. Furthermore, regarding the content of conspiring and criticizing Paul who founded the Corinthian church, the Corinthians stood by and some took an attitude of sympathy. So Paul exhorted: 『Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.

In any organization or organization in the world, if you try to correct the wrong and do the right thing, there will always be slander and conspiracy. Paul established the church in Corinth and preached the gospel, just as he did the labor of childbirth, but after Paul left, there were people who slandered and framed Paul.

Paul tried to visit the Corinthian church again, but he did not visit again when he realized that there were people in the Corinthian church who slandered and framed him. Instead, he wrote a letter of reproof and admonition to the Corinthian church and sent it through Titus. This is another letter written by Paul between 1 and 2 Corinthians. After Paul sent a letter of rebuke through Titus, his heart ached because he thought that the Corinthian church members would have a lot of worries and regret. Just as a right parent is heartbroken after reprimanding their children who go astray, Paul, as a spiritual parent, was heartbroken after rebuking the Corinthian church members like his children through a letter. He also became concerned and discouraged about how the Corinthians would react to the letter. Because instead of correcting wrongs, they might be more rebellious.

But God is a God who comforts those who are discouraged. 『Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; not by his coming his only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.” he says.

God used three methods to comfort Paul who was discouraged. First, God comforted Paul by sending Titus back to Paul. Second, he comforted Paul by the fact that the Corinthians welcomed Titus well and comforted him. And thirdly, it is to comfort the members of the Corinthian church, who received the letter of reproof, that they love Paul and are zealous in their sorrow.

As such, the members of the Corinthian church received a letter of reproof from Paul through Titus, but they repented through that letter, received Titus well, comforted him, and sent it back to Paul.

The members of the Corinthian church made Paul worried and discouraged, but later they gave him great comfort, which made Paul overflow with joy. So, Paul says, “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.”

 

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