Such are the promises, beloved, that await us. Why then, let us purge ourselves clean from every defilement of flesh and of spirit, achieving the work of our sanctification in the fear of God.

Be generous with us; it is not as if any of you could say that we had wronged him, or done him harm, or taken undue advantage of him.

I am not finding fault with you when I say this; I have told you before now, we hold you so close in our hearts that nothing in life or in death can part us from you.

With what confidence I speak to you, what pride I take in you! I am full of encouragement, nay, I cannot contain myself for happiness, in the midst of all these trials of mine.

By the time we had reached Macedonia, our human weakness could find no means of rest; all was conflict without, all was anxiety within.

But there is one who never fails to comfort those who are brought low; God gave us comfort, as soon as Titus came.

It was not only that he came; he inspired us with that courage he had derived from you. He told us how you longed for my presence, how you grieved over what had happened, how you took my part, till I was more than ever rejoiced.

Yes, even if I caused you pain by my letter, I am not sorry for it. Perhaps I was tempted to feel sorry, when I saw how my letter had caused you even momentary pain,✻

but now I am glad; not glad of the pain, but glad of the repentance the pain brought with it. Yours was a supernatural remorse, so that you were not in any way the losers through what we had done.

Supernatural remorse leads to an abiding and salutary change of heart, whereas the world’s remorse leads to death.

See what devotion has been bred in you now by this supernatural remorse; how you disowned the guilt; the indignation you felt, the fear that overcame you; how you missed me, how you took my part, how you righted the wrong done. You have done everything to prove yourselves free from guilt in this matter.

So, then, I had written you a letter, and it was neither the wrong-doer nor the injured party that was to be the gainer by it; it was to have the effect of shewing you our devotion to your welfare✻

in God’s sight. It was this that brought us comfort; and besides this comfort, we had still greater cause for rejoicing in the joy which Titus felt, with his heart refreshed by the welcome you all gave him.

I had boasted to Titus of the confidence I felt in you, and you did not play me false; no, the boast I had made to Titus proved true, as true as the message which I had delivered to you.

He bears a most affectionate memory of you, of the submissiveness you all shewed, of the anxious fear with which you received him.

I am rejoiced that I can repose such full confidence in you.