1So then, dear friends, since we have these promises,a let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit,b bringing holiness to completionA in the fear of God.c

Joy and Repentance

2Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, corrupteda no one, taken advantage of no one. 3I don’t say this to condemn you, since I have already said that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4I am very frank with you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in all our afflictions.

5In fact, when we came into Macedonia,a weA had no rest. Instead, we were troubled in every way: conflictsb on the outside, fearsc within. 6But God, who comforts the downcast,a comforted us by the arrival of Titus, 7and not only by his arrival but also by the comfort he received from you. He told us about your deep longing, your sorrow, and your zeala for me, so that I rejoiced even more. 8For even if I grieved you with my letter,a I don’t regret it. And if I regretted it — since I saw that the letter grieved you, yet only for a while —  9I now rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us. 10For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death.a 11For consider how much diligence this very thing — this grieving as God wills — has produced in you: what a desire to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what deep longing, what zeal, what justice! In every way you showed yourselves to be purea in this matter. 12So even though I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong, or because of the one who was wronged, but in order that your devotion to us might be made plain to you in the sight of God. 13For this reason we have been comforted.

In addition to our own comfort, we rejoiced even more over the joy Titusa had, because his spirit was refreshed by all of you. 14For if I have made any boast to him about you, I have not been disappointed; but as I have spoken everything to you in truth,a so our boasting to Titus has also turned out to be the truth. 15And his affection toward you is even greater as he remembers the obedience of all of you, and how you received him with fear and trembling. 16I rejoice that I have complete confidence in you.