Agonising Anxiety has been Cancelled by Abundant Joy. The cause of his anxiety had been in part the condition of affairs in the church at Corinth, but even more the measures he had taken to deal with it, followed by torturing doubt as to how these would be received by the Corinthians. Someone had behaved outrageously. Someone had been outraged. There can be no doubt that it was Paul who had suffered, though whether he was personally present or what was the nature of the outrage we cannot tell. What made it serious was that the Corinthians had not repudiated the insult to their friend. Stung by their fickleness, and moved by fear lest they should fall away altogether from himself and the gospel, Paul had written a letter so severe that from the moment he despatched it, probably by the hand of Titus, he was torn with anxiety lest it should have the very opposite effect to what he desired. When he had met Titus in Macedonia, it was to hear news so unexpectedly good that he was lost in thankfulness and joy. They had repented. They had inflicted punishment (2 Corinthians 2:6) on the offender. They had shown by their treatment of Titus both the genuineness of their repentance and their loyal affection for the apostle. All this Paul rehearses with almost breathless thankfulness, and explains (2 Corinthians 7:12) that the deepest consequences (and so, intention) had been their discovery in the sight of God of the reality of their attachment to Paul.
2 Corinthians 7:5-16
5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
7 And not by his coming 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.
8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry aftera a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
12 Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.
13 Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.
14 For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth.
15 And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.
16 I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.