Sorrow over sin can lead in very different directions. Paul distinguishes godly grief, which produces repentance leading to salvation, from worldly grief, which produces death. What makes the difference? Paul takes no pleasure in the pain his letter caused the Corinthians. Yet Titus brings welcome news: their sorrow led to repentance, renewed affection, and an earnest response to correction. Through this report, God comforts His troubled apostle and fills him with joy. Beginning with God’s promises and the call to holiness, this chapter explores the difference between sorrow and repentance, the fruits of godly grief, and the comfort God gives His people through one another.
The Rev. Jacob Benson, Assistant Professor of Humanities and Admissions Coordinator at Luther Classical College in Casper, Wyoming, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 7:1–16.
To learn more about Luther Classical College, visit lutherclassical.org.
What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all, he keeps bringing them back to Christ crucified and risen.
In 2 Corinthians, the strained relationship between Paul and the people he loves brings its own painful questions about forgiveness, faithful ministry, suffering, and weakness. These letters give us the treasure in jars of clay, the promise of resurrection, and the assurance that Christ’s grace is sufficient. Join Thy Strong Word as we study 1 and 2 Corinthians verse by verse and hear what God speaks to a troubled church He has called His own.
Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.
