2 Corinthians 7:9 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul rejoices not in their pain but in the fact that their sorrow led them to repentance, a grief in keeping with God that did them no harm.
What Does 2 Corinthians 7:9 Mean?
Paul names exactly what gladdens him. It is not that the Corinthians felt sorrow -- he takes no pleasure in their distress -- but that the sorrow bore fruit. It moved them to repentance.
Their grief was godly, the kind that draws a person toward God rather than away, and so it left them with no lasting injury but only good. This is the heart of all true correction: pain that turns the soul back to the Lord and to a changed life. Sorrow itself is not the goal; the goal is the renewed heart it produces.
2 Corinthians 7:9 in the Original Language
metanoia (μετάνοια), 'repentance' -- a change of mind and heart that turns one toward God.
Frequently Asked Questions About 2 Corinthians 7:9
What does 2 Corinthians 7:9 mean?
Paul rejoices not in their pain but in the fact that their sorrow led them to repentance, a grief in keeping with God that did them no harm.