In 2 Corinthians 7 Paul was very emotional. In verse 13 he says that he “rejoiced more abundantly over the joy of Titus.” J. N. Darby points out that it is not possible to render exactly in English the Greek idiom for “more abundantly.” Paul was very human and emotional in his ministering of life. Paul was so emotional because his concern was so deep and intimate. Without this kind of concern, we could never be abundantly rejoicing in the way Paul was. Instead, we may be as cold as a freezer, altogether lacking in concern for the saints. Instead of warming up others, we make them even colder. Nothing can grow when it is in such a frozen condition. We need the weather of spring to come to thaw us out and warm up our life. Once again there is a need for a ministering life. Do you know what a ministering life is? It is a life that warms up others. Learn to warm others. This is to have an intimate concern for them.
Many have read 2 Corinthians 7 without touching the matter of Paul’s intimate concern. If we do not have this kind of concern for others, we shall not be fruitful. If I would minister life to the saints, I must have a genuine concern for them, a concern that is emotional, deep, and intimate. I must be so concerned that, at times, I may appear to others to be foolish or beside myself.
In 7:2 Paul says, “Make room for us; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one.” The frank exhortation from 6:14 through 7:1 is given parenthetically to bring the distracted believers back to their holy God from being touched by something that has defiled them, so that they may be fully reconciled to Him. Hence, 7:2 is actually a continuation of 6:11-13, entreating the believers to have their heart enlarged toward the apostles, to make room for them. From this verse to the end of this chapter the apostle in his entreating expresses his intimate concern for the believers, that they may be consoled and encouraged to go on positively with the Lord after being fully reconciled to Him.
When Paul says, “Make room for us,” he is actually saying to the Corinthians, “Brothers, I want to enter into you and dwell in you. But you are narrow and have shut yourselves up. You don’t have an enlarged heart to receive us. I love you, and I am concerned for you. This is why I urge you to open up and make room for us so that we may come into you and dwell in you.”
If you visit the church in another locality without the kind of spirit Paul has in verse 2, you may have the unconscious feeling that you are more knowledgeable concerning spiritual things than others and have something to minister to them. This is not the kind of attitude we need. But suppose you appeal to the saints the same way Paul does in verse 2, urging them to make room for you in their hearts so that you may dwell in them. Surely this will touch others very deeply.
In verse 2 Paul says that they wronged no one, corrupted no one, and took advantage of no one. It seems that Paul is vindicating himself, but his vindication is in a way that is intimate and lovely.
In verse 3 Paul continues, “I do not say this to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together.” Here we have an expression of an intimate relationship, not polite, courteous talk. Paul is frank in the way he speaks, but also very intimate and touching. For Paul to speak to the Corinthians in this way shows that between him and them there was an intimate relationship. Only to those with whom we are intimate can we speak in this way.
In verse 3 Paul even says that the Corinthians were in the apostles’ hearts to die together and live together. Here Paul seems to be saying, “I do not say this to condemn you, for I have already said that you are in our hearts. Since we have you in our hearts and our hearts are enlarged, we appeal to you to enlarge your hearts and make room for us. Corinthians, you are in our hearts to die together and live together.” What deep, tender, intimate words! How deeply touching!
Verse 4 continues, “Great is my boldness toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf; I am filled with encouragement, I overflow with joy in all our affliction.” The Greek here literally means the encouragement and the joy, pointing to the particular encouragement and the particular joy. Here also Paul’s words are intimate and touching.
In verse 5 Paul says, “For also when we came into Macedonia, our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted in every way; without were fightings, within were fears.” The flesh here refers to the outward man, including the body and the soul. The fightings were without and the fears were within. These fightings and fears involved the body outwardly and the soul inwardly. To have no relief in the flesh differs from having no relief in the spirit.
Verse 6 says, “But He Who encourages those who are cast down—God—encouraged us by the coming of Titus.” Because of his deep concern for the Corinthian believers’ response to his first Epistle, Paul, having no relief in his spirit (2:13), even very much weighed down by his concern, was anxious to see Titus for information concerning their response. Now Titus not only comes, but brings glad news of their positive response. This is a great encouragement to the apostle.
In verse 7 Paul continues, “And not only by his coming, but also by the encouragement with which he was encouraged over you, informing us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal on my behalf, so that I rejoiced the more.” Here again Paul is very emotional because of his concern.
We all need to be enlarged in our hearts, reconciled fully to God. Then we shall have a life that is a ministering life, a life that can bear much fruit. Only the ministering life enables us to bear fruit. Fruit-bearing is the issue of a ministering life.