The Spiritual Economics of a Healthy Church Text: 2 Corinthians 7:13-16
Introduction: The Contagion of Faithfulness
We live in a world that operates on an economy of scarcity, and this is especially true when it comes to intangible things like joy, honor, and comfort. In the world's system, for one person to gain, another must lose. For one person to be honored, another must be humbled. For one person to have their way, another must be disappointed. It is a zero-sum game of emotional and spiritual poker, where everyone is jealously guarding their little stack of chips.
But the Kingdom of God, which is the Church, operates on a completely different economic principle. It runs on the overflowing, generative, and contagious economy of grace. In this divine economy, joy is not a finite resource to be hoarded; it is a wellspring that multiplies when it is shared. Comfort is not a blanket that can only cover one person; it is a fire that warms everyone who draws near. And honor is not a trophy to be won, but a gift to be given, which enriches both the giver and the receiver.
This passage in Second Corinthians gives us a glorious snapshot of this spiritual economy in action. Paul is writing to a church that had been a source of immense grief to him. They had tolerated gross sin, they had questioned his apostolic authority, and they had been led astray by smooth-talking charlatans. Paul had sent them a severe letter, a letter written with tears, that risked rupturing their relationship entirely. He then sent Titus to see how they had received it, and Paul was waiting for the report with an anxiety that gave his flesh no rest. The news Titus brings back is the occasion for the verses before us. The Corinthians had repented. They had responded with godly sorrow. And the result was not a grim, sullen, resentful peace, but an explosion of comfort, joy, and mutual affection that cascaded from the Corinthians, to Titus, and then to Paul. What we see here is the ripple effect of repentance, the glorious contagion of faithfulness.
This is intensely practical for us. The health of a church is not measured by the square footage of its building or the number of programs it runs. It is measured by the robust, biblical quality of its relationships. And those relationships are forged in the fires of repentance, obedience, and mutual confidence in the gospel. Let us therefore attend to what the apostle says, because he is giving us the very blueprint for a healthy church.
The Text
For this reason we have been comforted.
And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.
For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame, but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth.
And his affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling.
I rejoice that in everything I am encouraged about you.
(2 Corinthians 7:13-16 LSB)
Comfort Compounded (v. 13)
We begin with the direct result of the Corinthians' repentance.
"For this reason we have been comforted. And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all." (2 Corinthians 7:13)
Paul says, "we have been comforted." This is not the world's comfort, which is little more than a distraction from trouble or a sentimental pat on the back. Biblical comfort is structural. It is the strengthening that comes when something that was out of alignment is put right. A dislocated joint being popped back into place is painful for a moment, but it brings a deep and lasting comfort. The Corinthians' repentance was that joint being set right. Paul's comfort was not simply relief that they weren't mad at him anymore; it was the solid, objective comfort of seeing them once again aligned with the truth of the gospel.
But then Paul demonstrates the multiplying nature of kingdom joy. He says his own comfort was magnified by the joy of his co-laborer, Titus. "We rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus." This is the polar opposite of the spirit of envy that so often poisons the world and, sadly, the church. Paul did not see Titus's joy as a rival to his own. He did not think, "Well, it's good that Titus is happy, but I'm the apostle here." No, Titus's joy was fuel for his own. This is what a healthy body looks like. When one part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it.
And why was Titus joyful? Because "his spirit has been refreshed by you all." This word "refreshed" means more than just a pleasant visit. It carries the idea of rest and relief after a period of toil and anxiety. Titus had been sent on a difficult, high-stakes mission. He was walking into a hornet's nest. But instead of being stung, he was welcomed. Instead of argument, he found obedience. Instead of rebellion, he found submission. His spirit, which had been tensed for a fight, was able to rest. When a church is walking in obedience, it becomes an oasis for weary ministers. It refreshes their spirits. Conversely, a contentious and disobedient church drains the life out of its leaders.
The High Stakes of Godly Boasting (v. 14)
Next, Paul reveals what was personally on the line for him in this whole affair.
"For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame, but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth." (2 Corinthians 7:14 LSB)
Here we must understand what biblical boasting is. It is not the arrogant self-promotion of the world. Paul is not bragging about the Corinthians' innate qualities. He is expressing a confident trust in the power of God's grace at work in them. Before sending Titus, Paul had apparently been praising the Corinthians to him. He was saying, in effect, "They are a genuine work of God. Despite their problems, the grace of God is in them, and they will come through." This was a boast made in faith.
And it was a massive risk. If the Corinthians had rejected Titus and thumbed their noses at Paul's letter, Paul says he would have been "put to shame." His word would have been shown to be empty. His confidence would have looked foolish. This was not about personal pride; it was about the credibility of his ministry and the truth of the gospel he preached. When a minister expresses confidence in his people, he is putting his own reputation on the line for them. He is making a bet on the grace of God in their lives.
But their obedience vindicated him. His boast "proved to be the truth." Just as his preaching to them was "in truth," so his praise of them was shown to be true. There is a beautiful symmetry here. Truth spoken to them resulted in a true report about them. This is how it should be. The integrity of a pastor's teaching should be matched by the integrity of his people's living, so that he can boast of them without being ashamed.
The Fruit of Godly Fear (v. 15)
The evidence of their right response is detailed further in verse 15.
"And his affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling." (Genesis 7:15 LSB)
Notice the cause and effect. Titus's affection for them abounds. Why? Because he remembers their "obedience." In the Christian life, right affections flow from right actions. We are commanded to love one another, and that love grows and abounds when we see objective evidence of faithfulness and obedience to the Lord. It is not a fuzzy, sentimental feeling; it is a robust affection built on a shared commitment to the truth.
But how did they demonstrate this obedience? They "received him with fear and trembling." Now, our therapeutic age hears this and immediately thinks of abuse or terror. This is utter nonsense. This "fear and trembling" is not the cowering of a slave before a cruel master. It is the proper and holy reverence for the authority that Titus represented. Titus did not come in his own name; he came as the delegate of the Apostle Paul, who in turn came in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They received him with the sober seriousness that the situation demanded. It was the fear of getting it wrong. It was the trembling anxiety to do what was right. It is the same "fear and trembling" with which we are to work out our own salvation (Phil. 2:12). It is a profound respect for God and for the offices He has established in His church. This kind of fear is the beginning of wisdom, and as we see here, it is also the seedbed of deep and abiding affection.
The Pastor's Paycheck (v. 16)
Paul concludes this section with a summary of his own renewed state of mind regarding the Corinthians.
"I rejoice that in everything I am encouraged about you." (Genesis 7:16 LSB)
The word translated "encouraged" can also be rendered "have confidence." Paul is full of courage concerning them. The dark clouds of doubt and anxiety have been blown away by the wind of their repentance. He is now bold and confident in them. This is the pastor's true paycheck. A faithful pastor does not labor for money or for worldly acclaim. He labors to see his people walk in truth (3 John 4). His greatest joy, his deepest encouragement, is seeing the people of God respond to the Word of God with humble obedience.
This confidence is not a naive belief that they will never stumble again. The subsequent chapters of this very letter show that there were still significant problems to address. But their fundamental trajectory had been corrected. They had proven that they were, at heart, responsive to apostolic correction. They had shown themselves to be true sheep who knew their shepherd's voice. And on that foundation, Paul could build. This confidence was the necessary prerequisite for the rest of his ministry to them. Without it, everything would have been pointless.
Conclusion: Your Obedience is a Gift
So what do we take from this? We must see that our individual and corporate faithfulness is never a private matter. The Corinthians' decision to repent was not just about getting their own souls right with God. It was a gift that had a cascading effect. It was a gift of comfort to their beleaguered apostle. It was a gift of joy that refreshed the spirit of Titus. It was a gift of vindication that proved Paul's godly boasting to be true. It was a gift of affection that knit their hearts together. It was a gift of confidence that enabled future ministry.
Your obedience in the small things, your humble reception of the preached Word, your willingness to submit to godly leadership, your earnest pursuit of repentance, these things are not just for you. They are a gift you give to your pastors, to your fellow saints, and to the whole church. You are either refreshing the spirits of those who labor among you, or you are draining them. You are either vindicating their confidence in God's grace in you, or you are putting them to shame. You are either building a culture of mutual affection and joy, or you are contributing to a culture of suspicion and strife.
Let us therefore resolve to be a church like the repentant Corinthians. Let us be a people whose obedience brings joy to our leaders. Let us be a people who receive the ministry of the Word with an appropriate fear and trembling. Let us be a people who contribute to that glorious, multiplying economy of grace, so that comfort and joy and confidence abound among us, all to the glory of God.