The Meaning of 2 Corinthians 7:14 Explained

2 Corinthians 7:14

KJV: 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.

YLT: because if anything to him in your behalf I have boasted, I was not put to shame; but as all things in truth we did speak to you, so also our boasting before Titus became truth,

Darby: Because if I boasted to him anything about you, I have not been put to shame; but as we have spoken to you all things in truth, so also our boasting to Titus has been the truth;

ASV: For if in anything I have gloried to him on your behalf, I was not put to shame; but as we spake all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Corinthians 7:14 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Corinthians 7:5-16 - The Joyous Effect Of Godly Sorrow
After dispatching his first Epistle, with the strong words of 2 Corinthians 5:1-21 and elsewhere, Paul's tender heart had been rent with anxiety lest the Corinthian church should resent its terms and be alienated from his friendship. But when Titus joined him in Macedonia, bringing the assurance of their deep repentance and unabated affection, he was profoundly comforted and gladdened. He felt also that their sorrow was of the true and genuine sort, which does not consist of mere mortification at being found out or of the dread of punishment, but which implies a profound hatred of sin as grieving the Holy Savior and unworthy of His precious blood. This sorrow does not need to be repented of; these tears do not require to be cleansed. Godly sorrow accepts rebuke meekly, puts away the wrong, and with chastened steps comes again into the way of the sacred Cross.
Titus had imbibed much of Paul's spirit. It is interesting to notice that though he was a companion and messenger of the Apostle, even his spirit could be in need of refreshment, 2 Corinthians 7:13; and Paul was pleased that his own anticipations had been realized in the response of his friends at Corinth. Here beats the heart of a true pastor, whose whole soul is wrapped up in the interests of his charge! [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Corinthians 7

1  He proceeds in exhorting them to purity of life;
2  and to bear him like affection as he does to them
3  Whereof lest he might seem to doubt, he declares what comfort he took in his afflictions
6  by the report which Titus gave of their godly sorrow,
8  which his former epistle had wrought in them;
13  and of their loving-kindness and obedience toward Titus, answerable to his former boastings of them

Greek Commentary for 2 Corinthians 7:14

If - I have gloried [εικεκαυχημαι]
Condition of first class. On this verb see note on 1 Corinthians 3:21; 2 Corinthians 5:12. [source]
I was not put to shame [καταισχυνω]
First aorist passive indicative of εν αλητειαι — kataischunō Paul had assured Titus, who hesitated to go after the failure of Timothy, that the Corinthians were sound at bottom and would come round all right if handled properly. Paul‘s joy is equal to that of Titus. In truth (η καυχησις επι Τιτου — en alētheiāi). In the sharp letter as well as in I Corinthians. He had not hesitated to speak plainly of their sins. Our glorying before Titus The two things were not inconsistent and were not contradictory as the outcome proved. [source]
In truth [η καυχησις επι Τιτου]
In the sharp letter as well as in I Corinthians. He had not hesitated to speak plainly of their sins. [source]
Our glorying before Titus [hē kauchēsis epi Titou)]
The two things were not inconsistent and were not contradictory as the outcome proved. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 2 Corinthians 7:14

1 Corinthians 6:1 Having a matter against his neighbour [πραγμα εχων προς τον ετερον]
Forensic sense of πραγμα — pragma (from πρασσω — prassō to do, to exact, to extort as in Luke 3:13), a case, a suit (Demosthenes 1020, 26), with the other or the neighbour as in 1 Corinthians 10:24; 1 Corinthians 14:17; Galatians 6:4; Romans 2:1. Go to law (κρινεσται — krinesthai). Present middle or passive (ch. Romans 3:4) in the same forensic sense as κριτηναι — krithēnai in Matthew 5:40. Κριτης — Kritēs judge, is from this verb. Before the unrighteous This use of επι — epi with the genitive for “in the presence of” is idiomatic as in 2 Corinthians 7:14, επι Τιτου — epi Titou in the case of Titus. The Jews held that to bring a lawsuit before a court of idolaters was blasphemy against the law. But the Greeks were fond of disputatious lawsuits with each other. Probably the Greek Christians brought cases before pagan judges. [source]
1 Corinthians 6:1 Before the unrighteous [επι των αδικων]
This use of επι — epi with the genitive for “in the presence of” is idiomatic as in 2 Corinthians 7:14, επι Τιτου — epi Titou in the case of Titus. The Jews held that to bring a lawsuit before a court of idolaters was blasphemy against the law. But the Greeks were fond of disputatious lawsuits with each other. Probably the Greek Christians brought cases before pagan judges. [source]
2 Corinthians 9:4 Lest by any means we should be put to shame [καταισχυνω]
Negative purpose with first aorist passive subjunctive of ινα μη λεγωμεν υμεις — kataischunō (see note on 2 Corinthians 7:14) in the literary plural. That we say not, ye (υποστασει — hina mē legōmen humeis). A delicate syntactical turn for what he really has in mind. He does wish that they become ashamed of not paying their pledges. Confidence This word, common from Aristotle on, comes from huphistēmi to place under. It always has the notion of substratum or foundation as here; 2 Corinthians 11:17; Hebrews 1:3. The papyri give numerous examples (Moulton and Milligan‘s Vocabulary) of the word for “property” in various aspects. So in Hebrews 11:1 “faith is the title-deed of things hoped for.” In the lxx it represents fifteen different Hebrew words. [source]

What do the individual words in 2 Corinthians 7:14 mean?

For if anything to him about you I have boasted not I was put to shame but as all things in truth we have spoken to you so also the boasting of us - to Titus truth became
ὅτι εἴ τι αὐτῷ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κεκαύχημαι οὐ κατῃσχύνθην ἀλλ’ ὡς πάντα ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ἐλαλήσαμεν ὑμῖν οὕτως καὶ καύχησις ἡμῶν ‹ἡ› ἐπὶ Τίτου ἀλήθεια ἐγενήθη

τι  anything 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: τὶς  
Sense: a certain, a certain one.
αὐτῷ  to  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ὑπὲρ  about 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ὑπέρ 
Sense: in behalf of, for the sake of.
κεκαύχημαι  I  have  boasted 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 1st Person Singular
Root: καυχάομαι  
Sense: to glory (whether with reason or without).
κατῃσχύνθην  I  was  put  to  shame 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 1st Person Singular
Root: καταισχύνω  
Sense: to dishonour, disgrace.
πάντα  all  things 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
ἀληθείᾳ  truth 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀλήθεια  
Sense: objectively.
ἐλαλήσαμεν  we  have  spoken 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: ἀπολαλέω 
Sense: to utter a voice or emit a sound.
ὑμῖν  to  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
οὕτως  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: οὕτως  
Sense: in this manner, thus, so.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
καύχησις  boasting 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: καύχησις  
Sense: the act of glorying.
ἡμῶν  of  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
‹ἡ›  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Τίτου  Titus 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Τίτος  
Sense: a Gentile Christian an Paul’s companion in some of his journeys.
ἀλήθεια  truth 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀλήθεια  
Sense: objectively.
ἐγενήθη  became 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.