2 Corinthians 7:2

Receive us. That is, make room for us in your hearts. Following the lengthy parenthesis of chapters 6:14 to 7:1, Paul now continues the thought of chapter 6:11-13. Paul appeals to the Corinthians to receive him as their spiritual leader and father (see 1 Corinthians 4:15, 16). He states his own deep affection in an earnest entreaty to them to respond in kind. His attitude is one of genuine love, not of condemnation.

Wronged. Paul is evidently thinking specifically of criticism brought against him because of his way of dealing with certain problems. Specifically, some of the members had disapproved of his instructions concerning the moral offender of 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, and charged him with wronging the man. To them it seemed unduly severe to treat a church member as Paul directed. But even in this he had acted with love in his heart for the church. In fact, it was his love that made silence impossible (cf. Proverbs 27:6).

No man. In the Greek this expression is in the emphatic position. No one in the church of Corinth or elsewhere had come to make such charges as the false leaders in the Corinthian church had brought against him. He had so conducted himself that his integrity was beyond question.

Corrupted. Greek phtheiro, “to corrupt,” “to deprave,” translated “defile” in 1 Corinthians 3:17. The word is used of both corrupt doctrine and corrupt morals (2 Corinthians 11:3; Jude 10; Revelation 19:2).

Defrauded. Perhaps his opponents had charged Paul with carelessness in connection with the great collection he had been soliciting from all the churches for the poor at Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16:1-3; 2 Corinthians 8:1-6, 10-14, 20-24). The refusal of some of the Corinthians to open their hearts to Paul and to accept him was in decided contrast with their free association with false apostles. They had made room in their affections for men who had practiced wrong, corruption, and fraud. Should they not make room for one who had done none of these things?