2 Corinthians 7:8
For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.
Cross-references
In 2 Corinthians 7:6, God's comfort through Titus directly precedes this verse, showing the interplay of sorrow and comfort.
In 2 Corinthians 7:11, the godly sorrow produced earnestness and repentance, revealing the positive outcome of the letter.
In 2 Corinthians 2:2-11, Paul explains the same letter's purpose and need for forgiveness, providing background for his regret.
2 Corinthians 2:4 reveals Paul's love behind the painful letter — he wrote with tears to show affection, not just cause sorrow.
Hebrews 12:9-11 teaches that discipline brings painful sorrow but yields righteousness — directly parallel to sorrow producing repentance in Paul's letter.
Revelation 3:19 links rebuke and discipline with repentance — the same pattern of sorrow leading to repentance Paul describes.
In Lamentations 3:32, God causes grief but then shows compassion, echoing the pattern of sorrow followed by comfort.