BT20: There has been much discussion concerning the nature of "worldly" (neurotic?) versus "godly" guilt (II Corinthians 7:10) among Christian psychologists. Applying your knowledge of hermeneutics to this particular text, differentiate the two as best you can.

II Corinthians 7:10 says, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." Both kinds of sorrow bring results, but the results are radically different. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation, but worldly sorrow brings death. The Greek word for godly in this verse is "theos", and it means whatever can in any respect be likened unto God or resemble him in any way. The Greek word for worldly is "kosmos", and in this context, it means the ungodly multitude or the whole mass of men alienated from God and hostile to the cause of Christ.

The Greek word for repentance in this verse is "metanoia", and it means a change of mind as it would appear for someone who repents. The Greek word for death is "thanatos", and it means that separation, whether natural or violent, of the soul and the body by which the life on earth is ended, with the implied idea of future misery in hell. The difference between these two kinds of sorrow can be seen in the case of a person caught in some kind of wrongful activity. Often, the person will not be sorry for what he or she has done but only for having been caught. Other times, the person will see their sinful behavior through God's eyes and be sorry for what they have done.

Godly sorrow leads to repentance and salvation. Worldly sorrow does not. Godly sorrow brings forgiveness and deliverance, but worldly sorrow does not. Godly sorrow leads to eternal life. Worldly sorrow keeps a person in the lost state of eternal death.