2 Corinthians 12:19 -21 - Paul's concern

Paul wrote these three verses to correct any misgiving they might have about him. He dreaded to think that what he had said about himself to defend his apostleship would give them a wrong impression about him. He didn’t want them to think that he was justifying himself. If justification was needed, it would be done before God and not the Corinthians. Paul, however, asserted that whatever he had said he spoke it for the sake and with the authority of Christ. His motive and purpose was for their up-building, for they were his beloved. He needed to say what he had said in order to remove their doubts and suspicion concerning him.

 

Paul was afraid that when he arrived there, instead of seeing what he hoped to see in them, he might find a contrary situation. And conversely, the Corinthians might find in him not what they expected of him, and he had to deal with them harshly again. At the back of the apostle’s mind, he wished to see a harmonious, united church with an atmosphere that would allow for reconciliation. He would not want to see a church full of contention. Here, he listed eight sins that would happen when contention was the rule of the day. The eight sins are: strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossips, arrogance and disturbances.  

 

Paul also had some apprehension concerning the situation in Corinth. He certainly hoped to be encouraged and not humiliated. It seems strange that he should express fear of being humiliated before God. That’s because Paul had never seen his experiences in life as independent of God. He considered every experience of his life as God’s dealing with him. Hence, he spoke as if the humiliation would come from God. What he was saying was that he would feel shameful before God for failing to help the Corinthians to come out of their past. And he dreaded to think that he had to deal with those who had not repented of their past sins of impurity, immorality and sensuality all over again.  

 

Two questions needed to be asked. Firstly, had Paul failed in his mission if sexual sin were not eradicated? Secondly, had he failed if he had to wield his authority to discipline rather than build up? The answer to both questions is clearly “no”. The opponents of Paul were probably pointing to them to discredit Paul and his message. They were probably saying that the presence of those sexual sins proved that the Gospel and Paul’s claim to his apostleship were false.  

 

Like Paul, we need to speak and live in such a way that would turn people’s priority and attention to the Lord. This underscores the need to build our lives on the foundation and principles of the Word of God.