seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Corinthians 1:12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. 13 For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, 14 as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.
15 Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. 16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. 17 Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?
18 But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
23 I call God as my witness—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.
This is from the commentary.The testimony of our conscience: In this section, Paul defends himself against the accusation that he is fickle and unreliable. Here, he simply states that he has a clear conscience before God and trusts that the Corinthian Christians will understand this.
We conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom: The Corinthian Christians were so accustomed to dealing with ministers who were calculating and manipulative, they figured Paul must be the same way. Therefore, when Paul said he was coming to them (1 Corinthians 16:5) but did not, they figured he was just manipulating them. Paul lets them know this was not the case.
The Corinthian Christians had become cynical. They believed that everyone had bad motives and was out for personal gain and power. They didn't trust Paul because they were cynical.
We are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand: Paul wanted the Corinthian Christians to know he had no "hidden meanings" in his letters. His meaning was right out on top for all to see.
I intended to come to you before: The Corinthian Christians accused Paul of being unreliable and untrustworthy because he said he would come at a certain time and did not. He was unable to come as planned, so instead he sent a letter.
When I was planning this, did I do it lightly? The Corinthian Christians accused Paul of being fickle and insisted that if Paul were a man of integrity he would have come in person. Paul's change in plans made the Corinthian Christians say that Paul must be a man who says Yes but means No and says No but means Yes.
Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us… was not Yes and No: Paul preached a Jesus who is completely reliable and worthy of trust. It wasn't right for the apostle of such a faithful Savior to be so quickly considered unreliable and untrustworthy.
My mom would have said "A bit dog always barks". I agree with the Corinthians. Paul just seems to be too sleezy. My dad would have said "thou dost protest too much". I agree with the Corinthians. Paul just seems to be full of hot air.
The Corinthians had a lot of money invested in this venture of Paul's. They were investing in the church in Jerusalem. They were taking up offerings, not just one "love offering" but multiple offerings, from those who really couldn't afford it as well as the wealthy. Paul claimed the money was all going to the poor suffering Christians in Jerusalem. Paul claimed he would be back with a report.... and then Paul got sidetracked. He had to go to another town and take up another offering and talk about "Apostleship and payment for services rendered".
The Corinthians were accusing Paul of being "worldly". They knew Paul held coats when Stephen was murdered. They knew Paul arrested and imprisoned Christians. Now he was claiming to be a friend, filled with a holy spirit that was so ineffective, he couldn't even keep to a schedule.
Please consider this. If God wanted Paul to go here and do this and then go there and do that... Wouldn't God make the road straight and the path light? If Paul was really in the business of God, wouldn't God be supporting that particular Mission? Paul claims he is sent by God, but he can't even keep a schedule.
Check this out... God can make the sun move backwards.
2 Kings 20:9 Isaiah answered, “This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”
10 “It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”
11 Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.
How is it that God controls time, and Paul, who claims to be sent by God, doesn't stick to the schedule? Paul was moving money.
Didn't the Corinthians trust him?
