The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. - Proverbs 16:9
In last week’s message, we learned that Paul had received and been comforted by news that the church in Corinth had - at least for the most part - repented of their sinfulness and turned back to the Lord. They had once again embraced Paul’s teachings and had thrown out the false prophets and leaders who had temporarily led them astray. In short, to Paul’s great delight, they had experienced renewal and revival.
Nevertheless, Paul deemed it was necessary and prudent to defend himself and his ministry against those naysayers who still remained. The Corinthians had been misled before and were prone to be misled again. Paul needed to set the record straight, to correct the lies that had been told about him, and to explain his true motives and feelings for the believers in Corinth lest there be any lingering hard feelings and further apprehension.
I. DEFENDING MY CHARACTER (2 Cor. 1:12-14)
There had been some in Corinth who’d openly and severely maligned Paul’s character. The apostle defended himself and said that he was proud of how he and his colleagues conducted themselves in the world, and especially among the Corinthians. He described their behavior as holy and full of godly sincerity. He attributed their speech and actions to God’s grace rather than worldly wisdom. Paul and his cohorts weren’t perfect by any means, but they strove to live righteously, and were not the villains that they were being made out to be.
Paul added that his letters were intended to be plain spoken and straightforward. There were no hidden messages or secret agenda in them. The Corinthians were to read and understand these letters as written, without trying to infer cryptic meanings hidden between the lines. There were no ulterior motives. Paul was as honest and transparent as possible in his correspondence.
The Corinthians had partially understood the things that Paul had taught them, but they still needed further explanation and clarification in some areas. Ultimately, Paul hoped that they would reach the point that, on the day of the Lord’s return, both they and Paul’s team would be proud of each other. In other words, they would recognize how God had used their relationship to work through and grow them all. In short, that they would value one another.
II. DEFENDING MY DECISION (2 Cor. 1:15-22)
There were some in Corinth who had accused Paul of waffling and flip-flopping in his speech and decision making. Apparently, Paul’s original plan for his 3rd missionary journey was to travel through Corinth before visiting the region of Macedonia and then to return there afterward. Thus, he originally intended to visit the Corinthians twice before returning to Jerusalem. Perhaps he had informed them of this plan in his first letter and they were expecting it to happen (1 Corinthians 5:9). However, when Paul arrived in Ephesus God opened a door of opportunity for fruitful ministry and he stayed much longer than he’d anticipated. This extended stay (over 3 years) may have led Paul to change his itinerary. He decided to go directly from Asia into Macedonia and to come to Corinth just once for a longer visit near the conclusion of his journey (1 Corinthians 16:5-6).
Paul’s enemies claimed that this change of plans was a reflection of his dishonesty, his lackluster commitment, and even his marginal affection for the Corinthians. They claimed that he was unreliable. Paul explained that his plans to visit them were not made on a whim or on fleshly motives, but in good faith. He was not being fickle. He had truly intended to come twice, but God had changed his plans. That said, his word could still be trusted.
When he had originally preached the gospel to them, there was no wavering, timidity, or fluctuation. Likewise, the promises of God he declared were certain and sure. Paul and his friends stood firm in the glory of God that was displayed through them. They had been established in Christ, anointed by God, and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Yes, he had changed his original travel plans, but only because the Lord had led him to do so. He still cared deeply for the Corinthians.
Sometimes unexpected things happen and our plans change. We have to be open to the direction of the Holy Spirit. And this might mean that we forgo something we’d originally intended to do. This could lead to misunderstandings or hurt feelings, especially if there are those actively seeking to aggravate the situation. But, regardless, we should always strive to follow the Spirit’s leading because His plan for us is better than our own.
III. EXPLAINING MY RATIONALE (2 Cor. 1:23-24)
Paul gave another reason for delaying his planned visit to Corinth until later, after he’d gone through Macedonia. He stated that it was, at least in part, to “spare” them. At the time in question, the church at Corinth had grown contentious and adversarial toward Paul. It is possible that he made a brief emergency visit to intervene, but was defiantly rebuffed and sent away sorrowful. That being the case, Paul didn’t want to return so soon, only to be a further source of aggravation and displeasure.
It was not Paul’s desire to lord over them as a strict disciplinarian constantly rebuking and chastising them for their waywardness and sin. He didn’t like having to approach them in such a heavy-handed manner. Rather, Paul expressed his longing to work with the Corinthians in mutual joy. He wanted them to stand firm in the faith, rather than drift about in disbelief and sin.
Paul decided that the timing was not right for visiting Corinth again. The situation was very sensitive and the circumstances were not conducive for a healthy, productive meeting. Beloved, sometimes the best solution is simply to leave the situation alone, give it time, and pray about it. In such cases, our sincere attempts to intervene or fix the problems might actually make things worse. We have to put things in God’s hands and trust Him to bring about resolution in His own time and way.
CONCLUSION
Though he had done nothing wrong, there were many people in Corinth who were upset at Paul. They were being told that Paul was untrustworthy and unreliable, and many of them believed it. Eventually most of them came around and realized the reasons for Paul’s decisions, yet some were still leery and suspect. Thus, Paul explained himself and defended his integrity.
You can’t make everybody happy, and if you try to, it's likely that no one will be happy. God was moving in Ephesus so Paul chose to stay. Had he left prematurely, the Ephesians would have been shortchanged and his work stunted. Because he stayed, the Corinthians felt slighted. When they became upset and bitter, Paul felt it wise just to wait and visit them later so as not to make the situation worse. The bottom line - this was what God led him to do, and there was no need for him to apologize for it.
This passage highlights the importance of flexibility. We need to be willing to change our plans as God directs and moves, and be willing to extend grace to others as they do so. This doesn't mean that we should compromise truth or convictions, but rather be sensitive to the Lord’s leading.
In next week’s message, Paul will continue to explain his rationale for not visiting the Corinthians as planned. He will also urge them to do something important to put this brief and ugly chapter behind them. Until then, may the LORD bless you and your family.
In last week’s message, we learned that Paul had received and been comforted by news that the church in Corinth had - at least for the most part - repented of their sinfulness and turned back to the Lord. They had once again embraced Paul’s teachings and had thrown out the false prophets and leaders who had temporarily led them astray. In short, to Paul’s great delight, they had experienced renewal and revival.
Nevertheless, Paul deemed it was necessary and prudent to defend himself and his ministry against those naysayers who still remained. The Corinthians had been misled before and were prone to be misled again. Paul needed to set the record straight, to correct the lies that had been told about him, and to explain his true motives and feelings for the believers in Corinth lest there be any lingering hard feelings and further apprehension.
I. DEFENDING MY CHARACTER (2 Cor. 1:12-14)
There had been some in Corinth who’d openly and severely maligned Paul’s character. The apostle defended himself and said that he was proud of how he and his colleagues conducted themselves in the world, and especially among the Corinthians. He described their behavior as holy and full of godly sincerity. He attributed their speech and actions to God’s grace rather than worldly wisdom. Paul and his cohorts weren’t perfect by any means, but they strove to live righteously, and were not the villains that they were being made out to be.
Paul added that his letters were intended to be plain spoken and straightforward. There were no hidden messages or secret agenda in them. The Corinthians were to read and understand these letters as written, without trying to infer cryptic meanings hidden between the lines. There were no ulterior motives. Paul was as honest and transparent as possible in his correspondence.
The Corinthians had partially understood the things that Paul had taught them, but they still needed further explanation and clarification in some areas. Ultimately, Paul hoped that they would reach the point that, on the day of the Lord’s return, both they and Paul’s team would be proud of each other. In other words, they would recognize how God had used their relationship to work through and grow them all. In short, that they would value one another.
II. DEFENDING MY DECISION (2 Cor. 1:15-22)
There were some in Corinth who had accused Paul of waffling and flip-flopping in his speech and decision making. Apparently, Paul’s original plan for his 3rd missionary journey was to travel through Corinth before visiting the region of Macedonia and then to return there afterward. Thus, he originally intended to visit the Corinthians twice before returning to Jerusalem. Perhaps he had informed them of this plan in his first letter and they were expecting it to happen (1 Corinthians 5:9). However, when Paul arrived in Ephesus God opened a door of opportunity for fruitful ministry and he stayed much longer than he’d anticipated. This extended stay (over 3 years) may have led Paul to change his itinerary. He decided to go directly from Asia into Macedonia and to come to Corinth just once for a longer visit near the conclusion of his journey (1 Corinthians 16:5-6).
Paul’s enemies claimed that this change of plans was a reflection of his dishonesty, his lackluster commitment, and even his marginal affection for the Corinthians. They claimed that he was unreliable. Paul explained that his plans to visit them were not made on a whim or on fleshly motives, but in good faith. He was not being fickle. He had truly intended to come twice, but God had changed his plans. That said, his word could still be trusted.
When he had originally preached the gospel to them, there was no wavering, timidity, or fluctuation. Likewise, the promises of God he declared were certain and sure. Paul and his friends stood firm in the glory of God that was displayed through them. They had been established in Christ, anointed by God, and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Yes, he had changed his original travel plans, but only because the Lord had led him to do so. He still cared deeply for the Corinthians.
Sometimes unexpected things happen and our plans change. We have to be open to the direction of the Holy Spirit. And this might mean that we forgo something we’d originally intended to do. This could lead to misunderstandings or hurt feelings, especially if there are those actively seeking to aggravate the situation. But, regardless, we should always strive to follow the Spirit’s leading because His plan for us is better than our own.
III. EXPLAINING MY RATIONALE (2 Cor. 1:23-24)
Paul gave another reason for delaying his planned visit to Corinth until later, after he’d gone through Macedonia. He stated that it was, at least in part, to “spare” them. At the time in question, the church at Corinth had grown contentious and adversarial toward Paul. It is possible that he made a brief emergency visit to intervene, but was defiantly rebuffed and sent away sorrowful. That being the case, Paul didn’t want to return so soon, only to be a further source of aggravation and displeasure.
It was not Paul’s desire to lord over them as a strict disciplinarian constantly rebuking and chastising them for their waywardness and sin. He didn’t like having to approach them in such a heavy-handed manner. Rather, Paul expressed his longing to work with the Corinthians in mutual joy. He wanted them to stand firm in the faith, rather than drift about in disbelief and sin.
Paul decided that the timing was not right for visiting Corinth again. The situation was very sensitive and the circumstances were not conducive for a healthy, productive meeting. Beloved, sometimes the best solution is simply to leave the situation alone, give it time, and pray about it. In such cases, our sincere attempts to intervene or fix the problems might actually make things worse. We have to put things in God’s hands and trust Him to bring about resolution in His own time and way.
CONCLUSION
Though he had done nothing wrong, there were many people in Corinth who were upset at Paul. They were being told that Paul was untrustworthy and unreliable, and many of them believed it. Eventually most of them came around and realized the reasons for Paul’s decisions, yet some were still leery and suspect. Thus, Paul explained himself and defended his integrity.
You can’t make everybody happy, and if you try to, it's likely that no one will be happy. God was moving in Ephesus so Paul chose to stay. Had he left prematurely, the Ephesians would have been shortchanged and his work stunted. Because he stayed, the Corinthians felt slighted. When they became upset and bitter, Paul felt it wise just to wait and visit them later so as not to make the situation worse. The bottom line - this was what God led him to do, and there was no need for him to apologize for it.
This passage highlights the importance of flexibility. We need to be willing to change our plans as God directs and moves, and be willing to extend grace to others as they do so. This doesn't mean that we should compromise truth or convictions, but rather be sensitive to the Lord’s leading.
In next week’s message, Paul will continue to explain his rationale for not visiting the Corinthians as planned. He will also urge them to do something important to put this brief and ugly chapter behind them. Until then, may the LORD bless you and your family.