Sparing The Church
March 26, 2022
Commentary
Misunderstandings are often very difficult to untangle, because one misunderstanding often leads to another. This is what had happened to Paul as he was forced to make a change of plans (vv. 15-22). In Paul’s initial itinerary, he had intended to go immediately from Ephesus to Corinth and spend the winter. When that didn’t work out, he had planned to travel to Macedonia and then back to Corinth if the Lord permitted him to do so (I Cor. 16:2-8). Much to Paul’s regret and embarrassment, he had to cancel both plan A and plan B. When we consider how difficult both transportation and communication were in that day, it is a miracle that Paul did not have more problems.
With this change in plans, Paul’s opponents accused him of following fleshly wisdom (v. 12), of being careless with the will of God (v. 17) and making promises he did not plan to keep. These false apostles hoped to discredit their chief rival (11:4,13). Paul had informed the church about his change in plans, but this did not silence the opposition. They were saying, “If Paul says or writes one thing, he really means another! His yes is no, and his no is yes” (vv. 17-18). No matter what his accusers said, Paul stood firm because he had a clear conscience. He knew that his motives were sincere; he was seeking to please the Lord and not men. The thrust of this expression is that the promises of God find their affirmation and fulfillment in Christ (vv. 20-22). The promises of God are as good as the gospel because he which established us with you in Christ … is God (v. 21).
Application
Have you ever been forced to change your plans, which others did not understand, and they made a big issue about it? When I am forced to make a choice between doing what I know the Lord wants me to do and what others are saying, I must always follow the Lord.
2 Corinthians 1:15– 24 (NET)
15 And with this confidence I intended to come to you first so that you would get a second opportunity to see us, 16 and through your help to go on into Macedonia and then from Macedonia to come back to you and be helped on our way into Judea by you. 17 Therefore when I was planning to do this, I did not do so without thinking about what I was doing, did I? Or do I make my plans according to mere human standards so that I would be saying both “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 But as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one who was proclaimed among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but it has always been “Yes” in him. 20 For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God. 21 But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.
23 Now I appeal to God as my witness, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. 24 I do not mean that we rule over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.
Illustration: Survival of the Death Camps of Nazi Germany
In his book, First Things First, author Stephen Covey wrote about Viktor Frankl, and Austrian psychologist who survived the death camps of Nazi Germany. Frankl made a startling discovery about why some survived the horrible conditions and some did not. “He looked at several factors – health, vitality, family structure, intelligence, and survival skills. Finally he concluded that none of these factors was primarily responsible. The single most significant factor, he realized, was a sense of future vision – the impelling conviction of those who were to survive that they had a mission to perform, some important work left to do. Survivors of POW camps in Vietnam and elsewhere have reported similar experiences: a compelling, future-oriented vision is the primary force that kept many of them alive.” (Stephen Covey, First Things First, p 103).