2 Corinthians 12:11-21
Paul's Concern for the Corinthians
11I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the "super-apostles," even though I am nothing. 12The things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and miracles—were done among you with great perseverance. 13How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
14Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? 16Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! 17Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent you? 18I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not act in the same spirit and follow the same course?
19Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. 20For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. 21I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.
Paul loves the Corinthians...He tells the Corinthians he has been a fool, but the they are the ones who drove him to it...St. Paul talks about the Super-Apostles...The Super-Apostles would be the Twelve disciples, who were with Jesus, and maybe His immediate followers... The Super-Apostles would include Peter, John, and James...They would probably include Jesus brother James as well...Some Corinthians were questioning Paul on why he wasn't doing more signs, wonders, and miracles...Paul did not want to continue to defend his ministry and being compared to the Twelve disciples, diminished his ministry...Competition can affect us in a negative way...Paul did not meet Jesus, while He was alive like the Twelve...St. Paul did meet Him on the road to Damascus, where he was converted by Jesus, to minister to the Gentiles...At times when St. Paul is questioned about these miracles and signs and other times as well, (he) would focus on his personal weaknesses and how Jesus has made him strong in his sufferings and weaknesses...When Paul was ask and pushed he would tell his church and listeners about the visions he had and the revelations from the LORD...He had his conversion vision...He also did do miracles such as the healing on Malta and the others who were sick on the island came and were cured (Acts 28:7-9)...The Corinthians either were unaware of this or had forgotten this...
Paul found himself in a position where had to defend himself...He uses sarcasm in saying if I love you more, will you love me less... And be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you...Yet, crafty that I am, I caught you by trickery!...He is a little frustrated with some of the Corinthians...
Paul says he is planning to come to see the Corinthians for a third time...He does not want their money or possessions...What he wants is them...Paul had sent brother Titus to them and he taught in the same spirit and same course as Paul has (taught)...
St. Paul worries that there may be quarreling, jealousy, arrogance, and disorder in the church of Corinth...
God, in His style, makes us humble...Some of the criticizing Corinthians needed humbling...Paul would work on that with his letters and his visits to them...Paul may have been humbled by their criticism of him...Paul uses sarcasm and is frustrated, it seems, and vents some of this criticism at the Corinthians in this letter...Paul says he may be humbled by God for the sins of the church, especially if they have not repented yet...
One of Paul's themes in his other letters is about suffering and weakness...The power of Jesus is perfected in our weaknesses... Our flesh is weak...Flesh is prone to sin...We are bound to suffer on earth...Paul understood these weak, suffering, sinning concepts...He tells us when I am weak then I am strong 2 Corinthians 12:10)...This is not easy to be content when we suffer...We must suffer along the path of life on earth to get to God's divine grace...Through our sufferings and weaknesses He is with us, strengthening us with the Holy Spirit...We have to realize this, as St. Paul did...The power of the Holy Spirit is with us on earth, which gives us the happiness we have on earth...