Paul’s Confidence In The Corinthians Series

April 13, 2014

Tom Lowe

The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians

Lesson II.A.3: Paul’s confidence in the Corinthians. (2:12-17)

2nd Corinthians 2:12-17 (NKJV)

12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord,

13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.

14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?

17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

Commentary

12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord,

He came to Troas, and there he found an open door. It was the will of God for him to stay there and to preach the Gospel rather than proceed on to Corinth at that time. Paul was not being fickle. He was being faithful. He was faithful to the opportunity which God gave him. My friend, if you can’t do anything else in life, you can be faithful. Be faithful to the opportunities that God gives you. If He opens a door, don’t hesitate to go through that door.

In no place does Paul give a comprehensive description of his recent plans and travels. He first planned to go from Ephesus through Macedonia to Corinth (1 Cor. 16:5){1]. Then he decided, while in Corinth during his painful visit, to come back there on his way to Macedonia (2 Cor. 1:16){2]. Further thought, after his return to Ephesus, led him to delay his trip to Corinth to give them time to repent of their rebellion (2 Cor. 1:23){3]. So he returned to his original plan, sent the “stern letter” to Corinth by Titus, and traveled north from Ephesus to Macedonia. Titus was to travel north from Corinth and east through Macedonia, and meet Paul someplace along a prearranged route. Troas (full name, Alexandrea Troas), a seaport on the northwestern tip of Asia Minor, was one place where the meeting might have taken place. Wherever Paul went he preached the gospel; so he says that he came to Troas “for,” that is, to preach the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. People were ready to listen; a door was opened (Acts 14:27{15]; 1 Cor. 16:9{16]; Col. 4:3{17]; these passages make it clear that God opens the doors by providing a favorable situation and opening men’s hearts and minds to listen). By the Lord seems to mean by His service.

13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.

In Troas he had been greatly encouraged. The natural thing would have been for Paul, with his strong evangelistic fervor, to seize the opportunity and give himself wholeheartedly to building a strong church in Troas. Some of the Christian group pictured in Acts 20:7-12 were no doubt converted at this time, although Paul could have won his first converts in Troas during an earlier visit mentioned in Acts 16:8{4]. But he couldn’t settle down to reap the harvest for a couple of reasons: First, because of his anxiety about the trouble in Corinth; secondly, because even while he was preaching the Gospel in Troas, he was grieved in his heart because Titus hadn’t come to bring him word concerning the congregation in Corinth. He waited for Titus to come, but Titus didn’t come. He was too concerned with meeting Titus at the earliest possible moment to stay in Troas too long. His mind was divided, and he couldn’t find relief from the tension and anxiety that the Corinthian crisis was causing him, and so at last he turned his steps toward Macedonia, and went over to Philippi in hopes of meeting Titus sooner. His departure for Macedonia was evidence of his anxiety, not of his vacillation (See 2 Cor. 7:2-7). This perpetual concern for the spiritual welfare of the Corinthians should have banished from their minds the idea that Paul acted out of fickleness. He thought and prayed constantly for their welfare; his plans and movements were controlled by his love and concern for them.

At this point Paul seems ready to tell of the joyful meeting with Titus somewhere in Macedonia, and of his delight at the good news Titus had brought. The outburst of thanks in verse 14 shows that the good news came—that the Corinthians had dealt with this sin in their congregation and that the man had now repented and had turned from his sin. But Paul doesn’t tell of it until 2 Cor. 7:5-7{5]. The thought of how the turn of events at Corinth has vindicated him has led him to interrupt the narrative and discuss at length his ministry as Christ’s apostle.