2 Cor 12:11-21 The Shepherd Heart of Paul
Paul Making His Closing Remarks in His Defence
11I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. 12The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. 13For in what were you less favoured than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!
14Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. 17Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? 18I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?
19Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved. 20For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarrelling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. 21I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practised.
I am grateful that Paul has written these words in chapters 10-13 to defend himself.
• He set the record straight and helps us answer the question: What do you do when people wrong you or accuse you falsely?
• I believe we have similar experiences when we are criticised wrongly or because of prejudice or some misunderstanding.
• Paul stood firm and presented the truth; he maintained his fellowship with them.
In his closing remarks, he expresses his concern for the church. We see 3 clear paragraphs in our text today:
• Firstly, he refuted the falsehoods and reminded the Corinthians of the truth.
• Secondly, he shows his care and love for them (like a parent would over his children) despite their foolishness, and
• Thirdly, he disciplines those he loves and urges them to repent and right what has been done wrong, before he comes again.
Lesson 1: STAND FIRM IN THE TRUTH
11I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. 12The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.
All this “foolish boasting” was something Paul would rather not do but he was “forced into” because of the allegations levelled at him by the false apostles, who have infiltrated the church and confused the congregation.
• Paul played their game and defended his apostleship and his ministry, even recounting his visions and revelation (which he has kept a secret for 14 years ago), to prove that he was not inferior to the “super apostles”.
• 12:12 “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.”
Frankly all this “boasting” was quite unnecessary if the Corinthians had stood firm and defended him because they knew Paul from the beginning.
• They ought to have commended him (12:11) but they did not, Paul said.
• They were swayed by the false teachers and instigated by the enemies to doubt Paul’s character and credibility.
Beware of falsehoods and those that sow discords. We seek to understand the truth and stand by the truth.
• Paul sets the record straight and corrects the falsehoods. He stands by what is true and he explains the truth.
• Knowing Paul, this was done not so much to protect his reputation but the truthfulness of the Gospel he carries, which could be compromised if his credibility takes a hit.
• So he went to great lengths to defend his apostleship and ministry and even to tell of his visions and revelations.
If Paul has to do that in his time, then all the more we need to stand firm today.
• To be vigilant and discerning to guard against not just the scams of our day but the spiritual scams of our time.
• Spiritual scams like “I visited heaven and this is my story, my deceased loved one spoke to me, God tells me to marry you, offer your seed money and God will multiply it…”
• Paul’s accusers then sow untruth in a physical place by being physically present, but today, falsehoods can spread across the world through social media without boundaries.
• They can come into our homes, our minds and hearts from a screen in our hands.
It reminds me of a time when a church member tells another of something that I have done, which was not true. Knowing me, the sister-in-Christ who heard it was puzzled and came to confirm with me.
It was completely untrue, nothing of that sort has taken place, it was a fabrication. He has created the story to achieve his ends.
I told her to go back to that church member and correct it. I thank God that she has chosen to verify with me and brought the truth to light.
It’s a warning to me not to be naïve. Christians do not always tell the truth. We can still twist our words and spread lies.
Jesus says in Matt 12:36-37 36I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
Guard our hearts and put away falsehoods.
• Jer 17:9-10 9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10“I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
• God is not impressed by the externals but by what’s going on in our hearts and minds. The unseen is more important than the seen. Pay more attention to the unseen.
• King David writes in Psalm 139:23-24 “23Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
Lesson 2: LOVE THE PEOPLE OF GOD
13 For in what were you less favoured than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong! 14Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you.
Paul has been consistent in his dealings with all the churches. He did not retaliate just because they misunderstood him.
• Paul says the only ‘fault’ the Corinthians can point to is that he did not take financial support from them.
• 12:13b “Forgive me this wrong!” Paul said it sarcastically. It was not even a ‘wrong’. Paul did not want to burden the newly-established church.
Paul announces his THIRD trip to Corinth and it would be no different – he is not going to burden them. He is not going to GET from them but GIVE to them.
• “I seek not what is yours but you.” I don’t want your money; I’m concerned for you.
• “For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.” “I want to care for you, not to burden you.”
• Paul expresses his concern for them as parents would for their children, which is apt because they are his spiritual children, having come to faith in Christ through Paul.
• The fact that they were easily misled by the false teachers bothers Paul. They ought to have stood by him and supported him.
Paul loves them for WHO they are and not for WHAT he can get out of them. And not even for WHAT they are doing to him now.
• It is difficult to love someone who is against you or doubting you but Paul loves “his children” despite their folly in siding with his accusers.
Paul says 12:15 I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? Only a good shepherd can say that.
• It is unlike the many pastors of megachurches we see in the West today, who get from their congregations to enrich themselves, living in mansions and owning private jets.
• They exploit their people for self-gain and self-glory but the genuine shepherd says, “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.” (12:15a)
Paul has this heart even though they were unappreciative of him. “If I love you more, am I to be loved less?” (12:15b)
• This comes from a wounded heart; there is hurt in these words!
12:16 adds salt to the wound. It gives us a hint that Paul was accused of being crafty and trying to take advantage of the church through his pretence.
• 16But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit.
• They were probably saying, “Paul pretends not to want our money but in an underhanded way he might be siphoning off money from the collection for Jerusalem. He was so eager to take up the collection.”
• Titus was also implicated. 12:17-18 17Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? 18I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?
Paul put up a series of questions to show them that they had taken great care in managing the funds. There was no evidence for their charge.
• Paul’s actions and the brothers’ conduct were impeccable. God can be their Judge.
• 12:19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved.
Paul’s true and final Judge will NOT be the Corinthians but God. It is in the sight of God and Christ that Paul is ultimately accountable.
• Our words and motives are transparent before God. We have nothing to fear if we did not do anything wrong.
• We can be misunderstood and maligned by people but still at peace with God because He knows everything about us.
As I have said, we live for the audience of One. When we get that right, when we live in the fear of God, then chances are the rest will be alright.
• PM Lee says it is not the number of checks and balances in government that makes it work, responding to MP Jamus Lim’s question about having more checkers on the conduct of ministers. We need honest men, PM Lee says, which is true.
• It is not the amount of checks and balances that makes honesty thrive. It is Christ.
• We can never find honest men without them being redeemed by Christ and living in the FEAR OF GOD.
Lesson 3: MAKE RIGHT WHAT IS WRONG
Paul has been transparent before God and did everything FOR THE ONE PURPOSE of building up the church.
• He said it early in 10:8 and he said it again here. 12:19b I have done “all for your upbuilding, beloved.”
• Nothing was done for his own benefit or glory. He did it because he loves them as a father would his children.
Paul reveals his overriding concern for them – 12:20-21:
• 12:20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish [when I discipline you in person ] — that perhaps there may be quarrelling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.
• 12:21 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier [like a loving father punishing his children and feeling grieved] and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practised.
“For I fear… I fear…” reveals his great concern - that when he returns he would find them still in the same condition as before.
• The fact that Paul listed these sinful conduct so openly shows that they are there in the church and the people know about them.
• Paul does not want to see these when he comes. Will you repent and mend your ways?
It was for this reason that he postponed his third trip which ought to have taken place earlier, as he mentioned in 2 Cor 1:23-2:4.
• 1:23 But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith.
• 2:1 For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. 2 For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? 3 And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. 4 For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.
Paul gives them time and space to repent and change so that when he arrives in person, it would not be a time of discipline.
• But if you persist in your sin, then when I come, “you may find me not as you wish.”
• It will not be a nice time but mutually disappointing. The shepherd would be humbled by God to mourn for their sin. Paul hopes to avoid such pain.
Dealing with sin is always uneasy and uncomfortable. But the longer we prolong it, the greater the pain and the more damaging the consequences.
• It is always wise to nip it in the bud and do it quickly. Never give sin a foothold.
• Don’t let it fester and grow.
Conclusion
That’s the heart of a shepherd! That’s the heart of Christ for His people.
We learn from the experience of Paul:
• STAND FIRM IN THE TRUTH. Expect opposition but stand firm and speak the truth.
• LOVE THE PEOPLE OF GOD and guide them back despite their failures and foolishness.
• MAKE RIGHT WHAT IS WRONG. Repent and do what is right before God.
Despite all these troubles, Paul remains faithful and truthful to God.
• The Lord has been with him throughout his ordeals. His grace has been sufficient for him. God’s presence sustains Paul.
• The under-shepherd has a good Shepherd, the great Shepherd in Christ. God abides with him.
• In closing, we will sing this hymn ABIDE WITH ME.
Prayer:
In all circumstances, Lord, help us to respond with humility and wisdom, with patience and love, so that people will come to know the truth.
May our conduct be a good testimony of your truth and love, and points people to you and not away from you. Cultivate in us the shepherd heart of Christ and Paul.
This we pray, in Jesus’ name, we pray, AMEN.
You can see the video sermon with slides at https://youtu.be/uQxvhdpP69c
Earlier sermons are available at https://tinyurl.com/KTCC-EnglishService
