Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

12:14-15 for the third time I am ready to come to you. On his first visit Paul had planted the church at Corinth (Acts 18:1-18). His second visit was the "painful visit" (2 Cor. 2:1; see Introduction: Purpose, Occasion, and Background). Paul mentions one last time his refusal to burden the Corinthians financially (11:7-12; 12:13; see 1 Cor. 9:18) as the loving act of a spiritual parent for his children (1 Cor. 4:14-15; 2 Cor. 6:11-13; 11:11), since acting this way embodies his message and life as an apostle (2:17) and calls into question the claims of Paul's opponents (11:12, 20).

12:16-18 crafty . . . deceit . . . take advantage. Paul emphatically rejects the idea that he used the collection to craftily take money from the Corinthians, since there is no evidence for such a charge. All of those who worked with Paul, including Titus, were men of unimpeachable integrity.

12:19 Paul's self-defense is fundamentally for the Corinthians' sake, not his own (see note on 10:8), and is pleasing to God, for he has been speaking in the sight of God.

12:20 find you not as I wish. That is, still unrepentant, rebellious, and anchored in their sinful lifestyles, all of which will indicate that they are not, in fact, genuine believers (see 13:5). find me not as you wish. If the Corinthians are not repentant, Paul will be called upon to exercise God's judgment rather than continuing to wait patiently for their repentance as in the past (see 1:23-2:4).

12:21 God may humble Paul before the Corinthians by using Paul as an instrument of their excommunication, which will mean Paul may have to mourn over the rebellious. There is no joy in judgment for an apostle, who under the new covenant is called primarily to build up the church (see 10:8; 12:19; 13:10).

13:1 the third time. See note on 12:14-15. evidence of two or three witnesses. According to Deut. 19:15, this was the legal requirement for accepting evidence at a trial (see Matt. 18:16-17; 1 Tim. 5:19).

13:2 Paul spoke of the discipline that would come if the rebellious minority did not repent. not spare. He did not specify what form the discipline would take, and perhaps he himself did not know exactly, but it certainly would not be pleasant (cf. Acts 5:1-11; 13:8-11; 1 Cor. 5:4-5).

13:3-4 Following the pattern of Christ's own weakness (1:5; 8:9; Phil. 2:7-8), Paul too has been weak for the sake of God's people, making evident to them God's Spirit and glory in Christ through his own sufferings (2 Cor. 1:3-11; 2:14-16a; 4:7-15; 6:3-10; 11:23-33; 12:7-10). But also like Christ, Paul will manifest the power of God in judging the Corinthians' behavior and beliefs (see 1 Cor. 5:12-13; 6:1-3).

13:5 The test to see if Christ is in the Corinthians will be their response to Paul and his call to repent, since God's message and the messenger are one (5:18-6:2).

13:7-9 Paul desires the Corinthians' restoration even if at this late hour. Paul may seem to have failed again by announcing a plan (this time the threatened return in judgment) that did not come to pass (cf. 1:12-2:4). This apparent failure, like the judgment itself, would once again establish the truth of the gospel, whose primary purpose is not tearing down but building up the church (13:10).

13:10 On building up, see note on 10:8.