Paul’s Painful Visit
1:23 to 2:4
Paul’s painful visit DIG: What caused Paul to change his travel plans? What was “the severe letter?” Why did Paul write it? What evidence of Paul’s compassion and love do you see here? What type of leadership did Paul display? What was Paul’s basic reaction to the most severe troubles that beset him? What is “the glue” that holds a congregation together?
REFLECT: What ministry team are you a part of? Think of the last time you felt discouraged in your ministry? What led to that season of discouragement? What can you take from Paul’s account to help you better handle discouragement the next time it comes? Is your desire for unity greater than your desire for holiness and purity? Do you think team? Why? Why not?
When we keep our eyes on Yeshua we can accomplish everything that ADONAI has for us.
Because of the arrival of false apostles who claimed apostolic authority (to see link click Af – The Problem of the False Apostles) from Judea, Paul ended up making a second brief, unscheduled visit directly across the Aegean Sea from Ephesus to Corinth in 55 AD, but one that was unsuccessful in reducing the level of opposition against him, especially from one particular individual (2:1 and 13:2). During this visit Paul was personally attacked (2:5 and 7:12). It was a painful visit for both Paul and his spiritual children in Corinth. But Paul was still hopeful that he could communicate in such a way that would finalize a reconciliation between him and the church that he founded.59
Stating the purity of his motives, Paul declared: I call upon God as my witness (1:23a). First, in Paul’s eyes ADONAI, the Supreme Judge of all, who knows all the nooks-and-crannies of a person’s heart, whose discerning Spirit probes all motives and sorts out all intentions, was his ultimate, incomparable as a witness – a witness who puts to rest the need for any other. Second, the phrase translated as my witness could more literally be rendered about my life, or even against my life, suggesting that Paul was submitting himself before God as Judge, and therefore, going so far as to be putting his own life on the line if he was lying.60
To call upon (Greek: epikaloumai) is a common legal term in the TaNaKh for summoning witnesses to a trial – equivalent to our subpoena today. Under Jewish law any matter had to be verified by two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15). Since there were no human witnesses who could testify about the intentions of his heart, Paul called on God as his sole witness to testify to the fact that it was to spare the Corinthians that he did not pay them a return visit. It was the heart of a shepherd, not indecisiveness, that caused him to change his travel plans.61
Paul declared: God knows what my life is like – that the reason I held back from coming to Corinth was out of consideration for you (1:23b)! Despite the dark thoughts that some of the Corinthians held against him, Paul mercifully wanted to give them time to correct the problems he wrote of in First Corinthians. Also, some in Corinth were guilty of being led into mutiny, which prompted “the severe letter” of 2:4. He wanted to give those who had been led astray by the false apostles time to repent. The apostle was also hoping for a good report from Titus about the Corinthians’ repenting and rejecting the false apostles in favor of him before visiting them. Much to his relief, after a time, that report was a positive one (see Bl – The Effects of the Severe Letter).62
Ever sensitive to avoid provoking unnecessary conflict, Paul quickly added a very positive disclaimer. We are not trying to dictate how you must live out your trust in the Messiah (1:24a). The apostle was obligated to serve his converts, not to dominate them. Peter would later write to all those in leadership: Shepherd the flock of God that is in your care, exercising oversight not out of constraint, but willingly, as God wants; and not out of a desire for dishonest gain, but with enthusiasm, also not as doers domineering over those in your care, but as people who become examples to the flock (First Peter 5:2-3). Paul never abused his apostolic authority to gain prestige, power, or to further his own selfish aims. It was his privilege to work with them. And his goal, even in disciplining some of the unruly Corinthians, was the joy that their obedience to the Lord would bring to them.
Paul was confident that in their trust (their salvation) the Corinthians were standing firm (1:24b). It was true that they had come to faith through Paul’s ministry, but their belief in Yeshua was their own, and rested on the power of God (First Corinthians 2:5; 15:1-11). As a result, their belief in Yeshua was a private matter between them and God (Romans 5:1-2, 11:20), and in this respect, they were subject to no one else (Romans 14:4).63 And obviously, this has also been true down through the ages and is true for us today.
Continuing this thought, Paul reasoned: Rather, we are working with you for your own joy (1:24c). Looking back on his ministry in Corinth, Paul reminded them of what he had said earlier: We are God’s co-workers with you (First Corinthians 3:9a). The apostle viewed the body of Messiah as a team, working together. Thus, Paul’s apostolic “team” sought the joy of the community, a joy that had been disturbed by the arrival of the false apostles, who had turned some away from Paul. Such joy is integral to the Good News that they preached because it came from the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Romans 14:17; Galatians 5:22; First Thessalonians 1:6) and from ADONAI (Romans 15:13). This is why Paul could say unashamedly that his joy was their joy (2:3); for he was speaking not of a merely human emotion, but the joy that comes from God’s Spirit.64
So I made up my mind that I would not pay you another painful visit (2:1). He was openly attacked (2:5-8 and 10, 7:12) and the Corinthians did not defend him. But by giving the Corinthians time to repent, Paul hoped to avoid another painful encounter with them. So his change in travel plans was not motivated by being double-minded or unreliable as the false apostles had evidently claimed, but by Paul’s sensitivity toward his beloved church.65 Paul’s other proposed visit (First Corinthians 16:1-8) never came to pass. What seemingly changed his mind was the fact that the second visit was so painful, that he needed to be certain that things had calmed down before he dared to come again – and it was left to Titus to bring the whole situation under control (Second Corinthians 2;12-13, 7:5-7, 13b-16).
Paul faced a dilemma. To come to Corinth might intensify the problem and the pain; however, to stay away would allow the problems to fester and make reconciliation more difficult. Not only that, to inflict pain on the Corinthians at that time would have effectively dried up the very source of his own joy – the Corinthians themselves! If by merely showing up I would put you in an embarrassingly painful position, how would you then be free to encourage and refresh me (2:2 The Message)? Paul’s solution to his dilemma was to write a painfully severe letter of rebuke. Unlike many in the Church today, Paul did not place church unity above truth and holiness. He was willing to confront unrepentant sin, even at the cost of his own joy. There could be no joy in his relationship with the Corinthians until the offender (2:5) had been brought to repentance and restored to fellowship (see Ap – Forgiving the Offender).
Indeed, this is why I wrote “the severe letter” as I did – so that when I came, I would not have to be pained by those who ought to give me the greatest joy. Paul expected his letter to cause his readers to take the necessary steps to remove the source of the friction which existed between them and their apostle. During the painful visit Paul had endured much pain by the offender, while the Corinthians, who should have made Paul rejoice, apparently stood by and did nothing. “The severe letter” was intended to ensure that this would not happen again. That reconciliation with them would bring as much joy to them as it would for Paul because they were all one in joy as well as in sorrow. For I had enough confidence in all of you that you would share my joy (2:3). Paul could tackle the thorny problem of the discipline of the one who caused pain, confident of the basic goodwill of the Corinthians towards him at this point.66
Paul was not stoic about the pain the dispute had caused him, but expressed the depth of his own feelings on the matter. He wrote “the severe letter” to the Corinthians with a greatly distressed, anguished heart, and with many tears, not in order to cause them pain, but to get them to realize how very much he loved them (2:4). His greatest desire was that they would obey the Word, discipline the offender, and bring purity and peace to the congregation. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful (Proverbs 27:6). On the one hand, Paul knew that his words would wound those he loved, and this brought him much pain. But, on the other hand, he also knew (as every loving parent knows) that there is a big difference between hurting someone and harming them. Sometimes those who love us must hurt us in order to keep us from harming ourselves.67
When we have conflicts, when we stop working together, what holds us together is love for God, love for His Word, love for the body of Messiah, and love for each other. That was the solution to the division between those in Corinth, and for us today. So how do we do that? By keeping our eyes on Yeshua, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2 HCSB). When we keep our eyes on Yeshua, when conflict comes (and it will), we will endure. When we deal with difficulties, we will make it through. We shouldn’t fight each other for control, but work together as a part of the body of Messiah. When we do that, we can accomplish everything that ADONAI has for us.
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