The Pastoral and Sacrificial Heart of Paul

2018-03-10

For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong. (14) Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. (15) And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. (16) But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. (17) Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? (18) I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps? (19) Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying. (2 Corinthians 12:13-19)

In the previous section, Paul had finished giving an account of his apostleship, defending his work in the Lord. He did this to show his authority, but in this section, he emphasized his sincere care for them.

  1. Paul did not receive any support from the Corinthians. Paul normally received support from the churches that he planted. Corinth was a special case; preaching the Gospel was more important, and for some reason, receiving support from the Corinthians would have been a barrier to the Gospel. In Acts 18:1-3, we see that Paul made tents as a side job to support himself. He also received support from other churches (2 Corinthians 11:8). Nevertheless, the churches of Achaia were not spiritually shortchanged by Paul in any way. 2 Corinthians 12:13
  2. Paul authentically loved them like children. Paul did not look to people to see what he could receive from them. He poured his life into others. He likened his relationship with the Corinthians as to parents and children. Parents do not expect provision of needs from children, but the children from parents. Paul wanted to provide those spiritual needs. 2 Corinthians 12:14
  3. Paul was less loved because of his generosity. This may be because he told them the truth concerning their sin. Rebuke often hardens people, as it did the Pharaoh of the exodus and King Saul concerning David (1 Samuel 24:8-22; 26:1-2).

    They also may have loved Paul less because they took his service to them for granted. All the heartache to get them to move toward maturity resulted in the Corinthians persisting in the same sins. 2 Corinthians 12:15
  4. Paul being not burdensome exposed their ungratefulness. Paul’s generosity exposed their carnality. 2 Corinthians 12:16
  5. Paul did everything to the edification of the churches. Neither Paul, Titus, nor the others sought to defraud the brothers; on the contrary, they did all things to make sure they grew in the Lord. 2 Corinthians 12:17-19

Paul, whether he was provided for or not, continually provided for the spiritual needs of the Corinthians (Philippians 4:10-13). He showed the heart of Christ, who, as the good Shepherd, did everything in love of His sheep. In John 10:7-18, we see Jesus as one who gives His life for the sheep, contrasted with hirelings that flee when danger comes.

Many false prophets today do everything for filthy lucre’s sake, just as there were many such false teachers in Paul’s day. We do not see this quality in Paul, who counted all things as loss and as dung to pursue Christ and to equip the churches of God in his day (Philippians 3:8).