Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: 2 CORINTHIANS #12 - 12:11-13:14)
P. 12:11-13:10 PAUL'S PURPOSE: TO SPARE THEM JUDGMENT
1. 1:12:11-13 CORINTHIAN FAILURE DROVE PAUL TO BOASTING
a. 12:11 PAUL ENLIGHTENS THE CORINTHIANS
GEgona APHron [878]: huMEIS me e-nagKAsa-te [315];
I am become foolish: you compelled me;
eGOgar Ophei-lon huph' huMON suNIstas-thai [4921]: ouDEN gar
for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing
huSTEre-sa [5302]ton hu-perLIan a-poSTOlon [652], ei kai ouDEN ei-mi.
was I behind the chiefest apostles, though I am nothing.
b. 12:12 SIGNS AND WONDERS: PROOF OF APOSTLESHIP
ta men seMEIa[4592] tou a-poSTOlou ka-teirGASthe[2716] en huMIN
Indeed the signs of the apostle were wrought among you
en PAse hu-po-moNE[5281], seMEIois te kai TEra-sin [5059] kai duNAme-sin [1411].
in all patience, both by signs and wonders and powers.
c. 12:13 A GENTLE REBUKE
ti GAR es-tin ho hesSOthe-ti [2274]huPER tas loiPAS ek-kleSIas,
For what is there wherein you were made inferior to therest of the churches,
ei meHOti auTOS eGOou ka-teNARke-sa [2655]huMON? chaRIsasTHE [5483]moi ten a-diKIan TAUten.
except that I myself was not a burden to you? forgive me this :wrong.
2. 12:14-18 PAUL'S CONCERN: NOT GIFTS, BUT WELFARE OF CONVERTS
a. 12:14 PAUL: SPELLS OUT HIS RESPONSIBILITY
I-DOU, TRIton TOUto heTOImos [2093]EchoelTHEIN pros huMAS;
Lo, this is the third timeI am ready to come unto you;
kai ou ka-ta-narKEso[2655]: ou gar zeTO[2212]ta huMON, alLA huMAS:
and I will not be a burden: for I seek not :yours, but you:
ou gar oPHEIlei ta TEKna tois goNEUsin [1118]the-sauRIzein [2343], alLA hoi goNEIS tois TEKnois.
for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.
b. 12:15a And I will most gladly spend and be expended for your :souls.
eGOde HEdi-sta [2236]da-paNEso[1159]kai ek-da-pa-neTHEso-mai [1550]huPER ton psuCHON huMON.
c. 12:15b If I love you more abundantly, am I loved less?
ei pe-ris-soTEros huMAS a-gaPO[25], HESson a-gaPOmai?
d. 12:16 But be it so, I did not myself burden you; but, being crafty, I took you with guile.
EStode, eGOou ka-teBAre-sa [2599]huMAS; alLA, huPARchon paNOURgos [2835], DOlohuMAS Ela-bon.
e. 12:17 Did I take advantage of you by any one of them whom I have sent unto you?
MEti-na hon aPEStal-ka pros huMAS di' auTOU e-ple-oNEKte-sa [4122]huMAS?
f. 12:18a I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother along.
pa-reKAle-sa [3870]TIton, kai su-naPEStei-la [4862]ton a-delPHON.
g. 12:18b QUESTIONS
MEti e-ple-oNEKte-sen [4122]huMAS TItos?
Did Titus take advantage of you?
ou toauTOPNEUma-ti pe-ri-e-paTEsa-men? ou tois auTOIS ICHne-sin [2487]?
walked we not in the same spirit? not in the same steps?
3. 12:19-21 WARNING: APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY CAN CORRECT SIN
a. 12:19a You think all the while that we are excusing ourselves to you.
PAlai doKEIte [1380] HOti huMIN a-po-loGOUme-tha [626].
b. 12:19b Before God speak we in Christ.
kaTEnan-ti TheOU en ChrisTOlaLOUmen.
c. 12:19c But all the things, beloved, arefor your :edifying.
ta de PANta, a-ga-peTOI, huPER tes huMON oi-ko-doMES [3619].
d. 12:20-21 PAUL'S WARNING
phoBOUmai [5399]gar, mepos elTHON, ouch HOIous THEloHEUrohuMAS,
For I fear, lest when I come, I somehow find you not such as I would,
ka' 'GOheu-reTHO[2147]huMIN OIon ou THEle-te [2309];
and should myself be found of you such as you would not;
mepos Eris [2054], ZElos [2205], thuMOI [2372], e-riTHIai [2052],
lest somehow there bestrife, jealousy, wraths, factions,
ka-ta-la-liAI [2636], psi-thu-risMOI [5587], phu-siOseis [5450], a-ka-ta-staSIai [181];
backbitings, whisperings, puffings up, tumults;
mePAlin elTHONtos mou ta-peiNOse[5013]me ho TheOS mou pros huMAS,
21lest again when I come my :God should humble me before you,
kai penTHEso[3996]polLOUS ton pro-e-mar-teKOton [4258],
and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore,
kai meme-ta-no-eSANton [3340]ePI tea-ka-tharSIa [167]kai porNEIa kai a-selGEIa [766]heEpra-xan.
and repented not of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they wrought.
4. 13:1-10 SELF-JUDGMENT: BETTER THAN APOSTOLIC JUDGMENT
a. 13:1a This is thethird timeI am coming unto you.
TRIton TOUto ERcho-mai pros huMAS.
b. 13:1b At themouth of two witnesses or three shall every word be established.
ePI STOma-tos [4750]DUo marTUron [3144]kai triON staTHEse-tai [2476]pan 'REma [4487].
c. 13:2-4a PAUL: NOW MAKES PLAIN THE DANGER TO SOME CORINTHIANS
proEIre-ka, kai proLEgo, hos paRON to DEUte-ron, kai aPON nun,
I have said before, and am telling before, as when present the second time, so now, absent,
tois pro-e-mar-teKOsin [4258], kai tois loiPOIS PAsin,
to them that have sinned afore, and to all the rest,
HOti, eAN ELthoeis to PAlin, ou PHEIso-mai [5339]:
that, if I come :again, I will not spare:
ePEI do-kiMEN [1382]zeTEIte [2212]tou en eMOI laLOUNtos ChrisTOU;
3 since you seek proof of the Christ that speaks in me;
hos eis huMAS ouk as-theNEI [770], alLA du-naTEI [1414] en huMIN:
who unto you is not weak, but is powerful in you:
kai gar es-tauROthe[4717]ex as-theNEIas [769], alLA zeek duNAme-os TheOU,
4for though he was crucified from weakness, yet he lives from thepower of God.
d. 13:4b UNDERSTAND: GOD'S POWER FLOWS OUT OF WEAKNESS
kai gar heMEIS as-theNOUmen [770]en auTO,
For we also are weak in him,
alLA ZEso-men [2198]sun auTOek duNAme-os TheOU eis huMAS.
yet shall we live with him from God's power toward you.
e. 13:5a Test yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove yourselves.
He-auTOUS peiRAze-te [3985], ei esTE en tePIStei; he-auTOUS do-kiMAzete [1381].
f. 13:5b CHRIST IS EITHER IN US - OR NOT!
eouk e-pi-giNOske-te [1921]he-auTOUS, HOti IeSOUS ChrisTOS en huMIN?
Or know you not as to yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?
ei MEti aDOkiMOI [96]es-te.
unless indeed you be disapproved.
g. 13:6 But I hope that you shall know that WE ae not disapproved.
elPIzo[1679] de HOti GNOses-the [1097]HOti heMEIS ouk esMEN aDOki-moi [96].
h. 13:7 THE HIGH GOAL OF PAUL FOR THE CORINTHIANS
euCHOme-tha [2172]de pros ton TheON mepoiEsai huMAS kaKON;
Now we pray unto :God that you do no evil;
meDEN ouch HIna heMEIS DOki-moi phaNOmen [5316],
not that we may appear approved,
all' HIna huMEIS to kaLON poiEte, huMEIS de hos aDOki-moi Omen.
but that you may do what is honorable, though we be as disapproved.
i. 13:8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
ou gar duNAmeTHA [1410]ti kaTA tes a-leTHEIas [225], alLA huPER tes a-leTHEIas.
j. 13:9 AGAIN: PAUL'S HIGH GOAL FOR THE CORINTHIANS
CHAIro-men [5463]gar, HOtan heMEIS as-theNOmen [770], huMEIS de du-naTOI [1415]Ete:
For we rejoice, when we be weak, and you be strong:
TOUto kai euCHOme-tha [2172], ten huMON kaTARti-sin [2676].
this we also pray for, evenyour :perfecting.
k. 13:10 GOAL OF LETTER: TO PREPARE CORINTHIANS FOR PAUL'S THIRD COMING
DiA TOUto TAUta aPON GRApho, HIna paRON mea-poTOmos [664]CHREso-mai [5530],
For this cause I write these things whileabsent, that I may not whenpresent deal sharply,
kaTA ten e-xouSIan [1849]hen ho KUri-os EdoKEN moi eis oi-ko-doMEN [3619]kai ouk eis kaTHAIre-sin.
according to the authority which the Lord gave mefor building up and not for casting down.
Q. 13:11-13 PARTING ADMONITIONS
a. 13:11a For the rest, brethren, farewell. LoiPON, a-delPHOI, CHAIre-te [5463].
b. 13:11b PARTING EXHORTATION
ka-tarTIzes-the [2675]; pa-ra-kaLEISthe [3870]; to auTO phroNEIte [5426];
Be perfected; be comforted; be of the same mind;
ei-reNEUe-te [1514]: kai ho TheOS tes aGApes kai eiREnes EStai meth' huMON.
be at peace: and the God of :love and peace shall be with you.
c. 13:12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
AsPAsas-the [782]alLElous en haGIophiLEma-ti [5370].
d. 13:13 All the saints greet you.
AsPAzon-tai huMAS hoi HAgi-oi [40] PANtes.
R. 13:14 BENEDICTION
HeCHAris tou KuRIou IeSOU ChrisTOU, kai heaGApetou TheOU,
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of :God,
kai hekoi-noNIa [2842]tou HaGIou PNEUma-tos, meTA PANton huMON.
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, bewith you all.
“THE DELIGHT OF SACRIFICE' - Oswald Chambers (MUFHH)
2 Corinthians 12:15 (12:11-13-13) “I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls” . . .
Once “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,” we deliberately begin to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ's interests and purposes in others' lives (Romans 5:5). And Jesus has an interest in every individual person. We have no right in Christian service to be guided by our own interests and desires. In fact, this is one of the greatest tests of our relationship with Jesus Christ. The delight of sacrifice is that I lay down my life for my Friend, Jesus (see John 15:13). I don't throw my life away, but I willingly and deliberately lay it down for Him and His interests in other people. And I do this for no cause or purpose of my own. Paul spent his life for only one purpose - that he might win people to Jesus Christ. Paul always attracted people to his Lord, but never to himself. He said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:23).
When someone thinks that to develop a holy life he must always be alone with God, he is no longer of any use to others. This is like putting himself on a pedestal and isolating himself from the rest of society. Paul was a holy person, but wherever he went Jesus Christ was always allowed to help Himself to his life. Many of us are interested only in our own goals, and Jesus cannot help Himself to our lives. But if we are totally surrendered to Him, we have no goals of our own to serve. Paul said that he knew how to be a “doormat” without resenting it, because the motivation of his life was devotion to Jesus. We tend to be devoted, not to Jesus Christ, but to the things which allow us more spiritual freedom than total surrender to Him would allow. Freedom was not Paul's motive at all. In fact, he stated, “I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren. . .”
(Romans 9:3). Had Paul lost his ability to reason? Not at all! For someone who is in love this is not an overstatement. And Paul was in love with Jesus Christ.
The Destitution of Service - “though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved” (2 Cor. 12:15)
Natural human love expects something in return. But Paul is saying, “It doesn't really matter to me whether you love me or not. I am willing to be completely destitute anyway; willing to be poverty-stricken, not just for your sakes, but also that I may be able to get you to God.” “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor ...” (2 Corinthians 8:9).And Paul's idea of service was the same as our Lord's. He did not care how high the cost was to himself - he would gladly pay it. It was a joyful thing to Paul.
The institutional church's idea of a servant of God is not at all like Jesus Christ's idea. His idea is that we serve Him by being the servants of others. Jesus Christ actually “out-socialized” the socialists. He said that in His kingdom the greatest one would be the servant of all (see Matthew 23:11). The real test of a saint is not one's willingness to preach the gospel, but one's willingness to do something like washing the disciples' feet - that is, being willing to do those things that seem unimportant in human estimation but count as everything to God. It was Paul's delight to spend his life for God's interests in other people, and he did not care what it cost. But before we will serve, we stop to ponder our personal and financial concerns - “What if God wants me to go over there? And what about my salary? What is the climate like there? Who will take care of me? A person must consider all these things.”All that is an indication that we have reservations about serving God. But the apostle Paul had no conditions or reservations. Paul focused his life on Jesus Christ's idea of a New Testament saint; that is, not one who merely proclaims the gospel, but one who becomes broken bread and poured-out winein the hands of Jesus Christ for the sake of others.