Chapter 13
Starts this way:
1 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. [2Co 13:1 ESV]
Paul won't stand still for unsubstantiated charges against him by the false apostles. If they wish to accuse him, they will need others besides themselves to back their claims.
2021-2, As I read it this year, it is not charges against himself that Paul is talking about, but charges against Christians by Christians in the Corinthian church. He will not tolerate gossip and slander. If you want to accuse others, then you need two or three agreeing on the charges. Reading through the MSB notes, I have it right this year, was wrong last. It almost seems like Corinth was rife with factions working against each other. This would seem very likely if they had members living in open sin, unrepentant, yet ambitious to be in church leadership. Repentant Christians would be beside themselves, recognizing the danger to the church and to the failed witness they would be in such a city as Corinth. The "best speakers" were sided with the unrepentant, and then the grounded and settled had only their own resources and their scriptures, and any letters they'd received from apostles - mainly from Paul. So Paul was attacked as just another guy writing big letters and making himself "scriptural" when they were just letters, just opinion. What would you do? How would you resolve such a thing? Is that what the BMA, the NABA, and the SBC are there for? To removed unrepentant and clearly erroneous error from association with the rest? SBC last year removed a church down south for ordaining women preachers. But...what do they do about unmarried people living together and coming to church every week? I guess that's not association, that's local church, but does anyone do it? Besides John MacArthur I mean? It seems another way to study 1 and 2Co might be to look for lessons on repairing a broken, fractured, contentious church. Just itemize the steps Paul took as we go through the books to try and bring it back to "The Way", without taking sides. He does sometimes call a name of someone who is doing something horrible, but he never says "Joe and that group with him are right and everyone else is wrong, I'm putting Joe in charge". Never happens. He calls out the sins - adultery, incest, drunken parties for the Lord's supper - and calls these things flat out wrong. The guilty knew who they were, and everyone else knew it too. Perhaps some were "won back" with each letter, each visit...but as soon as that blew over, the sinful would just recruit some more sinners and start again. A constant struggle. Certainly speaks to careful selection of church leadership, deacons, elders.
Paul says that if he comes there again, he will not spare his accusers. This is a dire threat. If they don't believe he is a true apostle, they better be right. I suspect he is referring indirectly to Ananias and Sapphira...
He tells them that his only interest is to build them up, to see them saved, and working for Christ. But he ends this way:
10 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down. [2Co 13:10 ESV]
They have only seen Paul severe in letters, never in person. But when he comes this third time, they will get what they get...
Then a final blessing, and the letter is done.
(Looking ahead, I start Romans tomorrow. I like the Chronological Bible, but I think it gives too much time to the OT, and not nearly enough to the new. I do three chapters of Romans tomorrow and four Tuesday. Come on! That won't start it!)