In 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 Paul says he went to Troas and after a long digression he picks up that thread again in 7:5. If we were reading the letter straight through, or hearing the letter read to us for the first time, we might have expected Paul’s response to meeting Titus and hearing the report that of a favorable response to the tearful letter.
Paul seems a little defensive in this verse, he claims to have wronged no one.
- “We wronged no one.” To “wrong” someone (ἀδικέω) can refer to physically mistreating someone, but can also refer to a legal injury, with the sense of doing an injustice to someone. Perhaps Paul’s opponents in the Corinthian church accused Paul of being too harsh in dealing with the incestuous man, perhaps treating him in a way that damaged his honor in the city of Corinth.
- “We have corrupted no one.” The verb φθείρω can mean either “ruin financially” or “corrupt” in the matter of doctrine or morals” (Harris, 517). This accusation has the connotation of ruining someone financially. It is true Paul has told his congregations to be wary of business relationships with the unsaved. If some in the church followed that recommendation, then his opponents could accuse Paul of intentionally ruining people financially.
- “We have taken advantage of no one.” The verb (πλεονεκτέω) has the sense of cheating someone financially. This might be a hint of some accusation about the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem, a topic Paul will shift to after this section of the book. Paul’s opponents may have been suspicious of this collection since it was not at all common for someone to collect money and even less common to give collected money to another city.
Since he has behaved properly toward the church, Paul asks the church to open up to him so that he may be reconciled with the church. This is a common metaphor even in contemporary English, to be “in someone’s heart” is to have a close personal relationship; “openheartedness” implies such a close relationship that being completely transparent is possible.
Paul had already opened his heart to them when he confronted them about their sin and what they needed to do to deal with that sin. Paul is now hopeful the church would also find some room for him so reconciliation can happen.
Paul’s love for the congregation leads to a level of frankness which could be understood as offensive. Since Paul had to correct obvious sins, the church could potentially be hurt by his words (v. 3-4).
The tone of the tearful letter could be interpreted as “putting them in their place.” Tone is almost impossible to convey in writing, and after the Paul’s last visit to the church it would have been easy to read the tearful letter as a harsh condemnation.
A factor modern readers may overlook is the social status of Paul and the church at Corinth. By speaking frankly, Paul could be interpreted as asserting his higher social status, perhaps “pulling rank” on the Corinthians. This was not the relationship Paul wanted to have with his churches. Paul and the Corinthians are “fellow-servants” of Christ and Paul regularly calls them “brothers.” Paul’s love is so deep for the Corinthian believers that he is willing to “live or die with them (v. 3). Some might think of this as a rhetorical flourish, but Paul was genuinely willing to lay his life down on behalf of the church, something he often demonstrated in ministry.
In summary, at the beginning of the letter Paul was concerned the tearful letter had caused the church sorrow, and perhaps caused the rift between himself and the church. After 2:14 he drops this feeling, only now expressing joy in the positive response from the church. But there was a long, tense period of time when Paul was unsure how the letter would be received, so in this next section he describes the depth of his sorrow and how that sorrow turned to joy when he finally heard from Titus the good news from the church.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
It’s odd that you say there’s such a love from Paul that leads him to confronted come across as mean. We still have those kinds of relationships and banters today. Having room in our hearts for others is a key to ministry. Sometimes a good, endearing relationship forms and there’s that space and openness that allows us to be frank with others. There’s a sense of honesty. But more than anything, Paul is open with a people he loves.
First and foremost, I love how morbid the photo on this post is. Let us all rip our chests open! Secondly, I connected well with the part of the post that discussed openheartedness. I agree that Paul was showing this vile young man openheartedness when he confronted him. This shows the deep love and care that This simply adds to the statement Paul has stated about himself being like a mother and father. The next step for the mending of relationships in this situation is allowing this man to be forgiven. Paul speaks about the issue of reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5, illustrating how Christ reconciled us and now the church must reconcile with one another. Even though there was much hurt by what had been done in this situation, the church members are called to continue to love like Christ, including forgiving and reconciling with this man.
Throughout this course’s study of the letters and work of Paul, I have definitely noticed a sense of openhearted nature of the Apostle Paul. In ministry, this is absolutely essential. Though I am not a ministry major, I am sure that Grace’s ministry programs stresses the importance of building relationships and being openhearted in order to experience spiritual, as well as relational, growth and benefits in ministry. So far, we have studied major cities that Paul has done ministry in such as Galatia, Corinth, and Thessalonica. In each of these cities, Paul builds a bond with the people during the course of his ministry. Typically, his deep love and care for these people as a result of this relational bond is the reason that he writes to them. For example, Longenecker and Still (2014) write about Paul and his relationship with the city of Galatia and the citizens of the city in the following quote: “Because the Christian communities that Paul addresses in this letter were founded by him, he felt especially protective of their corporate well-being” (p. 89). Ultimately, Paul had a relationship with the people of Galatia and the ministry and missionary foundation that he built that made him feel concerned about the agitators of Galatia. Ultimately, Paul has a heart for the people he does ministry for. The reason he is able to care for these people so deeply is a result of his willingness to be openhearted to the people he is doing ministry with, while also asking them to be openhearted with him.
(This is an addition to the post that I posted right above. I did not mean to submit the comment until I added this section.)
Think about the closest relationships we have in our own lives. Think about the moments where our closest relationships grow closer and grow closer. For me, many of these moments come from openhearted, unprotected conversations in a car, at a restaurant, etc. where it is just a one-on-one conversation. Similarly, Paul experiences this with large groups of people in Corinth. Paul is clear about the importance of being openhearted or frank in 2 Corinthians 7:4. Paul cares deeply for the people he works with in ministry. He wants people to accept Jesus Christ, love Jesus Christ, and transform their lives to live for Jesus Christ (Romans 12:2). To get people to make a decision or commitment of this magnitude, the people that Paul teaches must trust him and believe what he is saying. If someone you do not trust asks you to make a decision of this magnitude, it is incredibly difficult to take a step like that. Paul needs to earn the trust from the people he does ministry with, and as a result of this, he must build relationships like he has with the people in Corinth. The tearful letter is an excellent example of his care of these people. Moreover, this sense of trust that Paul is expected to build seems to be a reason that Paul is offended when critics have questioned the legitimacy of his gospel teachings in Galatia.
Paul wants the people of Corinth to keep their hearts open. I believe this is a key trait of Christianity in trusting God and fulfilling ministry.
Being transparent and openhearted with one another is an important action to take as a community in Christ. Paul made this clear in his letter to the Corinthian church. Paul opened his heart to the Corinthians and made it clear that his intentions were pure in helping them—in 2 Corinthians 7:2-4 Paul explains that he has wronged no one, corrupted no one, and taken advantage of no one. Paul had approached the Corinthians, in order to help draw them closer to Christ, and addressed all of the actions they needed to change. This could have come across as too harsh of an approach by some people, which is the reasoning for Paul’s explanation in verses 2-4. To wrong someone could mean to physically mistreat them or to legally do injustice toward them. Being accused of corrupting could refer to either financially ruining someone or to corrupt someone in the matter of doctrine or morals. Paul was also accused of cheating someone financially—this idea came from the collections that Paul took. Paul had to clear his name in a sense because he did not wrong the church in any way. He asked the church to be open with him.
The tearful letter—which was a letter “written out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears…to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything” (TTP, pg. 144). It had the intentions of putting the Corinthians in their place. Unfortunately, Paul was concerned that the tearful letter ended up causing a problem between himself and the church.
Making room in our hearts is something that I feel is still necessary today in our relationship with fellow followers of Christ and with our relationship with the Lord. Often receiving tough love from a fellow believer is not always easy to hear, but we need to have an open heart when receiving this information that they are sharing to help our relationship with the Lord grow.
It is obious that Paul does not want to shine as being above these Corinth people at all. It shows in the passage that he wanted to humble himself to being brothers and sisters in Christ with these people. We see Paul getting defensive in this passage claming that he harmed no one. It might be getting to him the fact that the Corinth people are being harsh on him and he might be second guessing himself a little bit. Paul gets stern though according to (Longnecker 2014) “Paul implies that the Corinthians themselves should take disciplinary measures towards anyone who challenges Paul’s apostolic authority”(p.147). Paul may have second guessed himself, but surely does stay rooted in what he knows is true and trusts in his relationship with God.
I think that given Paul’s journey of coming to Christ it makes sense that he became defensive in his response to the church’s reaction to his openness. Paul’s love for the people and his gift for ministry led him to strive for a level of connectivity with the people. Paul’s ultimate goal of bringing people to Christ motivates him to speak out and have people see their sins and deal with them in the right way. I think that if Paul would have used something other than a letter maybe he would have had a different reaction from the church. As Professor Long stated, it is hard to tell emotion through writing. In today’s world, we experience the same situations all of the time through text. When I confront someone over text I try to be mindful that what I am texting can be portrayed exactly as I intend it to on the other side. I don’t think there is a way to make a confrontation over text sound joyful. Paul’s response to the church was definitely defensive and he emphasized his love for them. He did a great job of making it known that he wasn’t condemning, rather he was being bold and looking out for their best interest. Overall, I think his method of delivery wasn’t the most effective, but his recovery really helped to set the sturdy foundation of love and pride. Now when the church referred back to the tearful letter they would know Paul’s heart and where he was coming from.
Paul sets an example of dealing with conflict and being in relation with people. There seems to be a miscommunication between what Paul did and what the church in Corinth thinks he did. Paul goes on to defend himself saying he has done nothing wrong. He then asks for the church to “make room for us in your hearts” (2 Corinthians 7:2). He wants the people to see that he has done nothing wrong and be open to being in relationship with him. “Since he has behaved properly toward the church, Paul asks the church to open up to him so that he may be reconciled with the church” (Long, 2019). He wants to be back in relationship with the church after the misconceptions about him. We see that Paul took this first step with confronting the church of Corinth about their sins and what to do about them (Long, 2019). Now, Paul asks the people would do the same for him. Paul also mentions how his advice and instruction was not out of an offensive or condemning nature, but out of love (2 Corinthians 7:3-4). It is important to see this response in a way we can apply it to our lives. We are able to speak in a way that tells others that they might not be doing the best thing for themselves because we love and care about them, not because we condemn them or judge them.
What Long said about Paul being defensive, he actually was defensive about it. It also sounds to me that he is trying to control people. At the same time, I understand he is openhearted caring for people which is good. Jeusu cares for His people. Paul asked the church to open up to him and be honest. Whatever the church has to say to him, Paul is willing to make changes or pray about it. “Paul has opened his heart and confronted them about their sin and what they need to do to deal with their sin (Long, 2019). To this day pastors and leaders would do the same thing in the churches to have everyone respect and be kind to one another. Although there are some churches that would act differently like leaders who show an example of how to be kind to others or show generosity then later they will not be kind. For example, when I was young there was this church I used to go to with my parents. My pastor was giving a sermon about how we should be generous, openhearted and be kind to one another. After he was done talking, a leader gave an example of showing us how to be generous by giving. Back in my mind is that the leaders were not to the people at church. You reach out to the brothers and sisters in Christ of any situation you want to share,to be openhearted about their sins, some leaders will talk and pray for the person or will say something but not help them.
Miscommunication. It happens now, and it happened back then. I find it so ironic that an issue prevalent in so many of our lives also existed two thousand years ago, and likely before too. You mention that “tone is almost impossible to convey in writing,” and that his previous visit to the church would’ve set the tone when they received this second letter. Therefore, he references it on two occasions that he had “much affliction and anguish” and felt sad that it “brought sorrow” to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 2:4, 7:8). He addresses many other things in this letter, but without reconciling himself to a congregation that may feel personally attacked, led astray, or taken advantage of, then he would have no impact with the letter at all. There is no doubt to us, a modern audience that can look at the context to this passage from a distance, that Paul loves the people of Corinth, but to they may have seen things differently. In order to make things right, and also uphold the authority of this letter, Paul uses verse 3 to help reassure them that they “are in [Paul’s] heart” and he is willing “to live or die together with [them].”
I think we can look at this passage, not only as a preface before Paul’s main message, applying only to the Corinthians, but as a glimpse into his character. Paul says in his first letter, “Follow me, as I follow Christ” (11:1), and here we see him expressing his love and sorrow for the Corinthians who just recently were questioning him and his authority. The fact that he is able to address them out of love and pleads for them to reconcile shows us that we can also address those around us when we face similar situations.
It is amazing how communication can be interpreted in a multitude of ways, Paul attempts to present himself and his message with love but many took it in a poor way. Personally, I feel love can be one of the most difficult emotions to show and pick up on. Trying to find the right words to say can be tough and you do not always know what others want to hear, especially in a loving way. I have definitely ran into this in my own life, this may be why I do not have a girlfriend lol.
The analysis of 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 in the blog post provides important insights into Paul’s mental state and the interactions between him and the Corinthian church. Paul’s claim that he had mistreated no one, corrupted no one and cheated no one demonstrates his desire to justify his actions and objectives. This response could have been spurred by charges or worries within the Corinthian community about his behavior, particularly in questions of discipline and finances. Paul’s honesty, which stems from his love for the congregation, is an important part of his communication approach. While it may have come across as insulting or harsh, his genuine concern for their spiritual well-being pushed him to address their transgressions immediately. This could have added to the stress, especially after his “painful visit.” Understanding the power dynamics at work requires a discussion of social status and rank. Paul’s emphasis on referring to himself and the Corinthians as “fellow-servants” and “brothers” demonstrates his preference for a relationship based on equality and shared faith rather than hierarchical power. Exploration of these verses in the blog post provides a nuanced perspective on Paul’s dealings with the Corinthians, stressing the intricacy of their connection and the depth of his emotions, ultimately contributing to a fuller comprehension of the text.
Paul loved the church so much, we can see that in the verse that is referenced when Paul states in verse 3 talking about living together and dying together. Paul would have done anything to help the church. To see how Paul opens up his heart to the church and the love that he has for the church is an inspiring thing. Paul loved the church and the people within the church, he wanted them to have that kind of open love as well, wanting them to open their hearts to God. Having a relationship and open heart with God is important, when we can open our hearts to God we can grow closer to Him. Paul also shows us a great example of being a friend and leader of the church. As stated above Paul often calls the followers in Corinthians “brothers” showing that he has a great love for them. Paul was devoted to his ministry and had a heart like Jesus in wanting to help serve. We can see the heart Paul had for his ministry and what we can take away is that we should be doing the same within our own churches. We should be making sure that others are following the path of God and that we can walk alongside one another and help make room in our hearts for the love of God.
In 2 Corinthians, Paul’s love for the church in Corinth is clearly portrayed. This is highlighted in 2 Corinthians 7:4 when Paul says that he takes pride in the church and feels encouraged. What I found interesting is that Paul asks the church in Corinth to open their hearts to him, meaning he wants to form a close relationship with the church. This is a message that I think the church in Corinth needed to hear. A church is more than a building, it is a body of believers coming together to worship God which entails keeping an open heart towards other fellow brothers and sisters. The reason Paul brings up the idea of having an open heart toward him to the church is because they seem to have accused him of wronging them when in fact he did not. If the church opened their heart to Paul, then he could be reconciled among them. This makes me think of churches today. Some are close knit and feel like a family while others are comprised of different cliques that often leave others on the sidelines. One can assume this may be a result of having a closed heart toward others. Ephesians 4:32 tells Christians to be kind and to forgive one another. In order to do this, Christians need to have an open heart toward each other. Ephesians 4:18 is an example of what hardness of heart looks like. It says, “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.” It was important to Paul that the church of Corinth tried to have open hearts so they could be reconciled with one another. This importance is still applicable to Christians today.
Paul clearly showed his heart to the people in 2 Corinthians by sharing the truth but in a way that wasn’t judgmental. A big part of building a relationship with others is by showing compassion and love and finding those similarities. Paul was once a sinner and at one point was even a persecutor of Christians so his viewpoint was a redemption story. Paul showed his true heart to the people he preached to because he needed to in order to build those relationships. Mission work is mainly relation building. One cannot spread the gospel without building a relationship first. By Paul opening up he is building that relationship. Paul is being transparent with the people so that they build trust and understanding on where he is coming from. Paul demonstrates in his ministry that he is willing to lay down his life. In his suffering in 2 Corinthians 11 Paul shares about how he has suffered for his ministry, but Paul isn’t trying to pull his rank on the people of Corinth he is trying to meet them where they are at like Jesus would have. One can see that Paul genuinely loves people and wants the best for them because he was willing to suffer for them in order for them to receive the good news. By opening up his heart and being honest with them he was able to do this.
It’s interesting to see how Pauls genuine concern for the Corinthians could have been misinterpreted due to the complexities of language and societal norms at that time. The way you explained Paul’s willingness to be open and vulnerable, despite the potential misunderstandings has given me a new way to look at his relationship with the Corinthian church. Paul was literally willing to open his chest and lay his life down and it really just showed how much he cared. Another thing that I thought was good in this post was how you highlighted the challenges of interpreting ancient texts and the importance of considering historical context. It really does show us how much true meaning can be lost without understanding what was actually going on in that time. To really understand we need to actually out ourselves in the shoes of the people in that time, and we still don’t know what that was exactly like.
Paul’s writing to the Corinthians was calling out their sin and letting them know of their shortcomings. As someone myself who has experience in doing wrong, being called out and confronted is not the greatest feeling on earth, so I can see that the church and people in Corinth would have certain feelings towards Paul, such as guilt, embarrassment, or maybe sour. But like Long said, Paul had to correct obvious sins, and he is willing to lay his life down for the church, as to why he can call them out in their sin, because he loves them. I also see a great example of Paul searching reconciliation with the church, as he feels that he has caused them sorrow with his writings. Paul notes that in all his dealings with the Corinthians, he does not seek to lord himself over them but to work toward their joy alongside them (2 Cor. 1:24). This is another reason why Paul commonly refers to them as “brothers”, since he does not put himself above them. He believes God has given him authority yes, but still as Long says is not trying to “pull rank” on them.
As an addendum to Paul’s “openheartedness” regarding the Corinthian church, he offers a defensive dialogue in his tearful letter. Within the passage, Paul’s application of the terms “wronged,” “corrupted,” and “taken advantage of” reflects the accusations or concerns that may have arisen within the Corinthian church. Some possible explanations for these accusations could include harsh treatment, financial matters, and the collection for Jerusalem. Paul dealt decisively with the issue of the incestuous man in the Corinthian church during his exhortation in 1 Corinthians 5:1-2, berating the church for its pride in tolerating the sin. Additionally, Paul advised the Corinthians to remain cautious about business relationships with non-believers while also collecting money for the poor saints in Jerusalem, an uncommon practice. These issues colored Paul’s message and inflamed the ire of Corinthians against each other; the aberrant moral behavior exhibited permitted the flourishing of “‘super-apostles’ who had been eager to criticize Paul” (Longenecker & Still, 2014, p. 155). Paul’s plea for the Corinthians to open up their hearts to him and be reconciled indicates his genuine concern for their well-being (Longenecker & Still, 2014, p. 154). His desire for reconciliation is rooted in his deep love for the congregation. This love led him to be frank and open in his communication, even when addressing difficult issues within the church. Paul understood that his tone in his previous letters might have been misinterpreted as harsh or condescending, but his intention was always to guide the Corinthians toward spiritual growth and unity.
It’s important to note that Paul did not want to assert any superiority over the Corinthians based on social status. Instead, he considered them fellow-servants of Christ and often referred to them as “brothers.” His willingness to “live or die” with them exemplifies his commitment to their spiritual well-being and his ministry’s selfless nature. While the tone of the tearful letter is often interpreted in a harsh, brutalizing condemnation, Paul attempts his best to work around the language and convey an underlying humanity and desire to flourish the ministry. This appears to echo a sentiment resonated in Ephesians 4:29, where Paul writes, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (ESV). Even when our fellow brothers and sisters misstep, we are quick to judge and even quicker to divorce from their presence. While biblical correction has a time and place, asserting one’s prowess over another in any manner of communication or speech conveys a barbarity in employed language. Paul’s earning of his trust, especially in the middle of magnanimous criticisms, provides an excellent example of trust that paints a picture for the Corinthian church and modern Christian relations.
We have seen in many of Paul’s letters that he does not want to come off as someone of authority. In 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2, he uses these verbs; “ask” and “urge” rather than verbs that would insist or almost be controlling. Paul wanted the people to feel equal to him and allow them to think about their own beliefs rather than him “forcing” it on them. While in this letter, 2 Corinthians 7:2-4, his tone can be taken the wrong way or in a way that is not Paul’s character whatsoever. Like Long said in this blog, “Tone is almost impossible to convey in writing” which is something that we can still see in modern day times. This is why there is so much miscommunication going on in our world, people take things the wrong way. When people look and read this letter, they see it as a rude confrontation. But in this letter, Paul is opening his heart, sharing his story, and looking out for his people as he often refers to them as brothers or sisters. As believers, it is better that we approach spreading the gospel in a kind and respectful way rather than coming off as judgmental. I think Christians are often misunderstood because of certain writings or tones in the Bible. Knowing Paul’s story and who he was before he found Christ, is enough evidence to show that Paul never means to come off in a way of disrespect or judgment, he wants the best for everyone and loves everyone just like we are called to do.
Paul told Corinthian believers to close their hearts to the world but to open their hearts to him. They opened their hearts to the world, and their hearts were the problem. Because Corinthian believers thought that Paul did not have authority or power, They also believed that God was not using Paul. So Paul was straight to them: they must be honest and be open to seeing the truth about Paul’s ministry. But Paul did not want to condemn them because he loved them and wanted to rebuild the great relationship he once had with them. Paul told them that they are his heart—to die together and to live together.
If we keep committing sin in our lives, then it proves we do not respect God and are against him. As believers, we all should get rid of evil things and always try to do good things. We should fear God by loving, helping, and forgiving others. Paul told the Corinthians, Christians, that they needed to be cleansed, including him. And all Christians need to be cleansed too. In life, we do not know our weaknesses, but others. We care so much about others bad behaviors, and we judge them. Sometimes we do not see that we need to fix and change to become a better person. We see people’s faults, and we accept them. We have to open our hearts to ourselves, check what we need, and change, but not others.
It is odd that some people believe that Paul was offensive with his words. Especially because of how much Paul loved the church and how he wanted to spread his love and the word of God. Paul knew what he believed in and he would not change that for anything or anyone. I hope to have a level similar to Paul in my faith. He believes so hard and he spreads the word of God without fear. He spreads the word because he knows he has to, but also because he wants to. He wants people to feel the love of Jesus and believing is the first step to that. I also liked how Paul referred to a lot of them as brothers. This is something that gives people comfort and it is what we all are, brothers(and sisters) in Christ. We were all created in His image and are all children of God. People seem to forget that sometimes especially in the world today. War is happening more often and people forget that selflessness and giving love to people can change the world for the better. I believe one day we will be able to revive the worlds faith and spread the word of God as well as love.
Hi, Isaiah Ford
It is true that Paul really loves the Corinthians, and he did not want to condemn them. Paul was always good to them and tried to help them. But they criticize him, and they think that Paul is crazy and that God is not using him. I think that it is too much sometimes because Paul was worried and prayed for them, and he was always there for them. I had some really great and close friends. They were there for me when I had money or something they wanted. But when I needed them, they never showed up, and they forgot me. Paul was judged by those Corinthian Christians, but Paul never left and forgot them.