2 Corinthians 12:11-21·~1 min

Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians

Paul says the Corinthians drove him into foolishness when they should have commended him, for he is not inferior to the super-apostles even though he is nothing. The signs of a true apostle were done among them with perseverance, and the only way they were 'inferior' to other churches was that Paul refused to burden them.

I¹¹ have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. ¹²The marks of a true apostle — signs, wonders, and miracles — were performed among you with great perseverance. ¹³In what way were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

Paul says he is ready to come a third time and still will not burden them, because he seeks them, not their possessions, as a parent lays up for children. He will gladly spend himself for their souls, and he asks whether either he or Titus ever exploited them, insisting that they all walked in the same Spirit and steps.

¹⁴See, I am ready to come to you a third time, and I will not be a burden, because I am not seeking your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. ¹⁵And for the sake of your souls, I will most gladly spend my money and myself. If I love you more, will you love me less? ¹⁶Be that as it may, I was not a burden to you; but crafty as I am, I caught you by trickery. ¹⁷Did I exploit you by anyone I sent you? ¹⁸I urged Titus to visit you, and I sent our brother with him. Did Titus exploit you in any way? Did we not walk in the same Spirit and follow in the same footsteps?

Paul says all of this has been spoken before God in Christ for their upbuilding, not as a self-defense for its own sake. Yet he fears that when he comes he may find quarrels, jealousy, rage, slander, gossip, arrogance, disorder, and older sins of impurity and sexual immorality still unrepented, bringing him grief instead of joy.

¹⁹Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you? We speak before God in Christ, and all of this, beloved, is to build you up. ²⁰For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder. ²¹I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of their acts of impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery.

Section summaryPaul says the Corinthians should have commended him, since the signs of a true apostle were performed among them, even though he himself is nothing, and he returns with irony to the one thing in which they were 'wronged' by him: that he did not burden them financially. He is ready to come a third time still seeking not their possessions but themselves, like a parent who spends for children rather than the other way around. Yet beneath the defense lies concern, because he fears that when he comes he may find strife, disorder, and older sins that remain unrepented.

Role in the chapterThis closing section folds Paul's defense back into fatherly care. It shows that even his refusal to burden them and his sharper warnings arise from the same aim stated earlier: to build them up before God in Christ.