Paul loved the church in Corinth. He was their spiritual father and he wanted to encourage their growth, but they got into trouble after he left them, he wrote them such a stern letter that they were shocked. He had been so different when he first led them to Christ and nurtured their young faith.

That letter caused Paul a lot of anxiety, too. He worried about how the Corinthians would respond to his rebuke: Would they do what he asked and deal with the sin in their midst? Would he lose the relationship he had with them because he confronted their sins?

Paul’s tender heart showed he really cared about his spiritual children in Corinth.

“I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you.” 2 Corinthians 7:3

Reasons for Joy

After leaving Ephesus, Paul sailed to Macedonia where he found no rest.

“We were harassed at every turn – conflicts on the outside, fears within.” 2 Corinthians 7:5

Titus had gone to Corinth with Paul’s first letter and Paul expected him to return with news about how the church responded to it, but Titus was delayed. Paul’s heart was filled with anxiety until Titus finally showed up in Macedonia with good news from Corinth.

“God who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.” 2 Corinthians 7:6-7

We don’t often think about this side of the great Apostle Paul, but he worried about the people he loved. He hated to think that he would lose them:

“Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it – I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while – yet I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.” 2 Corinthians 7:8-9

The Fruit of Godly Sorrow

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.” 2 Corinthians 7:10

It was hard for the Corinthians to face the truth about their failure, but when they did it brought great results. They were alarmed about the sin among them and they earnestly set about correcting what was wrong. Eventually they cleaned up their reputation by doing what was right.

“At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.” 2 Corinthians 7:11

Paul was almost giddy with relief when he heard about the Corinthians’ response.

“By this we are all encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me . . . And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.” 2 Corinthians 7:13-16

Generous Giving

The collection for the Judean Christians had been proceeding for more than a year, and the generosity of the Gentile churches was a sign of their maturing faith. There was extreme poverty in Macedonia, but the churches there proved to be richly generous.

“For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.” 2 Corinthians 8:3-4

What prompted these impoverished believers to give beyond their means? They asked the Lord what to do and he directed them. They discovered that generosity was what motivated the Savior of the world.

“They exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God to us . . . For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:5, 9

When Paul sent Titus back to Corinth with the new letter he was writing, he wanted the church to finish collecting the offering they pledged a year earlier. They should give according to what their consciences dictated because the amount was not as important as the willingness in their hearts to give.

“For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according what one has, not according to what one does not have.” 2 Corinthians 8:12

If all of the believers made a habit of generous giving , no one would be in need.

“At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality.” 2 Corinthians 8:14

Sowing and Reaping

Paul sent Titus and two other faithful brothers as an advance team to collect Corinth’s offering for the church in Jerusalem. He planned to follow them and bring along some believers from Macedonia, to whom he had already boasted about the generosity of the Corinthians. He didn’t want anyone to be embarrassed when he arrived because the Corinthian church had failed to fulfill its pledge.

The principle of sowing and reaping was at work in this situation. Whatever the Corinthians sowed now would grow into a harvest of righteousness later.

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written, ‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.’ 2 Corinthians 9:8-9

Those who received help from the generous gifts of the Corinthians would overflow with gratitude to God, and they would love the believers who blessed them so much.

“And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:14-15

Paul’s Authority

Many of the Corinthians had responded to Paul’s rebuke in his first letter, but there were some people who were affronted by it. They thought he couldn’t enforce in person what he wrote in his letters because he seemed to be timid in person, and bold only when he was miles away from them. Paul hoped that when he came to Corinth again he wouldn’t have to demonstrate how bold he could be in person.

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Paul was a warrior when it came to confronting sin, and he had long experience with demolishing arguments against the gospel. He was ready to handle anything his naysayers threw at him.

“For some say, ‘His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.’ Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.” 2 Corinthians 10:10-11

Ultimately, Paul just wanted to get conflict and disputes behind him so he was free to go on preaching.

“Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory.” 2 Corinthians 10:15-16

Thinking About Retirement?

Paul was around fifty years old at this point. He met Jesus when he about thirty years old, and he devoted twenty years to reaching the world for Christ, beginning in Tarsus and following the Roman roads all the way to the south of Greece. He made at least one trip to Illyricum, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, across from Rome.

The retirement age for priests in Israel was fifty, but Paul didn’t show any signs of slowing down. He still had the rest of the unreached world on his heart.