Paul sometimes seems to be defensive in the letters that we have from him to the Corinthians. However, I think that he was confident in his role within the body of Christ, and some of his apparent defensiveness is building an explanation to counteract gossip and rumors that are harming the church in Corinth.
As the Lookout (cited below) put it, “One such affliction Paul had to endure was to often be misunderstood by the people he desired to serve. So, in verse 12, Paul began to defend his ministerial integrity. ”
Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.
2 Corinthians 1:12 NIV
While he was humble enough to give God the glory, Paul seems to be one of those people that clearly understood what God wanted him to do. And, once you know, follow, and hold to God’s calling for your life, you are pretty much unstoppable. In fact, I suspect that a lot of people – maybe even you – wish that they understood their purpose and role in God’s plan with the same level of confidence!
Having said that, I doubt that God gave Paul every detail of what would happen. Paul probably still had to have faith in God to lead him one step at a time.
Here, Paul – speaking on behalf of himself, along with Timothy and possibly others in their ministry group – confirms that his conscience testifies that he has lived in a way that is based on grace (i.e., the grace of God), integrity or holiness, and sincerity. He is living a life that is legitimate and honest, not trying to peddle his own ideas, other worldly ideas, or even using the word of God for his own benefit (see 2 Corinthians 2:17, NASB). Instead, he is genuinely sharing the truth of God as God allows him to do so.
We know that there are plenty of people who don’t do this, and that perhaps you and I have fallen prey to the same temptation: taking a worldly idea – maybe even one that has been cultivated in human culture by evil forces – and building it up or even trying to profit from it, even though it is dead wrong.
Paul and Timothy weren’t like this, though. They knew in their hearts that their actions and teachings were aligned with what they knew to be true from God. As we continue learning more about what Paul is building up to in this letter, let’s pause and ask ourselves: can we say the same about our choices?
From Sunday School lesson prepared for May 5, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, May 5, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 2 Corinthians, by William R. Baker. © 1999 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 