The Corinthian Correspondence, Part 51; 2 Corinthians 12:11-21 "From Sarcasm to Sorrow"

The Corinthian Correspondence, Part 51, 2 Corinthians 12.11-21 From Sarcasm to Sorrow We've all heard it. And often it's not just 1, but at least 1. I was going home on Friday about 3 in the afternoon. I was near the Kroger at Rutland Commons. I saw and heard a rescue truck with its siren blaring. About 30 seconds later, I heard another siren. From my right, came an ambulance, carefully running the red light. After I made my turn, I discovered the reason for the sirens. An accident right across from Atlee High School. We were directed around the car that was rear ended. The accident looked minor, but as any of us who have been in accidents know, it's never minor, is it? The effects can last for weeks in terms of possible personal injury, getting the vehicle repaired, and even legal matters. But if it wasn't for the attention getting sirens, especially the last one, the ambulance may have gotten into their own accident. So, where am I going with this? I want to point out Paul's attention getters in our passage for today. But instead of a siren, Paul used sarcasm. Twice. We all know what sarcasm is. It can be a brutal thing. Depending on how it is used, it can destroy relationships. But desperate times call for desperate measures, so the saying goes. Besides his use of sarcasm, as the Corinthians real spiritual leader, Paul let them know that he was going to pay them a visit, in part to inspect their spiritual fruit. But this inspection was not something he was looking forward to. No, it was a dreadful thing. Remember how he already had written them a letter blasting them and in his estimation, went overboard in pointing out their failures. That was the bad news. Then remember how Titus returned with a good report of how well they received his tear stained letter. Truly, Paul was relieved. But now, there was still work to be done. For Paul, there was much more at stake than merely collecting the money they promised for the famine relief in Judea. And his dread was mixed with a sorrowful anticipation, afraid of what he might find among them when he got there. But his inspection, and even his sarcasm was for a purpose, to show them that he loved them with the love of the Lord. And even more importantly, he desired for them to honor Christ, his King and theirs. In our passage for today, 2 Corinthians 12.11-21, we see that Paul is getting to the end of his correspondence to his dear Corinthians. A few more sentences then he is finished. A few more sentences to somehow tell the Corinthians how much danger they are in. And again, how much he cares for them. So, let's read together 2 Corinthians 12.11-18 as we see Paul pulling out all the stops, using biting sarcasm to not only attack the false teachers 1 more time, but also to try to wake the Corinthians up to their spiritual reality. I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong! Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps? How dripping with sarcasm are Paul's statements! Did you hear them? Let me point out to you the 2 places in this section that Paul uses sarcasm as big signs to rebuke the false teachers and to wake up the Corinthians. First, let's follow the logic as he uses sarcasm statement #1. After Paul redirected his readers away from his boastfest in the first part of this chapter, he now turns the corner and seems to put himself down, but in reality was blasting the false teachers in v.11-12. "For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works." Let's stop right there, as we take in the first sarcastic statement, again, following the logic. There is no way that Paul can consider himself as a nothing. This is nothing short of bringing the false teachers down even lower than he was. This was not false humility as we will see in a moment. The false teachers needed to be called out as often and as harshly as possible. Why was that? In short, salvation is at stake, in the sight of the Corinthians. In Paul's day and in ours, a false gospel leads people to hell. Period. Recently I saw a video of brother Voddie Baucham who forcefully brought out this point. A gospel that misrepresents who Christ is and the nature of what the gospel does, is a false gospel. A gospel that does not save, regardless of how sincerely one holds to it. Brother Voddie reminded the audience he was talking to about the epistle Jude wrote. Jude began his letter desiring to tell about the joys of our common salvation. But under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Jude did an about face and was compelled to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. He exposed certain asymptomatic carriers of a false gospel, spiritual death, who crept in among believers and perverted the true gospel. False teachers, Jude intimated, look legit. In many ways sound legit. But they are spiritual poison. And that is why Paul was so worked up over these guys. If the Corinthians were to turn away from Paul and buy what the false teachers were selling they would be eternally doomed. So here's Paul saying that he is nothing, but he is in no way inferior to the shall we say, so-called super apostles. So, if Paul is nothing, then, what is he saying about the false teachers? How about less than nothing. And that is what their spiritual offering is worth. Less than nothing. Their gospel does not save. But what's Paul's real assessment of himself and his role as one sent by Christ to be the apostle to the gentiles? In v.12, Paul knew who he was: the Lord granted him power to perform signs, literally signs of the apostle, to prove that his authority was from Christ. Again, these were signs of the apostle. This implies that the only thing the false teachers had was rhetoric. In other words, the false teachers were all talk and no power. Paul, on the other hand had the ability to perform mighty signs when it was appropriate for him to do them. If a miracle was needed in a particular circumstance to validate the truth of the gospel, Paul was able to perform it. As a true apostle Paul was the complete package: he proclaimed the message of eternal truth and backed it up by divine power to show that his message was from God. And that he was sent by Christ. Now let's see Paul's sarcasm at work again, this time in uncovering the motives of the false teachers. So let's follow the money as he uses sarcasm statement #2. In v. 13, Paul asked the Corinthians for their forgiveness. Of what? That he did not burden them financially. He spiritually served them for free. His ministry not only had no price tag, but their money did not spend in Paul's store. He vividly drives home this point in the next 5 verses! In v.14: I will not be a burden. In v.15: I will spend myself for your souls. In v.16: I did not burden you. In vv.17 and 18, Paul uses the phrase "take advantage" a couple of times, but the idea is the same: Paul did not sell his ministry to any bidder. Financial gain was not his aim. Never was with him. Paul's aim was the Lord's reward in his speaking 6 words to Paul on that day, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Paul was after was the souls of the Corinthians, not their resources. Their lives, not what their lives could produce for him. Paul considered himself their spiritual father. He and his friends were workers together with the Lord, planters and nurturers of the gospel seed. And when it bore fruit among the Corinthians, Paul took responsibility to care for them. New life was born and he was the father. Paul brings this home to them in v.14: Children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. And all of us who are parents know this to be true. We bring them home after they are born. We pay their way--over and over and over! But the sacrifice is well worth it! It is our duty and delight to see to it that their needs are met. Quite often that means money. And to continue Paul's analogy in v.15, he considered it an incredible privilege to help the Corinthians. But now wrapped up in that was all the sleepless nights, days on end going without, robbing Peter so to speak so that he could have the physical resources to meet their spiritual needs. I can imagine Paul saying something like, "If I had to do it all over again I would in a heartbeat." Just like any parent. Because Paul loved the Corinthians! And this speaks loudly of God's grace shining through Paul's life--loving and serving the former gentile, idolatrous pagans. Paul had a background as a very religious Jew. But the Lord Jesus, by the power of his Spirit, so changed Paul that he considered these otherwise untouchable, less than people, to be those for whom Paul would be willing to lay down his life--as he did time after time. By the way, what about you and me? If Christ has saved you, he has given you his love for others that by nature you would not come within 10 feet of. That's what makes the body of Christ so incredibly special. Supernatural. And why unity in our diversity is absolutely vital. And may I say, it has nothing to do with our shade of melanin, but it has everything to do with 1 saint of God spending and being spent for another dear saint of God--all saved by the sacrifice of Christ. But where the sarcasm exposed the false teachers was simply in his apology to the Corinthians: "Forgive me for not charging you money for my ministry." For this is what the false teachers did. Indeed. This is what everybody in the public eye did. They had to eat as well, so the meme went. And precisely where Paul and the false teachers' paths diverged was here. Paul was their father through the gospel. The false teachers were hired hands, expecting to be paid for their religious service. And expect it they did. As we remember, the false teachers were well trained to move emotions, and pull on heart strings. And win people to their ways. All with a price tag of course. See, they didn't hang around trying to influence the Corinthians because they were interested in their souls. They were interested in the Corinthians' resources, namely their money. So, in Paul's second use of sarcasm, he was in essence saying, "wake up Corinthians! Do you see what they are after? They don't care about you believing and following the truth. They care about what is in the offering basket at the end of the day." In light of this, for us today, I have a question: Why are prosperity gospel preachers prosperous? Is it because they preach the truth and God blesses it? Is it because God creates money and he deposits it to their bank accounts? Or is it because prosperity preachers proclaim a me-centered, this-world-oriented false gospel? The false teachers are so good at making people feel good and diverting their attention away from the truth. Positive messages. You can create your own reality by speaking it into existence--after all you and I are little gods. You can be fabulously wealthy--if--you plant seed money. You want a million dollars? Sow 10% of that to our ministry. And why stop there, just it being all about you? The leaders need to avoid long lines at the airport so they need their own private jets--you know so that the gospel can go forward faster. And so people like Kenneth Copeland can avoid traveling commercial so he does not have to travel in a long tube with demons--his words--pre Covid, that is. So what believers need to do is to donate to their private jet fund! Here is a prayer that Bethel Church, Redding California prays before they collect the offering: As we receive today's offering, We are believing the Lord for: Jobs and better jobs, Raises and bonuses, Benefits, Sales and commissions, Favorable settlements, Estates and inheritances, Interests and income, Rebates and returns, Checks in the mail, Gifts and surprises, Finding money, Debts paid off, Expenses decrease, Blessing and increase. And then they throw in for good measure, Thank You, Lord, for meeting all of my financial needs that I may have more than enough to give into the Kingdom of God and promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All of this, in the name of the One who borrowed a coin to illustrate a sermon. These people, then and now, will stand before the Lord one day to give an account for their greed and exploitation of God's people. And this is why Paul was so upset. The false teachers made it their business to exploit the Corinthians. And Paul said to them, "Wake up! Can't you see what they are doing to you?" And having experienced Paul's loud attention getters -- his sarcasm in vv.11-18, let's take a look at Paul's sorrow: his coming fruit inspection and his dreadful anticipation of what he might find in vv.19-21: Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved. For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish-that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced. How many times has Paul corresponded with the Corinthians? How long has he been working with them to help them become what they needed to be as followers of Christ? Can't you hear Paul's broken heart over them? He is afraid of what he might find, but he reminds them of why he continues to address them the way he does: For the honor of the King in the sight of God and so that they might be built up in the faith. Paul wanted more than anything for the Corinthians to hear the 6 words when they stand before the Lord on that Day, just like him: "Well done, good and faithful servants." So, Paul was, once again willing to take the risk--the risk of losing his relationship with the Corinthians, his beloved children in the faith, for the sake of Christ and his honor. And Paul's way is a great way to approach precious brothers and sisters when we need to confront them. How we need to keep in mind that we are going in the Lord's authority, not any supposed sinless perfection. There seems to be this perspective, often held up by others, tragically even by Christians that goes something like this: "unless you are perfect, you cannot say anything to me about my issues. Matthew 7 says, 'Don't judge, lest you be judged.'" It seems that the sin of judgmentalism is far worse than any other sin. But the reality is that we must help one another when it comes to issues of sin. Precisely because we are all works in progress, we need to lovingly, gently, with tears if need be, controlled by the Spirit, confidentially--at least at first, call out the sin we see in the lives of our precious brothers and sisters. We need to do this with Paul's attitude: "in the sight of God . . . speak in Christ." The mechanics are simple, but are vital. Step 1: We get our own hearts right. When we see a blatant sin in the life of a Christian, the first thing we do is go to God. We ask him to search our hearts. Why this first? Because when we see a sin in someone's life sometimes it's because we are guilty of it ourselves. So we ask the Lord to help us deal with our own sin first if need be. Second, we ask the Lord to give us a sense of timing as to when we approach our brother or sister. We come discreetly, humbly, gently, biblically based, and boldly. Jesus tells us in Matthew 18.15: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. The process of church discipline has now begun. Galatians 6.1 also has something to say about a brother or sister who has not sinned against you personally: Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. The bottom line here is that we need to help one another. Holiness as a church is of paramount importance to the Lord. He died to make us holy. And he has placed us in the midst of fellow Christians that we might help one another follow Jesus more closely--to be holy as he is holy. So, now, let's look for a moment at what Paul is sorrowfully, with dread, anticipating when he comes to not only collect the money for the famine relief, but also to inspect the Corinthians' spiritual fruit. In vv.20-21 he is sending on ahead a little advance warning of what he is looking for. In v.20 he is looking for sins that divide the unity of the body. And in v.21 Paul is looking for sins that diminish the purity of the body. In v.20 we have Paul's list of the sins of division. Let me give nutshell descriptions of these. First is quarreling: bitter conflict; a continual losing of one's cool. Second is jealousy: a greedy, prideful longing for something that belongs to another, whether an item or even a skill. Anger is next, can be seen as fury--an intense anger, bubbling just beneath the surface waiting to go off. Hostility: selfish ambition--win for one's self at all cost. Slander is 5th on the list and it can be described as using abusive words that damages a person's reputation. Sixth is gossip: reports of a malicious nature, often done behind the back of someone. The 7th is, conceit--it can be summed up in a phrase "Mr. You Planet." And last is disorder: picking sides and pushing ones agenda, often violently against others. What a list! What kind of fruit is this? Rotten to the core. But this is what Paul has been dealing with over the years with the Corinthians. Any 1 of these sins can be enough to poison an entire church fellowship. But on the other hand, what mercy from the Lord through Paul's pen that he would take the time to indicate the kinds of things Christ's apostle is looking for. Obviously, lists like these are not exhaustive, as though when a church, or a person has them mastered then they are good to go. At least if the leaders were to take Paul's admonitions seriously, then they could help their brothers and sisters to work on these sins of division. And now in v.21 we see Paul deal really with only 1 type of sin: sexual immorality. But notice what Paul is dreadfully, and mournfully anticipating. He is going to have to exercise church discipline. But why is Paul focusing in on this one kind of sin that in large measure serves to diminish the purity of the church in Corinth? Simply put, it was the number 1 sin in the Corinthian culture. Remember how persons who had loose sexual morals, empire-wide were considered Corinthianized? In other words, the church of Jesus Christ at Corinth was to show itself distinct from the culture, not blend in with it. So, what can we say about this passage for us at Grace United? Can we glean by application what Paul is saying, sometimes sarcastically and sometimes sorrowfully to the Corinthians? John MacArthur, pastor of the Grace Community Church in California, has this comment to make about this passage in relation to the church he pastors. We would do well to heed his words as application to us at Grace United Family Church in Virginia. His take regarding this passage is church growth of all things. Surprised? I was. He said that God is extremely interested in the growth of every local church. Great thing! But growth, exactly how? John MacArthur put it this way: He said that the key to church growth is holiness. And the key to holiness in God's church is church discipline. The adage is true. "It's not what a leader expects, but what one inspects." This is true whether the leader is a head coach of a team, or supervisor on the job or the father (or mother if there is no father in the home), or leadership in the local church. When the leadership in the local church takes seriously the issue of church discipline, in God's way, with God's attitude, then true church growth takes place. And God is glorified. For some, like Grace Community church, over the 50 or so years that MacArthur has been their senior pastor, the ranks eventually swelled to about 8,500. With other churches it may not be numbers that large, or even at all. But increased attendance as we know, is God's issue. Our job is to increase holiness and let God increase the attendance. And MacArthur pointed out 3 kinds of sins that Paul highlighted in this passage. First is the sin of false teaching--he would refer to that as doctrinal error. The second on the list is sins that destroy the unity of the church. And third are sins that destroy the purity of the church. Over the years, we have had to painfully address all 3 of these kinds of sins. Sometimes, the Lord himself stepped in and some who have caused divisions, for example, have gotten deeply offended and left. We had to take action and exercise church discipline when doctrinal error reared its ugly head, and when we discovered certain members were living double lives. These are things that no one wants to do. They are tearful. Heart rending. But necessary. I think we are in a season of blessing at the moment. As it has been said, all of us, individuals and as a church are either in a trial, getting ready to go into a trial or have just emerged from a trial. That is the way things are. We live in a fallen world. The challenge for all of us is to remain faithful to the Lord regardless of where we are in relation to trials and troubles. But I wonder. What would it be like if the Lord were to dispatch someone to write Grace United a letter? What would he commission that person to include in it? Would it be full of commendation, full of condemnation, or a mixture of the two? You know, the Lord Jesus in all of his glory commissioned John to write one huge letter to the churches of his day. And tucked into this big letter were 7 smaller ones. Of these 7, 2 of them were nothing but commendation--he praised them for their faithfulness, even in the face of suffering and death. Four of them were a mixture of commendation and "here's what you need to work on." One of them, Laodicea was a church which the Lord had nothing good to say to them. Nothing. They were lukewarm in their commitment to him. They were self-satisfied. And they were missing something. The presence of the Lord. See, in the midst of all of their activity and self sufficiency, the Lord quietly slipped out the door. And he was not even missed. But if the Laodicean church was to listen for a moment they would hear a faint sound. Knock. Knock. Knock. He is trying to get the attention of persons in the church. He is standing outside the door. And here is what he is telling them in Revelation 3.19-20: Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. What is the Lord Jesus saying? First, he says, even to these at Laodicea, "I love you. I would not bother with you if I did not love you." Second he says, "Because I love you, I'm telling you to repent. Turn around. Respond to me." Third, "Listen! Open up the door. In the midst of the lukewarmness of all those in the church of Laodicea, I will have fellowship with you. You will have fellowship with me." What I find challenging, and grateful to the Lord for, is that even with the church in Laodicea, there is hope. The Lord is interested in even the Laodicean church! And let's not forget what incentive the Lord gave even those in the most worldly of all the churches in Revelation 3.21: The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. The point is it is never over til it's over. Even with the church in Laodicea. Even with the church in Corinth. Even with Grace United Family Church in Virginia. My challenge for all of us is simply this: what kinds of sins are you and I most tempted to commit in this list that Paul listed? It is the fleshly appeal to false teaching? The feel good kind where God is there for you and he wants you prosperous. Or the kind that you can compromise, and with a simple change from Jesus being the only way to salvation, to Jesus is a way of salvation, then you and I can be free to move about the country and be friends with everybody. Or what about the temptation to make it all about me--sins that destroy the unity of Grace United. To put myself first. That my time is my time. My possessions are my possessions. I know that Jesus is my Savior. He understands my issues and problems. I just need to be me, you know. Or are you most tempted to yield to sins which destroy the purity of the church? Sexual sin is what I'm talking about. Pornography comes to mind. For men. And women. And youth. Flirtations with the opposite sex. Or the temptation to not be satisfied with the way God made you and you are beginning to question your sexual identity. Or even guilt over past sins in this area. Perhaps you have not repented of these kinds of sins. Or perhaps you have sought forgiveness of abortion but you have great difficulty in resting in his forgiveness after you have repented of these things. Let me remind us, that the Lord's forgiveness is full, and freely forgiven. The Lord's mercies are new every morning. The Lord's victory is absolute and complete. The Lord's promise is sure when he said, "Whoever comes to me I will in no way cast aside." The Lord is much more concerned about the holiness of Grace United that you and I will ever be. May we believe his promise. Today. May we trust his forgiveness. Today. May we recommit ourselves to him and one another. Today. As we all get ready to stand before him on that Day. And may we walk so close with him for the rest of our days that on that Day we will hear these 6 words: "Well done, good and faithful servants!"