A DREADED VISIT
2 Cor. 12:19-21
Morning Meditation 7/19/16
Verses 19-21 say, “Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying. For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.”
There were so many things wrong with the Church at Corinth. Yet it was the Lord’s Church. God does not forsake his people because they go wrong. But he does deal with them. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Heb. 12:6). Chastening most of the time (I’m not making rules for God to follow) begins with verbal rebuke. Severe chastening was already taking place in Corinth. Some had committed the sin unto death. “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep” (1 Cor. 11:30). The word “sleep” here is speaking about the sleep of death. Others were being chastened by sickness. Others were being chastened by weakness. And while all this was going on, others were being verbally rebuked prior to God’s inflicting some of these same things on them. If some of us lived in that day, our philosophy would probably be to withdraw and start another church. Paul doesn’t even hint that this is the solution to the problem. Rather he writes the Church, verbally warns them, and prepares them for an apostolic visit with the anticipation of a confrontation concerning these matters if they are not corrected before he arrives.
Let’s notice the preface of his warning in verse 19. He tells them, “. . . but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.” He is saying, “I am not writing to destroy you. I am not coming to destroy you. I love you and only desire your edification..” The words “dearly beloved” and the word “edifying” justify this conclusion. The word “edifying” (oikodome) means, “the act of building, building up.” Paul is in the construction business here. He is interested in building them up and finishing off with a nice roof. The word “oikodome” is a compound of two words: “oikos” which means “an inhabited house” and “doma” from which we get our word “dome” which means “house top or roof.” Paul says we are into construction not demolition.
He says next, “For I fear, lest, when I come . . .” Then he explains. First of all, he tells them he does not want to be disappointed in them when he comes. This is what he means when he says, “I shall not find you such as I would. . .” Paul did have a desire for them in their growth toward maturity. He didn’t want to be disappointed in them and tells them so. Second, he tells them he doesn’t want his visit to be a disappointment to them. This is what he means when he says, “that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not. . .”
Then he names several things that would cause him disappointment: “lest there be debates, envings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults. . .” What a list! All of these things are a definite possibility. Paul evidently had reason to use these words to describe things that were wrong in the Church at Corinth. I will not deal with these words with much detail because of the limited space we give in the meditations. The word “debates” means “contention or strife of words.” Paul said in 1 Cor. 1:10: “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” There are those who want to debate any issue that arises. This is a mental attitude sin and Paul is confronting in writing those who are guilty. You will notice that all these words are in the plural. This means that it is something that is happening over and over again. The word “envyings” (zelos) means “excitement of mind, ardor, fervor of spirit, zeal, ardor in embracing, pursuing, defending anything; zeal in behalf of, for a person or thing; the fierceness of indignation, punitive zeal; an envious and contentious rivalry, jealousy.” All of these definitions are possibilities in the Church at Corinth.
The next word is “wraths” (thumos) and is the word from which we get our word thermos. It means “passion, angry, heat, anger forthwith boiling up and soon subsiding again.” It is referring to people who have a hot temper, a chip on their shoulder and ready to explode. The word “strifes” (eritheia) is from a word that means, “electioneering or intriguing for office; apparently, in the NT a courting distinction, a desire to put one's self forward, a partisan and fractious spirit.” It is called strifes because electioneering can do nothing but cause strifes. It is obtaining a position by getting people to vote for you! If there is not two parties running there does not need to be a vote! The word “backbitings” (katalalia) means “defamation, evil speaking.” We have to admit that there is a lot of this that goes on in Christendom. Some of the worst to carry on this sin are preachers. One is not standing on a good foundation if he has to climb on the failure of another. The word “whisperings” (psithurismos) means “secret slandering.” It is used of the magical murmuring of a charmer of snakes.” I think it is two snakes charming one another! The word “swellings” ( phusiosis) means “a puffing up of the soul, loftiness.” Pride always causes problems to the person with it and to those associated with him. I have heard people say, “There is the right kind of pride.” When I hear that, I know the person is justifying his sin. Pride is never put in a good light in the Bible. At least if it is, I missed it which is possible! The word “tumults” (akatastasia) means “a state of disorder, instability, confusion.” I have known some professing Christians who were experts at maintaining a state of disorder and confusion around them.
Next Paul states that there are some things that, if not corrected, would cause him to personally confront them. Paul wants to have a good visit with Corinth. He is wise to write these things to give them the opportunity to straighten some things out before he arrives. I can just hear someone say, “Well, I don’t think the preacher has that kind of power. I would tell him to mind his own business.” I just want to ask you if you are a bona fide (what ever that is) real Christian? I just simply ask you to read the first few verses of Acts chapter five.
