Daily Devotions
2 Corinthians
"I myself was not burdensome to you?"
Text: 2 Corinthians 12:13
A DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIP
Relationships are never easy. Some are even more difficult to manage than others. Paul’s relationship with the Corinthian Church was arguably the most difficult of relationships to understand and manage.
“For what is it in which you were inferior to other churches,
Except that I myself was not burdensome to you?
Forgive me this wrong!”
2 Corinthians 12:13
1. “For what is it”
a) Paul sought to understand the way in which the Corinthians thought.
b) What were some possible problems?
i) That Paul was a bad apostle.
ii) That he was an inadequate teacher.
iii) That he was inferior to other outstanding servants of God.
c) Paul had more than proven himself to the Corinthians.
i) The power of the Spirit of God was with him.
ii) Signs and wonders had been performed by him on numerous occasions.
2. “In which you were inferior to other churches”
a) The problem may be that the Corinthians were comparing themselves with other churches.
i) Comparison with churches that other apostles founded.
ii) Comparison with churches that Paul had founded.
b) Did they feel inferior somehow?
i) But was this a right way to think?
ii) The Corinthian church was not behind any churches with reference to spiritual gifts! (1 Corinthians 1:4-7)
3. “Except that I myself was not burdensome to you”
a) Paul did not receive support from the Corinthian Church.
b) He had explained why this was the case (1 Corinthians 9).
i) There were rights that were given by the Lord to all His servants.
ii) Paul was willing to forego those rights for the sake of ministry.
iii) The circumstances in the Corinthian church were difficult and in wisdom Paul made sure that he would not be “burdensome” to them.
4. “Forgive me this wrong”
Paul was not saying he did wrong. He was using sarcasm as he wrote this statement! It should have been obvious to the Corinthian Church how wise and noble Paul had proven himself to be in ministry.