November 22 Click on verses for Full Scripture

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Today's Pathway: II Corinthians 7:2-7 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.

In today's passage Paul goes back to what he had been writing about in II Corinthians 6:11-13. There Paul was speaking about his great love for the Corinthian believers, and he asked them to respond by opening their hearts to him. If you go back to II Corinthians chapters 1-2 you will find Paul explaining to the Corinthians why he had not come to see them when he had said that he would. There were some in the church who were using that against Paul and trying to turn others away from him. So now Paul asks the church to receive him. In verse 2 he states that he has not intentionally sinned against any of the people in the church, nor has he taken advantage of them financially. Apparently these were accusations that were being made against him by false teachers who had come into the church after he had left. These heretics did not want him to return because his preaching would have exposed their errors. But Paul knows that the church members who sat under his ministry know that he behaved himself properly while he was with them.

In verse 3 Paul adds that he is not trying to condemn the church members. Apparently he feared that his statement in verse 2 might appear to be an accusation against them, and he wants them to know that this is not his purpose. In fact, according to the end of the verse, he cares about them so much that he is willing to live with them or die for them. Homer Kent commented,

"The meaning is that they were so much on his heart that if he should die, it would be with their concerns in mind, and if he should go on living, it would be to serve their interests."

"While Paul was away from Corinth on a long missionary journey he received reports about the church at Corinth that concerned him deeply. In fact, he became so troubled that he couldn’t even complete the ministry God had opened a door for him to do in Troas. But what could he do about the situation in Corinth? He decided to send his friend and colleague, Titus, to go as an emissary to Corinth in his place to try to resolve the situation and bring back a report. Titus did just that, and apparently he was very effective in convincing the believers that Paul was their friend, not their enemy. He was able to report back to the Apostle that the situation was vastly improved."

Paul writes in verses 5-7 that in Macedonia he had many struggles, both externally and internally. Externally he was facing opposition. Internally he had fear over what was going on at Corinth. This caused him to be depressed ("cast down"). It seems that he was more bothered by his concern for the Corinthians than he was over the persecution he faced. Paul writes in II Corinthians 11:28 that in addition to all the troubles his body had to deal with, the issue that troubled him daily was "the care of all the churches". But his discouragement was relieved when God allowed Titus to tell him of the progress the Corinthians were making. Titus told him that he himself had been encouraged because the church had repented of their sin, had an earnest desire to do what was right, and were enthusiastic once again about Paul and his ministry. Of course, hearing this brought great joy to Paul.

Proverbs 25:25 says,

"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country."