2Corinthians 12:12-21 I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented
12 The signs that indicate a genuine apostle were performed among you fully and most patiently—signs and wonders and miracles.
There are a number of miracles reported in Acts concerning Paul that indicate he was a genuine apostle. This is why all these phony “super apostles” always claim to have performed miracles, it is a sign that God is with them.
13 For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except [for the fact] that I did not burden you [with my financial support]? Forgive me [for doing you] this injustice!
Can you imagine? They are attacking Paul for everything and anything. Arrogant, dismissive, condescending, insulting attacks. I hate to use the example of Trump again since it is getting overused but at the same time it has been given to us under God’s sovereignty. The attacks of him are ridiculous. I would listen to the news commuting to and from work and it was absurd. Turn on one station and whatever had happened you knew that their report was “orange man bad”. What exactly did he do that got people so upset? I asked this of someone recently and they mentioned that he doesn’t condemn white supremacists. I said yes he does, I heard him in the debate. They said no, years ago he said that “there were good people on both sides” referring to white supremacists that attacked others. So I listened to what he said and the whole quote was “there are good people on both sides, I am not referring to the white supremacists, they obviously are not”. So what then did he mean by “both sides”. The protests were over statues of historical figures whether or not they should be torn down. There are two sides to that debate. Anyway sorry for that aside, I just thought of it because he is not taking a salary, so like Paul he is not burdening us with his financial support. But that doesn’t stop people from thinking the worst.
14 Now for the third time I am ready to visit you.
This is the most distinctive thing about this epistle. Paul is not going to visit me for the third time. But the eschatology of the Lord’s return does teach the Lord will visit us three times. You have the first rapture of the bride, the second rapture of those christians who remain, and then at the end of the tribulation He visits Israel and saves them as a nation. At the beginning of the chapter he said fourteen years ago, that is fourteen years before this verse where the Lord is ready to visit the third time. Everyone’s question about the rapture is “when will it be” and yet he has written this book from the vantage point of the very end of the great tribulation after it has already taken place. Yes there is a basis from this chapter to teach pre tribulation rapture, mid tribulation rapture and post tribulation rapture.
I will not burden you [financially], because I do not want what is yours [not your money or your possessions], but you.
So they were wondering what was Paul’s motive if he wasn’t getting financial support from them. He wants to be able to present them with joy when the Lord returns.
For children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 But I will very gladly spend [my own resources] and be utterly spent for your souls. If I love you greatly, am I to be loved less [by you]? 16 But be that as it may, I did not burden you [with my support]. But [some say that] I was sly and took you by trickery. 17 Did I take advantage of you or make any money off you through any of the messengers I sent you? [Certainly not!] 18 I urged Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? [No!] Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit and walk in the same steps? [Of course!]
This is a war. We are under attack. The enemy will throw everything he has against us. If no one is saying anything bad about someone then they are not on the front lines. I played football on some very muddy days. You would be covered in muck by the end because you were in the midst of the battle. Still there would be a couple of kids whose uniform was spotless, that was not a good thing, that meant they were spectators, not warriors. Being accused of something is not the same thing as being convicted of something.
19 All this time you have been thinking that we are [merely] defending ourselves to you. It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking [as one] in Christ; and everything, dearly beloved, is to strengthen you [spiritually].
Wonderful! He is giving us a full picture of what it is like to be on the battlefield. He is training us, strengthening us to fight with him.
20 For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you not to be as I wish,
when the Lord Jesus comes we will be on the battlefield. If you are in the first rapture you will choose to be on that battlefield. If you are in the second rapture you will have no choice because the first rapture took away all those fighting the battle with the Holy Spirit and restraining the evil one. You need to be trained and ready and the only way is to have the word of God inscribed on your hearts. This word inscribed on your hearts.
and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder; 21 I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality and decadence which they formerly practiced.
How do you prepare for the rapture? Cleanse yourself from these things. Do you realize that “when it is” is completely irrelevant if you have not repented of impurity or if the Lord returns and finds you having temper tantrums and slandering others? Nothing is gained by telling you when it is if you don’t fix these things first. The Lord wants to return in joy and victory and He wants those who are bringing Him joy to also be joyful. But some will be sleeping, some will not be ready, some will not have cleansed themselves from impurity, some will be arrogant gossips, some will be humiliated at the Lord’s return.
12 The signs that indicate a genuine apostle were performed among you fully and most patiently—signs and wonders and miracles.
There are a number of miracles reported in Acts concerning Paul that indicate he was a genuine apostle. This is why all these phony “super apostles” always claim to have performed miracles, it is a sign that God is with them.
13 For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except [for the fact] that I did not burden you [with my financial support]? Forgive me [for doing you] this injustice!
Can you imagine? They are attacking Paul for everything and anything. Arrogant, dismissive, condescending, insulting attacks. I hate to use the example of Trump again since it is getting overused but at the same time it has been given to us under God’s sovereignty. The attacks of him are ridiculous. I would listen to the news commuting to and from work and it was absurd. Turn on one station and whatever had happened you knew that their report was “orange man bad”. What exactly did he do that got people so upset? I asked this of someone recently and they mentioned that he doesn’t condemn white supremacists. I said yes he does, I heard him in the debate. They said no, years ago he said that “there were good people on both sides” referring to white supremacists that attacked others. So I listened to what he said and the whole quote was “there are good people on both sides, I am not referring to the white supremacists, they obviously are not”. So what then did he mean by “both sides”. The protests were over statues of historical figures whether or not they should be torn down. There are two sides to that debate. Anyway sorry for that aside, I just thought of it because he is not taking a salary, so like Paul he is not burdening us with his financial support. But that doesn’t stop people from thinking the worst.
14 Now for the third time I am ready to visit you.
This is the most distinctive thing about this epistle. Paul is not going to visit me for the third time. But the eschatology of the Lord’s return does teach the Lord will visit us three times. You have the first rapture of the bride, the second rapture of those christians who remain, and then at the end of the tribulation He visits Israel and saves them as a nation. At the beginning of the chapter he said fourteen years ago, that is fourteen years before this verse where the Lord is ready to visit the third time. Everyone’s question about the rapture is “when will it be” and yet he has written this book from the vantage point of the very end of the great tribulation after it has already taken place. Yes there is a basis from this chapter to teach pre tribulation rapture, mid tribulation rapture and post tribulation rapture.
I will not burden you [financially], because I do not want what is yours [not your money or your possessions], but you.
So they were wondering what was Paul’s motive if he wasn’t getting financial support from them. He wants to be able to present them with joy when the Lord returns.
For children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 But I will very gladly spend [my own resources] and be utterly spent for your souls. If I love you greatly, am I to be loved less [by you]? 16 But be that as it may, I did not burden you [with my support]. But [some say that] I was sly and took you by trickery. 17 Did I take advantage of you or make any money off you through any of the messengers I sent you? [Certainly not!] 18 I urged Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? [No!] Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit and walk in the same steps? [Of course!]
This is a war. We are under attack. The enemy will throw everything he has against us. If no one is saying anything bad about someone then they are not on the front lines. I played football on some very muddy days. You would be covered in muck by the end because you were in the midst of the battle. Still there would be a couple of kids whose uniform was spotless, that was not a good thing, that meant they were spectators, not warriors. Being accused of something is not the same thing as being convicted of something.
19 All this time you have been thinking that we are [merely] defending ourselves to you. It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking [as one] in Christ; and everything, dearly beloved, is to strengthen you [spiritually].
Wonderful! He is giving us a full picture of what it is like to be on the battlefield. He is training us, strengthening us to fight with him.
20 For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you not to be as I wish,
when the Lord Jesus comes we will be on the battlefield. If you are in the first rapture you will choose to be on that battlefield. If you are in the second rapture you will have no choice because the first rapture took away all those fighting the battle with the Holy Spirit and restraining the evil one. You need to be trained and ready and the only way is to have the word of God inscribed on your hearts. This word inscribed on your hearts.
and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder; 21 I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality and decadence which they formerly practiced.
How do you prepare for the rapture? Cleanse yourself from these things. Do you realize that “when it is” is completely irrelevant if you have not repented of impurity or if the Lord returns and finds you having temper tantrums and slandering others? Nothing is gained by telling you when it is if you don’t fix these things first. The Lord wants to return in joy and victory and He wants those who are bringing Him joy to also be joyful. But some will be sleeping, some will not be ready, some will not have cleansed themselves from impurity, some will be arrogant gossips, some will be humiliated at the Lord’s return.