2 Corinthians 12:11-21 - Spend and be Spent

2 Corinthians 12:11-21

Signs of an Apostle

11 I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing. 12 Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. 13 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!

Love for the Church

14 Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

16 But be that as it may, I did not burden you. Nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you by cunning! 17 Did I take advantage of you by any of those whom I sent to you? 18 I urged Titus, and sent our brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?

19 Again, do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ. But we do all things, beloved, for your edification. 20 For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults; 21 lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.

Paul gave the example of spending our lives and being spent for the souls of the flock of God’s household as one chosen to be a mess of the word of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection through the cross of our cursing due to our sin.  He did not consider himself to be great, but God alone in the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ our divine Lord and Savior.  He demo the calling of God on his life through perseverance in tribulation and unique signs and wonders to prove his identity as an apostle along with the other twelve preceding him.  This is not something we now can prove in the same way as there are no more apostles to deliver the written and inspired word of God as they had done, and so the accompanying signs and wonders are also no longer available as they were in them.  The apostle dedicated his life in service to the children of God without making himself an unnecessary burden on their resources; he served willingly and sacrificially, which is a pattern for us all and not just for apostles.  His love for the church drove him to seek to minister to them in person as much as possible while still writing to encourage and challenge them when he could not be there.  He was always ready to come to them and spend his life at all costs to be spent for their spiritual sake of wellbeing and growth in sanctification.  This is also a worthy aim for each of us in ministry to one another as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) who love the children of God even when they are not always loved in return.  We are given the example to never deceive or cunningly take advantage of others in any way, but be transparent and forthright in the proclamation and teaching of the truth of the gospel.  We are to be in unity and harmony of the work we do as Titus was with Paul as we walk this life out in the same steps (1 Corinthians 4:16, 11:1) by imitating and following what is right (Hebrews 13:7-9) and good as we are instructed in Christ.  May we also speak so before God in Christ as our witness always with us as His ambassadors.  Do we truly mourn when those we minister to refuse to repent of their disobedient “contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults?”  We are to gently serve and teach that we all are to live for Christ Jesus and not go back to the old man’s nature of uncleanliness and sexual immorality of the world’s fallen state, reminding them of the necessity to live as new creatures (Galatians 2:20) with a nature embedded in the righteousness of Christ that we may live to be holy as He is holy in imitating Him and those who do the same as our examples.  May we be those examples ourselves to lead and help one another.  That is part of the work prepared for us to live out (Ephesians 2:10) as His workmanship, God’s expression of Him through us to the world and one another.  May we spend our lives and be spent in these pursuits as we follow to reach the goal of the heavenward call (Philippians 3:13-14); that is the prize we should be seeking in eternity starting here on earth.