2 Corinthians 2:12-13 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.
Paul now gives a report of his travel plans and a brief mention of how they changed. His central mission wherever he was was “to preach the gospel of Christ.” The good news about salvation in Jesus Christ was just what people needed to hear. These verses seem to come out of nowhere, which has raised questions in people’s minds about if something was inserted here, if they are part of another letter, or if other verses were added. The key question is how these relate to their context. Although the critics make good arguments for “seams” in this letter, this particular chapter still flows under the major theme of Paul’s travels, why he changed his plans, how the Corinthians should respond to situations with which Paul could not deal in person, and the challenges he faced in his ministry.
Paul saw an open door for ministry in Troas. An open door represents the opportunity. This opportunity came “in the Lord.” This was something that Paul felt led by the Lord to follow. “Lord” here likely refers to Jesus, as in most places in Paul’s letters. When Paul went to Troas, he was expecting to find Titus but he was not there. This caused Paul to change his travel plans and move on to Macedonia.
The question that arises from this is, why did Paul feel this way if he had followed an open door for ministry in Troas? Can the Lord’s leading change? Did Paul misunderstand the leading to Troas? Did he respond out of his own thinking and plans? We cannot answer these questions. Some people feel strongly about a situation but end up going a different direction. How much do our own desires have in following paths of service, ministry, and opportunity? Is God’s will always clear? Is there only one specific plan from God or does God give us a choice? Again, we cannot answer these questions. Each person must follow God’s leading the best he or she can. God can work with many different decisions we can make. Paul may have had some fruitful time in Troas. There is no time indicator how long he was there. But at some point, he felt the need to move on to Macedonia to look for Titus, who was a key part of Paul’s ministry plans.
For older posts, click here.