2 Corinthians 12:16-18 But as it is, I myself did not burden you, but being clever I took you by cunning. 17 Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? 18 I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?
Paul now confesses his method in dealing with the Corinthians. He has had to deal with them carefully because they were difficult to work with. He had to use careful strategy, what he calls here “cunning” or “cleverness.” He was careful while he stayed in Corinth because he wanted to point them to Christ and not himself. Thus, he needed to be humble and not a burden to them. He worked hard as a tentmaker to support himself. There are situations when it is best to take a backseat and work a situation carefully instead of rushing ahead and pushing one’s agenda. It is like this in pastoral ministry. Sometimes, especially as a new pastor, that it is best to move a situation slowly by earning the people’s respect. This is true in many job situations. Those who are under a person appreciate and learn to respect this person as a leader who does not push an agenda so hard that those under him or her become objects or tools instead of people who contribute to the mission and vision.
What caused Paul to act this way in Corinth? Part of it could have been the spiritual immaturity of this church due to its pagan environment. Many of the new believers were Gentile converts who came with a lot of cultural and religious baggage. There were also converted Jews who brought with them their heritage and penchant for the law. In 1 Corinthians, we read of divisions in the church, with people taking sides and choosing particular persons as figure head leaders (Cephas, Apollos, Paul). Paul felt it necessary to step back and not make followers of himself. He stood behind the cross and preached Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 2), not Paul the exalted human leader. The opponents may have come in with their own personal agenda and did the opposite of what Paul did. From a human perspective, they may have appeared to be strong leaders, whereas Paul was a more humble person. This type of person is easier to criticize, which is evidently what happened.
Even those Paul sent to Corinth to check on the situation, such as Titus, Timothy, and the unnamed “brother” did not take advantage of the Corinthians. None of them were a burden but acted in the same way. This is not just a “Paul” thing. There is consistency among all of these leaders. Essentially, Paul is lining himself up with these colleagues and indirectly comparing them all to the opponents. He is trying to get the Corinthians to see the truth of the situation through the haze of deception. He has used many methods in this letter, and particularly the last three chapters, to do this. It is not for selfish reasons but to help their faith be in the truth of the gospel and not any wrong interpretation of the gospel. Such strong methods are not always necessary but there may be times when some “craftiness” is needed.
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