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In the section that follows, Paul, contrary to what his opponents were saying, defends
his integrity and his behaviour towards the Corinthian believers:
"For our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and
sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in
the world, and more abundantly to you-ward" (1: 12 R.V.).
The reader will notice the better rendering of kauchesis, "glorying" rather than
`rejoicing' A.V. and "holiness" instead of `simplicity'. The Apostle had a clear
conscience with regard to his treatment of the church at Corinth and it would seem that
some were accusing him of insincerity in his letters, writing one thing and meaning
something else. But Paul wrote nothing but what the Corinthians could read and
understand. There were no double meanings:
"For we write you nothing but what you can read and understand; I hope you will
understand fully (1: 13 R.V.).
The Apostle hopes this will be true `to the end', this being the near approaching `day
of our Lord Jesus', when He would return and render to every man according to his work.
The previous section now leads to another (verses 15-22), in which Paul explains why a
plan he had made to visit them had to be postponed. This was certainly not due to
fickleness or changeability on his part. He was not a vacillator who says `yes' and `no'
almost in the same breath. Knowing the sterling character of the Apostle, it seems
amazing that he should have to defend himself in this way, but misunderstanding plays
into the enemy's hands and so Paul takes the trouble to explain to the Corinthians why his
proposed visit had to be deferred temporarily.
No.2.
1: 14 - 2: 13.
pp. 64 - 68
We have now reached a section in chapter 1: where Paul feels it necessary to explain
the reason for the postponement of his promised visit to Corinth. Doubtless his
opponents there were making much of the fact that the Apostle had not visited them and
that he was therefore changeable in nature and his word was unreliable. In I Cor. 16: 5
he had told them that he proposed to pay them a visit after he had passed through
Macedonia. In the second letter in the context we are considering, he refers to another
plan made after writing I Corinthians and out of consideration for the Corinthian
believers. He would now cross over and come straight to Corinth, and after visiting
Macedonia, return to Corinth again, whence he trusted to be `brought on his way', i.e.
`given a good send-off' toward Judaea. The result of this would be that the church at
Corinth would have a `second benefit', the joy and profit of seeing him twice:
"And in this confidence I was minded to come before unto you, that ye might have a
second benefit; and by you to pass into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come
unto you, and of you to be set forward on my journey unto Judaea" (1: 15, 16 R.V.).