2 Corinthians 12:16-21 Quarreling, Jealousy, Anger, and Hostility
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: May 21, 2020 2 Corinthians 12:16-21
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? 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? Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved. For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.
(Understanding the Text) This part of the passage reveals how twisted the Corinthians were because of their broken backgrounds. They have conspiracy theories to explain why they don’t believe in Paul. They think that he was tricking them somehow and lying to them. Paul asks them to think not only of his own actions with them, but also of the actions of the people he sent to them. He sent Titus and the brother (which could be his brother Luke). Paul’s point here is that all three men have been consistent in their actions and attitudes towards the Corinthians. Also, Paul reminds them that the three men are acting under the orders and observation of God Himself, so even if they would want to be deceptive, they wouldn’t because they know that they have to answer to God. This is in the context of not taking money from the Corinthians. Paul here points out that not only did he not take any money from them, neither did Titus and the brother.
Paul is telling the Corinthians that he worries that when he comes to them that there will be a big fight instead of a meeting of Christian brothers. He fears quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. The Corinthians had a way of making everything into a soap opera. They were overly proud of themselves and gossiped and slandered others. They were jealous of others’ good fortune and took offense easily so that there was a lot of anger, hostility, and arguing. Part of me is judgmental about the Corinthians, but part of me says that they deserve pity because they were broken and grasping at love in all of the wrong ways. Paul is reassuring them of his love and quieting their fears and reminding them of the way a Christian should behave.
Paul ends by reminding the Corinthians that their old ways of life are broken. He fears that when he comes, he will have to deal with them indulging in their past sinful ways. What were those sins? “I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.” The Corinthians had practiced sexual sins that Paul already knew about and that he had previously reprimanded the Corinthians for tolerating. He wants them to turn away from those sins. Paul’s response is not that he will be angry if they are still doing those sins. Instead, his response is that he will mourn. Their continued lack of repentance will make him full of grief for them.
A lot of Christians compare the United States to Sodom and Gomorrah, but I think that they are wrong. The U.S. is Corinth. We have the sexual sins and money sins at the top of our list of priorities. As a result, we have the same kind of brokenness as the Corinthians. They did not know how to love because they thought that they could buy love. They thought that it was okay to do what they wanted at the expense of another person. The other person’s hurt was irrelevant. They thought that money and sex were the answer to their emptiness. As a result, they were suspicious of real love. They kept trying to see what angle Paul was playing at. They tried to play their games with Paul by choosing other leaders and slandering him. Instead, of playing their game, Paul pointed out the issue directly and then told them that he loved them. He defended himself and told them he loved them. He predicted what their reactions would result in, and he loved them. He even chose not to go back to them one time because he knew it was not good for them. He showed them what love was.
(Revelation of God / Application / Prayer) Paul is dealing with people who bear the name Christian but who are not yet healed. He is trying to teach them what true love is and that their past lifestyle and attitudes hurt them and those that loved them. Paul is giving them an example of the way that God loves us. God mourns over us when we refuse to repent. God wants us to treat others with love, not with fear-inspired reactions. I pray to react to others as Paul did and to not let any of the Corinthians’ attitudes grow in my heart.