IN DEFENSE OF INTEGRITY

2 CORINTHIANS 1:12–2:4

NASB

12 For our [a]proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you. 13 For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end; 14 just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.

15 In this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might [a]twice receive a [b]blessing; 16[a]that is, to pass [b]your way into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be helped on my journey to Judea. 17 Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time? 18 But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. 19 For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us —by me and Silvanus and Timothy —was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. 20 For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a [a]pledge.

23 But I call God as witness [a]to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm.

2:1 But I determined this [a]for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again. 2 For if I cause you sorrow, who then makes me glad but the one whom I made sorrowful? 3 This is the very thing I wrote you, so that when I came, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy would be the joy of you all. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you.

1:12 [a]Lit boasting  1:15 [a]Lit have a second grace  [b]One early ms reads joy  1:16 [a]Lit and  [b]Lit through you into  1:22 [a]Or down payment  1:23 [a]Lit upon  2:1 [a]Or as far as I am concerned 

NLT

12 We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness[*] and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. 13 Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, 14 even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus[*] returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you.

15 Since I was so sure of your understanding and trust, I wanted to give you a double blessing by visiting you twice —16 first on my way to Macedonia and again when I returned from Macedonia.[*] Then you could send me on my way to Judea.

17 You may be asking why I changed my plan. Do you think I make my plans carelessly? Do you think I am like people of the world who say “Yes” when they really mean “No”? 18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” 19 For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” He is the one whom Silas,[*] Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. 20 For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.

23 Now I call upon God as my witness that I am telling the truth. The reason I didn’t return to Corinth was to spare you from a severe rebuke. 24 But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.

2:1 So I decided that I would not bring you grief with another painful visit. 2 For if I cause you grief, who will make me glad? Certainly not someone I have grieved. 3 That is why I wrote to you as I did, so that when I do come, I won’t be grieved by the very ones who ought to give me the greatest joy. Surely you all know that my joy comes from your being joyful. 4 I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn’t want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you.

[1:12] Some manuscripts read honesty.   [1:14] Some manuscripts read our Lord Jesus.   [1:16] Macedonia was in the northern region of Greece.   [1:19] Greek Silvanus.  

Each one of us carries a deadly weapon. It can ruin a reputation, annihilate self-esteem, and destroy a person’s dignity. Its poison causes embarrassment and shame. Though sometimes concealed, when brandished this weapon can injure everyone in sight, even the one who wields it. But more often than not it does its worst damage behind the scenes, cloaked in stealth, stabbing its victim in the back. What is this treacherous weapon? The tongue.

Washington Irving once wrote, “A sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use.”[113] In spite of the obvious pain that results from the assassination of a person’s reputation and integrity, acts of verbal violence are continually committed in full light for everybody to see! Somehow our culture tolerates brutal acts of senseless slander as we mercilessly tear each other apart.

Sadly, in the blink of an eye the same tongue can switch from the most soothing salve of sweet syllables to the most venomous verbal poison. James, the brother of Jesus, has this to say about that double-edged stiletto: “It is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing” (Jas. 3:8-10).

I have said throughout my ministry that the tongue is the main reason for congregational conflicts. Show me a church that has split, and chances are that if you dissect that dissension, you will find that the tongue provided the fuel that fed the flames of destruction —not simply doctrinal disagreements, personality clashes, or differences of ministry vision. Most of the time, the uncontrollable, volcanic eruptions in our churches can be traced back to uncontrollable tongues —just as James said: “The tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell” (Jas. 3:6).

Somehow politicians survive the booby traps of the campaign trail. Businesses survive the flaming arrows of bad press. Even Hollywood blockbusters and Broadway hits can rake in millions despite scathing reviews. But whole churches and ministries can be taken down by just one strategically placed rumor. Why? Because when it comes to Christian ministry, everything depends on the integrity of the messenger. You can take away my business, my money, and my possessions. But slash at my integrity and you have assaulted the heart of my life.

As children, we all chanted those words that were meant to strengthen us in the face of ridicule: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Hogwash! Words do hurt. Their harmful effects long outlast any physical blow. Among the many trials we face in our Christian life and ministry, few are more devastating than unfounded statements made against us —especially behind our backs with no opportunity to clear the air or defend ourselves. Such false assertions can be made against our conduct —things we did not do; against our words —things we did not say; or against our motives —things we did not mean.

In 2 Corinthians 1, we see that Paul himself received all three kinds of attacks from the false teachers lurking in the shadows of the Corinthian congregation, feeding false information to the confused members of that church. The goal? To alienate them from their founding apostle and align them with their own sinister party. In 2 Corinthians 1:12–2:4 we will expose the strategies of these terrorizers of integrity and examine Paul’s rebuttal.

— 1:12-14 —

The confused church in Corinth may not have fully realized how hurtful they had been to Paul, who had poured his energy into their conversion and spiritual growth. Writing several letters to that church, sending delegates ahead and leaving teachers behind, traveling there himself to exhort and strengthen them —no other church in the New Testament caused Paul as much grief or took as much of his time and energy. In fact, following on the heels of a paragraph concerning reasons for suffering (1:3-11), Paul immediately transitions into a defense of his true character in response to the harmful false accusations slung at him from across the Aegean Sea.

Here is our first glimpse into the situation in Corinth that was causing conflict between Paul and the church. It appears that Paul’s conduct and sincerity had been called into question. Paul refuted the accusation with directness and clarity: “In holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you” (1:12). For Paul to point to the consistent holiness and sincerity of himself and those working with him as the foundation for his defense means he was confident that nobody in Corinth would have been able to refute him. In fact, he was able to exhibit “proud confidence” in their own unimpeachable conduct. He merely reminded the Corinthians of their irreproachable lifestyle; he did not have to convince them of it.

How many of us could claim that we are consistently holy and sincere, full of wisdom and grace? Few of us would invite an investigation into our private lives, but Paul welcomed it: “Come on in, look around. I have nothing to hide.” He points out that his letters conform to his blameless conduct (1:13-14). As one commentator notes, “Simple, sincere, not in man-made wisdom but in God’s grace. Paul had no hidden meanings or ulterior motives in his correspondence with the Corinthians. He was aboveboard and straightforward in person; and he was the same way in his letters.”[114]

Paul hoped that the words of this latest letter (2 Corinthians) would pierce through the misconceptions or deceptions that had been clouding their understanding, so that they would see things clearly (1:13). He hoped his words would dispel the seeds of distrust that had been planted by his opponents and that one day they would take as much pride in him and his ministry as he took in them and their conversion (1:14).

— 1:15-22 —

The blatantly false accusations of carnal, improper conduct were relatively easy for Paul to overcome. He simply reminded his readers of the blameless conduct he had exhibited among them, principles matched in his writings. A more sinister verbal cancer was being spread, however, and this one had apparent (though not real) evidence to support it. Some were saying that Paul made promises he did not keep, that he said one thing but did another, that he was guilty of fickle vacillation and could not be trusted.

The allegations were persuasive because Paul had hoped to visit the Corinthians for a lengthy period of time but had not been able to come. In 1 Corinthians 16:5-7 he expresses his desire to see them after going through Macedonia, using contingent and tentative language like “perhaps I will stay with you” (1 Cor. 16:6) and “I hope to remain with you for some time” (1 Cor. 16:7), ending his desire to come with a key phrase: “if the Lord permits” (1 Cor. 16:7). Nowhere did Paul promise he would come according to a specific timetable, and in the sovereignty of God, things didn’t turn out as he had hoped.

In 2 Corinthians 1:15-16, Paul admits he had planned on visiting the Corinthians twice during his trip to and from Macedonia. Evidently, the Corinthians mistook Paul’s genuine intentions for a firm promise. So when he did not show up as hoped, they concluded, “If we can’t trust Paul to keep a simple promise, how can we trust him to communicate to us the promises of God?” No doubt, these trumped-up charges were trumpeted by Paul’s critics, always eager to find some way to tear down his credibility to build up their own. Paul counters with several rapid-fire responses phrased as questions, which in the original Greek expected negative answers (1:17):

As Christians, our word ought to be our bond. When we say we will do something, we should do it. We should not require signed contracts, handshakes, or “pinky swears.” When we say yes, it ought to mean yes. And if we can’t follow through because of something beyond our control, we need to explain, apologize, and satisfy our obligation in some other way. I say this especially to parents rearing children. I have never seen a child lose respect for a parent when the parent had to apologize. But I have seen respect lost when the parent failed to follow through on a promise and was too proud to ask forgiveness and find a way to make things right with the child.

The apostle Paul was smart enough not to promise that he would visit the Corinthians. He had hoped. He had yearned. He had intended. And he had planned in the presence of God while submitting to His will. But he had not set forth a hard-and-fast promise. This provides us with another piece of veiled advice: Be careful about making promises you are not sure you will be able to keep. It is better to keep things undecided or up in the air than to promise and later disappoint.

Photo of a signet featuring a roaring lion

© Z. Radovan/BiblelandPictures.com

A signet was used throughout the ancient world and across the centuries to “mark” authenticity and ownership. The one pictured here is from the ninth century BC and was possibly used by Jeroboam II, a king of the northern kingdom of Israel (2 Kgs. 14:23-29).

To clear up any confusion, however, Paul made a distinction between his uncertain plans about the future and the word of God spoken authoritatively through the apostles, which was always trustworthy and unalterable (1:18-22). That is, the promise of salvation through Jesus Christ, preached by Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, could be relied upon with all confidence. Though Paul’s tentative plans —submitted to the will of God —did not always turn out as intended (1:15-16), the plans of God always reach the goal He intends. In fact, God gave believers the Holy Spirit as a pledge, permanently sealing them as a down payment.

The Greek word for “sealed” is sphragizō [4972]. The middle voice of the verb, used here, carries the sense that the Holy Spirit sealed us for Himself. Commentator C. K. Barrett gives us a little background on the meaning of the “seal” in the ancient world: “The seal, given and preserved intact, was proof that a document had not been falsified, or goods tampered with in transit. It was also a mark of ownership; and the Christian, sealed . . . with the Spirit, was both visibly marked out as God’s property, and secured ready to meet examination at the day of judgment.”[115]

Though the promises of God were set in stone and irrevocable, the Corinthians should have held Paul’s own hoped-for plans as tentative, subject entirely to the will of God. Instead they had misunderstood his intention as a promise, an error that opened the door to the unfounded charge of fickle vacillation.

— 1:23–2:4 —

Paul moves from clarifying that his plans and intentions were not the same as God’s purposes and promises (1:15-22) to a brief explanation of why he did not travel to Corinth as he had originally hoped. Here Paul’s words become a bit uncomfortable for his readers. The fault, he says, was not his but theirs. He delayed his journey in order to spare them a painful visit that would have cast a dark shadow on what should have been a joyous reunion (1:23; 2:1-2).

Because of the turmoil in Corinth caused by the schisms, insubordination, and tolerance of immorality, Paul had written 1 Corinthians. Their response to that letter had been partly positive, but not completely. Pockets of resistance still remained. After receiving news that the church still had not fully repented of their disorder and disobedience, Paul had written an additional letter (2:4) —a blistering one, probably following up on the incestuous relationship denounced in 1 Corinthians 5:1-8. In any case, Paul wanted to wait for their reaction to that letter rather than arrive on its heels as if he were reinforcing his mandates with a personal visit to “crack heads” like a harsh and vengeful taskmaster. He wanted to wait until the matter was resolved and the church was restored to love, joy, and peace. His words are those of a loving shepherd, not an angry, self-serving tyrant.

From 2 Corinthians 1:24, we can infer that some in Corinth —likely the false teachers who wanted to boost their own perceived authority —were also charging Paul with wanting to throw his spiritual weight around like some sort of domineering dictator lording it over their faith. Paul had to remind the Corinthians that even as an apostle, his role was one of a fellow worker (1:24) and servant (4:5).

True servanthood is a rare quality today. Our problem is a simple yet sad one: There are so few examples of it. Leaders in the church often lord their position over the flock. Often, employers breathe down the necks of their employees, impatient and demanding, and spouses try to push each other around and rule their children with a heavy hand. But Paul, who followed the pattern of Christ’s self-sacrificial leadership (Mark 10:45), approached his apostolic role as a shepherd to be loved and respected, not as a tyrant to be feared and worshiped.

The accusations against Paul were either flat-out false, exaggerated beyond recognition, or simple misunderstandings. Yet in the hands of his adversaries, the rumor mill used these accusations to try to grind his reputation to a pulp. They accused him of carnal conduct (2 Cor. 1:12-14). He responded with facts. They accused him of fickle vacillation (1:15-22). He replied with clarification. They accused him of domineering dictatorship. He answered with cool constraint. Paul’s critics targeted his conduct, words, and motives; he responded with facts, clarification, and constraint. What admirable wisdom and restraint!

APPLICATION: 2 CORINTHIANS 1:12–2:4

Time to Take a Stand

Most of us respond to false accusations in one of two ways. We either bite our tongues, hoping the matter will blow over, or we explode in rage, responding with our own exaggerated accusations. Both are understandable, but neither is profitable. The first response leaves the lie unanswered, but the smoldering coals of ruinous scandal don’t quickly burn themselves out. At any moment they can flare up and explode into open controversy. Those fiery lies must be doused with a flood of truth. The second response only compounds the problem, fanning the flames of slander and spreading the fires of falsehood far and wide. The apostle Paul shows us a better way to respond to the hurtful false accusations of the opposition: firmly, calmly, and armed with the truth.

Of course, Paul was not the first person ever to face false accusations, and we all know he was not the last. Sooner or later, all of us will find ourselves on the pointed end of a sharp tongue. When we do, there are a few principles that will help us defend ourselves from its hurtful gash.

First, there are times when defending one’s integrity calls for strong action. How do we do this? Number one: Go directly to the accuser (Matt. 18:15). Don’t go to other people ahead of time or afterward to “get advice” or “gather prayer support.” Those are often code words for “gossip” or “slander.” Instead, go directly to the accuser, as Paul went directly to the Corinthians, first by letter, then eventually in person. Number two: Stay completely with the facts. Stay away from emotions, from sarcasm, and from the temptation to exact revenge. Stick with the “who, what, where, when, and why.” Number three: Speak openly, firmly, and lovingly. There are times when you must defend your integrity with an accuser, but this should never be an occasion to forsake your integrity as a Christian witness.

Second, there are times when the best response is silence. In a few cases, absolute, sustained silence may be the best defense. For example, if you do not know who your accuser is, it is probably best to wait in silence. Or if the accuser is unavailable or inaccessible, back off and be still. At times, the more you defend yourself, the more you appear guilty. You should hold your peace. This, however, brings up an important question. How do we know when to speak up and when to be silent? The answer is wisdom. Proverbs 26:4-5 places both scenarios beside each other, demonstrating the complexities of wise living:

PROVERBS 26:4

PROVERBS 26:5

Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

Or you will also be like him.

Answer a fool as his folly deserves,

That he not be wise in his own eyes.

The wisest way to respond to a fool is determined on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes it’s wise to answer; sometimes it’s wise to be silent. In every case, then, we need to call on God for the wisdom needed to navigate these situations (Jas. 1:5). Plead to your heavenly Defender for vindication. Then step out of the way and let Him fight your battle (Ps. 26).

Finally, whether with assertiveness or silence, never take revenge. Whichever approach you use, leave the paybacks out of it. Paul’s powerful words to the Romans ring loud and clear:

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom. 12:19-21)

If justice is to be meted out, God is perfectly capable —and willing —to handle that for us. Maybe one of the reasons we don’t see God step in and handle many of our agonizing and painful problems with false accusers and adversaries is that we fail to give Him opportunity to do so. Step out of the way and let God fight for you!