Shalom my dear friends, dear brothers and sisters, we are going to continue in our study of 2nd Corinthians, and we are now in chapter 12, reading from verse 11 to verse 21, if you have your Bibles with you, please open your Bibles to 2nd Corinthians chapter 12, verses 11 to 21. Very interesting verses. Here the Apostle Paul continues to share with the Corinthians how he was truthfully serving them when he was among them, and he sought their welfare while others have accused him that he was actually taking advantage of the Corinthians and not being truly an apostle and so those false apostles that were led by Satan they were influencing the Corinthians to turn against the apostle Shaul Paul and now he continues in second Corinthians chapter 12 and I'm reading from verse 11 I become a fool in glorying ye have compelled me for I ought to have been commended of you for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles.

Though I be nothing, truly a sign of an apostle, were wrought among you, in all patience, in signs, wonders, and mighty deeds. For what is it, wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong. Behold the third time i am ready to come to you and i will not be burdensome to you for i seek not yours but you for the children are not to lay up for the parents but the parents for the children And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

But be it so, I did not burden you, nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother, did Titus make a gain of you? Walk we not in the same spirit? Walk we not in the same steps? Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? We speak before God in Christ, but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying. For I fear lest when I come I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not.

Lest there be debates, envying, wrath, strife, backbiting, whispering, swellings, tumultures, and lest when I come again my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed. Beloved brothers and sisters, these verses, 2 Corinthians 12 verses 11 to 21 is really still part of these final chapters in the second letter that Shaul Paul wrote to the Corinthians. And again, I would like to remind you, beloved brothers and sisters, in this second letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul is opening his heart before the Corinthian assembly and sharing with them and seeking to explain to them and remind them that he was truly a servant of the Lord among them.

That he truly sought their welfare that he truly sought to build them up and yet after he left the city of Corinth after he has established by the help of the Lord the local assembly at Corinth there were false apostles false teachers deceitful workers who transformed themselves into the apostles of the Messiah of Christ and they came and they accused Paul and they were saying to the Corinthians that they really don't have here someone who is truly seek their benefit but that they had in their midst the apostle Shaul Paul someone that took advantage of them and in defense of the fact that he indeed Paul was a messenger that sent from the Lord he in these final chapters of second corinthian the apostle Paul seeking to communicate with the Corinthians of his true apostleship and his true concern for the believers in the city of after all he told them that he sought their welfare that he was jealous over them with godly jealousy second Corinth and 11 verse 2 for i am jealous over you with godly jealousy.

For i have espoused you to one husband that i may present you as chaste virgin to Christ to the Messiah and so Paul was really burdened for the Corinthians and yet the Corinthians were influenced by these false apostles by these deceitful workers false teachers that crept in among the believers in the city of Corinth now if you remember we have covered the first 10 verses of second Corinthians chapter 12 where the apostle Paul mentioned to the Corinthians the fact that he had experience that is unique that he has seen visions from the Lord but the greatest of them all is he's taking up to the third heaven and if he was taking up caught up to the third heaven and he shared this with the Corinthians to validate the fact that he truly was a servant of God and the Lord called him for this unique ministry to reach the Gentiles with the message of the gospel and that he really cared for the Corinthians but because he didn't.

Want to pride himself in the fact that he was in call specifically by the Lord Jesus for this special ministry he did not want to pride himself or to exalt himself he even used this sharing with them in the third person i knew a man in Christ not speaking of himself although later on we know that it was he who was caught to the third heaven and then that this man the one that heard unspeakable words which is not lawful for a man to utter that's what he said in the first 10 verses so the apostle Paul was honored by God and God took him and caused him to be caught up to the third heaven that is paradiso's paradise and then brought him back down to earth to continue his ministry while the apostle Paul was in paradise verse 4 he was caught up to paradise he heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter he heard words from the Lord he received Revelation from the Lord that was not lawful for a man to even utter it.

Revelation that he received concerning the church age concerning the body of Christ concerning the way whereby the Lord will lead him this apostle Paul to serve him among the Gentiles among the nations of the world and because of the fact that God honored him the apostle Paul said to the Corinthians in verse 6 and 7, lest any man should think me above that which he seeth in me to be, or that he heareth of me, and lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the Revelation, there was given, the gift from God, there was given unto me a thorn or a stake or a peg in the flesh the messenger of Satan to trouble me to torment me to buffet me and so Paul was not only honored by God but Paul was humbled by God that because of the much Revelation that he received the Lord Jesus God had humbled him by allowing a messenger of Satan giving him this gift of the messenger of Satan to buffet him by giving him that thorn in.

The flesh and we mentioned that the thorn in the flesh really applies to the fact that in his sin nature to seek to cause the apostle Paul constantly to be a proud and arrogant and constantly attacking him to walk in the flesh and yet Paul sought and with the help of the Lord he walked in the spirit in the power of the Spirit of God in this new man and he pleased the Lord throughout his life as the Lord provided for him the needed grace. And so we have concluded in our previous meeting in verses 9 and 10 that God did not only honor Paul, help Paul, but also humble Paul, but also helped him.

And when Paul three times asked beside the Lord three times that this thorn in his flesh depart from him, The Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, said to him, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. And then Paul said, Most gladly, therefore, I rather glow in my infirmity that the power of Christ, the power of the Messiah may rest upon me. The power of Christ would rest upon the Apostle Paul as he glory, not in the Revelation that the Lord revealed to him, not in being proud because he received these unique revelations, not because being proud because of the Lord taking him to heaven, to the third heaven, to paradise, but Paul glory, as he says here in verse 10, 9 and 10, he most gladly glory in his infirmities.

While, see, that messenger of Satan sought Paul to glow in his flesh, to glow in pride, saying, I am this great apostle, I am this one that was caught unto heaven, I am this one that received many revelations, I am the one that receives information, unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. That's what this messenger of Satan desired Paul to do. But Paul, on the other hand, on the opposite side, he took side with the Lord Jesus and he humbled himself. And instead of glorying in the Revelation that he received, he was glorying in the infirmities that the Lord have allowed him to have and that the power of the Lord Jesus Christ may rest upon him.

And indeed, he was successful spiritually, beloved brothers and sisters, because the power of Christ, the power of the Messiah was upon him, and he was faithful in leading many to come to know the Savior, many to come to be built up spiritually, many to become part of the assembly of the living God, including both Jews and Gentiles who became part of the ecclesia the assembly of the living God the kehila kehilat haadon the assembly of the Lord and now he continues in 2nd Corinthians 12 from verse 11 to 21 Paul now had to confront the Corinthians and really to put them to shame because of what they have said and done and their behavior and attitude towards him by allowing these deceitful workers, these false servants of the Lord who transformed themselves to be like a messengers of Christ and a pastor of Christ, but really they were not, they were really doing the work of Satan by influencing the Corinthians and the Corinthians allowed them to be influenced And then they accuse Paul by saying about him things that were not right.

So Paul now confronts the Corinthians as he concludes towards the end of this letter. He pointed to some of the things that they lacked. First of all, in verses 11, 12, and 13, they really should have commanded Paul but instead of commanding Paul they condemned Paul being influenced by the deceitful workers that were there by not appreciating what Shaul Paul had done in their midst so in verse 11 Paul said to them he said I have become a fool in glory he have compelled me in other words you by your behavior and by what you were saying and believing about me you have compelled me to become like fool by even sharing with you the things that I have experienced by Revelation from the Lord he said and the thing that he has seen as he has mentioned of course being caught to the third heaven in the previous verses so he says really in verse 11 I become a fool in glowing ye have compelled me for I ought to have been commanded of you you should have commanded me for in nothing am i behind the very chiefest of apostles though i be nothing he says although i consider to be.

Nothing just a servant of the Lord the servant of the Mashiach Yeshua and yet i want you to know that i come behind nothing from the other apostles from the true apostles the 12 apostles that the Lord Jesus the Messiah have chosen when he was here on earth Judas of course killed himself and Matityahu was chosen by the early assembly so the 12 apostles brought Paul he said I really come behind in nothing behind the very chiefest apostle he may be speaking of Peter and others and James or other of the apostles he says I'm really coming behind in nothing I'm equal to them and you should have commended me I should have been commended by you but look what you have done Corinthian you see Paul was really confronting the Corinthians, the assembly there, who behave in such a bad way, being influenced by the false apostles, false teachers, false and deceitful workers that rose in their midst.

And those ones became like the thorn in Paul's flesh. And when we read that it was given unto me, a thorn in the flesh, He doesn't speak about the flesh that is upon the bones, though it may be that he had some issues with his sight or whatever, but the context shows us that this thorn in the flesh is much more than just the skin that is on the bones, but the flesh, meaning the old nature that he has, and he has become like a thorn in his flesh to cause him to even mention to the Corinthians about his the mercies that the Lord provided for him by showing to him and giving to him various revelations and by being constantly attacked so he will react if he will not be careful in the flesh a thorn in the flesh and so beloved brothers and sisters that is where the apostle Paul is now speaking to the Corinthian.

In verse 12, Paul performed before these and among the Corinthian the signs of an apostle. Beloved brothers and sisters, can you imagine? The very proof that he was an apostle was the signs of the apostles. This is very important. In 1 Corinthians 9, we do read, beloved brothers and sisters verse 1 and 2 am i not an apostle he said to them in the first letter am i not free have i not seen Jesus Christ our Lord are you not my work in the Lord if i be not an apostle unto others yet doubtless i am to you for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord he's saying to the Corinthians you Corinthians are the proof that i am an apostle the Hebrew word shaliyah the Greek apostolo is a proof that he was a messenger from God a messenger from the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah and therefore beloved brothers and sisters the apostle was emphasizing this to the Corinthians and so he wanted them to see that and to understand that and then he confront them right now as he's writing to them in this final portion of the second letter so the sign of an apostle you see beloved brothers and sisters the apostles.

Were the early ones that were chosen by the Lord for the special ministry not everyone is an apostle the apostle was one that walked with the Lord have seen the Lord have seen the glorified Messiah and the apostle Shaul Paul seen the glorified Messiah when he was he met him on the way to Damascus but also as we read here that he was the one that was caught up to the third heaven he was the one that was caught up to paradise he was the one that heard these unspeakable words from the Lord which it is not lawful for a man to utter and therefore he was the one that had the gift of having specific signs and miracles that were given to an apostle not to every individual and that's why he says to them beloved brothers and sisters in verse 12 truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all listen, in all patience I did so patiently in signs, in wonders and mighty deeds in the book of Hebrews we do read in chapter 2.

About the gifts that were given to the apostles the Hebrew author wrote to his Hebrew brethren saying therefore we are to give a more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip for if the word spoken by angels was steadfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witness this is verse 4 of Hebrews 2 both by signs and wonders and with diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his own will well the early apostles they were the ones that were receiving the apostles' signs they were the ones that were in the early the first century were witnessing to the truth of the gospel of our Lord Jesus the Messiah through signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit and that's why Shaul Paul.

Was confronting the Corinthians and in a sense putting them to shame because of the behavior that they had towards him and the accusation that they had against him listening to these deceitful workers that were raised and came in and accused Paul and in order to take the place of Shaul Paul as the one who is the leading individual in the local assembly at Corinth they first of all had to accuse Paul so the Corinthians will believe them and then that they will take this preeminence among the Corinthians and Paul is now exposing their false activities and so beloved brothers and sisters just to emphasize that there were only 12 apostles plus the apostle Paul Shaul that specifically seen the resurrected Messiah according to the book of Acts especially in chapter 1 we know that when they were looking to find and to seek the mind of the Lord to have an additional apostle after Judah Yehuda kill himself then the brethren there said you know beginning from the baptism of John.

Unto the same day that he was taken up Jesus Yeshua taken up from us must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection and surely Shaul Paul witnessed the Lord Yeshua the Messiah as the resurrected and ascended one who actually have called him to be caught up to the third heaven that is to be caught up into paradise and to hear unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter so now in verses 11 and 12 the apostle Paul pointing to the fact that the corinthian lacked in commending him in verse 13 he said to them that even though i could have been a burdensome to you and you should have been supporting me as others did i did not want to be a burden to you he said in verse 13 we read for he said what is it wherein ye were inferior to others churches what are you in what way you were inferior to other churches except it be that i myself was.

Not burdensome to you forgive me this wrong he says the only thing that you Corinthians were different than others is that you used me you were ministered by me you were led to the Lord by me you came to become redeemed through the ministry that i have shared with you directing you to the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah and the only thing that you lacked is that i was not burdensome unto you Paul actually took from others when he had the need just not to take from the Corinthian who were influenced by others to accuse him that he was not truly an apostle can you imagine hear the apostle Shaul Paul saying to the Corinthians that in reality the only thing that they were inferior this is the Corinthians were inferior to other local churches in Asia Minor is that others supported Shaul Paul and in a sense he become a burden to them because they needed to take care of the servant of the Lord the laborer is worthy of his hire but the Corinthians.

The apostle Shaul Paul purposely intentionally was not burdensome to them because he knew their state and their condition and the evident is right here accusing him that he was not what he truly was a servant of the Lord who sought their welfare so Paul confronting the Corinthians in these verses he's pointing to their lack of commanding him and supporting him but he says in reality really I am the one that served you with the signs of an apostle I am the one that a minister to you you were blessed by me the only thing i didn't do is i didn't charge you although the laborer is worthy of his hire i didn't want to be a burden someone to you and you can see the proof in that because they were probably accusing him hey he charged us he took money from us we supported him as if the laborer has no right to be supported by those whom he serve this is a principle that were given in days of old to the people of Israel where the.

Rest of the tribes of Israel had to support their levying the tribe of Levi and this is the responsibility of the local churches to also minister to the servant of the Lord in this present day of the church age missionary activity to support the Lord's work you remember what Paul said in first Corinthians chapter nine do you not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple and they which wait at the altar are partakers of the altar he's speaking about the leviin the tribe of Levi among the people of Israel who were supported by the the rest of the tribes of Israel he says even so has the Lord ordained the day which preached the gospel should live of the gospel first corinthian 9 verse 13 and 14 so Paul said to the corinthian in verse 15 of first corinthian 9 but i have used none of these things.

Neither have I written these things that it should be done so to me. For it were. Better for me to die than that any man should make my glowing void. For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of. For necessity is laid upon me, yea, woe unto me if i preach not the gospel so while the truth is that they should have supported him and yet he is telling them that they should have commended him they should have support him they were not behind other churches other assembly the only thing that they were behind is dead he did not charge them he did not take from them anything and he says forgive me this wrong he's he's being sarcastic here says oh i'm sorry that i was wrong i was wrong by not taking from you and he's really being sarcastic here now beloved brothers and sisters in verse 14 to 18 they did not only lack in commending Shaul Paul but they lacked in appreciation of what he was in their midst when he was there and so in verse 14 Paul was ready to come now the third.

Time to Corinth he says in verse 14 behold the third time I'm ready to come to you and I will not be a burdensome unto you for I seek not yours not as dead but you for the children art not to lay up for their parents but the parents for the children in other words he was like a father unto them and he has spoused them as chaste virgin to the Lord and he said to them I'm seeking to come to you I'm something happened before I was trying to come to you to make a visit with you to continue to minister to you but things happen and he had to go elsewhere this is the third time that I'm ready to come to you but he said if when I come I will not be burdensome to you I was not going to come and expect from you anything I'm not seeking what you have but I'm seeking you I'm seeking to edify you to build you up to mature you to cause you to grow in grace and.

In the knowledge of the Lord Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. I don't seek yours, but I seek you. What an amazing servant of the Lord Shaul Paul was. He truly sought the welfare and the benefit of God's people. He didn't seek anything from someone else. The Lord provided for him. The Lord raised others to support him as the Lord raised God's people from elsewhere to support God's servant. In every generation, those who seek faithfully to present the gospel and to minister the word of God, the Lord take care of his own. But Paul says, I do not seek yours, but I seek you. And then he says, for the children, I have not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

In other words, you were the ones that the Lord used me to lead you to himself. And because he used me, you become like my sons and daughters in the faith. So the children ought not to lay up for their parents. I don't expect from you to give me, but the parents for the children. What an attitude Shaul Paul had. You remember in chapter 11 and verse 2, he said, for I am zealous over you with godly jealousy for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ, to the Messiah but I feel less by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ you see he have already mentioned it and he mentioned it throughout this letter he's pointing to the fact that they did not have the right attitude towards him they lacked in commanding him and they were listening to the deceitful workers instead of listening to the Lord and listening to what the apostle Shaul Paul taught them but they turned against him in verse 15 Paul was ready to be spent for the Corinthians he didn't want anything from them he didn't want what they have he wanted them and so he said in verse 15 I will very gladly spend and be spent for you though the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved.

In other words the more I love you the less it seems to be that you respond in loving me i am ready to be spent for you yet look at the difference i am willing to give and to do anything i can and i have for your benefit your spiritual benefit i will very gladly spend and be spent for you but he says although the more abundantly i love you the opposite is happening from your end the list i be loved and what he means i be loved by you the Corinthians should have loved Shaul Paul who was indeed a servant of the Lord who ministered to them who led them to the Lord as we read in act chapter 18 he led them to come to the knowledge of the Savior the Lord Jesus the Messiah in verse 16 Paul pointed to the Corinthians guile and he's saying to them in verse 16 but be it so i did not burden you nevertheless being crafty i caught you with guile but it's.

Very interesting while they were really not honest with him but we look at this in two ways this verse is extremely interesting on one hand he found out how they were not honest and straightforward with him i did as it says here i caught you with guile being crafty i caught you with guile now on the other hand there is another thought that we can learn from this that Paul is really saying to them if you accuse me in leading you to the Lord and if you're accusing me by listening to the false apostles i want you to know that i did not burden you whatsoever but if you think that i'm crafty the only crafty thing that i did is that i i caught you with a guile in other words i caught you like a fish being caught with a hook and led you to not to myself but to the Lord so but be it so i did not burden you he's saying to them nevertheless being crafty as if he's speaking of himself if i was crafty.

And you accuse me of being crafty. The only thing that I was crafty is, is by catching you like a fisherman catching a fish in the ocean, in the lake. With a fishing hook. And craftily drawing the fish to the hook and catching the fish. And the Apostle Paul was a fisherman that caught the people at Corinth who came to know the Lord Jesus the Messiah. He caught them as a fisher of men and he led them to the Lord Yeshua the Messiah to salvation. While a fish that had been caught in the lake will ultimately be killed and eaten. Those that were caught through the fishers of men, through the Apostle Paul preaching the gospel, were caught unto eternal life, unto salvation.

Beloved brothers and sisters, if there is an accusation against the Apostle Paul being crafty, the craftiness in him was in that he was faithful to preach the gospel and drew the Corinthians as a fisher of men as a fisher of fish drew them to the Lord who said i will make you fishers of men and while he fished them and brought them and caught them he caught them for the their own benefit for the glory of the Lord Jesus the Messiah and for their eternal salvation so in verse 17 Paul challenged them asking them if he gained anything from them what did I gain from you did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you in other words what did I gain from you actually beloved brothers and sisters the only thing that he got from the Corinthians is really much much much sadness and sorrow and disappointments much accusation that they accused him as if he is not truly a servant of the Lord.

Much sadness and so after he taught them so much their pride and their arrogant and their self-will and their disobedience to the Lord. And the whole first letter that was written by Paul to them was a letter sharing with them, revealing their condition. And in their sad condition, they violated anything that had to do with the things of the Lord. In fact, the whole first epistle presents before us how what kind of condition the Corinthians were at they had all sort of problem in their midst divisions immorality taking each other to court abusing of the gifts abusing of the Lord's table not believing the resurrection of the Messiah in their gift and support to the Lord's work and so on and so on there was so much wrong in this church and yet there were saints who are living carnally you see beloved brothers and sisters they were living in the flesh although they were saints they were walking in the flesh and they were not walking in the spirit that's why Paul said to the Galatians and to all walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

The Corinthians indeed did not live up to that which they were called to as saints of God. And so in verse 18, Paul continued to say, I desire Titus, and with him I send a brother. Did Titus make gain of you? Walk we not in the same spirit? Walk we not in the same steps? He says really in verse 17 and 18 of this 2nd Corinthians chapter 12, did I make any gain from you? Or those that I sent to you? And he sent to them Titus and another brother. And he said, did Titus or that other brother, his unnamed brother who was a servant of the Lord, did they make gain of you?

Didn't we all walk in the same spirit? In other words, the same attitude, the same godly attitude. Didn't we all walk together in the same steps? So, why are you accusing me? You see, the Corinthians did not only lack the need that they should have command Paul instead of accusing him, but they lack in appreciation of the ministry of the Apostle Paul. And they were accusing him of being influenced by the false apostles and the deceitful workers. And so, beloved brothers and sisters, the apostle Paul is seeking a hear to his attempting to motivate the Corinthians to obedience and submission. And he's speaking to them and seeking to clear himself of their thoughts of him, of what they heard about him from others accusing him.

So he's saying to them, Corinthians, you lack in commending me, verses 11, 12, and 13. My dear brethren, the Corinthian, you lacked in appreciating the ministry that I have done among you. And so finally, in the last verses of 2 Corinthians chapter 12, verses 19 to 21, the Apostle Paul emphasizing the fact that the Corinthian lacked in considering themselves and to search their own hearts. What about them? Were they right with God? Did they live up to that which they were called to live, to live godly? To please the Lord? To be there serving the Lord Jesus the Messiah? To seek to have harmony among the believers? Did they do so? Or not?

And so in verses 19, 20 and 21, Paul pointed to this fact that they were not considering themselves and they were not setting themselves apart in living a holy life themselves because after all he did say in chapter 11 verse 2 I am jealous over you with godly jealousy he called them to seek to be a godly local assembly of believers because he have espoused them to one husband And that he may present them as a chaste virgin to the Messiah, to Christ. So, did they live godly? Did they consecrate their lives to the Lord? So, notice what he says in verses 19, 20, and 21. Paul and his helpers did all the things that they have done is to build up, to edify the Corinthians.

Again, verse 19, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? We speak before God in Christ, but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edification, for your building up. In other words, he's saying to them in verse 19, you think that we are trying to find an excuse and we excuse ourselves before you? He says, really, God is our judge and we are speaking before him. You are not our judge. God is our judge. He's saying to them, we speak before God in Christ. In other words whatever he said he's seeking to do the will of God his conscience was clear and so he's saying to them in verse 19 we speak before God in Christ but we do all things dearly beloved notice he called them beloved now this is so interesting because after all what they have done to him he is still calling them beloved loved ones you see it's so difficult to love those that turn against you it's so difficult to love those that accuse you and find fault in you it's very difficult to still love them and yet the apostle Paul being a godly man that he was he is indeed love these believers and he's calling them in these verses beloved loved of God come the word for agapetos this is in the Greek it's really unconditional love unconditional love and you will notice beloved brothers and sisters that in that letter to the Corinthians there were more than once that he was writing to them of the fact that they are.

Loved for example beloved brothers and sisters in chapter 7 second Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1 having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God in the first epistle he constantly more than two or three or four times call on them my beloved my dearly beloved 1st Corinthians 10 verse 14 wherefore my dearly beloved flee from idolatry chapter 15 and verse 58 of 1st Corinthians therefore my beloved brethren be steadfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord so Paul loved them So in verse 19, he's mentioning, beloved brothers and sisters, this very interesting statement saying, again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you?

No, we speak before God in Christ, but we do all things dearly beloved for your up-building, for your edification. So he continued in verse 20, dear brothers and sisters, Paul feared of the carnality of the Corinthians because they were carnal. And he's saying to them in verse 20, for I fear lest when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not. In other words, he's anticipating to go to Corinth. He's anticipating to come there. He said, but when I'm coming, how I will find you? In what spiritual state will I find you?

He said, I fear that when I come, I will find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not. You do not want me to come and to find you in such a condition that I have to tell you to your face your condition. So Paul feared of the carnality of the Corinthians. How will he find them? In what spiritual state will they be when he will arrive to Corinth? And when they will accept him, he says, i shall be found unto you as you do not want in other words i will be found to you as you do not want you do you do not want me to tell you and to correct you you need to correct yourself you need to live godly here in this world you need to be consecrating yourself to the Lord in 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 in verse 1 we do read beloved brothers and sisters having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God he already told them that in this epistle earlier in 1st Corinthians chapter 3 in the first epistle there he wrote to them in verse 1 onward he said and I brethren could not speak unto you as to unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as unto babes in Christ I have fed you with milk and not with meat for hitherto you were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able.

For you are yet carnal for where is there is among you envying and strife and division are ye not carnal and walk as men for while one saith I am of Paul and another say I am of Apollos are ye not carnal three times or four times in 1 Corinthians 3 verses 1-4 he used the word carnal and here now in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 20 beloved brothers and sisters the apostle Paul had fear he says i fear that when i come i i shall not find you as i would like to find you but i shall be found of you as you do not want lest there be debates and envying and wrath and strife and biting and whispers and swellings and tumulets.

See, this is exactly what happened when it was necessary for the Apostle Paul to write the first letter where he wrote in verse 3, ye are yet carnal. There's envy, there's strife, there's division. Are ye not carnal? You see, beloved brothers and sisters, you see, all of us are called to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and not to behave in carnality. And if sometimes we don't agree with someone and we don't see eye to eye with someone, that does not mean that we need to attack that person and to envy that person and to have wrath and strife and backbiting.

It's better to go to the Lord and to humble ourselves before the Lord and say to the Lord, Lord, be merciful to me. Help me to have a right attitude. This is important. So this is what the Apostle Paul said to these Corinthians as he was sharing with these brethren. In the end of chapter 12, verse 20. I'm concerned, let there be debates, and envying, and wrath, and strifes, and backbiting, and whisperings, swellings, and tumulets. Sad, sad, sad condition. He was concerned that when he will come, that kind of behavior will exist there, when he will find them in such a condition. He didn't want to find them in such a condition.

He wanted them to be found in a spiritual state. Godly consecrating their life to the Lord living holy life living life that is pleasing to the Lord as he wrote already in chapter 7 having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us clean ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God so beloved brothers and sisters in conclusion in verse 21 the end the last verse of 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 Paul was concerned that God caused him to mourn to bewail when God will show him those that have sinned without to repent he was concerned and notice how Paul saying how he concludes this verse this chapter and lest when I come again my God shall humble me among you and that i shall be well i shall be well many which have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed you see brothers and sisters Paul was very concerned he was so concerned that now if he is going to come that third time that he sought to come and he will finally will.

Come to arrive to them he was concerned that the Lord will humble him among the Corinthians that he will have to be well to weep to mourn over the state of those that did not repent how he wanted them to repent beloved brothers and sisters how Paul wanted them to change their manners to change their lifestyle to change their attitude he wanted to come with joy to be in their midst in Corinth, and not to mourn or to lament and to bewail of their sad condition of those that did not come to the decision to repent. Repentance is essential, beloved brothers and sisters. It is essential for salvation, and it is essential, beloved brothers and sisters, for believers who need to repent when they sin before the Lord.

We read in Acts 17 and verse 30, at the time of this ignorance, God winked it, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. Why? Because He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man. That man is the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. God will judge this world. God will judge the unbelieving world through the person of Yeshua the Messiah who came once and gave himself a ransom for many that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life. But beloved brothers and sisters, God will also judge the saints. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5 and verse 10. He will also discipline here on earth. Judgment must begin at the house of God. Those that repent not of their sins. And that's why we have the throne of grace. That's why we read in 1 John 1 verse 9. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This is so important, beloved brothers and sisters. Notice what we do read in 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 25. In meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves. If God, preadventure, will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. God will work in the hearts of individuals for the unbelievers to turn them to the truth of the Word of God and to accept the Lord Jesus the Messiah.

For the believers who are already saved and forgiven when we sin, to restore our fellowship with the Lord and enjoy the fellowship that He wants us to enjoy here and now, here and now, until He will take us to be with Him in glory. And so, beloved brothers and sisters, in 2 Corinthians chapter 12, in verses 11 to verse 21, Paul confronted the Corinthians and he sought to cause them to recognize their condition and be ashamed of it. And to reveal to them the fact that they should have commend Paul, but the opposite they have done, they did not commend him, did not appreciate Paul. Secondly, in verses 14 to 18, they lack of thankfulness and appreciation of what Paul have done in their midst for their benefit.

And thirdly, he confronted them that the Corinthians will understand that they themselves were lacking in living a godly life, in consecrating themselves to God and living for God here in this world. And so, beloved brothers and sisters, may the Lord help us, May the Lord direct us. May the Lord teach us as we learn together from the second letter that Shaul Paul wrote to the Corinthians. Well, until the next time, we would say to you, God bless you, and Shalom, Shalom.