Daily Devotional for Tuesday, October 13
The Request
“Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation,” 2 Corinthians 7:2-4.
Do you get exasperated when someone repeats the same question or statement over and over again? Sometimes this might be done just to annoy you. However, Paul was not repeating himself to irritate them, he was doing it so they could see the urgency in which he wanted them to love him and to realize he had no harmful intentions toward them.
Paul was basically stating the same plea in these verses as he did in the last few verses in chapter 6. When Scriptures or passages are repeated, it is to emphasize a point. The point is that Paul wanted them to know he had come to them with pure intentions. His motive was not to condemn, but rather to get them to see how much he loved them.
Even though there were some issues to address and he had to deal with it sternly, it was for their benefit in the long run. Paul had made the request to be received not as a rival but as a father figure. He reminded them that even though he spoke boldly, no man was treated wrongly. Again, Paul could speak the truth in love. The fact that Paul considered his joy came not from things he did but from things they did which showed his purity of heart. How much joy do you get when you see others doing right in their relationship with the Lord?
Something to Think About
You live in a time when any negativity or harshness is unkind. This truly is not biblical. Through wisdom, learn to follow the example of Paul and Jesus and speak the truth in love.
Karry Irizarry