Who Are You Trusting?

Reflection:  One of the reasons why Paul followed up 1 Corinthians with a second letter to the Church at Corinth was he wanted to explain his change in travel plans.  Because of some changes in the needs of some of the churches, he needed to change his itinerary and come to the Corinth for another trip at another time.  This caused some to start to challenge Paul’s integrity.  They were saying Paul says one thing and then does another.  This was partly in response to the stern rebuke he gave them regarding some of the immorality, which was reported in the church.  They tried to minimize what he had written and even questioned whether he was a “real apostle” in light of Paul’s rebuke.    

Paul takes the time to tell them that his conscience is clear, because his life is based on the promises of God in Christ! He urged them not to focus so much on his personality or credentials, and mentions that Silas and Timothy had preached to them this same message of salvation by grace through faith in Christ.  Their message was not with wise and eloquent words (some accused Paul of not being very eloquent too!), but with a demonstration of the Spirit so that their faith might not rest on human wisdom or personality, but on the grace of God!

Paul ends with these classic verses:

“²⁰ For no matter how many promises God has made and, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. ²¹ Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, ²² set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

Though God uses human messengers to transmit the message, it is God who has anointed us and given us His Holy Spirit as a deposit to guarantee our relationship with Him, and what is to come.  Notice the guarantee is from God not any human being.  Paul is trying to get the Corinthians to realize if they put their trust in humans they will be eventually let down.  But they can trust in God’s promises which are always “yes” in Christ! 

All of us have been disappointed by those who were supposed to be acting in Christ’s name, but we must separate the messenger from the message.  Of course, it is important for all of us who bear Christ’s name to live our lives with integrity so as not to be a stumbling block to others, but at the end of the day our trust is in God, not any person!  Thanks be to God for that! 

 Psalm 68:19-27

¹⁹ Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,­ who daily bears our burdens.
²⁰ Our God is a God who saves; ­from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.
²¹ Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies,
    the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
²² The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
    I will bring them from the depths of the sea,
²³ that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,
    while the tongues of your dogs have their share.”

²⁴ Your procession, God, has come into view,
    the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.
²⁵ In front are the singers, after them the musicians;
    with them are the young women playing the timbrels.
²⁶ Praise God in the great congregation;
    praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.
²⁷ There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them,
    there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
    and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

Proverbs 17

Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
    than a house full of feasting, with strife.

² A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
    and will share the inheritance as one of the family.

³ The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
    but the Lord tests the heart.

⁴ A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
    a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

⁵ Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker;
    whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

⁶ Children’s children are a crown to the aged,
    and parents are the pride of their children.

⁷ Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—
    how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

⁸ A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;
    they think success will come at every turn.

⁹ Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,
    but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

¹⁰ A rebuke impresses a discerning person
    more than a hundred lashes a fool.

¹¹ Evildoers foster rebellion against God;
    the messenger of death will be sent against them.

¹² Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
    than a fool bent on folly.

¹³ Evil will never leave the house
    of one who pays back evil for good.

¹⁴ Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
    so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

¹⁵ Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—
    the Lord detests them both.

¹⁶ Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,
    when they are not able to understand it?

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times,
    and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

¹⁸ One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge
    and puts up security for a neighbor.

¹⁹ Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;
    whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.

²⁰ One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;
    one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.

²¹ To have a fool for a child brings grief;
    there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.

²² A cheerful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

²³ The wicked accept bribes in secret
    to pervert the course of justice.

²⁴ A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
    but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵ A foolish son brings grief to his father
    and bitterness to the mother who bore him.

²⁶ If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,
    surely to flog honest officials is not right.

²⁷ The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
    and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

²⁸ Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
    and discerning if they hold their tongues.

2 Corinthians 1:12-22
Paul’s Change of Plans

¹² Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. ¹³ For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, ¹⁴ as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁵ Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. ¹⁶ I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. ¹⁷ Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”? ¹⁸ But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” ¹⁹ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” ²⁰ For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. ²¹ Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, ²² set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness. Psalm 115:1

Jesus said, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name.” Luke 11:2

O High and Holy One, we owe you love, adoration, and worship for your steadfast love and faithfulness. With Jesus’ help we will honor your name in every act, thought, and deed. Amen.