7 Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete. 10 Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.
Commentary
Vs. 7 "Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified."
The Apostle Paul in concluding his exhortation now prays that the Corinthians would do no evil. For it is the Corinthians sanctification (and thus their well being) that was of greatest concern to Paul, and not how their conduct would reflect on him. For ultimately by their doing and pursuing what is honorable in the eyes of the Lord this would not only benefit them, but many others as well, who would be positively affected and influenced by their doing so. For pursuing what is honorable in the eyes of the Lord not only makes for peace and well being in our own lives, but also in the lives of others as well (consider Psalm 34:14-16; 37:27-28; Prov 3:7-8; 16:17; 1 Thess 4:3-4). And so though the Apostle Paul may have seemed disqualified to some of them by carnal and worldly standards, Paul was not so much concerned how he appeared to them, (or anyone else) by those measures, but rather how they all would appear to the Lord, by God's measure of us all.
Vs. 8 "For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth."
Since the Apostle Paul's whole person was bound up in believing, obeying, and declaring the truth, to knowingly sin against it by doing evil, or allowing evil to take place amongst the Corinthians was not only unthinkable, but also not possible (consider 1 John 3:4-9).
Vs. 9 "For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete."
If the Apostle Paul's being "weak"was a means by which God was making the Corinthians strong in their faith, then Paul would gladly bear it. For the Apostle Paul's prayer was not for himself but that they would be made complete; that is fully grounded and well rounded in their faith In Christ.
Vs. 10 "Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction."
Clearly the Apostle Paul was disappointed with how the Corinthians had allowed themselves to backslide, and or be taken in by the false apostles. And so Paul's writing to them while he was absent was so that he would not have to use sharpness (which implies to sternly and abruptly rebuke, often without due consideration) when he would be amongst them again. Therefore the Apostle Paul did not want to come to them and find them in all manner of disarray and divisiveness, or with all kinds of moral laxity, which would only precipitate his doing so. The Apostle Paul then did not want to use the authority Christ gave him in such a manner. Instead he preferred that he could use it for their edification, and so Paul checks himself here, reminding himself that the authority Christ has given him is for their edification, and not for their destruction. And so that is how he would use it, by first correcting their wayward ways through his first writing to them before visiting them again.
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
Additional Resources Consulted
MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1869). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Word Studies
sharpness, ἀποτόμως: Str. 664; GK 705; TDNT 8.106; LN 88.74 (2 Co 13:10; Tit 1:13) 2x
The Apostle Paul in concluding his exhortation now prays that the Corinthians would do no evil. For it is the Corinthians sanctification (and thus their well being) that was of greatest concern to Paul, and not how their conduct would reflect on him. For ultimately by their doing and pursuing what is honorable in the eyes of the Lord this would not only benefit them, but many others as well, who would be positively affected and influenced by their doing so. For pursuing what is honorable in the eyes of the Lord not only makes for peace and well being in our own lives, but also in the lives of others as well (consider Psalm 34:14-16; 37:27-28; Prov 3:7-8; 16:17; 1 Thess 4:3-4). And so though the Apostle Paul may have seemed disqualified to some of them by carnal and worldly standards, Paul was not so much concerned how he appeared to them, (or anyone else) by those measures, but rather how they all would appear to the Lord, by God's measure of us all.
Vs. 8 "For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth."
Since the Apostle Paul's whole person was bound up in believing, obeying, and declaring the truth, to knowingly sin against it by doing evil, or allowing evil to take place amongst the Corinthians was not only unthinkable, but also not possible (consider 1 John 3:4-9).
Vs. 9 "For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete."
If the Apostle Paul's being "weak"was a means by which God was making the Corinthians strong in their faith, then Paul would gladly bear it. For the Apostle Paul's prayer was not for himself but that they would be made complete; that is fully grounded and well rounded in their faith In Christ.
Vs. 10 "Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction."
Clearly the Apostle Paul was disappointed with how the Corinthians had allowed themselves to backslide, and or be taken in by the false apostles. And so Paul's writing to them while he was absent was so that he would not have to use sharpness (which implies to sternly and abruptly rebuke, often without due consideration) when he would be amongst them again. Therefore the Apostle Paul did not want to come to them and find them in all manner of disarray and divisiveness, or with all kinds of moral laxity, which would only precipitate his doing so. The Apostle Paul then did not want to use the authority Christ gave him in such a manner. Instead he preferred that he could use it for their edification, and so Paul checks himself here, reminding himself that the authority Christ has given him is for their edification, and not for their destruction. And so that is how he would use it, by first correcting their wayward ways through his first writing to them before visiting them again.
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
Additional Resources Consulted
MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1869). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Word Studies
sharpness, ἀποτόμως: Str. 664; GK 705; TDNT 8.106; LN 88.74 (2 Co 13:10; Tit 1:13) 2x
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