Third Time Ready to Come 2 Corinthians 12:14

Paul the apostle asked the church members in Corinth, “For what is it wherein you were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you?, and he added, “forgive me this wrong.” In chapter twelve and verse fourteen of Second Corinthians, Paul told the church members, “the third time I am ready to come to you” where we read:

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 ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

The verse begins, “Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you:” Paul began with the word, “behold” which means “lo and see” “the third time” or “on this third occasion” “I am ready” which refers to “Paul was prepared and in a state of readiness” “to come” or “to arise and show himself” “to you” which refers to “the church members”; “and I will not be” or “Paul would not be” “burdensome” which means “torpid, inactive or as a detriment” “to you” or to “the church members”. Paul was prepared to visit the church in Corinth for the “third time”, and his promise was not to be.

The verse continues, “for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.”. Paul added the words, “for I seek not” which means “because and since Paul did not require, demand, crave or demand something of” “yours” which refers to “what the church members possessed”, “but you” which means “except the church members themselves” “for the children” or “because and since the offspring” “ought not to lay up” which means “should not owe or be in debt” “for the parents” or “on behalf and sake of the fathers and mothers”, “but the parents” which means “nevertheless and notwithstanding the fathers and mothers” “for the children” or “on behalf and for the sake of the offspring”. Paul would not be “burdensome” to the church members in Corinth on his third visit with them because like “parents” owe children a living, Paul felt he owed the church members.

When we meditate upon these words of Paul, we see how much he loved the church within Corinth. This “third” visit by Paul was to be without cost to the church members like the first two, and he likened it to a “parent” laying up for their “children”. Paul cared for the church in Corinth, and he desired their “advantage” with Jesus Christ. This is a wonderful example of the way Jesus is for His church. Jesus desires His church to be blessed, and no provision is greater than His. May we all learn to love others in manner in which Paul loved the church in Corinth and let Jesus be glorified every time we come to visit them.

Next time Paul tells the church members, “I will gladly spend and be spent for you”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then,

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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