Finding You Unprepared 2 Corinthians 9:4

Paul the apostle shared with church members in Corinth how he, “sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, you may be ready:”, and in chapter nine and verse four of Second Corinthians, Paul tells the church members what would happen, “if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared,” where we read:

Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, you) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

The verse begins, “Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, ...” Paul began with the word, “Lest” which means “perhaps or somehow” “haply” which means “by any means and at all” “if they of Macedonia” which refers to “whether the church members in Macedonia” “come with me” or “appear, show themselves and are known with Paul”, “and find you” which means “and discover, examine, learn and understand the church members in Corinth” “unprepared” which means “unready”. Paul sent his “brethren” to Corinth to receive the “gift” they prepared to give to the church at large.

The verse continues, “we (that we say not, you) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.” Paul added the word, “we” or “Paul and his companions” “(that we” which refers to Paul and his companions “say not” or “do not utter, proclaim or declare”, “you” which refers to the church members)” “should be ashamed” or “should be confounded and dishonored” “in this same” which means “in the selfsame and like” “confident” or “foundational, firm, steadfast, courageous and resolute” “boasting” which means “act of glorying”. Paul did not want the church members of whom he “boasted” to be “ashamed” when his brothers came to receive from them.

When we consider these words of Paul, we see how he knew if the Corinthians were “unprepared” for the “brethren's” visit, they would be “ashamed” of themselves. Although he knew the church members had set aside an offering for the church at large, he desired they be ready to receive the men who would transport their “gifts” to the church. Paul “boasted” concerning the church members in Corinth, and as they followed Jesus Christ and were concerned for His gospel, they should never have cause to be “ashamed”. May all who read these words take note and find themselves “unashamed” when others who have “gloried in them” come to receive their “gifts”.

Next time Paul shares why he, “thought it necessary to exhort the brethren”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then,

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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