Not Found as Paul Wanted 2 Corinthians 12:20

Paul the apostle told the church members in Corinth, “ do you think that we excuse ourselves unto you?” and he added, “we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying”. In chapter twelve and verse twenty of Second Corinthians, Paul told the church members, he feared, “lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would” where we read:

For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as you would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:

The verse begins, “For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as you would not:” Paul began with the words, “for I fear” or “even as, indeed, no doubt, seeing then, verily and therefore Paul was put to flight, afraid, seized with alarm and afraid”, “lest” which means “that perhaps by any means at all” “when I come” or “at the time Paul arrives, comes forth and appears”, “I shall not find you” which means “Paul would not come upon, search, meet with, see, learn, discover, be present and understand” “such as I would” or “of what sort or manner”, “and that I shall be found” which means “Paul would come upon, hit upon, meet with, or find a thing sought” “unto you” or “with the church members” “such as you would not” or “in the manner desired, wished, determined, purposed and are fond of”. Paul was concerned that he would not discover the church in Corinth in the manner he desired they be.

The verse continues, “ lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:” Paul added the word, “lest” which means “if by any means, haply and perhaps” “there be debates” or “there are contentions, strifes and wranglings”, “envyings” which means “excitements of mind, ardor, fervor of spirit and zeal”, “wraths” or “passions, anger, fierceness and indignation”, “strifes” which means “electioneering or intriguing for office, partisanship and fractiousness”, “backbitings” or “defamations and evil speakings”, “whisperings” which means “secret slandering and detraction”, “swellings” or “a puffing up of a soul, loftiness and pride”, “tumults” which means “instability, state of disorder, disturbance and confusion”. Paul knew of these eight sinful behaviors to be among the church members.

When we meditate upon these words of Paul, we see how he hoped to find the church members doing as they should, however, they were participating in ways that were like the world. Jesus Christ desires to have a church that not only asks forgiveness for their sins, but also turns from them. “Debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings and tumults” should not be a part of the church, and should there be any evidence of these, let them be put away and removed completely.

Next time Paul told the church members, “God will humble me among you”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then,

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.