2 Corinthians chapter 12

vs 11

Paul feels that the Corinthians should have already known all this, and that it's their fault he needed to boast like a fool. They should have stuck up for him but instead they supported these super-apostles.

vs 12

Paul, as an apostle, did wonders, signs and miracles among them. Why did he need to do such things with perseverance? That's an interesting thing to say. Obviously the ability to do such things was not a great convictor in and of itself.

vs 13

The only thing Paul never did for them as an Apostle was take their money! And they are now using this against him, instead of it being a blessing to them.

vs 14

Paul sees himself, rightly, in a sort of father figure relationship over the Corinthians. He loves them, and he didn't reach them because he wanted their cash. He did it because he wanted them to become Christian.

vs 15

He puts the heavy on them again, this time accusing them of loving him less because he has loved them more, and asking that, if he was to visit again, would they love him even less if he was to expend his very self for them?

vs 16

And now, it seems from his sarcastic tone, that they have also accused Paul of tricking them somehow. Perhaps he didn't speak plainly to them. Perhaps this is about money still.

vs 17

It seems that the other people Paul might have sent to this church, like Titus, may have tricked the Corinthians. See, Paul sent Titus to Corinth, and while there Titus asked the Corinthians to prepare a gift for the Jerusalem church (which we read about 3-4 chapters ago). So perhaps they are saying that Paul didn't ask for money, but then trickily he did ask through Titus for Jerusalem.

vs 18

But Paul says that he and Titus followed the same course, which I take to assume means that they both didn't take money for themselves, although they might have both encouraged the Corinthians to give to the Jerusalem fund.

vs 19

Paul now flips these whole last couple of chapters on their heads. Paul says he hasn't been defending himself in these words. Rather, he has been writing even these words to strengthen the church. And that's why we have them now, I guess - because they are a strength to the church. Paul obviously saw these letters he was writing as important. We know he took his apostleship seriously, so he would have possibly seen his letters as part of an apostolic tradition.

vs 20

At first I thought Paul was saying that these things would happen because of his arrival. But I think he's just saying that he thinks he will find these things already happening in Corinth when he arrives.

vs 21

Paul would boast over the Corinthian church, and so if he were to find a church still full of sinners who had not repented of their various sins, he would be humbled by God, yet again, for having been so proud of one of his churches. Obviously he doesn't want it to be that way.