2 Corinthians 1:24 (The Message)
“We’re not in charge of how you live out the faith, looking over your shoulders, suspiciously critical. We’re partners, working alongside you, joyfully expectant. I know that you stand by your own faith, not by ours.”
And so, what help do you need? How can we partner with you?
John Parker, Connections Ministries
Just before this Paul says, “Now I appeal to God as my witness, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth.
Paul had some strange things to rebuke and correct the Corinthians about. God is his witness on this “sparing”. This same word is used in Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” God did not spare his Son from the judgement due all of us. Paul “spared” some judgements due to the Corinthians with their evil behaviors. Paul will write to some of them later in this book. We should want to “spare” our brothers and sisters from judgement due to them by helping them repent and obey the Lord. That would be “synergyzing” with each other.
Yes to sparing each other through truth and love! Hear, hear! Right here, here! We seek to stay, listen, learn, share in truth and love (like the Godhead does!).
We’ve come to think it’s normal to shop and hop for the group that pleases us. This can set a very dangerous, damaging precedent for the flock of God. LORD, gives us ears and eyes to hear and see and believe and obey.