2 Corinthians 12 Study Notes

12:14 Paul’s first visit to the Corinthians was the long church-planting visit, around AD 50-51 (Ac 18:11). His second visit was the brief painful experience (2Co 2:1). Earlier in the letter he had promised a third visit (see note at 9:5). This was fulfilled, as Rm 15:26 shows. Paul would not burden the Corinthians by asking for money for his personal use. He did, of course, expect them to support the offering for the Jerusalem saints (2Co 8-9). He wanted their hearts and affection, not their money.

The Greek verb apokalupto means to expose that which was hidden or to reveal, and the noun apokalupsis can mean an unveiling or a revelation.

In the NT, apokalupsis always refers to God’s revelation of himself in some way. In Lk 2:32, this revelation comes in the person of Christ, while in Rm 8:19 it is in his sons. God often revealed himself through supernatural means to apostles and prophets such as Paul (Rm 16:25; 2Co 12:1,7; Gl 1:12; 2:2; Eph 3:3). In the end times, God’s judgment will be revealed (Rm 2:5), as will Christ (1Co 1:7; 2Th 1:7; 1Pt 1:7,13; 4:13).

The last occurrence of apokalupsis in the NT is in Rv 1:1. The first word of the Greek text, it eventually became the name of the book. Only here does apokalupsis refer to written revelation, that is, Scripture. Rv 1:1 uses apokalupsis in its noblest sense, for it introduces the main theme of the book: “The revelation of Jesus Christ.”

12:15 The fatherly love Paul felt for the Corinthians resulted in a great sacrifice of time and money (see notes at 6:12-13; 11:2-3). He yearned for this love to be returned, even though he didn’t expect the Corinthians to love him as much as he loved them.

12:16-17 By the phrase I took you in by deceit, Paul is either using irony (in which case he meant the opposite) or else he is repeating the slanderous claims made by the false apostles. Their argument may have been along these lines: “Granted, Paul never personally took money from you for his own use, but now he’s come up with this elaborate scheme for Jerusalem. He’s scamming you and plans to use the money for himself.”

12:18 Paul was sending Titus and an unnamed brother (see 8:6,18,22) along with this letter to oversee the collection for Jerusalem. Paul knew that Titus’s behavior in financial matters had been, and would continue to be, above reproach.

12:19 Paul’s integrity in the sight of God was more important than his reputation with any human group.

12:20 The phrase I will not find you to be what I want is another appeal to the unrepentant minority of Corinthian Christians (see note at 10:1). The eight vices listed in this verse were the “works” of the false apostles, which would result in eternal condemnation (11:15). Paul’s other vice lists (1Co 6:9-10; Gl 5:19-21; Eph 5:3-5) also noted that those who practiced such sins were not part of God’s family.

12:21 Paul’s second visit to Corinth had been devastating because the Corinthians had rejected him (2:1,5). The vices in v. 20 were not sexual, as these were. First Co 5 shows that sexual sins had been longstanding challenges in the Corinthian congregation. The false apostles may have added insult to injury by approving of sexual license.