Original Meaning
ACCORDING TO 5:18–6:2, being reconciled with God entails aligning oneself with Paul and his message. To reject his “ministry of reconciliation” (5:18) is to reject the gospel itself (i.e., the “message of reconciliation,” 5:19), thereby indicating that one’s own eschatological fate has been determined (6:1–2; cf. 2:15–16; 3:14–15). Yet this appeal is only as strong as the apostle who utters it. Therefore, in 6:3–13 Paul returns again to a direct apology for the legitimacy of his ministry of the Spirit, righteousness, and reconciliation (cf. 3:3–6, 7–11; 4:1; 5:18). Although it is not clear in most English translations (including the NIV), verses 3–10 are directly related to the main assertion “we urge you” in 6:1.1 As such, Paul’s catalogue of suffering delineates the way in which he works together with God in making the appeal not to accept God’s grace in vain. He does so by not presenting to others a stumbling block in anything,2 but by commending himself “in every way.” Paul’s commendation of himself in 6:4 supports his exhortation to others in 6:1.
Since the catalog in 6:3–10 supports the exhortation in 6:1, the key interpretive decision here is whether Paul’s reference to “endurance” in 6:4a is a descriptive heading for all that follows, or whether it is simply another element of the catalog itself. In other words, is “endurance” the general category that is specified in what follows? Or is it simply the first of the various members in the list, all of which together modify “commending ourselves”?
In answer to this question, various translations punctuate the text differently. There are three reasons why the punctuation chosen by the NIV, which separates out “endurance” from the rest of the list, is to be preferred: (1) Paul modifies “endurance” with “great,” in contrast to the unqualified designations that follow; (2) “endurance” is a singular, abstract virtue, while what follows is a list of plural adversities; and (3) it is difficult to see how hardships in and of themselves could commend Paul if they are not related to the positive virtue of endurance. As a general statement, Paul commends himself as a servant of God by his “great endurance” (cf. 12:12). Specifically, Paul’s endurance takes place in the midst of the adversities that follow.
Thus, the focus of Paul’s commendation in 6:3–10 is once again on his divinely enabled endurance in the midst of adversity, which embodies both Christ’s “death” (= Paul’s suffering) and his “resurrection” (= Paul’s endurance; cf. 1:3–11; 2:14–16a; 4:7–12). At the same time, this endurance “commends” Paul as a servant of God, who, like Isaiah, is a mediator of God’s word to his people (6:1–2). In contrast, those who lack such a divine recommendation can only engage in self-commendation (for Paul’s other commendations of himself, cf. 4:2; 12:11; for the negative practice of self-commendation and the difference between the two, cf. 3:1; 5:12; 10:12, 18).
The catalog of those things through which Paul must show “great endurance” breaks down into four distinct units:
(1) a listing of hardships, all introduced by “in” and all in the plural (vv. 4b–5)(2) a listing of graces, all introduced by “in” and all in the singular (vv. 6–7a)(3) a listing of changing circumstances, the “ups and downs” of praise and blame, all introduced with “through” and given in contrasting pairs (vv. 7b–8)
(4) a listing of divine deliverance in which Paul’s suffering is the platform for the display of God’s transforming power, all introduced with “as” and given in an adversative relationship (e.g., “dying and yet we live on”; vv. 8b–10).
As delineations of the prepositional phrase “in great endurance,” each of these phrases form part of Paul’s commendation of himself in 6:4; that is, he does so “in … in … through … as….” Moreover, as expressions of the power of God in his life, the positive elements listed are not natural attributes or self-generated virtues, nor are they the result of self-control and positive thinking. Rather, Paul’s life is the product of God’s “resurrection” power and presence (cf. the references to the “Holy Spirit” and the “power of God” in 6:6–7).
All of these phrases also support the conclusions and exhortation of 6:11–13 that Paul voices as the spiritual father of his “children,” the Corinthians (cf. 1 Cor. 4:14–15; 2 Cor. 3:2; 11:2; 12:14–15). His use of the image of a father to describe his relationship to the Corinthians reflects the assumption that, as the people of the new covenant, the church is the family of God (cf. Mark 3:31–35). As their father in the faith, Paul’s pattern of living his life for the sake of the Corinthians (vv. 4–10) points to the fact that he has conducted his ministry with open integrity and genuine affection (6:11; cf. 3:2, 12).3
Consequently, Paul puts the responsibility for the conflict at Corinth squarely at the feet of those Corinthians who are still in rebellion against him (6:12). All Paul wants is a fair exchange, his love for theirs (6:13a). If there has been any lack of openness, integrity, or family commitment, it has been on their part, not Paul’s. Hence, they, not he, must “open their hearts” (6:13).
Looking back, it becomes clear that the prophetic exhortation to be reconciled to God in 5:20 and 6:1 is paralleled by the personal appeal in 6:11–13 to be reconciled to Paul himself as God’s spokesman and Christ’s ambassador. Furthermore, here too, as earlier, the Corinthians’ salvation is on the line in their response. This becomes evident in the connection between 6:13 and 2:15–16, 6:1, and 13:1–10.
Paul’s conviction that a person’s reaction to his ministry acts to signify and further his or her destiny (2:15f.) leads quite naturally to the entreaties of 6:1 and 13:1–10. As a result, the “test” of faith becomes whether or not the Corinthians will remain loyal to Paul, not because Paul somehow stands independent of or above the gospel, but because he is convinced that he is its true and genuine representative and embodiment. Hence, for Paul, it is not
his ministry that is presently being called into question, but the genuineness of the faith of the Corinthians themselves.
4Our passage is thus structured in five parts: (1) an indicative statement of Paul’s general point (6:3–4a), which is then supported by (2) a specific delineation of his apostolic lifestyle and manner of ministry (6:4b–10), which in turn leads to (3) a conclusion concerning the legitimacy of his relationship to the Corinthians (6:11) and (4) a conclusion concerning the illegitimacy of the Corinthians’ relationship to Paul (6:12), followed by (5) the imperative implications that derive from them (6:13). Having “commended himself” as a “servant” of God by reminding his readers in verses 4–10 of the evidence in support of his apostolic claim, in verses 11–13 Paul draws out for them the implications of his ministry. Far from calling his legitimacy into question, Paul’s suffering is the vehicle through which God is making himself known among the Corinthians.
As such, Paul’s suffering is also the evidence of the integrity of his message, of the purity of his motives, and of the true nature of his love for his spiritual “children” (6:11). The problem in Corinth is therefore not in Paul but in the Corinthians themselves (6:12). Paul therefore addresses them as a whole in order to give everyone the benefit of the doubt concerning the genuine nature of their faith, while at the same time calling those who are still rebelling against him to respond with the same love he has already shown to them (6:13).
Bridging Contexts
THE PROBLEM THAT faced Paul is much the same as that which faces many contemporary ministers in their proclamation of the gospel. Now, as then, suffering and weakness call into question the power of the Spirit. But Paul is relentless in his response: The greatest display of God’s power is not the absence of pain or the presence of a miracle, but Paul’s faithful endurance in the midst of adversity, through which God “makes many [others] rich” (6:10). This section’s climactic appeal in 6:13 flows out of the reality of the presence of God in Paul’s life, a reality that radically transforms the significance of his circumstances.
In adducing his experiences of endurance through good times and bad as a testimony to the “open” condition of his “heart” and “affection” toward the Corinthians (6:11), Paul is not detailing a series of cold, calculated decisions to “gut it out” for the sake of the Corinthians. Paul is not to be pitied. He is not a masochist. The Corinthians are his “boast” (1:14; cf. 7:4; 8:24; 9:2) and a great source of joy in his life (cf. 7:7). His ministry grows out of such a “depth of … love” for them (cf. 2:4) that Paul would even be willing to die on their behalf (cf. 7:3). And Paul is not giving a news report. His words in this section are filled with pathos. As the Corinthians’ father, his appeal in this passage is pastoral and his tone affectionate. One can hear the emotion in his voice as he calls the Corinthians by name in 6:11 and breaks from his “apostolic plural” into the first person singular in 6:13. In short, Paul is speaking from his “heart.”
Nevertheless, we must be careful in our subjectivist culture not to allow Paul’s heartfelt apology to be interpreted as essentially emotional in nature, thereby confusing its manner with its content. He is not addressing the Corinthians as someone whose feelings have been hurt, but as their apostle, their father in the faith. Though filled with emotion, Paul’s appeals derive from his self-understanding as an agent and ambassador of God’s saving work in Christ. In advocating for his own legitimacy, he is not trying to recover his ego but to rescue the Corinthians from judgment. At stake is the gospel. For this reason, he does not defend himself out of a personal need to bolster his self-esteem or to be liked by others, but because of his recognition that his ministry is the means through which God is making his appeal to the world (cf. 5:20).
We must therefore make clear that Paul’s reference to his “heart” in this passage, as elsewhere in his apology, speaks of the content of his character and the motives of his ministry as displayed in his life (cf. 3:2; 5:12). For Paul, the “heart” does not refer to a hidden fount of feeling, but to the value center that determines a person’s character. Because of the compelling “love of Christ,” Paul’s “heart” is to live for the one who died for him (5:12–15). His open heart is seen not merely in the degree of his feelings, but in the depth of his endurance on behalf of the gospel and for the sake of the Corinthians.
Both Christ’s death for Paul and Paul’s life for Christ, lived out in suffering for the sake of the Corinthians (cf. 4:5), are historical facts that are open to scrutiny; they are not private, “religious” experiences that can only be evaluated as a matter of subjective opinion. That which compels us can be “read” by all on the pages of our behavior (cf. 3:1–2; 4:1–2). Paul’s displays of deep passion on behalf of the Corinthians do not in and of themselves commend him. His divine recommendation is the public record of the ways in which Paul’s “death” and “deliverance” embody Christ’s own.
In the same way, Paul’s exhortation in 6:13 that the Corinthians open their heart to him (cf. 7:2) is not primarily a call for renewed experiences of warm feelings toward him, though it will certainly entail such emotions. It would not be honoring to God’s gospel or to his messenger for the Corinthians to be threatened into committing themselves to something for which they have no desire. To trust in Paul’s gospel, one must have a certain appreciation and affection for the apostle. Still, his ultimate goal is not renewed feelings toward him as a person, but a renewed faith in the gospel that he preaches and embodies (cf. 1:24; 4:7–12). He is not trying to get the Corinthians to like him more; he is calling for their repentance. He is not conducting a personality poll; rather, he is summoning them to respond to the evidence before them.
Thus, in order to keep from reading this passage merely as Paul’s baring his soul in front of the Corinthians in an attempt to get them to respond in kind, we must realize that this passage is an essential restatement of his apology for his apostolic ministry. To speak from the heart is not to call attention to the state of one’s emotions, taken in isolation, but to the character of one’s life as a whole, understood as the outworking of one’s values. For, as Barnett has pointed out,
[the] gospel demands that its bearer embody its central truths of death and resurrection. Thus the moral authority for Paul’s ministry, which he repeatedly defends to the Corinthians, is that the death of Jesus is replicated, as it were, in “death” like sufferings incurred in ministry, and in “resurrection” deliverance from those sufferings by the power of God (1:8–10; 4:7–12; 6:3–10; 7:5–6; 12:7–9).
5Contemporary Significance
AS A CONTINUATION of the theme of Paul’s apostolic suffering, the contemporary significance of Paul’s apology in 6:3–13 is at least threefold. (1) It again reminds us that the call to ministry is a call to live for others as an embodiment of the One who died for them (5:15). Such a call will involve endurance and disregard for the changing circumstances and opinions of others. Through this endurance the minister exemplifies both Christ’s love for his people and what it means to live for Christ in return. In K. Prümm’s words, this section is Paul’s “apostolic identification card.”6
Today, as then, the quality of one’s life and one’s willingness to endure suffering for the sake of the gospel are expressions of one’s love for Christ. Paul does not shrink back from basing his appeals squarely on his character in Christ. Paul is not afraid to turn the spotlight on himself. Rather than needing to commend himself with letters of recommendation from others or with self-generated bragging (3:1; 5:12), his life as a servant of God commends his message and confirms his calling (cf. 3:1–6; 4:1; 10:16–18). The commendation that counts is the faithfulness of God in one’s life, as evidenced in one’s own faithful endurance. Once again, therefore, Paul can proclaim that the pattern of his life (6:4–10) does not put a “stumbling block in anyone’s path” (6:3).
(2) Although those whom God calls into the ministry will often embody the gospel in a willingness to suffer for the sake of others (cf. 4:1–18), this passage reminds us vividly that it is not affliction as such that reveals God in the world. Suffering and oppression in themselves do not mark one out as representing Christ in the world. Paul has no romantic notion of suffering; he suffered too much for that. Indeed, by itself, suffering is the consequence of sin. To experience suffering is to participate in the evil of our fallen world.
Left to itself, suffering is not a noble and purifying virtue. Rather, what distinguishes the suffering of the righteous from the suffering rampant in the world is the transforming power of God’s sustaining presence in their lives. Those whom God calls to suffer on behalf of others as an extension of Christ’s love are not being called to masochism, but to a mission. They are not summoned to be miserable for God (God transforms their suffering into a platform for profound joy), but to be a mediator for the world. Self-denial for Christ’s sake is not a sacrifice, but the pathway to gaining life itself (cf. Mark 8:34–38).
(3) Paul’s admonition in 6:13 illustrates that a genuine ministry of the gospel anticipates a genuine response. The apostle is not engaging in a popularity contest with his opponents. By appealing for the affections of the Corinthians, he is fighting for their lives. Thus, his confidence in the truth of his message and in the transparency of his testimony leads him to expect that those who know God will open their hearts to Paul as well.
Today, however, such declarations of the gospel as a “public truth” that makes a personal claim on others are met with skepticism. Throughout the West there is a general mistrust of the motives and message of anyone who claims to represent God and his Word. In this regard, Lesslie Newbigin’s reflections, after almost four decades as a missionary in India (1936–1974) and now twenty-three years as a missionary in England, are instructive. In returning to Birmingham, England, this great missionary-statesman discovered that ministry there
is much harder than anything I met in India. There is a cold contempt for the Gospel which is harder to face than opposition…. England is a pagan society and the development of a truly missionary encounter with this very tough form of paganism is the greatest intellectual and practical task facing the Church.
7As Newbigin further observed,
When the Church affirms the gospel as public truth it is challenging the whole of society to wake out of the nightmare of subjectivism and relativism, to escape from the captivity of the self turned in upon itself, and to accept the calling which is addressed to every human being to seek, acknowledge, and proclaim the truth.
8Not everything in postmodernism is wrong-headed, of course. Certainly, its emphasis on the cultural conditioning that impacts everyone represents a needed caution not to be cavalier or overconfident in our commitments. But instead of falling prey to its skepticism concerning knowledge, the challenge of postmodernism calls us to remain committed to the hard work of study and to the painful work of self-examination before we claim to represent Christ and the Scriptures, and then to do so with humility. Moreover, the postmodern emphasis on the ways in which interpretation and claims to the truth are often used as thinly veiled assertions of power should be taken seriously. We must scrutinize our own theological, ethical, and political presuppositions and agendas before we preach the Word to others, all the while pursuing the holiness modeled in the Word that became flesh.
Nevertheless, the necessity of being self-critical should not lead to silence. Paul, fully aware of his own faults, still calls the Corinthians to repent (6:11–14). Faced with competing truth claims, Paul gives evidence for the truth of his own position, confident that God has entrusted him with both the ministry and message of reconciliation (5:18–19; 6:3–10). Against this backdrop, the contemporary refusal to make absolute claims on others is often a false humility that exalts our private identities or subculture above the revelatory claims of Scripture. As a result, postmodernism’s false humility actually politicizes all discourse, so that in the end the only arbiter of truth becomes the individual or subculture currently in power, since postmodernism’s relativism calls into question the validity of common discourse.
In the face of this challenge, Newbigin has argued:
The proper answer to the charge of subjectivity is world mission, but it is world mission not as proselytism but as exegesis … we are learning as we go. That is the only way we affirm that the gospel is not just “true for us” but true for all. The missionary action of the Church is the exegesis of the gospel.
9What Newbigin means by this “exegesis” of the gospel is a willingness to apply the lordship of Christ to every sector of society in all cultures, with the awareness that the implications of the gospel may not always be clear. The call to accept Paul’s gospel with an “open heart” is not “a one-way promotion but a two-way encounter in which we learn more of what the gospel means.”10
It is equally important to assert that such learning is possible. When proclaiming the gospel, we must avoid both a false objectivism and a false subjectivism. Paul assumes the examination of his life will lead those Corinthians in whom God is at work to change their minds. In response, we affirm that knowledge and a legitimate response to it are indeed possible for the person who, by God’s Spirit, is personally committed to seeking the truth. In turn, we too, like Paul, must be willing to state our message openly before the bar of public evaluation, thereby taking the risk of being wrong.11
Moreover, we must be willing also to challenge publicly the ideas of others. The church cannot “continue to accept the security which is offered in an agnostic pluralism where we are free to have our own opinions provided we agree that they are only personal opinions.”12 Paul’s appeal to the Corinthians in this passage, though personal, is not privatistic. It is based on a common-ground, public argument for the validity of his message. As such, it calls into question the modern and postmodern attempts to relegate “religion” to the realm of the purely subjective. Far from engaging merely in private speculation or simply sharing his feelings, Paul speaks on the basis of God’s self-revelation in space and time (5:18, 20–21) and against the backdrop of the universal judgment of Christ (cf. 5:10).
(4) Finally, this text reminds us that when Paul speaks, he does so from a position of weakness before the Corinthians, not from a platform of power over them. Although a majority of the church had returned to Paul by the time he wrote 2 Corinthians, his current appeal to those still closed to him, like the “tearful letter” before it (cf. 2:1–4), rests ultimately on the convincing nature of his commendation. Under the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, Paul’s only power is the persuasion of the gospel as it is embodied in his life and in the lives of those who join him in the ministry of righteousness (6:7; cf. 3:9). The same remains true today.