2nd Corinthians 12:11-21 | Lessons on Leading Bad Followers
We are here in 2nd Corinthians 12. Earlier we talked about having out of body experiences as the Apostle Paul references. Then we talked about the “Thorn in the Flesh”. Here Paul gives us “Lessons on Leading Bad Followers” in verses 11-21. Often Paul gives lessons on leadership. This is specifically with leading bad followers. There is this theme in 2nd Corinthians about the ministry. It is really written to benefit those who are in ministry or are Pastors.
Usually when you think on lessons on leadership, you think of it in a positive light. However, that is not the case here. This is directly related to giving lessons to bad followers. This is a very negative thing that the Apostle Paul is dealing with.
2nd Corinthians 12:11 “11 I am become a fool in glorying;…”. If you remember the context, he spent all of chapter 10 boasting. He kept giving disclaimers about how it is foolish to compare and boast but they kept doing that to him so he spent chapter 10 about the things he accomplished even though he said it was foolish to do so. Then he begins this chapter boasting but on the thorn in his flesh and his dependency on Christ.
2nd Corinthians 12:11 “11 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me:…”. He is saying that he has become a fool because he has been compelled or pushed to it by them. “11 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you:…”. The first thing we can notice from this passage is the commending of the preacher. The word commend means to praise or to give accolades or to give credit or to designate as worthy. The word “commend” comes from the same root with “recommendation”. Here Paul is saying that he ought to have been commended of them. They should have been commending him rather than them criticizing or compelling him to have to boast and defend himself.
2nd Corinthians 12:11 “11 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.”. Paul states that he is not behind these other Apostles even though they are comparing Paul to them. You have these carnal Christians in Corinth that are criticizing Paul even though Paul started this Church and got many of them saved. Here the people are turning on Paul. Paul is trying to be humble by stating he is nothing but he says that he is not behind those other Apostles.
2nd Corinthians 12:12 “12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.”. What you have is a leader who is defending himself and defending his authority and defending his leadership. He is telling them that they forced him to boast to defend himself since they didn’t give him the credit that he deserved. These things that Paul is talking about are especially important for those of us in leadership and those of us in ministry. Paul is not getting the respect that he deserves. We should all be mindful to give credit where credit is due. The Apostle Paul is saying that they aren’t giving him credit. They are compelling him to defend himself when they should have been commending him. There is no new thing under the sun. The Bible is a timeless book. This was written in the ancient world of a leader writing about leadership. This is no different than today. Human nature has not changed. Human nature has a tendency to not give credit to others when they deserve it. Not all people are like this but there are certainly people like that today just like there were back then. Paul is being forced to defend himself because of how they are treating him. By the way, I’m only preaching this because we are going verse by verse.
1st Corinthians 4:14 “14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. 15 For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.”. Let me make the application since we are here going through 2nd Corinthians. Paul is stating that he is the one who went there and started the Church. He either got them saved or started the ministry that got them saved. He explains that he understands they have lots of teachers and people who can help teach them the word of God. 1st Corinthians 4:16 “16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.”. Paul states that they should follow him and submit to his authority because they have 10,000 instructors in Christ but Paul got them saved. In our modern day, there are lots of different preachers and Pastors out there but you individually have 1 Pastor. I’m not criticizing other great Pastors out there but they didn’t come to this city and start a Church and minister to the people here. Paul is stating that if anyone should be commending him then it should have been the Church of Corinth.
A lesson for followers is that you ought to give credit where credit is due. Let’s look at leadership even outside of spiritually. When people have loved you and invested time and effort into you, you ought to give the proper credit where it is deserved. Paul is stating that others can criticize him and have reasons not to like him but the Church of Corinth shouldn’t. They should be thankful for the work that Paul started in Corinth.
I want you to realize that this is not unique to the Apostle Paul. This is something that is mentioned quite a bit through the New Testament. It’s something that we have dealt with as a ministry. Obviously it is my job to preach the whole Bible. However, there are certain things that Pastors can be nervous to talk about especially if they are good guys. When it comes to tithing and giving, good men of God can feel nervous about it. Another thing Pastors can be nervous to preach or shy to preach about is Pastors getting paid or getting the respect that they deserve or that their wives deserve. I had to decide a long time ago that if I don’t teach you these things then no one will. If you think I am be self-serving then you can go to another Church and act properly and respectfully to them.
When it comes to preachers, everyone has the tendency to get the mentality that “The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side”. The truth is that if you were at that other Church then you would have problems there and be talking about how great it is here. Literally people will come to this Church and be dissatisfied with me and my wife and then they go to another Church and then they think “Pastor and Ms. Joanne are awesome.”. The problem with those kinds of people is that they will never be content anywhere. Don’t have that mentality. If someone has invested you and cared about you then you ought to give them credit and have loyalty to them.
In Matthew 13 we have Jesus preaching in his hometown. If there was any location within the nation of Israel where people should have believed that he was the Son of God then it should have been his hometown. If they grew up around him, they would have seen that he didn’t sin and acted differently than everyone else. This is the same reason why your family doesn’t want to listen to you give the gospel. Matthew 13:57 “57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.”. Preachers get honor and respect but not in his own country and his own house. It is human nature to look down on that which ministers the closest to you. Paul defends himself against this attitude. Paul started the Church of Corinth and deserves some credit and respect. Paul was a godly man making these statements so it is ok for me also to do it.
I’ll be honest with you. When I was a younger preacher, it used to bother me a lot. Let me give this disclaimer. A lot of you are awesome and thankful and very helpful. However, some people are just dumb. I’ll preach a sermon on a topic and afterwards people will come up to me and say “I remember this sermon from another Pastor that was similar and it was the greatest sermon.”. People do this and they are just oblivious to the fact that they are being really rude. It used to really bother me. You get used to it though.
2nd Corinthians 12:15 “15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.”. This is the heart of a minister and a Pastor and a Pastor’s wife that are giving their lives to the ministry. The observation that Paul made was that the people you really invest in are often the ones who don’t appreciate it and stab you in the back. Then there are other Church members that are awesome. They are volunteering and kind and giving and generous and we feel bad because we barely spend time with them. Why does it work this way? Those people are not doing it for me but doing it for God.
I’ll be honest with you. I travel and go to various places to preach and people often compliment your preaching. I appreciate the compliments. It’s nice to know that the hard work has paid off and that I’m helping people. However, if you’ve ever traveled with me where I am preaching, you know that I am always complimenting the Pastor at that Church and trying to motivate people to love their Pastor and dedicated to that Church. Sometimes people show up for a guest preacher but they don’t come for regular services. That’s not right. You need to respect and honor the Pastor of your Church.
We see firstly the commending of the preacher in 2nd Corinthians 12. We also see secondly the compensation of the preacher. You can tell that Paul is really irritated with these people. Notice verse 11 “11 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.”. You can tell the irritation of Paul when he goes to verse 13 “13 For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.”. Paul is telling them that they are inferior to other Churches. He says they were inferior because other Churches supported Paul financially but the Church of Corinth didn’t. Paul is speaking toward the compensation of the preacher. He is saying that he didn’t come and burden them financially. Then you can really see the sarcasm when he says “forgive me this wrong.”. He didn’t require them to pay for his stay or his food. He says the Church of Corinth was inferior since they didn’t take care of the financial needs of the man of God.
Verse 14 “14 Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours but you:…”. Paul is stating that he isn’t seeking what they have or to have the Church of Corinth support him financially. However, he is saying that if you want to bring up the comparing game then the Church of Corinth is inferior since other Churches took care of them financially. Why does he say that? Because you should take care of the financial needs of the preacher.
Don’t ever get it into your head that you paid the preacher to preach. Believe it or not, preaching is the easiest part of this job. I’m not referring to preparing the sermons. What I’m referring to is the actual preaching of the sermon is the easy part as God gives me boldness to preach the truth. What is hard is to preach for 11 years without being repetitive and cause people to be bored because they feel like they’ve already heard this before. You don’t pay the preacher to preach. You take care of the preacher with his needs.
Go to 1st Corinthians 9. Paul is actually man who did not take pay. I believe God is having Paul bring this up because he doesn’t want him to be used as a tool to beat other preachers over the head. Paul is stating that just because he isn’t getting paid doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pay other preachers. 1st Corinthians 9:7 “7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges?…”. He is saying that there is no person who decides to fight for his country who then is required to pay for his own plane ticket to the Middle East to fight. They don’t have to bring their own weapons or own armor. That is provided for. “…planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof?…”. Who takes the time to plant a vineyard but doesn’t reap the benefits of the plants. “…or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?”.
Verse 8 “8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?”. Later on he says that they who preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
Paul is kind of angry at these guys. He states in the Bible that of all of the Apostles, only he and Barnabas didn’t take a paycheck. However, he tells them that he is a single guy. He doesn’t have a family that he has to support financially. He is telling them that these other preachers should be paid if they are laboring and working hard. He also brings this up in 1st Timothy.
With that said though, there are some times where a Pastor does not get paid or chooses not to get paid. What are those times? With Paul this is an example where he is getting money from other Churches because the Church of Corinth was either too young or too poor or too immature to pay the bills.
2nd Corinthians 12:14 “14 Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.”. Paul gives this example that the kids don’t go to work to support the parents. The parents lay up financially and lay up an inheritance for their children. Paul is using this as an example. Paul is stating that he started this Church and they are like his children. Paul is saying that he won’t have the kids take care of the father financially.
Let me give you an example of this. My wife and I started this Church 11 years ago. Through the years God has given us the opportunity to start other Churches. We started a Church in Vancouver, Washington which is now Sure Foundation Baptist Church. It is now a strong and independent Church. We started a Church in Boise, Idaho and it is now a strong and independent Church. We started a Church in Fresno, California and it is now a strong and independent Church. We have started 3 Churches in the Philippines which are not yet independent but being supported by us.
Here is the thing, when those Churches got started, they required a lot of time from my wife and I. Of course there were leaders at those satellite Churches. However, those men needed to ask us for advice and needed us to step in for various situations. When those Churches started there was 0 money there. Guess who paid for their buildings and chairs and electricity? We did. Guess what. When I visited those Churches, I didn’t take a paycheck from them. We started those Churches and they were under our wing and God bless that. Through the years those Churches grew and were able to support themselves. Then we cut the umbilical cord and those preachers were their own preachers and Churches. What I’m saying is that there are sometimes you might not take a paycheck. My wife and I did a lot of work for those Churches and didn’t have them pay us. This Church paid us. I think our Church was excited to start 5 other Churches. It is what God has called us to do.
Here is another example. Go to 1st Thessalonians 2:9 “9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.”. There might be times where a Pastor already has a Church that is grown and structured. Another time is if a Pastor starts on his own without any help. When we started Verity Baptist Church, we started in our living room as an Independent Baptist Church. How did we get chairs and supplies? I worked a full time job and we took tithes from myself and from other members and we were able to slowly buy things. However, for the first 3.5 years of our ministry, I didn’t take a paycheck. We labored to get this Church started until we were at that point.
The point that I’m making is this. Pastors should get paid. There might be reasons though why they do not get paid. With a new Church, they might have to work a full time job until the Church grows and is able to support them.
2nd Corinthians 12:16 “16 But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.”. Paul is stating that he didn’t burden them by taking money. You see his sarcasm when he says “being crafty”. Verse 17 “17 Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? 18 I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps? 19 Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.”. Paul is sarcastically stating to them to prove the point that they didn’t take anything from the Church of Corinth. They did everything to help the Church and volunteered their time and effort.
We see the commending and compensating of the preacher. Let us also look at the correction of the preacher. Paul has been sarcastic correcting them about things. People implied Paul was a paper tiger and not a really tough guy in person. That’s one of the reasons why Paul talked about the thorn in his flesh. He says that he is weak physically but not spiritually. Verse 20 “20 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 ye would not:…”. Paul is stating that he doesn’t think they will be like he wants them to be when he visits. What is Paul talking about? “…lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:”. Paul is stating that there are still lots of sins that are not being dealt with in the Church.
He also says that he fears the Church will find Paul like they don’t want him. Verse 20“…and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not:…”. Remember, Paul is speaking to them like a father. Paul is very frustrated. It’s like when you tell your kids that you will be home at a certain time and when you are back, you expect the house or room to be cleaned. Then you basically think that if the house is not like I asked it to be then you will find me in a way that you don’t want. If I’m not happy then you aren’t going to be happy either.
I want you to understand something. The Apostle Paul is being very harsh with the Church of Corinth. I’m not going to bring up any names because I don’t think it is necessary. However, Pastor Anderson recently preached a sermon and brought up these 2 young men. These men are no longer at his Church but used to be there. These men are Missionaries now. They are literally writing to Pastor Anderson’s Church and quoting this verse talking about coming back to the US from Africa and wanting to find the Church members in a certain way. It’s completely ridiculous that they would use any of this wording.
Let me help you out. You see the Apostle Paul being really harsh here. These 2 men are writing this way because they are losing financial support because they are heretics and idiots. They are literally quoting the Apostle Paul and saying that they are not behind the very chiefest of Missionaries. These are really harsh words for the Apostle Paul to use. Sometimes young guys see Paul being harsh or they see me being harsh or Pastor Anderson being harsh. They think “Leadership requires being harsh”. When it comes to leadership, it is true that sometimes leaders have to be harsh. However, that should be rarely. They should try the best they can to be gentle unless being harsh is necessary.
1st Thessalonians 2:7 “7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: 8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.”. Doesn’t this sound like the Apostle Paul loves these people. This is like when Paul says they will gladly spend and be spent for them. He says that we not just imparted the gospel but our own souls. 2nd Timothy 2:24 “24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,”. It says the servant of the Lord must be gentle. 2nd Samuel 22:36 “36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.”. It means the gentleness. Let’s look at Jacob speaking to Esau. Genesis 33:14 “14 Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly,…”.
Leaders should be leading softly and gently the vast majority of the time. Should they never be harsh? They should be harsh very seldomly. I would also say that they should be harsh only after they have earned the right. You have these men in their 20s that are writing grown men and criticizing them. They see Pastor Anderson get up or me get up and be harsh from time to time. However, we have earned the right when we have been Pastoring for a decade and been at the funerals and hospital beds and weddings and at 1 in the morning when we were needed. We started those Churches from our homes. You say “When can I be harsh with my followers?”. When you have earned the right and even then just seldomly. Leaders sometimes have to be harsh but they should try to be gentle as much as possible. Leaders who use harshness as their go to style of leadership will lose the respect from their followers. Those people are not true leaders either. Leadership is influence.
If I have to scream to you to lead you then I’m not really leading. I should be able to go up to my kids and tell them “I need you to do X, Y and Z” and they should say “Yes sir.”. Why would they do that? Because we have raised them and been there for them and so they listen to us. If I have to scream and yell at my teenagers then I have already lost. If I have to get up every time and yell that I am the Pastor then that isn’t leadership. Leaders should lead on softly and gently and invest.
Sometiems we do have to be tough and can’t be gentle. What I have learned though is that when you have been there for people and care for them then they will respect you and appreciate you even if you have to be tough with them. You have earned that right if you have been there for them. These young men are writing this letter and being harsh. Paul was an old man who was beaten and started this Church and had proven himself. He has a right to get upset. Then you have these men in their 20s who talk like that. That’s ridiculous. However, a lot of people let Pastor Anderson talk like that or would let me talk that way because we have earned that right. Let me explain this to you also. You hear me get up and preach hard about various things. However, don’t preach like I do at a Men’s Preaching Night. I’ve earned the right but you haven’t. You preach gently and try to encourage and help.
Paul tells them that he is going to correct them harshly and then he explains why. 2nd Corinthians 12:21 “21 And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.”. You see the heart of a preacher here. Verse 20 shows all of the potential problems that could be there that he doesn’t want.
Paul explains that the reason why he is correcting them harshly is because he cares about them. The word “bewail” means to express deep concern and grief. Even though he is correcting harshly, he has a great love for these people. He got them saved and has been ministering for years. He is really upset but he tells them because he loves them. That is the heart of a true preacher.
You say “Pastor Jimenez. Why do you get up on Sunday morning and preach about people being cold and backslidden?”. The reason why is because we care. You are already halfway out the door anyway so I hope I can just shake you up and motivate you. “…and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented…”.
Let’s pray.