Living The Will Of Our Covenant Keeping God

Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished

among you with all perseverance

in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.

For what is it in which you were inferior

to other churches, except that I myself

was not burdensome to you?

Forgive me this wrong!

Now for the third time I am ready to come to you.

And I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not

seek yours, but you.  For the children ought not to lay

up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls;  though the more abundantly I'd love you,

the less I am loved.  But be as it may,

I did not burden you.  Nevertheless, being crafty,

I caught you by cunning!

2 Corinthians 12:12 -- 16

            How often a person picks and chooses certain scriptures to fit their presuppositional doctrine without examining the whole of Scripture and even doing word studies so to arrive at truthful doctrine outlined for us in the Bible.  Far too often!  There are those churches who subscribe to such things as the supernatural even having Schools of Supernatural where they teach all about signs and wonders and their students go about attempting to perform signs and wonders.  Yes, Paul performed signs and wonders: yet there is no mention of what those mighty signs and wonders were so we are left in the dark when it comes to knowing whether or not it was healing, or raising the dead, or any other form because it is not stated.  We are reminded: "Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God.  For I will not dare to speak up any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient -- in my key signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.  And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man's foundation" (Romans 15: 17 -- 20).  Paul preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and never mentions that we are to subscribe to signs and wonders.  As ambassadors for Jesus Christ, rather we are to preach the gospel for every person does not come to understand that they are sinners and in need of a Savior then if any type of miracle performed their focus is on the miracle and not upon Jesus Christ.  It is the gospel, nothing more, nothing less for the gospel points us to the Son of God, Jesus Christ.  Far too often people focus on the means rather than the agent.  Now comes a word that we see as prerogative, "crafty."  So we examined the Greek word and find that this word is only used once in Scripture here in second Corinthians Chapter 12 were 16 and refine the apostles speaking ironically or maybe he is really quoting an accusation made against him by his detractors for this is what he has been defending himself against in this chapter.  He caught his detractors by cunning, that is, by his argument in favor of what he has done and who he is in Jesus Christ.  The Corinthian church was an example of his efforts to bring to them the gospel and we must not forget that in his first letter he was not commending them on their misuse of spiritual gifts and attempted in every way to correct them to bring them in line with what he had taught.  Now, Paul continues and even seems to get somewhat angry at the accusations that has been thrown against him: "Did I take advantage of you by any of those whom I sent to you?  I urged Titus, and sent our brother with him.  Did Titus take advantage of you?  Did we not walk in the same spirit?  Did we not walk in the same steps?  Again, do you think that we excuse ourselves to you?  We speak before God in Christ.  But we do all things beloved for your edification" (2 Corinthians 12:17 -- 19).  Then Paul lovingly addresses the Corinthians: "For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such if you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outburst of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbiting was, whisperings, concedes, tumults; lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have send before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewedness which do they have practiced" (2 Corinthians 12: 20 -- 21).  Paul was grieved at the apprehension that he should find scandalous sins among them, and not duly repented of them.  We too have reason to be well those who sin, and have not repented.  There are those who have not yet received grace to mourn and lament their own case making their case more lamentable.  If these have not yet repented most of us, who stand strong for God should love them and even mourn for them but we are not to be afraid and fearful to speak truth and kill them the will of God.  Especially this is true by those false teachers who have drawn aside followers and have diluted those followers.  We are to be the professors of the gospel just as Paul was so this is true of us also.  The question then is: have you repented of your sins and are you being the ambassador of Jesus Christ and spreading the gospel?

Then the Angel of the LORD

            came up from Gilgal to Bochim,

and said: "I lead you up from Egypt

            and brought you to the land

of which is more to your fathers;

            and I said, "I will never break

My Covenant with you.

                                    Judges 2: 1

Your God, Jehovah, keeps His promises

Richard L. Crumb