“For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder” (2 Corinthians 12:20 ESV).
Paul loved the Corinthians like a father loves his children. He longed for a joyful reunion with them, yet he feared it might be marked instead by discipline. What troubled him wasn’t so much doctrinal heresy, but relational sins—quarreling, jealousy, pride, gossip—things that rip a church family apart. His tone is tender but firm. He makes clear that his next visit could go one of two ways: a celebration of repentance and unity, or a confrontation of rebellion and disorder. In this, we glimpse God’s fatherly heart reflected in Paul’s parental care.
Paul’s concern for the Corinthians points us toward Christ’s concern for His church today. Just as Paul warned of an impending visit, so too our Lord has promised His return. What will He find when He comes? Will He see us walking in love, humility, and peace? Or will He find jealousy, division, and conceit? These aren’t abstract theological errors but relational sins that reveal whether or not we are truly living out the gospel together.
If Jesus wrote us a letter, would it sound more like a celebration or a warning? We don’t have to wonder. For we see His letter to us here in the Spirit-inspired words of Paul and even more in the seven letters to the churches that He appointed John to deliver (Rev. 1-3).
Christ is coming soon. Therefore, let us make every effort to cultivate relationships marked by grace, humility, and love, so that His return will be a day of joy and not of sorrow.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we hear Your heart in Paul’s words. Forgive us for the ways we allow pride, jealousy, and gossip to infect our fellowship. Give us grace to walk in humility and love toward one another. May our lives and our churches be found pleasing in Your sight when Jesus comes again. Strengthen us to live in a way that makes His coming a joyful reunion, not a painful rebuke. We ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.