Verse 16 says, “But let it be so, I did not burden you, but being crafty I took you with guile.” As we have pointed out, this is what some Corinthians charged against the apostle. They said he was crafty in making gain, indemnifying himself by sending Titus to receive the collection for the poor saints. The words “let it be so” mean to let the former matter go. This is to forget about the past, to let the past go.
Although Paul did not burden the Corinthians, some of them were saying that he was crafty and took them with guile. They said that Paul would not come himself, but used Titus as a cover to indemnify himself while he hid behind the scene. They were accusing Paul of being the one who actually collected the money through Titus. In their judgment, that was Paul’s craftiness. Having been inwardly warned concerning the matter, Paul sent more than one person with Titus to collect the money. He did this in order to silence the defaming tongues. However, even though Paul acted carefully and with forethought, some of the Corinthians still defamed him.
We learn from Paul’s experience that even though the saints may be honest, Satan is nonetheless crouching among them. Satan uses money to damage the situation between the ministering ones and the saints. Among the distracted Corinthians, some were criticizing Paul for being crafty in money matters.
In verses 17 and 18 Paul asks, “Did I take advantage of you through anyone whom I have sent to you? I entreated Titus and sent with him the brother. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Not in the same steps?” The spirit in verse 18 denotes our regenerated spirit indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This spirit should govern, rule, direct, regulate, and lead us in our Christian walk (Rom. 8:4). The apostles walk in such a spirit.
Paul’s word in verses 16, 17, and 18 helps us to understand what some of the Corinthians had been saying concerning Paul and Titus. They were accusing Paul of deceiving them, cheating them, and taking advantage of them by sending Titus to collect money. It surely was not a pleasant matter for Paul to write about such things. It may seem to us that words such as these should not be found in the writings of a holy apostle, one who had received from the Lord the commission of a high ministry.
In this portion of 2 Corinthians Paul is performing surgery on the church at Corinth. He cut them open and removed the parts that were corrupt. The church in Corinth was so seriously ill that medicine could not cure them. They could only be helped by surgery. Therefore, Paul, a spiritual surgeon, performed surgery in order to heal the church and restore it, recover it. As long as the relationship between the believers and the apostle had not been adjusted, the church would continue to be sick. Therefore, an operation was necessary.
In this chapter we see how honest Paul was as a servant of God. According to the title of this message, here we have Paul’s vindication of his apostolic authority. Actually, I do not like to use the word vindication. Probably Paul did not have the feeling that he was vindicating himself. On the contrary, he was seeking to heal the Corinthians by operating on them, by cutting out anything corrupt from the Body.
I believe that this message can be helpful to all those, especially the young, who have a heart for the Lord’s recovery. Eventually, the young ones will be in the hand of the Lord. It certainly will be necessary for them to have a proper understanding concerning money. We all must learn not to be greedy, but instead, to spend what we have for others, even to spend ourselves, our very being. We should be willing to pour out our whole being—spirit, soul, and body—for the Body of Christ. Then what we do and what we are will be a benefit to the Body. Whenever we touch the work of the Lord for His Body, we must have a pure motive and a proper attitude. Instead of seeking what others have, we should seek only them and desire to gain them for the Lord’s Body and to spend utterly what we are and have for the Body. Then the Body will be healed, and we shall be preserved.