I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. Not that we Lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy, because it is by faith that you stand firm.

2 Corinthians 1:23-24 BSB

Something has been going on with the church in Corinth. The next chapter Paul and Timothy go on about the pain caused. 

This little moment in the letter says that the guys wanted to come to Corinth and tell them "what for", to straighten them up, sort them out, put them in their place. 

But they didn't.

Becuase we have to listen to one another. 

Paul and Timothy teach us here to find what we can agree on, what we do hold in common, let's start there. 

They acknowledge the faith of the people in Corinth. 

And they choose to hold back the use of their authority (& by writing there may be some acknowledgement that at this moment it was wiser to write than turn up in person).

This week I was schooled in this: my response to a situation was "just tell them what they need to hear" and the person responded with "I don't want to be that person". My suggestion for justice was met with their expression of grace. 

Grace is costly, messy, time consuming and slow. 

Jesus grace is all of those things and he calls us to follow him. To follow him into the costly, messy, time consuming and slow life of grace. 

#lotstolearn

#corinthians

#grace

#eveninthisweareBeloved