2 Corinthians 12

      14, 15. The third time I am ready to come to you. Then he had been there twice before; once when he founded the church; once while preaching at Ephesus, of which visit Acts gives no account. See also 13:1 , and notes on/Commentaries/PeoplesNewTestament/pnt.cgi?book=&chapter=000#_" And I will not be burdensome to you. As before, he will maintain himself this third time. For the children, etc. As parents do with children, so will he, their spiritual father, do. He does not ask them to provide for him, while he feeds them the bread of life. 15. I will gladly spend, etc. As a loving father, he will gladly spend and be spent for them; even without the return of his love.

      16-18. But be it so, I did not burden you, etc. It was charged that even if he did not burden them, there was guile about it and in some other way he would secure their substance. Hence he asks: 17. Did I make gain by any of the messengers or helpers I sent you? Did they demand anything? He then specifies: 18. I desired Titus. He sent Titus and another brother, but they asked no gain.

      19-21. Think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? He must guard against a misapprehension. He is not defending himself before a human bar. He speaks as before God; says what will tend to edify them. His only object is to build them up. 20. For I fear, etc. He has been led to speak because he feared, unless he spoke plainly, that when he came he would have to rebuke severely on account of sins which he enumerates. Debates, etc. The sins here given are those that belong to a divided state. 21. And lest . . . my God will humble. Lest he be humiliated by the prevalence of sensual sins also. The sins here named are the peculiar Gentile sins which he has rebuked so severely in both epistles.