“Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ—though I realise you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away. Well, I am begging you now so that when I come I won’t have to be bold with those who think we act from human motives.”
2 Corinthians 10:1-2 NLT
The Corinthians apparently thought that Paul was “timid in person and bold only when” he wrote to them. Perhaps they gained that impression because all the good work straightening out the Corinthians’ faith and behaviour was achieved by the two letters, so perhaps when Paul eventually travelled there, there was nothing left for him to be “bold” about. He could then be more pastoral and display the “gentleness and kindness of Christ” in a way that suited both the congregation and him.
But before we look further into Paul’s next visit to Corinth, and to put the situation into context, Paul had previously been in Ephesus, establishing a church there, and he stayed for a couple of years, holding daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. In Acts 19:11-12, we read that “God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled”. As a result, “… A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honoured” (Acts 19:17b). But a man called Demetrius stirred up trouble because he feared his business venture making silver idols would soon be in decline because of Paul’s preaching. He instigated a riot, and it was only when a wise official intervened that it calmed. We then turn the page to Acts 20, and read, “When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said goodbye and left for Macedonia. While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he travelled down to Greece”. Going back to the origins of the Corinthian church, in Acts 18 we learn that Paul established the church, meeting in the home of Titius Justus, next door to the Jewish synagogue, and that he stayed there for 18 months, “teaching the Word of God”. Paul then apparently made a “painful visit” at some time between writing the two letters, which we can infer from 2 Corinthians 2:1, so after the second letter had been delivered, here was Paul making a third visit “where he stayed for three months …” (Acts 20:3a). So the Corinthians would have soon found out if Paul was a timid or bold man.
That Jesus was a gentle Man was indisputable. The saying, “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,” comes from a Charles Wesley hymn written in 1767 and captures that side of His character, appealing to a little child. In the Buble, we read the verses in Matthew 11:28-30 and see God’s heart coming through His gracious words, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light””. Isaiah prophesied about the gentleness of the coming Messiah, “He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young” (Isaiah 40:11). What a picture of God’s love, so carefully looking after His flock, the people who follow Him, and with such gentleness. That was Jesus. But isn’t it so sad that so many of His people, especially those of a more liberal persuasion, push Him away because of some misunderstanding over the validity of scripture? And then there are so many people who don’t believe in Him at all, even denying that He exists. But the picture remains of the Good Shepherd, “humble and gentle at heart”. That’s my Lord!
“He saved us … because of His mercy”
We know how kind Jesus must have been because of what He did for us by coming to this world. Who can ever get their minds around the fact that the Creator of the Universe would humble Himself to the extent that He cast aside His eternal life in Heaven, and instead took on the form of a man, born a baby in very humble circumstances, growing up as a normal Jewish boy and ministering as a travelling rabbi, before suffering a cruel death at the hands of the people He came to save? No other religion can claim anything even close to the kindness of the real and true God we follow and worship. Paul wrote about this kindness of Christ in Ephesians 2:7, “So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus”, and in Titus 3:4-5, “… When God our Saviour revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit”.
Paul appealed to the Corinthians with the “gentleness and kindness of Christ“. He could, of course, confront sin when it was necessary, and he did, as we read his first letter. And I’m sure the confrontation continued during his “painful” visit between the letters. But on his third visit and during his three-month stay, I’m sure Paul presented the attitude of an under-shepherd, following in his Master’s footsteps with the “gentleness and kindness of Christ“. We pilgrims, too, must have such an attitude. There are times when our blood starts to boil as we observe the injustices that believers suffer in this world. But then we turn to Jesus, and I can just imagine Him smiling as He assures us that He has all under control. He will sort out the rights and wrongs of a situation. He will bring judgement at just the right time. But in the meantime, all we have to do is extend the “gentleness and kindness of Christ” to those around us. Like Paul, we too are under shepherds, following in our Shepherd’s sure and unwavering footsteps. And as we bring the concerns, worries, and cares in this life to Jesus, His peace will flood over us, What a wonderful Lord nd Saviour He is!
Dear Lord Jesus. You told us to take upon us Your yoke, and we will find rest for our souls. Thank You for Your peace and love, so precious and yet so freely given. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 