Useful Bible Studies > 2 Corinthians Commentary > chapter 10

The desire to do God’s work in another place

2 Corinthians 10:15-16

God’s message, the gospel, is a message for the whole world *. However, God does not expect all his people to try to take his message across the entire world. He arranges his work, like a great man who orders his servants to plant a garden or to build a house*. That man gives to each servant the work that he (the servant) is most able to do. Also, he tells the servant where he (the servant) must work.

So God has many different kinds of work for his people to do*. Also, he directs them where they should work for him. Sometimes, as in Acts 16:6-10, he sends them somewhere that they did not expect.

God had given Paul a strong desire to declare the gospel in those places where people had not yet heard it. So Paul was eager for God to send him to those places. Paul knew how much people needed the gospel in the regions beyond Corinth. He urged Corinth’s Christians to pray with faith (trust in God) for those regions.

Some teachers, whom God had not sent, had come to the church at Corinth. They desired to take advantage of what God had done by means of Paul there*. Paul regretted what they were doing. However, sometimes God did send people to work in places where Paul, or another Christian leader, was already working. For example, Paul had established the church in Corinth (in Achaia) but, in Acts 18:24-28, God sent Apollos there. Although Paul had not yet met Apollos, Paul still approved of his work at Corinth. In fact, when Paul did meet Apollos, Paul even urged him to return to Corinth*. Paul could see that both he and Apollos were doing God’s work at Corinth*.

Next part: Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord (10:17)

 

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© 2016, Keith Simons.