For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be

2 Corinthians 12:11-21

I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles. How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 

Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.

Paul looks forward to his third visit to Corinth. And the reason for the tone of afraid he will find the same bickering splinter groups, the same arrogance and general disorder that made him write the first letter. He is afraid his pride in them will take a knock, in the face of typical 'Corinthian' sins: sexual promiscuity, bitter quarrel, and disorder.

Why?

Paul is love the Corinthian church so he wrote this letter to remind them.

Paul is not the least inferior to the "super-apostles" he humbly said, "even though I am nothing". 

Paul did not give burden to them for he loves them, and the peach gospel should be free for God loves us and gave our grace is free either. We can't look at a man by his charge or title, this is the value of this world.

Paul did to them all for their strengthening. 

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保羅所做的和使徒一樣。保羅和哥林多教會有些疏離感，沒有拿他們的奉獻，可能有些誤會，為此保羅降低姿態。保羅顯明使徒為的是生命成長，不是為了從教會得利。這是一種付出的概念。不拿奉獻另外一個觀點是把哥林多教會看作自己的兒女，為兒女費心費力、付出是應該的。

保羅希望他再去哥林多教會時他們能夠彼此接納，共同要求自己符合聖靈的教導，問題就很簡單。把教會當成自己的家人。

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How?

Learning from Paul for he is our example to follow Jesus Christ.