12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. 13 For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, 14 as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.

(NIV)

REFLECTIONS

Written by Lauren Sing

When was the last time you heard someone boast in something – or when did you last boast? What did they (or you) boast in? Was it about a physical attribute, like looks or strength? A skill or ability? A possession? When people boast, we rarely see it as a positive trait, because the motive is mostly to bring glory to themselves.

Here, we see Paul and Timothy “boast”, but their motive is to point the Corinthians back to God.  They discuss the way they have conducted themselves, particularly in their interactions with the church in Corinth.  They have acted with “integrity and godly sincerity”, and the reason they highlight that is to reassure the Corinthians that their motives are genuine. But what’s so interesting about this boast is that they are not pointing to their own abilities or worldly knowledge. Their goal is to point to God’s grace, and to God working through them to love and care for the Corinthians in the face of adversity.

Paul and Timothy have also been transparent and honest in their writings to the Corinthians, in contrast with those who have been spreading false teachings or trying to discredit Paul’s teaching. They hoped, through their letters, that the Corinthians could come to know the truth and good news of the gospel, so that on judgement day, they would mutually bring glory to God.

When serving others and our church, do we take pride in our worldly wisdom, or do we rely on God for his grace and provision? Our goal, as we serve, love and encourage each other, should be that these actions always give glory to God. Pray that in everything we do, we would not amplify ourselves, but point others to our loving and gracious God. Pray that we would always look to Christ as our example as we strive to serve others, so that we are sincere in our intentions and act with godly integrity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.