2 Corinthians 7:2; We Have Wronged No Man

2 Corinthians 7:2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.

The Apostle Paul repudiated the unjust accusations hurled at him and his gospel team. They have been sincerely serving the Lord with a clear conscience. He defended his integrity and that of his team for the opposition raised through the voices of the Corinthian church from adversaries who preached a different gospel. As the spiritual father who brought the gospel to them, he sought to clarify so that the spiritual foundation laid in the hearts of the people will not be shaken.

In the book of Job, Eliphaz began discrediting Job’s past piety as hypocrisy, “You comforted others but now look at you, do you not now wallow in self-pity too?” This was the very thing Satan aimed at, to prove Job a hypocrite, and disprove the character God had given of him. When he could not himself do this to God, but he still saw and said, Job is perfect and upright, then he endeavoured, by his friends, to do it to Job himself, and to persuade him to confess himself a hypocrite. Could he have gained that point he would have triumphed? But, by the grace of God, Job was enabled to hold fast his integrity, and would not bear false witness against himself. [Matthew Henry]

It was the same for the Apostle Paul. He had to set the record straight so that the gospel foundation laid will not be moved. His purpose was to establish the faith of the believers by pointing out as a servant of the Lord, he was truthful and true to the trust of his Lord. He sought for the believers to advance in their faith. He has not done any injustice to anyone, nor did he and his team morally cause any to stumble, nor have they cheated anyone. As such there was no ground for them not to receive them. Hendriken observed, “When God lives with them and walks among them, Satan ought to have no place in their hearts. They should warmly welcome God’s appointed messengers, Paul and his associates, as ambassadors for Christ and as bearers of the gospel.” He appealed to their conscience so that the gospel work may not be hindered.

May the Lord strengthen the hearts of His servants to serve Him. Amen.

¹Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians (Vol. 19, p. 242). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.