"And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18)
It is easier to conceive a Christ-like life than to live one. In 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paul teaches that Christians, beholding the beauty of the Lord, are being transformed into his image one splendorous step at a time. Spiritual transformation is a gradual process, and Paul knows that we have this treasure in what he calls clay pots, meaning our fragile selves, perhaps referring to himself.
Indeed, reading between the lines, we can see what seems to have gotten him in hot water with his converts. The Corinthian Christians complained that Paul was egocentric. Indeed, we see evidence of this throughout the letter. He boasts of how strong he is in affliction, and he takes comfort in his suffering because it is for the sake of the very persons who are now quite unhappy with him. This may have fallen as badly on Corinthian ears then as it would now.
Further, on being persuaded to give up what was considered a normal way of life to embrace the beliefs of an unproven sect that brings with it hardships, calamities, insults, and so on, is tough stuff. Paul is constantly telling them of all his suffering on their behalf, as a sign of his love. His cry for sympathy simply did not sit well with people, but appeared boastful. As a strategy, it appears to have backfired.
Additionally, they accused him of misleading them financially. When he first evangelized them, he would not take any money from them - living from funds he had raised in another local church - but later he asked for money for the church in Jerusalem. They agreed, but after he left them some church members felt that he had manipulated them, beguiling them into thinking that becoming Christians would not cost them anything, only to have a tax slapped on them after they signed up. Perhaps their ardor cooled somewhat after he left. It all may have become more than the Corinthians bargained for when they were first captivated by Paul's teaching. At least to some of them, Paul had become a nuisance.
This letter contains Paul's spirited defense of himself. In the last three chapters, we see his anger seep out. He is grappling with his fear that the troubles in this congregation could harm his ministry elsewhere, because it could damage his reputation. Yet, he is doing more than venting his frustration here. It is no accident that the teaching on reconciliation that is the heart of the meaning of Christ's death finds its most beautiful expression here. Paul is giving them the theology that can get them all through this and come out as one community on the other side. It is not enough, then, to work out the misunderstandings and vent the anger that has accrued between visits and letters. There must be a theological context that calls both Paul and his new Christians into a higher spiritual space above their petty quarrels. Reconciliation must be the result of the maturity they acquire in Christ.
As their spiritual leader, even under pressure, Paul assures those who find him bothersome of his love for them. And, perhaps more poignantly, he pledges his trust in them that despite the conflicts that beset their relationship, they will come through these trials and be strengthened by them. The situation of conflict spurs him to articulate the meat of the gospel - reconciliation - amidst his own anger and frustration.
 
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E-newsletter Archive
March/April 2005
