124
Sketches from the Life of Paul
had written so decidedly and severely. He continues: “Now I rejoice,
not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance; for ye
were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by
us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to
be repented of.” That repentance which is produced by the influence of
divine grace upon the heart, will lead to the confession and forsaking
of sin. Such were the fruits which the apostle declares had been
manifested by the Corinthian church: “What carefulness it wrought
in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea,
what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal.”
Still there was a small minority of the Corinthians who stubbornly
resisted all efforts of the apostle for the purification of the church;
but their course was such that none could be deceived in them. They
displayed a most bitter spirit, and were bold in denunciation of Paul,
accusing him of mercenary motives, and craft in preaching the gospel
and dealing with the churches. They charged him with receiving
personal advantage from the means contributed by the brethren for
various benevolent purposes. On the other hand, some challenged his
claims to apostleship, because he did not demand support from the
churches which he had raised up. Thus the accusations of his opposers
were conflicting, and without a shadow of foundation.
Just such unreasonable persons are to be met in our times, men
who set themselves against the progress of the work of God, while
professing to believe the truth. They refuse to come into harmony
with the body of the church, the burden of their work being to dissect
[178]
the characters of their brethren, to raise dark suspicions, and circulate
covert insinuations. Many honest persons are deceived by these ca-
lumniators, whose purpose are not so readily discerned as they would
be if the traducer dealt in bare-faced falsehoods.
Paul, in his second epistle to the Corinthians, expresses his faith
and hope in that church, that, as they had suffered reproach for Christ’s
sake, they would not be left in perplexities and trials without con-
solation. The majority of the church were true to principle, and of
firm integrity; they shared in the sorrows and anxiety of their father in
the gospel, and greatly deplored the sins of some who professed the
Christian faith.
Paul informed the Corinthians of his trouble in Asia, where, he
says, “We were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that