When I read 2 Corinthians, I once again remembered why I never wanted to be a pastor. (Not that my being ordained as a pastor was even a possibility in my church; but that's a subject for another day.)
Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth was full of tender advice and answers to their questions. Some of that compassion is in 2 Corinthians as well. There are a couple of sections that I especially appreciate. As a former chairman of the church's Stewardship Committee, I found chapters 8 and 9 to be a goldmine of ideas and persuasive arguments.
Even better, chapters 3 through 5 describe the ineffable understanding and insight that come with receiving the Holy Spirit through faith. There is beautiful language about how Christian believers can cope with suffering and persecution and about the renewal and recreation of those who believe in Christ.
But a lot of the Paul's words in 2 Corinthians suggest his frustration at dealing with recalcitrant people.
The first two chapters sound like Paul is justifying himself and his plans to the Corinthians. He had intended to visit them, but changed his mind. He writes that he was afraid he'd upset them with "another painful visit." And it seems that part of the pain of the previous visit had to do with an errant church member. It also appears that the church people accused him of being fickle or unreliable, since he changed his travel plans.
In the later chapters, from about chapter 10 through 12, Paul writes a remarkably personal account of his life and his suffering. The main purpose seems to be to justify himself in the face of attacks by other false apostles, and very likely, detractors in the Corinthian church as well.
I've been around the local church enough to know that pastors and staff members are constantly criticized for almost anything. Their sermons are too long; they're too shallow; they're too brainy. The staff members are too lavish with church funds; they're too tight-fisted; they're not visionary enough; they're hopeless dreamers. You get the idea. As it's said, they can't win for losing.
And if complaining people aren't enough aggravation, sinning, backsliding and hypocritical people are always in abundance. Pastors really do want to help people be more Christ-like, and it must hurt like heck to see people continually shooting themselves in their spiritual feet.
Obviously, the problems have been going on for centuries. Just ask Paul.
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