II Corinthians 1: 12-14
For our proud confidence is this:
Not the sin of pride, but the feeling of pleasure and satisfaction over what is honorable.
the testimony of our conscience,
His conscience is clear.
that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the World, and especially among you.
Paul is saying that he has presented himself honestly and transparently to the Corinthians, both in the church and in secular situations.
For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand,
And what he writes is to be understood as just what it says, in the regular, ordinary sense of the words, not any "reading between the lines" needed at all.
and I hope you will understand until the end;
He wants them to continue to take his words honestly, and not be persuaded to think he has any hidden meanings.
just as you also partially did understand us,
They had begun to understand what he was telling them, and he is continuing to fill them in on the rest of God's plan for them to live their lives in a godly way.
that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, in the Day of our Lord Jesus.
He wanted to be considered a builder-up of the Corinthian church, that they could look to him with admiration for how he had treated them, just as he was proud of their growth and godliness in their growing up in the Lord, and that Paul and the Corinthian Christians would be lifting up each other to the Lord when He comes to set up His Kingdom here.
O my Father, help me to live my life as transparently as Paul lived his. Teach me how to display Your character as I live in my "glass house" in full view of the World.
Let me be a source of honest pride for those around me, and that they also would have my admiration in their spiritual growth, as we encourage one another; as Paul and the Corinthian church had this reciprocal relationship.
Not that I would be the teacher, as Paul was, but that I would be an encourager, and that I would receive encouragement from my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Help us all, Father, to share with the World around us how much You Love them. Show us what we need to discern in speaking Your words to them, to draw them toward You, not necessarily push them away from ourselves.
Send us out to scatter the seed of Your Word throughout this whole World, Father, so that every living person of every nation and people group and language would understand Your Gospel well enough to make an educated decision whether to accept or reject Your gracious gift of Redemption. It's up to us, Father, send us all out.
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ and Lord God, our sovereign King, to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
