Verse 23
Paul’s use of an oath should not disturb us.
"Our Lord’s prohibition of swearing in Matthew 5:33 ff. is directed against the casuistry that was prevalent among the Jews of His time, in accordance with which not only was swearing frequent in ordinary speech, but also oaths were regarded as not binding provided the Divine Name had not been invoked and even lies were condoned if unaccompanied by an oath. Such a situation was a grave scandal in the name of religion and truth." [Note: Ibid.]
Swearing refers to using an oath, not to using "dirty" words. Paul staked his soul on the truthfulness of his claim here. He made his decision to postpone his visit because he believed a visit then would not be in the Corinthians’ best interests.
"The gravity of his words indicates that Paul’s absence from Corinth remained a matter of deep hurt." [Note: Barnett, p. 114.]
Be the first to react on this!
