2 Corinthians 10:15-16

Paul was anxious that all the Corinthians acknowledge that he was not doing what his critics were doing. They were taking credit for what God had done through Paul in Corinth. They were apparently claiming that the spiritual vitality of the Corinthian church was due to their ministry in spite of Paul’s influence. This is sometimes a temptation for those who follow others in ministry. Sometimes they confuse unconsciously, or as in the case of Paul’s critics consciously, the results of their work and the results of their predecessors’ work.

Paul wanted the Corinthians to continue to support him as he reached out to yet unevangelized fields such as Rome and Spain in the future (Acts 19:21; Romans 1:11; Romans 15:24; Romans 15:28). He hoped that his ministry would take him even farther still.

Pioneer evangelism precluded the possibility of Paul falling into the error of his critics. He could not claim the credit for what his predecessors had done since he had no predecessors when he planted a new church. Paul did not want to build on, much less take credit for, the foundational work that his predecessors had done but to preach the gospel in previously unevangelized areas (Romans 15:18-21). He did not, however, object to others building on the foundation that he had laid or watering what he had planted (1 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 3:10). He did object to their failing to give credit where credit was due.

Paul spoke as though his future was in the Corinthians’ hands. It was because for Paul to proceed into unreached areas he needed to have his former churches, including Corinth, in good spiritual condition. Paul did not just want to plant as many churches as he could. He wanted to plant a church and then make sure it continued to follow the Lord faithfully before he moved on to plant other churches. If it did not, he felt responsible to get it spiritually healthy before he moved on. The faith of the Corinthians would continue to grow as they responded positively to Paul’s instructions. Then they would be able to provide the support (prayer and perhaps financial) that was essential for him to expand his ministry (2 Corinthians 10:15 b).