Walking in the same steps

I urged Titus, and sent our brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps? – 2 Corinthians 12v18

As the letter continues we continue to see the heartache and the hurt in Paul’s letter. I wondered what the Corinthians had against Paul, why did he have to write the words to him. It appears from the context of the whole letter that there was a rumour going around Corinth that Paul have kept some of the money intended for the work in Jerusalem for himself. He mentioned earlier that when they had a chance to commend him against the false charges they instead commended themselves to each other. He loved them and they responded with rejection. They believed the lies that he had tricked and deceived them.

So he sent Titus and another brother and they were then accused of being in cahoots with him. Paul couldn’t win and he was heartbroken. Paul said they has all walked in the same steps, they all shared the same spirit.

Paul’s words say a lot to us in the church today. We can be so quick to rush to judgement of others based on what we hear. Instead of commending others we use this as an opportunity to make ourselves look better. Men who we have walked the same road with are dismissed with a thought. Believers are written off because they are falsely accused.

I am not a deep theologian, and these thoughts are my own devotional thoughts, but it seems to me that Paul is saying something like, “Why are you turning against me, we are all on the same side?” My heart breaks when I think of the number of times that I have rejected a brother, if not in my actions, then by my thoughts, because I believed that he no longer measured up. Why is that? Because I have been caught in the trap of measuring men by my standards and compared them to by rules.

My God forgive me, and all those who act based on stories and rumours.