There are many times in 2 Corinthians where Paul tells them outright that he loves them. It seems he needs to do this from time to time to remind them of the fact that just because someone tells the truth and even demands that they put the truth to work in their life, it doesn't negate love. As it's been often stated here, biblical love is defined by biblical truth. And regardless of feelings, emotions, and the depth of what Paul feels for his spiritual children, love can never be compromised by going "against the truth".

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Back in the day there were t-shirts and bumper stickers asking, "If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" That's precisely the meaning the Greek word "test" carries with it, to not just examine one's self, but to make a legal trial out of it. Christians are not only supposed to be visibly different from the rest of the world, but to themselves as well.

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How scholars love to fill in the blanks! I don't know which item has more books, papers, and opinions attached to it: what did Jesus write in the dirt when they brought the adulterous woman to Him, (John 8:5-8) or the exact thing Paul experienced as "a thorn in the flesh". It's probably more important to note that such scholars' flights of fancy are actually a distraction from the fact that what God has withheld is never as important as what He's revealed. And in this case, regardless of what the thorn may have been, we know exactly what God's purpose for it was: "to keep me from exalting myself".

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One of the things I've noticed which differentiates a true leader of Christ from a false one is their speech about themselves. Where false believers are concerned it's a variation of the axiom, "Tell a lie often enough and they'll begin to believe it." They feel compelled to tell everyone over and over again why they're an apostle, or a prophet, or whatever title of power they're after. Whereas the true leader of Christ is described in Scripture as a shepherd tending the Master's flock, they are someone who rarely speaks of themselves and instead let their actions speak for them.

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Because we live in a consumer-driven society, it's very easy to fall back upon those kinds of terms and measurements to describe our church or ministry. Not unlike an advertiser seeking to reach a specific market, such descriptions will break down the age, income, and social demographics along with things like overall attendance versus percentage involved in at least one ministry activity. The measurements which Paul uses are, at first blush, difficult to measure: spiritual faithfulness ("I betrothed you to one husband"), grounded in the truth (not "deceived…led astray"), and established in Christ ("simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ"). They're difficult measurements because you can't make them from afar, but only if you're personally involved with the flock.

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Because the Old Testament Law has been fulfilled in Christ and we now live under a new covenant through Him, we no longer literally apply most of the Old Testament as it once was. Under the old covenant whenever sin was exposed, there were immediate consequences. Some sins could be atoned for, while others demanded a death sentence. The spiritual battle that was being waged also took place in the physical realm. Under the new covenant, however, we no longer literally stone people, but rather attack sin through holding each other accountable in obedience to God's Word and ways and leave the "final" stoning up to God.
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Paul is doing something among the churches that has been repeatedly done throughout the history of the church to this very day: fundraising. In this case, he's collecting on behalf of members of the church in particular hardship in Israel where a famine is taking place. Nowhere do we have an example of Paul fundraising for himself, for his ministry, for a building, or for anything except to address other people's needs. That's quite a contrast to much of the historical and present fundraising that's taken place to date.

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