From: Eternal Life Blog (Dan Corner)

Paul’s Tears

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Eternal Life Blog

Contrary to the way Christian people tend to envision the Apostle Paul, he was a man of tears and sorrows as he served God. He was not the photogenic smiley type of our day with a toothy appearance. That is crystal clear. His righteous sorrow which produced heartfelt tears came from various church related issues, which he apparently considered serious. His grief reflects his godly heart and the seriousness of the related offenses. Let’s observe those offenses and learn:

For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you. (2 Cor 2:4)

The context of 2 Cor. 2:4 refers to his previous epistle, in which he addressed different issues including expelling the sexually immoral wicked man from among their congregation (1 Cor. 5:13). His God inspired directives were the proper course of action for them to act on, though they may not come easy. In a different letter, Paul expresses how hurtful it was for him to observe the many who were living as enemies of the cross:

For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears,many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. (Phil 3:18)

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Related:

Paul aimed to always please the Lord, knowing that all will be “revealed before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

Can ‘Christians’ use Paul’s “Forgetting the things which are behind…I press on” statement as an excuse to not get right with those they’ve hurt? Paul also said: “I also practice ALWAYS having a conscience void of offense toward God and men.” What if you don’t repent? And what will happen when you do? The Third Great Awakening can start with us!!! We can all be happy — ‘ONE’!