Whom I Love I Rebuke

1 Corinthians 16:7 KJV

For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.

Though the Apostle had corrected a number of errors in this letter, still his desire was to tarry a while with them. His tenor in this chapter is such that he is completely confident in his relationship with them, though in Second Corinthians he confesses to having had doubts about their reaction to this letter and relief when he learned that they had responded positively.

First, he is still willing to speak of offerings.

He did not view talking about giving as stressful in any manner.

Second he expected that they would place that offering into his authority.

Paul planned to either send one of the Corinthians to Jerusalem with the collection or accompany one of them with the collection. In both scenarios Paul was in authority.

He has no issue at all being vague about his own plans.

He might come, he might not. He might send the representative alone, he might go with him. He might send Timotheus, he might not. He was even willing to tell them that, while he wasn't sure he was going to see them he was sure he was going to Ephesus.

He seems completely comfortable with his relationship to the Corinthians. And he hoped to tarry with them a while. Perhaps to mend any hurts and correct any misunderstandings. Maybe to restore relationships that had been damaged. Probably to oversee and insure that the doctrines he had taught in this letter had taken root. But surely because he loved them and enjoyed being in the company of them.