The morning meeting with The Boss primarily consisted of Second Corinthians, chapters nine through thirteen.

Here are my main takeaways…

1. Paul tells the peeps in Corinth that it is superfluous for him to write to them about their generosity and eagerness to donate to an upcoming fundraiser. He says, “I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia.” [Paul LOVES the Macedonians! To the people in Corinth it feels like Paul is incessantly SHAMING them by talking about ‘how great, how generous, how sacrificial and selfless ‘ the Macedonians are!].
2. NEVERTHELESS… Paul says, “I’m sending someone to babysit you guys, and help you get your donations ready ahead of time. BECAUSE, otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, I would be humiliated—and embarrassed by you guys. So I thought it necessary send a babysitter to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.
3. Paul goes on to say, “For sure – you guys will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way!” i.e. ‘be happy that I am so thoroughly helping you guys with this enriching experience!’
4. THEN Pauls says, “I realize that I am humble toward you when we are together in person, but then I’m all bold and harsh-sounding toward you when I am away! …I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. …is this a threat? Who is suspects Paul of ‘walking according to the flesh’? AND, what does Paul mean when he says, “I count on showing those people who are suspicious of me boldness with confidence!”?
5. Then Paul says, “Even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed.”
6. Then Paul says, “My hope is that as your faith increases, and our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged.”
7. Then Paul says, “I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness.”
8. Then Paul says, “I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.”
9. Then Paul says, “Did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge?”
10. Then Paul says, “Let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool.”
11. Then Paul says, “You gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!”
12. Then Paul says, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.”
13. Then Paul says, “If I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.
14. Then Paul says, “To keep me from becoming conceited, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. And I begged God to remove it. And God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” …So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses; I am content with weaknesses and insults. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
15. And then Paul blames the Corinthians, saying, “I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you.”
16. Then Paul says, “In what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!”
17. Then Paul says, “I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit.”
18. Then Paul says, “Have you been thinking all along that I have been defending myself to you? …I’m not defending myself, but rather it is in the sight of God that I have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding. Here’s the deal… I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. AND… I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented.”
19. Then Paul says, “This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.”
20. Then Paul says, “I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them.” …is this a threat!?
21. Then Paul says, “I pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that I may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though I may seem to have failed.”
22. then Paul says, “I cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. For I am glad when I are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what I pray for. For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.”