In my opinion, it is a very difficult thing to have our plans changed when we have worked out something carefully. It is especially difficult when we are criticized as a result of having to change them. Now I acknowledge that people are different in this respect. I think perhaps at this point, I am able to identify with the apostle Paul a bit, who obviously was a very organized person and did not like to have his plans changed. I think all of us, to some extent, have difficulty in that area when we have planned things carefully, such as how we want to do a certain job at work. And then when something comes along that forces a change, we become irritated. But as hard as it can be to deal with that kind of unwanted change, we are particularly bothered when we are criticized as a result of changes which have been utterly beyond our control.
In the last chapter I pointed out that Paul had a long relationship with the church at Corinth. He founded it on his second missionary journey and had spent eighteen months there, which was a long time considering the way Paul did his missionary work. The only place I know that he spent more time was at Ephesus, where he spent two years. He had visited it again on one occasion, and, furthermore, he had made plans to come back. He explains in 2 Corinthians 1 what he had originally planned to do. Paul wanted to see them on his way to Macedonia, and then again on his way back, before making his way to Judea (v. 16).
He already had been to Corinth twice—first, in his founding visit to the church, and, second, on the occasion that he describes as a sorrowful journey. Now, he indicates he is planning to go there twice more. That is the part of his plan that he changed, because he only went to Corinth once. According to 1 Corinthians 16, this is what Paul originally planned (v. 5). However, sometime after that he told them he would visit them twice, either when he had made his second visit or perhaps by a lost letter that we do not have. It was this change in the number of visits to Corinth that gave rise to unreasonable but destructive criticism.
The people who were trying to undermine his work in Corinth were saying that you really cannot take Paul too seriously because he says one thing and does another. Why, when he writes a letter, he is so bold, you would think he was a lion. But then when he comes to see you, he is like a mouse. They were slandering him, in spite of all Paul had done there.
