Their Motives and Methods—They Were Pure (vss. 3-6)

In their motives and methods, Paul and his team were pure, seeking only to please God and minister in a biblical manner (2:3-6).

These verses show clearly that Paul and his team never ministered for personal gain or self-centered pursuits. They were real, authentic, and operated out of their relationship with Him as they rested in the truth and power of God’s Word (cf. vs. 13). These men were so secure in the Lord, they had peeled off all the typical masks and were able to stand vulnerably before God and people. Because they were authentic, free from cover ups, they also never resorted to human schemes or strategies for accomplishing the work of God.

Paul’s statement, “although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ,�?or “though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority�?(NASB), or “as apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you�?(NIV), carries the idea of “being able to make heavy demands.�?

First, in this context, “apostles�?is used in a rather general sense. It means “as Christ’s messengers�?SUP>31 rather than in the more technical sense of the Twelve and of Paul due to the special revelation given to him.

Second, as those sent out to preach the Word (which is the basic meaning of the word “apostle�?, they had the right to be supported by their converts and by others to whom they ministered. This was a right, however, which Paul and his associates chose not to use so that their motives might not be mistaken.

Third, there may also be the issue here that since this team had come with Paul, who was an apostle in the technical sense, they had special authority and powers, but even this, they refused to use. They came as servant leaders, not drivers; as shepherds, not cowboys.