2 Corinthians 12:12 Commentary and Bible Study

This verse speaks also of the need for real dependence upon Christ, upon the apostolic word, the inspired Word of God. Now, although Corinth was a good church, it did not speak up in defence of the truth, when the false teachers came in. It gave them too much scope and it didn’t even defend the apostle. ‘I ought to have been commended of you’ (verse 11) – they knew that perfectly well. They shouldn’t have allowed these intruders to denigrate, to criticise the apostle and hold their peace, so they were at fault in this way.They had seen the signs of an apostle. What were these signs? Well, the miracles: ‘signs and wonders and mighty deeds.’ We have two very special texts in Acts which make it clear to us that only the apostles could do these things in New Testament times because they were signs, authentications of apostles. It is not correct, as many maintain today, that in New Testament times all sorts of people could work miracles and do wonderful things. The people who say that just have paid no attention to the data, the information in the New Testament. It was extremely rare for any healing to be performed after Christ in New Testament times except by the apostles. There were one or two members of the inner circle, the apostolic band, assistants to apostles, who may have healed. Then, of course, there was Ananias, who was given a special, singular, unique commission to heal the blindness of Paul. In fact, there are many situations in which people would have loved to be able to heal but they couldn’t and they looked to the apostles alone to do this.So, healings had a purpose. They were given only to the apostles to authenticate them. Does that mean there is no Christian healing? No, there is healing for Christians simply in answer to prayer. You don’t need a healer and God will not give special powers to a healer to heal you. In answer to prayer, that is how God works today. In the time of the apostles, because they were special and they were largely penmen of Holy Scripture, they needed to be authenticated, they were witnesses of the resurrection and some were authors of books of the Bible. So, these powers of healing were given to them to authenticate them and that is what the apostle says here. ‘Truly the signs [the marks] of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience.’‘In all patience’ – what does that mean? Persistence, yes, but I think the apostle Paul would have needed persistence and patience in Corinth, probably because of the number of miraculous signs and healings. There he was earning his living, making tents at night, preaching constantly by day and then, to demonstrate the compassion of Christ, healing also and he required patience at all hours. Probably, people knocked his door at all hours of the night, to get some help, to present some terrible illness. Then always, he would have pressed home the gospel. It wasn’t just a matter of somebody being presented to him for healing; he also was concerned to explain to that person the saving gospel of Christ.