Apostle Paul tells of three results from the Corinthian congregation’s service, if they finish what they started, that is. First, they will be supplying the needs of God’s people. (12a) Second, the poor Christians in Judea and Jerusalem will overflow with many expressions of thanks to God. (12b) Third, in their prayers for the Corinthians, their hearts will go out to them, which perhaps can be seen as two separate results. (14a)
Considering the second result, the expressions of thanks to God, Paul includes that the Jews will thank God for the Corinthians’ obedience, and that obedience accompanies the Corinthians’ confession of the gospel of Christ. (13a) Perhaps some of the Jews wondered how true the Gentiles’ confession in Jesus was. Jesus is the expression of God’s love. So, when the Gentiles followed God’s example, they were revealing that their confession was true. After all, what did Greeks have to do with Jews living in a faraway country?
Is unexpressed love really love? If we confess something and then not follow through with it, a true confession? A confession needs proof to be shown true. Are not all tested by God? Yes, everyone who confesses the gospel of Christ is tested to see if their love is true.
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