Paul wanted to send Timothy with his letter to Corinth per 4:14-17. However, it appears that neither he nor Apollos (12) were compelled to return to the congregation, for Paul used the phrases, “if Timothy comes…” and speaking of Apollos, “I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now…”
Timothy and Apollos had been there a few years earlier when the congregation was new. (Acts 18:5, 27, 19:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:6) They had friends in the Corinthian congregation. But now, they did not want to visit their friends. Why?
The two most probable reasons both did not want to visit Corinth were first, because the environment was hostile, with infighting and corruption, and second, because Timothy was timid and Apollos was more interested in an undefined opportunity than in dealing with the complicated issues at Corinth. They defaulted on the human impulse to avoid and put off the problem.
The result was Paul’s very long and detailed letter. I envision Paul, upon receiving the Corinthian delegation’s ill report (17), going first to Apollos to request him to go to help with their problems, then, when Apollos refused, Paul went to Timothy to go, and when he refused, and Paul himself was unable to go, Paul’s last resort was to answer them with a long, detailed rebuke in the form of this letter.
Life is weary enough without big problems stressing us even more. So, we ignore big problems, hoping they will either solve themselves, go away, or hope and pretend they are not as big a problem as we imagine. Perhaps they are not. Usually they are. No simple direction exists when they come except one: pray, pray, pray, and trust God. Be in his peace. Psalm 107:29-30 says, “He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.”
