THE CORRECTIONS WORKED

My Dear Precious Child,
    After Paul wrote a scathing letter to the Corinthians chastising them for the many lapses in their discernment by allowing incest in their church; also disputes, arguing and choosing sides over who was the best apostle, eating food sacrificed to idols, allowing Pharisees to lure some of My children back into old covenant laws which kill their spirits, and some people had even returned to idolatry.  They had also allowed gluttony and drunkenness at the Lord's Supper.  Also one person had swindled another in the church, then the person who was swindled sued his brother in Christ in a pagan court instead of allowing a wise member in the church to mediate between them.   Plus, in the church there were other acts of rebellion against the guidance and instructions of Christ Jesus Himself. 
    In his first scathing letter Paul wrote about his disappointment in them and he wrote his exhortations to them in strong, critical words.  He had called them spiritual babies, sensual men instead of spiritual men, still drinking milk instead of eating adult spiritual food. He chastised them for separating into factions, being filled with lust, being deceived by false prophets and being rebellious.  He told them that some of them seemed to not even know Me at all.  He wrote that they must come to their senses, to behave properly, to leave sin alone and that they should be ashamed of themselves. (I Corinthians15:34)   
    In his second letter to them the mood of that writing was apologetic and it was also a means of explaining to the Corinthians the reason behind his strong language in the first letter.  Paul had just returned from a mission trip to Asia and had barely escaped with his life.  He had endured beatings and ridicule there and after having heard that the Corinthians were departing from the words of Christ Jesus, he was beginning to wonder if it was all worth it to endure the disgrace and suffering on the part of the gospel if the people in Corinth, whom he had evangelized, were behaving like pagans and Jews again, leaving their first love of Christ and returning to pagan idol worship and Mosaic laws as if those religious practices had benefited their lives instead of cursing them, like they had experienced.   (II Corinthians 1:8-11) 
   In his address to them in the second letter Paul made sure that he reminded them that I am a gentle Father, a consoling God, and that they must learn that when the sufferings of Christ happens to them that it is good training for them so that they will be able to console other people who are suffering. (II Corinthians 1:3-7)Their suffering must be in refusing to yield to the temptations of the devil that were brought into the church by sinful men and false prophets.
    Paul wrote to the Corinthians that his conscience was clear, that he had treated them the same way that he treats everyone and that there was no hidden meanings in the first letter. (II Corinthians 1:12-14)  He said that his intentions when he planned to write the letter were not wishy-washy such as being yes and no; instead they were yes and only yes (verses 17-20) because the promises of God are always yes, to the praises of God because he had anointed them with the Holy Spirit, who is My pledge to them of their being My children.(verses 21-22)
In his first letter to them, he reminded them that they were the temple of the Holy Spirit in the earth. (I Corinthians 3:16)
   In his absence on mission trips, Paul could not allow the elders in the Corinthian church to be so deceived as to allow false prophets to enter into the church at Corinth and poison the whole church with heresies, causing them to depart from the truth as taught to Paul by Christ Jesus when he spent two years in the desert listening to the Holy Spirit.  That was why Paul was so emphatic in his criticisms in the first letter.
    After writing the first strong letter with the much needed things that needed correcting, Paul did not immediately go to them.  He gave them a while to make the necessary corrections in the church.  He told them in the second letter that his decision not to come to them immediately was to spare their feelings.  He assured them that he and Timothy were not dictators over them, but they were fellow workers with them, working to bring them happiness.   He wrote that he had made up his mind not to visit them with a second distressing visit.  Yet, Paul admitted in his second letter that he might have hurt them in the first letter; but, if so, he had only hurt the people who would have given him pleasure upon his return to visit and teach them.  He wanted to make sure that he didn't distress the very people who would make him happy after his distressing persecutions in Asia.  He assured them that he would only be happy if they were happy.  He wanted them to know that when he wrote the first scathing letter that it was in anguish of mind and in tears, that it was not to hurt them but it was to let them know how much he loved them by protecting them from false prophets and their poison. (II Corinthians 2:3-4)  The first letter was written to protect them from the lies of the false prophets so he needed to be strong in his criticism and words of correction.
    There was someone in the church who had been the cause of pain to the Corinthians.  In the second letter Paul told them that the punishment that they had already levied against the man was enough, that now they needed to forgive him and encourage him lest he break down because of so much misery.  Paul wrote that his strong criticism to the people in the church was to test their obedience.  He said that if the people in Corinth forgave the man who was at the basis of their rebellion that Paul would also forgive him so that they would not be outwitted by the devil.  He reminded them that the devil's intentions are never for the good of anyone. (II Corinthians 2:5-11)
    Paul thanked Me that wherever I go I make My children partners in the triumph of Christ over the works of the devil and that through the knowledge of Him you and all of My children are spreading a sweet smell everywhere. (I John 3:8  He said that you are the incense to Me for those who are being saved and those who are not being saved.  He said that no human person could of themselves be qualified for that marvelous work.(II Corinthians 2:14-16)
    He rejoiced that he was not like some people who were offering My words for sale, as some people did and still do.  Instead, he said that he and Timothy spoke as sincere men, ambassadors of Mine, walking in My presence. (verse 17)
    Even though Paul had to be emphatic in his corrections of the church in his first letter to the Corinthians, in his second letter he smoothed the feathers of the people whom he had emotionally wounded.  His stern corrections were worth his strong words if he was able to challenge them to cast out of the church the people who were spreading the huge amounts of poison brought into their midst from the false prophets and sinful men that were poisoning the whole church.
    To keep yourself and the body of Christ pure, you must allow My Spirit of discernment to operate in your life and by your obeying His caution to depart from evil influences and remain pure and free from the works of the devil.  The devil's plans for you are for your destruction and death.  My plans are for the abundance of peace and love in your life on earth and a glorious existence in My heaven with Me after your perishable body is finished on earth. You must cultivate the voice of discernment of the Holy Spirit or you will be deceived.  Remember that evil comes as an angel of light, not as a devil with horns and a tail.
   Your Father of Strong Protection