12:19. “defending ourselves.” There is beautiful courtroom imagery in this verse that can be missed in English. Paul is here asking the Corinthians if they presume he has been attempting to clear himself of charges before them. He has not. Rather, in Paul’s mind, it is before God that he stands or falls, and God is his only Judge. The Greek word for “defending ourselves”— apologeomai (#626 ἀ πολογ έ ομαι)— refers to a public defense in a trial, and, by metaphor and extension, to defending one’s self in an everyday life situation. Paul is saying that it is not before the court of the Corinthians that he pleads his case, but before the court of God who sits as Judge he is speaking in Christ.
12:19. defending ourselves.There is beautiful courtroom imagery
in this verse that can be missed in English. Paul is here asking
the Corinthians if they presume he has been attempting to clear
himself of charges before them. He has not. Rather, in Pauls mind,
it is before God that he stands or falls, and God is his only
Judge. The Greek word for defending ourselvesapologeomai(#626
)refers to a public defense in a trial, and, by metaphor and
extension, to defending ones self in an everyday life situation.
Paul is saying that it is not before the court of the Corinthians
that he pleads his case, but before the court of God who sits as
Judge he is speaking in Christ.
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