In the passage we’re looking at today, Paul wonders what the conditions will be when he arrives in Corinth. He plans to visit in the near future (vs. 14a—“I am ready to come to you”), and he wants them to be prepared for that visit. It would be best for everyone involved if they would clean up a bit before he arrives.

In the previous section of the text (12:11-18), Paul accuses the church of a lack of appreciation for him. In this section, he accuses the church of a lack of consecration, a lack of holiness. Many of them were tolerating sinful attitudes and behaviors and they were not repentant. In this short section, Paul mentions his priorities and his fears regarding the church. His main priority for the church is their edification, the Christian growth. But he fears that, when he arrives, he’ll find a lot of transgression among the people. He fears that he may have to be very bold in dealing with their sin.

These are two very important issues still today—edification and repentance. If we want to grow in the faith, we must repent of our sins.