A Gospel Formed Integrity

In this passage the apostle is defending himself against the accusation that his failure to follow through on his promised visit to Corinth reflected a lack of personal integrity. Paul makes it clear that our relationships with others should reflect the same faithfulness and integrity that has come to us in the gospel. God is not ‘two faced’ in his dealings with us, saying one thing and doing another.
The kind of disingenuous affection that Paul was being accused of was endemic in his day and culture as it is in many cultures today. Paul often had to assert that his ministry was entirely different from those who were using Christian ministry for personal gain. It is the unequivocal, unambiguous and faithful ‘Yes’ of God in Christ that alone establishes all of us in integrity without which we would be as vacillating and unreliable as the rest of the world driven to seeking our own advantage. If we give our attention to the absolute faithfulness of God and His gospel He will look after our trustworthiness.'