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The apostle Paul had spent 18 months living and teaching in Corinth, he had likely visited them at least a couple of times, he had written two letters to them, and his associates had visited Corinth on his behalf. Bottom line: The Corinthians knew Paul well.
With that in mind, Paul boldly states, “Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity” (2 Corinthians 1:12).
Integrity means “the virtue of one who is free from pretense and hypocrisy.” Some biblical translations use the word holiness here. Indeed, for Christians integrity and holiness should be synonymous. The conclusion of this verse goes on to state that Paul could live this way “not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace.” Paul knew that even more than the Corinthians, God knew Paul’s holy integrity.
Paul also says that his conduct was with godly sincerity. You might think that the idea of sincerity or mental honesty is implied in the word integrity, but godly sincerity is a pureness that stands up to intense scrutiny. It’s not just a public act, but it is a consistently God-honoring way of living both publicly and privately.
These two qualities give a godly leader moral authority like nothing else can. It’s authority that is felt as well as seen—it’s the “It Factor” that marks the Holy Spirit’s anointing on a leader.
Paul is aware that his lifestyle could cause people to think well or to think poorly of the Gospel of Jesus. Just a few verses later, Paul uses the phrase “yes and no” twice (vv. 18-19).
First, Paul reminds the Corinthians that he doesn’t “in the same breath say both ‘Yes, yes’ and ‘No, no.’” This means he doesn’t want his lifestyle to negate his preaching.
Second, Paul wants to assure them that all of the promises of God are “‘Yes’ in Christ” (v. 20). He knows that a preacher who lives contrary to his preaching—whose walk doesn’t align with his talk—is not only a hypocrite before God, but a stumbling block to all who have put their faith in Jesus as a result of that preacher’s message.
Integrity and godly sincerity are absolutely essential for those who proclaim the Gospel.
Godly leaders must be vigilant. They must be ruthless with themselves so there isn’t even the slightest lapse of integrity. Any infractions in a leader’s integrity and godly sincerity could cause others to doubt that Christ’s “Yes” is truly a trustworthy “Yes.”
May we all live in such a way that we, like Paul, can stand before those who know us best and assuredly say, “I have lived with all integrity and godly sincerity before both God and you!”
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Craig T. Owens 