Grace for the Hurting -2 Corinthians 12: 7-10

Posted on December 2, 2024 by dkoop

The Lord knows how to balance our lives. If we have only blessings, we may become proud; so He permits us to have burdens as well. Paul’s great successes as an apostle,  church planter, author, teacher and his experiences with various revelations could have ruined his ministry on earth; so God, in His goodness, permitted pain, problems and even “Satan to buffet” Paul in order to keep him from becoming proud.

The mystery of human suffering will not be solved completely in this life. Sometimes we suffer simply because we are human. Our bodies change as we grow older, and we are susceptible to the normal problems of life. The same body that can bring us pleasures can also bring us pains. The same family members and friends that delight us can also break our hearts. This is a part of the “human comedy,” and the only way to escape it is to be less than human. But nobody wants to take that route.

Sometimes we suffer because we are foolish and disobedient to the Lord. Our own rebellion may afflict us, or the Lord may see fit to chasten us in His love (Heb. 12:3).

In His grace, God forgives our sins; but in His righteousness, He also permits us to reap what we sow.

Suffering also is a tool God uses for building godly character (Rom. 5:1-5). Certainly Paul was a man of rich Christian character because he permitted God to mold and make him in the painful experiences of his life. When you walk along the shore of the ocean, you notice that the rocks are sharp in the quiet coves, but polished in those places where the waves beat against them. God can use the “waves and billows” of life to polish us, if we will let Him.

Grace: God Humbles Us (2 Cor. 12:7-8)

Paul’s thorn in the flesh was given to him to keep him from sinning. Exciting spiritual experiences—like going to heaven and back—have a way of inflating the human ego; and pride leads to a multitude of temptations to sin. Had Paul’s heart been filled with pride, those next fourteen years would have been filled with failure instead of success.

 LIFE APPLICATION – DEPEND ON CHRIST
God had used the “thorn” to teach Paul humility. Those who are strong in their own abilities or resources are tempted to do God’s work on their own, and that can lead to arrogance. Those who struggle with weaknesses tend to rely on Christ’s power. Only then can they become stronger than they could ever be on their own. Christ does not want his people to try to be weak, passive, or ineffective: Life provides enough hindrances and setbacks. Nor should they feign humility or timidity in order to gain his help. When obstacles come, they must depend on Christ. Only his power will make them effective for him and will help them do work that has lasting value.

We do not know what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was. The word translated thorn means “a sharp stake used for torturing or impaling someone.” It was a physical affliction of some kind that brought pain and distress to Paul. Some Bible students think that Paul had an eye affliction (see Gal. 6:11); but we cannot know for sure. It is a good thing that we do not know, because no matter what our sufferings may be, we are able to apply the lessons Paul learned and get encouragement.

God permitted Satan to afflict Paul, just as He permitted Satan to afflict Job (see Job 1-2). While we do not fully understand the origin of evil in this universe, or all the purposes God had in mind when He permitted evil to come, we do know that God controls evil and can use it even for His own glory. Satan cannot work against a believer without the permission of God. Everything that the enemy did to Job and Paul was permitted by the will of God.

Satan was permitted to buffet Paul. The word means “to beat, to strike with the fist.” The tense of the verb indicates that this pain was either constant or recurring. When you stop to think that Paul had letters to write, trips to take, sermons to preach, churches to visit, and dangers to face as he ministered, you can understand that this was a serious matter. No wonder he prayed three times (as his Lord had done in the Garden [Mark 14:32-41]) that the affliction might be removed from him (2 Cor. 12:8).

When God permits suffering to come to our lives, there are several ways we can deal with it. Some people become bitter and blame God for robbing them of freedom and pleasure. Others just “give up” and fail to get any blessing out of the experience because they will not put any courage into the experience. Still others grit their teeth and put on a brave front, determined to “endure to the very end.” While this is a courageous response, it usually drains them of the strength needed for daily living; and after a time, they may collapse.

Was Paul sinning when he prayed to be delivered from Satan’s buffeting? I don’t think so. It is certainly a normal thing for a Christian to ask God for deliverance from sickness and pain. God has not obligated Himself to heal every believer whenever he prays; but He has encouraged us to bring our burdens and needs to Him. Paul did not know whether this “thorn in the flesh” was a temporary testing from God, or a permanent experience he would have to learn to live with.

 LIFE APPLICATION – GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
Three times Paul prayed for healing and did not receive it. He received, however, something far greater because he received greater grace from God, a stronger character, and an ability to empathize with others. God, according to his sovereign plan, doesn’t heal some believers of their physical ailments. We don’t know why some are spared and others aren’t. God chooses according to his divine purposes. Our task is to pray, to believe, and to trust. Paul is living proof that holy living and courageous faith do not ensure instant physical healing. When we pray for healing, we must trust our bodies to God’s care. We must recognize that nothing separates us from his love (Romans 8:35-39) and that our spiritual condition is always more important than our physical condition.

There are those who want us to believe that an afflicted Christian is a disgrace to God. “If you are obeying the Lord and claiming all that you have in Christ,” they say, “then you will never be sick.” I have never found that teaching in the Bible. It is true that God promised the Jews special blessing and protection under the Old Covenant (Deut. 7:12) but He never promised the New Testament believers freedom from sickness or suffering. If Paul had access to “instant healing” because of his relationship to Christ, then why didn’t he make use of it for himself and for others, such as Epaphroditus? (Phil. 2:25ff)

What a contrast between Paul’s two experiences! Paul went from paradise to pain, from glory to suffering. He tasted the blessing of God in heaven and then felt the buffeting of Satan on earth. He went from ecstasy to agony, and yet the two experiences belong together. His one experience of glory prepared him for the constant experience of suffering, for he knew that God was able to meet his need. Paul had gone to heaven—but then he learned that heaven could come to him.

Grace: God Helps Us (2 Cor. 12:9-10)

Two messages were involved in this painful experience. The thorn in the flesh was Satan’s message to Paul, but God had another message for him, a message of grace. The tense of the verb in 2 Corinthians 12:9 is important: “And He [God] has once-for-all said to me.”

God gave Paul a message that stayed with him. The words Paul heard while in heaven, he was not permitted to share with us; but he did share the words God gave him on earth—and what an encouragement they are.

It was a message of grace. What is grace? It is God’s provision for our every need when we need it. It has well been said that God in His grace gives us what we do not deserve, and in His mercy He does not give us what we do deserve. Someone has made an acrostic of the word grace: God’s Riches Available at Christ’s Expense. “And of His [Christ’s] fullness have all we received, and grace for grace” (John 1:16).

It was a message of sufficient grace. There is never a shortage of grace. God is sufficient for our spiritual ministries (2 Cor. 3:4-6) and our material needs (2 Cor. 9:8) as well as our physical needs (2 Cor. 12:9). If God’s grace is sufficient to save us, surely it is sufficient to keep us and strengthen us in our times of suffering.

It was a message of strengthening grace. God permits us to become weak so that we might receive His strength. This is a continuous process: “My power is [being] made perfect in [your] weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9, NIV). Strength that knows itself to be strength is actually weakness, but weakness that knows itself to be weakness is actually strength.

In the Christian life, we get many of our blessings through transformation, not substitution. When Paul prayed three times for the removal of his pain, he was asking God for a substitution: “Give me health instead of sickness, deliverance instead of pain and weakness.” Sometimes God does meet the need by substitution; but other times He meets the need by transformation. He does not remove the affliction, but He gives us His grace so that the affliction works for us and not against us.

As Paul prayed about his problem, God gave him a deeper insight into what He was doing. Paul learned that his thorn in the flesh was a gift from God. What a strange gift! There was only one thing for Paul to do: accept the gift from God and allow God to accomplish His purposes. God wanted to keep Paul from being “exalted above measure,” and this was His way of accomplishing it.

When Paul accepted his affliction as the gift of God, this made it possible for God’s grace to go to work in his life. It was then that God spoke to Paul and gave him the assurance of His grace. Whenever you are going through suffering, spend extra time in the Word of God; and you can be sure God will speak to you. He always has a special message for His children when they are afflicted.

God did not give Paul any explanations; instead, He gave him a promise: “My grace is sufficient for you” We do not live an explanations; we live on promises. Our feelings change, but God’s promises never change. Promises generate faith, and faith strengthens hope.

Paul claimed God’s promise and drew on the grace that was offered to him; this turned seeming tragedy into triumph. God did not change the situation by removing the affliction; He changed it by adding a new ingredient: grace. Our God is “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10), and His throne is a “throne of grace” (Heb. 4:16). The Word of God is “the word of His grace” (Acts 20:32), and the promise is that “He gives more grace” (James 4:6). No matter how we look at it, God is adequate for every need that we have.

But God does not give us His grace simply that we might “endure” our sufferings. Even unconverted people can manifest great endurance. God’s grace should enable us to rise above our circumstances and feelings and cause our afflictions to work for us in accomplishing positive good. God wants to build our character so that we are more like our Saviour. God’s grace enabled Paul not only to accept his afflictions, but to glory in them. His suffering was not a tyrant that controlled him, but a servant that worked for him.

What benefits did Paul receive because of his suffering? For one thing, he experienced the power of Christ in his life. God transformed Paul’s weakness into strength. The word translated rest means “to spread a tent over.” Paul saw his body as a frail tent (2 Cor. 5:1ff), but the glory of God had come into that tent and transformed it into a holy tabernacle.

Something else happened to Paul: he was able to glory in his infirmities. This does not mean that he preferred pain to health, but rather that he knew how to turn his infirmities into assets. What made the difference? The grace of God and the glory of God. He “took pleasure” in these trials and problems, not because he was psychologically unbalanced and enjoyed pain, but because he was suffering for the sake of Jesus Christ. He was glorifying God by the way he accepted and handled the difficult experiences of life.

 LIFE APPLICATION – THE TAPESTRY OF LIFE
What God allowed Paul to experience was for “Christ’s good” (12:10). This means that the kingdom over which Christ rules was served by the circumstances the apostle encountered. Even though daily hardships and failure are not easily graphed on a chart of personal achievement, they are by no means wasted. Consider the underside of a handmade tapestry. The elaborate coordinated threads on the exterior side of the fabric, woven with precision and creativity, produce a work of art intended by the weaver. The side that will not be seen, however, is a tangled mess of thread, yarn, and knots. How similar to life! Christ uses what appears to be random circumstances with no meaning—simply knots and tangles—and makes something beautiful out of them. We must not draw undue attention to ourselves, even in our suffering. He can produce spiritual renewal out of great difficulty and conflict.

“It is a greater thing to pray for pain’s conversion than its removal,” wrote P.T. Forsyth, and this is true. Paul won the victory, not by substitution, but by transformation. He discovered the sufficiency of the grace of God. From Paul’s experience, we may learn several practical lessons.

  1. The spiritual is far more important to the dedicated believer than the physical. This is not to suggest that we ignore the physical, because our bodies are the temples of the Spirit of God. But it does mean that we try not to make our bodies an end in themselves. They are God’s tools for accomplishing His work in this world. What God does in developing our Christian character is far more valuable than physical healing without character.
  2. God knows flow to balance burdens and blessings, suffering and glory. Life is something like a prescription: the individual ingredients might hurt us, but when properly blended, they help us.
  3. Not all sickness is caused by sin. The argument of Job’s comforters was that Job had sinned, and that was why he was suffering. But their argument was wrong in Job’s case, as well as in Paul’s case. There are times when God permits Satan to afflict us so that God might accomplish a great purpose in our lives.
  4. There is something worse than sickness, and that is sin; and the worst sin of all is pride. The healthy person who is rebelling against God is in worse shape than the suffering person who is submitting to God and enjoying God’s grace. It is a paradox—and an evidence of the sovereignty of God—that God used Satan, the proudest of all beings, to help keep Paul humble.
  5. Physical affliction need not be a barrier to effective Christian service. Today’s saints are too prone to pamper themselves and use every little ache or pain as an excuse to stay home from church or refuse to accept opportunities for service. Paul did not permit his thorn in the flesh to become a stumbling block. In fact, he let God turn that thorn into a stepping-stone.
  6. We can always rest in God’s Word. He always has a message of encouragement for us in times of trial and suffering.

The great French mystic, Madame Guyon, once wrote to a suffering friend, “Ah, if you knew what power there is in an accepted sorrow!”

Paul knew about that power, because he trusted the will of God and depended on the grace of God. That same power can be ours today.

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Read Along Daily Bible Reading: YouVersion (https://www.bible.com/organizations/370f8a6e-16bc-464f-8c43-0b7623fd2952)

Sources:

Bruce B. Barton et al., Life Application Bible Commentary – 1 & 2 Corinthians, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1999), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “2 CORINTHIANS 12”.

Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary – New Testament, Volume 1, (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2001), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 674-676.

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Thanks and Giving – 2 Corinthians 9: 6-15 Commentary

Posted on November 26, 2024 by dkoop

“Give, and it shall be given unto you,” was our Lord’s promise; and it still holds true (Luke 6:38). The “good measure” He gives back to us is not always money or material goods, but it is always worth far more than we gave. Giving is not something we do, but something we are. Giving is a way of life for the Christian who understands the grace of God.  In grace giving, our motive is not “to get something,” but receiving God’s blessing is one of the fringe benefits.

If our giving is to bless us and build us up, we must be careful to follow the principles that Paul explained in this section.

9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.NIV The people of this time were intimately familiar with the principles of an agricultural economy. Planting, weeding, and harvesting were common, everyday tasks. Everyone would have known of a foolish neighbor who had used too much of his grain instead of saving it as seed for his fields. Lavishly scattering seeds all over one’s fields was a risk. What if birds ate it up? What if the soil was inferior and wouldn’t produce a harvest? Keeping more seeds in storage might appear to be wise, a way to ensure against future disasters. But the farmer who scattered his seed meagerly inevitably would have a small harvest. A farmer who refused to risk his grain on the next year’s harvest would lose.

This piece of agricultural wisdom contains a profound truth about Christian giving (see Proverbs 11:24-26; 22:8-9 for similar sayings). Those who are like the foolish farmer who sowed sparingly—those who refuse to trust God with their future financial security—will inevitably lose out on God’s rich blessings. Those who sow generously will invest in an eternal harvest that will exceed their expectations.

9:7 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.NRSV Each Corinthian believer was to decide how much God wanted him or her to give. It wasn’t to be an impulsive decision but a deliberate one. They were to assess their own ability to give and plan accordingly. This was to be intentional, planned giving, for Paul had already told them to lay aside some money every week (1 Corinthians 16:1-4). This was one reason for Paul sending Titus ahead. He wanted someone to organize the weekly collections so that no one would fall short of how much they had pledged the year before (9:5). It seems that although they had already pledged the money, they had not given it yet.

Paul didn’t want to use urgent appeals or pressure tactics to coerce the Corinthians to give. Even though he was the one appealing for the money, he was careful to give the Corinthians enough time to think and to pray about how much God wanted them to give. Paul didn’t want anyone giving reluctantly or under compulsion. Paul knew that God weighs the heart and not the amount of money; he looks at the giver and not the gift. A cheerful giver, who gives out of a sincere gratitude for what God has done, is the type of giver God cherishes. God multiplies those gifts beyond measure (9:11).

 LIFE APPLICATION – ATTITUDE
A giving attitude is more important than the amount given (9:7). The person who can only give a small gift shouldn’t be embarrassed. God is concerned about how a person gives from his or her resources (see Mark 12:41-44 for Jesus’ commendation of a poor widow’s generosity). According to that standard, the giving of the Macedonian churches would be difficult to match (8:3). God himself is a cheerful giver. Consider all he has done for us. He is pleased when we who are created in his image give generously and joyfully. Do you have a difficult time letting go of your money? It may reflect your ungratefulness to God.

9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.NIV The biggest obstacle that people have to overcome in order to give is worry. What if I will not have enough money next year for my retirement? What if some emergency comes up? What if I lose my job? These verses reassure the Corinthians that God is able to meet all their needs. He is the Almighty. He owns all of the world; moreover, he blesses those who give back to him.

Paul emphasized all in this verse. Christians who give back to God will lack nothing. God’s favor—his grace—will be showered on people who give. They will have everything they need in the various situations in which they find themselves. In the Old Testament, God even invited the Israelites “to test” him in this. If they brought all the required tithes to him, God promised to “throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that [they] will not have room enough for it” (Malachi 3:10 niv).

The purpose of God’s overwhelming blessing is always to equip his people to do every good work. This text doesn’t imply that Christian giving is a contract with God, where the one who gives gets. Instead, it says that God will provide whatever a Christian needs to do good. Thus, in the end, a Christian’s good works will bring praise and glory to God.

9:9 As the Scriptures say, “Godly people give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will never be forgotten.”NLT Just as a farmer has to scatter the seed on the ground in order to reap an abundant harvest, so Christians must scatter what they possess among the poor in order to reap God’s blessing. Paul already made it clear that God’s blessing does not always include an increase of riches. All of God’s gifts, both spiritual and material, are intended to help a Christian do good works (9:8). This quote from Psalm 112:9 demonstrates this truth. Although the psalmist does speak of material blessings for the righteous person in that psalm (Psalm 112:3), Paul quotes a line that emphasizes the spiritual benefits of generosity to the poor. Those who are blessed by God with financial resources should give generously to help those with less. Memory of this righteousness will never be forgotten. Those who receive this person’s gifts will remember the generosity for a long time, but, more importantly, God will never forget the person’s benevolence.

9:10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.NIV God supplies both the seed and the bread, both the surplus to invest and the resources to support one’s family every day. The resources that God gives Christians are not to be hoarded, foolishly devoured, or thrown away. God gives gifts to his people for their own use and for investing back into God’s work. Instead of squandering these gifts, Christians need to cultivate them in order to produce more good works (9:8).

God does not limit himself to merely giving more resources—in other words, more seed. He blesses what you sow. He showers the seed with gentle rain. He gives the seed that is sown everything it needs to grow into a healthy, thriving plant. Although the seed is small, it has great potential if it has the right conditions to grow (see Jesus’ parables on seeds in Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, 31-32).

In the same way, God blesses believers’ feeble efforts at generosity so that they enlarge the harvest. This harvest does not consist of personal wealth and riches. It is a harvest of your righteousness. God will take inadequate efforts at good works and increase them so that they bless many people. All a person has to do is give.

9:11-12 Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God. So two good things will happen—the needs of the Christians in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanksgiving to God.NLT Giving generously to those in need causes two good things to happen. First, through those gifts given to those who need them, God meets their needs (here, specifically, the needs of the Christians in Jerusalem). Second, the recipients of these generous gifts will break out in thanksgiving to God, joyfully expressing it! Their celebration over these gifts will lead to heartfelt praise to God, for they will know that it is God who enables the giver to give in the first place.

So, in Paul’s eyes, giving is not a strategy for financial growth but another way to bring praise and honor to God, who supplies everyone’s needs. Christians shouldn’t give to others in order to receive personal rewards. They should give liberally to the poor in order to see God work.

 LIFE APPLICATION – STINGY CHRISTIANS?
Paul wanted his readers to be generous on every occasion. As he appealed to the Corinthians to give sacrificially to aid the Jerusalem congregation, he reminded them that God is the source of everything good (9:10). Believers are called to be generous because of the example of the Lord of life. A stingy Christian should be an extinct species. Generosity proves that a person’s heart has been cleansed of self-interest and filled with the servant spirit of Jesus himself. That is why acts of generosity result in God being praised. When those through whom God works give freely, his undercover operation is exposed and applauded. Do neighbors see generosity in your actions?

9:13 You will be glorifying God through your generous gifts. For your generosity to them will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.NLT In addition to the normal advantages that come through Christian giving (see 9:11-12), Paul hoped that the Jerusalem collection would have extra benefits: He hoped that through this gift from Gentile Christians Jewish and Gentile believers would be drawn closer together in Christian fellowship.

During the early decades of the church, Jewish Christians had grave doubts about whether the Gentiles’ faith was sincere. Even the apostle Peter was surprised that God wanted him to break Jewish ceremonial law in order to preach the gospel to Cornelius, a Gentile centurion (see Acts 10:1-33). But he did; Cornelius and his household not only came to faith in Christ but also received the Holy Spirit (10:34-46). This development wasn’t welcomed by some of the Jewish believers in Jerusalem (see Acts 11:3). Only after Peter had defended his actions did the believers in Jerusalem finally agree that salvation had been extended to the Gentiles also (Acts 11:18). Unfortunately, this wasn’t the end of the controversy. Later, some Jewish believers from Judea went to Antioch to inform Gentile believers that they had to be circumcised in order to be saved (see Acts 15:1). Even Peter tacitly joined in their hypocrisy because he was afraid of what this group would say (see Galatians 2:11-13). The controversy that erupted out of this was resolved at a meeting in Jerusalem. There the leaders of the early church agreed that salvation was only through faith in Jesus, not through the law (see Acts 15:6-19; Galatians 3:6-7, 13-14; Ephesians 2:8). Even though the issue had been resolved, it kept coming up. Jewish legalists misled the Gentile believers in Galatia (Galatians 3:1-5); and, apparently, decades after Peter’s first meeting with Cornelius, there were still Jewish believers in Jerusalem who doubted the genuineness of the Gentiles’ faith.

Paul viewed the collection for the destitute Jerusalem believers as concrete evidence that the Gentile believers were obedient to the Good News of Christ. One of the directives of the Jerusalem Council was that Gentile Christians shouldn’t forget the poor (see Galatians 2:10). The Gentiles’ generous gift to the Jerusalem poor would prove that they were obeying this directive. Paul never viewed the Jerusalem collection as a rite of initiation for the Gentiles. He was always perfectly clear that salvation came only through faith in Jesus (Galatians 3:26). Giving back to God, however, is one of many signs that a person’s faith is authentic (see also James 2:14-18).

9:14 And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the wonderful grace of God shown through you.NLT The collection for the Jerusalem believers would not only demonstrate the sincerity of the Corinthians’ faith, it would also tie the Christian community of faith closer together. Jewish Christians would view the monetary gift as an indication of God’s wonderful grace working in the Corinthians’ lives. Why would any Gentile—whether a Galatian or a Greek—give generously to the Jews in Jerusalem? Many of the Jews were not even citizens of the Roman Empire. They were a poor, minority group within the empire, with not much clout. Only God’s undeserved grace in their lives could motivate them to give (see 8:8-9).

Some Jewish Christians in the first century still found it difficult to accept Gentiles into the community of faith. This generous gift might be the one thing that would prompt these Jews to start praying for the Corinthian believers for the first time. Just as the Corinthians’ prayers for Paul made them partners with him in sharing the gospel (1:11), so these prayers of Jewish Christians would make them partners with Gentile believers. Through the Jerusalem collection, Jesus would begin to unite Jews and Gentiles into one body, the church (see Galatians 3:28). They were all becoming part of Jesus’ body; each was dependent on the other. The Gentiles had relied on the Jews to tell them the wonderful Good News of Jesus, while the Jews were relying on the Gentiles to support them financially (see Paul’s explanation of the offering at Romans 15:26-27). Through this, the entire community of faith—Jewish and Gentile Christians—would be built up in love.

9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! NKJV Paul ended his appeal for giving with fervent praise to God. The source of all this—the ability to give, the desire to give, even the reconciliation that would occur between Jewish and Gentile believers—was solely from God’s hands. God is the ultimate Giver.

This verse may be saying that the whole process from giver to recipient is an indescribable gift from God. But since Paul used the Greek word for “gift” that is commonly used for Jesus’ gift of righteousness (see Romans 5:15), Paul certainly was thanking God here for Jesus’ gift of salvation. That God freely saves all those who believe in Jesus is truly an “indescribable gift.” God’s extraordinary gift of salvation should motivate you to give generously to others. Spend time meditating on how much God has given you. Then evaluate your generosity in light of God’s generosity to you.

 LIFE APPLICATION –  THANKFUL
Thankfulness puts everything in the right perspective; God gives what is needed for service, comfort, expression, and recreation.
Thankful people can worship wholeheartedly. Gratitude opens our hearts to God’s peace and enables believers to put on love.
To increase your thankfulness, take an inventory of all you have (include your relationships, memories, abilities, and family, as well as material possessions). Use the inventory for prayers of gratitude. Before worship, pause and reflect on reasons for thanks. Celebrate God’s goodness.

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Read Along Daily Bible Reading: YouVersion (https://www.bible.com/organizations/370f8a6e-16bc-464f-8c43-0b7623fd2952)

Source: Bruce B. Barton et al., Life Application Bible Commentary – 1 & 2 Corinthians, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1999), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “2 CORINTHIANS 9”.

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New Creation – 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 Commentary

Posted on November 18, 2024 by dkoop

Our  passage shows us, that in Christ we have:

  1. A New Motivation (the Love of Christ)
  2. A New Transformation  and a
  3. New Purpose (Reconciliation)

The first step to resolving a dispute is asking the other person for forgiveness, but no one enjoys taking that initial step. Whether it is a conflict between a husband and wife or a brother and sister, the first step toward reconciliation is difficult because no one wants to admit that he or she was wrong.

This passage points out that God has graciously taken the first step—in fact, the first stride—toward reconciliation with human beings. This in no way implies that God is somehow guilty or at fault. Ever since Adam and Eve’s rebellion in the Garden of Eden, people have consistently rebelled against God, ignoring his ways and depriving him of the worship he deserves (Romans 3:23). God has done nothing wrong. In fact, he has only given people chance after chance to return to him. Although all human beings have persisted in their rebellion, God has not destroyed them. Instead, he has provided everything to sustain life—from the air they breathe to the rains that make their crops grow (Matthew 5:45). Through his only Son, God the Father has reached out even further to his rebellious people. Through Christ’s death, God canceled our debts and forgave our sins (Colossians 2:13). He even places his Holy Spirit in our hearts so we can live according to his perfect ways (Galatians 5:16–18). Through Jesus, God has taken the initial step toward reconciliation, and he offers the free gift of salvation to all people. Anyone can come to accept his free gift (Ephesians 2:8–9; Revelation 22:17). Take advantage of God’s free gift. What a profound truth and great news!

5:14     For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. NIV  What motivates you? Everything that Paul and his companions did was to honor God. Not only did fear of God motivate them (see 5:11), but Christ’s love controlled their actions. The Greek word for “compels” means “to hold fast.” In other words, the love of Christ was motivating them to certain courses of action. They knew that Jesus, out of his great love, had given up his life for their sakes. He had not acted out of his own self-interest, selfishly holding on to the glory of heaven that he already possessed (Philippians 2:6). Instead, Jesus had willingly died on the cross.

Jesus died for all because on the cross he—the perfect Son of God—bore the curse that lay on all sinners. Thus, when Christ died on the cross, God saw all sinners, along with their sins, die on the cross (John 3:16–17; Romans 5:8). That is why those who accept this truth and believe in Jesus can receive God’s forgiveness for their sin.

5:15     And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. NIV Because Christ was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, to die for all, those who believe in Jesus should be willing to abandon their old, selfish ways in order to live for Christ (Romans 6:6–14; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 2:20). Like Paul, we should no longer live to please ourselves. We should die to ourselves and live for Christ, who is alive today and interceding with God on our behalf (Romans 6:22).

COUNTERCULTURAL CHRISTIANITY

In light of Christ’s death, Paul is insistent that Christians have no right to live selfishly (5:14). This biblical idea attacks today’s culture head-on. In the middle of the twentieth century, popular magazine titles were generically named Life, Look, and Time. As the new millennium approached, magazine titles reflected an increasingly ego-driven society: People, Us, and Self. Imagine that you have been approached to come up with a name and format for a new magazine whose content reflects a Christlike lifestyle. What titles would you suggest? What articles would you feature in this magazine? As an editor, what lifestyle issues would you want to address? In what ways would you encourage Christians to counter society’s values?

5:16–17           So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. NIV At one time, Paul had evaluated Jesus from a worldly point of view—in Greek, literally, “after the flesh,” meaning “according to human standards.” As an educated Jew, Paul was looking forward to the Messiah. But the Jews of his time were looking for a political Messiah, a powerful person who would free them from Roman rule. Instead, Jesus had died, even suffering the Romans’ most cruel punishment: crucifixion. Because Deuteronomy 21:23 says “anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse” niv, the Jews considered dying on a cross a sign of God’s disapproval. According to human standards, Jesus was an insignificant man who died like a criminal—not a person who deserved worship.

Paul’s encounter with the risen Christ on the Damascus road radically changed his thinking (Acts 9:1–15). All of his learning and all of his training under the teachers of the law and the respected Gamaliel had not led him to the truth. The wisdom of the world had not pointed him to the Savior of the world (see 1 Corinthians 2:1–16 for Paul’s explanation of why God circumvented human wisdom in his plan of salvation).

Only this personal encounter with Jesus convinced Paul that he needed to reevaluate his own life in light of what Jesus had accomplished on the cross. Jesus had given up his life for others—not only for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles (see Acts 10:34–44 for Peter’s discovery of this). As a Pharisee, Paul had strictly followed Jewish law and its traditions, which limited contact with unbelieving Gentiles (see Acts 10:12–16, 28–29 for Peter’s reaction to entering a Gentiles’ house). In light of Christ’s work, however, Paul abandoned those scruples and began calling Gentiles to faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 11:13; 15:16). He regarded everyone—both Jew and Gentile—as completely unworthy sinners before God (Romans 3:9). Anyone who acknowledged this fact, repented, and believed in Jesus as their Lord and Savior would enter the Christian community, whether Jew or Gentile (Ephesians 3:6). Paul no longer was looking on the outward appearances—whether a person was from a certain ethnic or racial origin. Instead, he evaluated people through Christ’s perspective.

 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! NLT Christians are brand-new people. The Holy Spirit gives them new life, and they are not the same anymore. Christians are not reformed, rehabilitated, or reeducated—they are recreated (a new creation), living in vital union with Christ (Colossians 2:6–7). At conversion, believers are not merely turning over a new leaf; they are beginning a new life under a new Master.

In addition to recreating individual Christians, Jesus is incorporating them into an entirely new order. This new creation that Christ has begun constructing through his work on the cross includes the community of faith and all of creation (see Romans 8:20–21; Ephesians 1:9–10). This recreation of all the earth was something the prophet Isaiah had predicted (see Isaiah 65:17). An important aspect of this completely new creation is how people are reconciled to their Creator and even to other people. The distinction between Jew and Gentile is abolished. In its place is the new creation (see Galatians 6:15). Everything old has passed away. The old order of sin and death has gone; the selfish, sinful human nature has been dealt a death blow (see Galatians 5:16–21, 24). Old ways of thinking, old distinctions, have been abolished for those who are in Christ. In its place, the new has come. To draw attention to the coming of this new order, Paul announced it with the word “see.”

NEW LIFE

Paul proclaimed a whole new creation in Christ. Too often this verse has been individualized so that the main point is blurred. Many preach, “If anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation.” While this is true, Paul is saying much more. Not only are believers changed from within (mysterious new creations in Christ), but a whole new order of creative energy began with Christ. There is a new covenant, a new perspective, a new body, a new church. All of creation is being renewed.

So sit up. Take notice. The old, worn-out ways are being replaced with new. This is not a superficial change that will be quickly superseded by another novelty. This is an entirely new order of all creation under Christ’s authority. It requires a new way of looking at all people and all of creation. Does your life reflect this new perspective?

5:18     All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. NIV This new creation is not of any human doing. God himself has begun the work. Only God can allow people to approach him. Only God can satisfy his own righteous demands. Only God can save. God is the Author and Finisher of salvation (see Hebrews 12:2). God brought his people to himself—in other words, reconciled us—by blotting out our sins (see also Ephesians 2:13–18) and making us righteous. When they trust in Christ, believers are no longer God’s enemies. Through Christ’s self-sacrificial work on the cross, God has made believers part of his family. Jesus died in our place so that we might enjoy fellowship with God (1 Corinthians 15:3).

Because believers have been reconciled to God, we have the privilege of encouraging others to accept God’s free gift, to become reconciled as well. This is called the ministry of reconciliation. Since Paul experienced reconciliation through Christ, it became his mission to preach that message: “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” (Romans 5:10 niv). Today, the church owes it to the world to keep on spreading the message.

5:19     For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. NLT This is a quick summary of what his “ministry of reconciliation” entails. God had given Paul and other Christian evangelists the wonderful message of how God through Christ saves sinners. Just in case the Corinthians had forgotten the heart of Paul’s message to them, he repeated it to them: Christ was reconciling the world to God by no longer counting people’s sins against them. Paul used a Greek word for “counting” that was commonly used when a Greek spoke of calculating the debt of a person. Thus, God was no longer calculating people’s debt to him; instead, he was actively giving them more: the precious gift of salvation.

The Greek word for “sins” (paraptomata) literally means “fall beside,” in other words, a “failing.” Paul used it to express anything that deviated from God’s ways. But God, through Christ’s death on the cross, was bringing back all people—Jews and Greeks alike—who had fallen (Romans 5:10; Ephesians 2:14–17). Although we were enemies of God, Christ reached out to us, saving us from certain destruction. He even washed us in order that we might approach God with clean hearts (Colossians 1:21–22).

5:20–21           We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. NIV Ambassadors are official representatives of one country to another. In the first century, an ambassador was an elderly man of high rank who would travel to another country with messages from the monarch of his country. These messages might be simply congratulations at appropriate occasions, or it could be an official censure. Paul described himself and his coworkers as Christ’s ambassadors, representatives of Christ to the world (5:19).

Paul was a spokesmen for God. The message he preached was, in fact, God’s appeal to the world. Paul obtained his authority to preach from God himself. God had not given this authority to Paul because he was an especially gifted speaker or had the right credentials. God simply had chosen Paul to deliver God’s appeal. If Paul ever deviated from God’s message, he would lose his authority to speak (see 1 Corinthians 12:3).

What was Paul’s message that he had to deliver on Christ’s behalf? It was to be reconciled to God. Paul phrased this command in the passive tense. He wasn’t commanding people to reconcile themselves; they were incapable of doing that. Instead, Paul was announcing that they could be reconciled to God and that they should accept God’s free gift of reconciliation. Paul did not announce this message halfheartedly. He implored—even urged and pleaded—everyone who would listen to him to accept God’s free gift of salvation. It was extremely urgent, for it would change their eternal destiny.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us. NIV Although Jesus was completely innocent, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us. There are three views on what Paul meant by this: (1) Jesus was made a sinner when he died on the cross. This, of course, is not true. Jesus did not break the law at any point. He could not be a sinless sacrifice (Hebrews 7:26) and a sinner at the same time. Rather it was “for us” that he bore the consequences of our sin: death. (2) Still others have seen this as a reference to the Jewish sacrificial system. God made Jesus (1 Corinthians 5:7), although perfect and unblemished, into a sin offering for all humanity (see Romans 3:25; Hebrews 13:11–14). Although Paul does teach that Christ was a sin offering for us, and the Greek word for “sin,” hamartia, can also be used for sin offering, it would have been confusing for Paul to say “he who had no sin offering became a sin offering.” (3) Most likely the meaning is that Christ bore the consequences of, or punishment for, our sins, as stated in Galatians 3:13:

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” (niv)

In other words, God made Jesus, who was completely innocent and perfect, identify himself with sin so he could take it away.

In life, rarely will anyone claim perfection. Sin is a part of life, so much so that many people simply expect to encounter dishonesty, self-centeredness, and greed in other people. If they don’t, they are surprised. That is why many people in Jesus’ day expressed surprise at Jesus’ life. They could not find anything wrong with him (see Pilate’s words in Luke 23:4–22, the centurion’s words in Luke 23:41–48, and God’s testimony in Matthew 3:17; 17:5). The disciples, Jesus’ closest friends and followers, did not find any evil in his actions (see Peter’s testimony in 1 Peter 2:22 and John’s testimony in 1 John 3:5). Here Paul used the Greek word meaning “to know” in a personal way in the expression had no sin. Thus Paul was asserting that Jesus never knew what it meant to sin: He always followed God’s ways.

 So that in him we might become the righteousness of God. NIV Jesus bore the consequences of believers’ sin for their sakes. Since Jesus, who was perfect and innocent, took on the penalty of sin—death itself, Jesus can now give those who believe in him his righteousness. His perfect righteousness can cover our corrupt and imperfect lives. When people trust in Christ, they make an exchange—their sin for his righteousness. Believers’ sin was placed on Jesus at his crucifixion. His righteousness is given to believers at their conversion. This is what Christians mean by Christ’s atonement for sin.

If it were not for the reality contained in 5:21, all of Christianity would be wishful thinking, a “hope so” religion. Here, Paul clarified the eternal transaction whereby each believer is passed “from death to life” (John 5:24 niv). How grateful we should be for God’s kindness to us!

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

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Read Along Daily Bible Reading: YouVersion (https://www.bible.com/organizations/370f8a6e-16bc-464f-8c43-0b7623fd2952)

Sources

NIV Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

NLT Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

[1] Bruce B. Barton and Grant R. Osborne, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1999), 351–360.

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Invitation and Introduction – New Creation -2 Corinthians

Posted on November 14, 2024 by dkoop

You’re invited to our new series, “New Creation” in 2 Corinthians!

Description:

As Christians we are brand-new people on the inside. We are not reformed, rehabilitated, or reeducated—we are re-created (New Creations), living in vital union with Christ.  The church at Corinth was weak. Surrounded by idolatry and immorality, they struggled with their Christian faith and lifestyle. Through personal visits and letters, Paul instructed them in their faith, tried to resolve their conflicts, and reminded them of who they are: “a New Creation,” with a “ministry of reconciliation.”  Will you live out your faith as a “New Creation” in Christ?

Dates           Titles            Scripture                Events

Nov. 17 – God’s New Creation (2 Cor. 5)                     Communion

Nov. 24 – God’s Way of Meeting My Need (2 Cor. 8)  Thanksgiving Weekend

 Dec. 1 – God’s Grace for the Hurting (2 Cor. 12)

Dec. 8 –   God’s Greatest Gifts (2 Cor. 1, 4, 5)

 

Introduction: 

Paul constantly struggled with those who would mislead God’s people, and he poured his life into spreading the Good News to the uttermost parts of the world. During three missionary trips and other travels, he proclaimed Christ, made converts, and established churches. But often young believers were easy prey for false teachers, who were a constant threat to the gospel and the early church. So Paul had to spend much time warning and correcting these new Christians.
The church at Corinth was weak. Surrounded by idolatry and immorality, they struggled with their Christian faith and lifestyle. Through personal visits and letters, Paul tried to instruct them in the faith, resolve their conflicts, and solve some of their problems. First Corinthians was sent to deal with specific moral issues in the church and to answer questions about sex, marriage, and tender consciences. That letter confronted the issues directly and was well received by most. But there were false teachers who denied Paul’s authority and slandered him. Paul then wrote 2 Corinthians to defend his position and to denounce those who were twisting the truth.
Second Corinthians must have been a difficult letter for Paul to write because he had to list his credentials as an apostle. Paul was reluctant to do so as a humble servant of Christ, but he knew it was necessary. Paul also knew that most of the believers in Corinth had taken his previous words to heart and were beginning to mature in their faith. He affirmed their commitment to Christ.
Second Corinthians begins with Paul reminding his readers of (1) his relationship to them—Paul had always been honest and straightforward with them (1:12–14), (2) his itinerary—he was planning to visit them again (1:15–2:2), and (3) his previous letter (2:3–11). Paul then moves directly to the subject of false teachers (2:17), and he reviews his ministry among the Corinthians to demonstrate the validity of his message and to urge them not to turn away from the truth (3:1–7:16).
Paul next turns to the issue of collecting money for the poor Christians in Jerusalem. He tells them how others have given, and he urges them to show their love in a tangible way as well (8:1–9:15). Paul then gives a strong defense of his authority as a genuine apostle while pointing out the deceptive influence of the false apostles (10:1–13:10).
As you read this intensely personal letter, listen to Paul’s words of love and exhortation, and be committed to the truth of God’s Word and prepared to reject all false teaching.

Vital Statistics

Purpose: To affirm Paul’s ministry, defend his authority as an apostle, and refute the false teachers in Corinth

Author: Paul

Original Audience: The church in Corinth

Date Written: Approximately A.D. 55–57, from Macedonia

Setting: Paul had already written three letters to the Corinthians (two are now lost). In 1 Corinthians (the second of these letters), he used strong words to correct and teach. Most of the church had responded in the right spirit; there were, however, those who were denying Paul’s authority and questioning his motives.

Key Verse: “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead ‘Come back to God!’ ” (5:20)

Key People: Paul, Timothy, Titus, false teachers

Key Places: Corinth, Jerusalem

Special Features: This is an intensely personal and autobiographical letter.

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Read Along Daily Bible Reading: YouVersion (https://www.bible.com/organizations/370f8a6e-16bc-464f-8c43-0b7623fd2952)

Source: Life Application Bible Notes (Tyndale, 2007), 1958–1959.

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