2 Cor 10-13

Chapter 10.  A minority group was attacking his authority to spread the Gospel as well as his Character. (the timing of this read it amazing isn’t it).  Anyway, some were saying “Your letters are strong and bold but in person you ain’t all that!”.  I feel like he answers with almost a “Yes, that is true, I will not be Bold, because the rest of the world is like that!”  By the way, this will not be the last time we hear the word Meek (vs 1) so I want to define it.  Meekness is NOT weakness.  Meekness is about being gentle and humble.  I think too often our passion for Jesus or the Gospel to the unbelievers can actually be brought too harshly.  So think of what Paul is saying, he may know it and write about it boldly, but bringing it face to face should be done kindly (bold but gentle).

Chapter 11: Paul then says I hate to have to do this but let me tell you all I have done for you! Can you feel his anger.  While they are sitting there, now remember this week we talked about them being a people who even gets drunk and gorges themselves on food during the Lords’  Supper. He then tells off what it is really like to be on MIssion for them.  Let me ask you, after reading the second half of Chapter 11, and the way they are treating Paul, if you were Paul would you have given up?? Or would you visit a third time?

Chapter 12.  WOW.  Paul then says there is the earthly man in me (that is the part I am talking about) and then there is the part of me that Christ is so very real.  God has shown Paul a part of Heaven.  Even Paul cannot understand or explain it. I am sure God did this to keep the spirit (lower case) alive in Paul on the hard times he was facing.   Think about when we are in a trial, God will just bring us that one person, or that one thing to let us know He is with us.

Paul as many know suffered from an extremely painful, and debilitating disease.  Through all this he has not even mentioned it! Some say it may have to do something with his eyes that not just affected his eye sight but may have distorted his face too.  We do not know why God does what He does but trust me everything He does has a reason.

Chapter 13.  Well?  Ever question your Salvation? Ever ask yourself “Am I really saved”  I used to a lot.  Paul says “Test yourselves” Not test God”, but Test yourselves and see that the Spirit is in you.  That reminds me of the movie Evan Almighty (a must see) put yourself in a position that for the Lord to use you, and He will.

(For some reason that was a HARD read for me) well back to Acts for a brief moment tomorrow and then Romans!

2 Cor 10-13

Still getting through this read.  SOme tough scriptures in this one.  You?

2 Cor 5-9

I think this is a very personal read.  I found myself doing the “Beth Moore” pronouncing each word emphasized through all this: Read this OUT LOUD. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 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. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

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Do not be yoked with Unbelievers.  Sorry ladies, if you are already married…we already covered this!  However, with all other tight relationships, business, network, social we need to really check the status of their Salvation because the pull of the World on them with no doubt pollute us.  Trust me, it is a huge part of my marital problems.  He sits with the Canaanites daily!

OK, back to the Bible, then as I read into Chapter 7 we read that the Letters and Trips from Paul (clearly God written) had an effect on the hearts of the Corinthians because they REPENT!  Yeah!

The rest of the read is NOT about giving money, it is about God testing the sincerity of our heart. (ouch didn’t that hurt)

        I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.   2 Cor 8:8-9.

According to your means, what do you give?  Time, goods, service…Not because He commands it, but becasue you are compelled to!     

                For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 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.  2 Cor 5:14-15

2 Cor 1-4

You have to know all that is going on with Paul to write such an intense letter!  He sent the first letter.  Evidently there was another letter that was also sent.  Paul has no idea the effect these letters might have on the church in Corinth.  Did it anger them? Help them? Comfort them?  Evidently, Paul had a brief visit and it did not go so well .  Maybe it was the man who was having an incest relationship that Paul told the church to excommunicate.  He then,  is in another city and he is supposed to meet Titus, his personal friend and messenger of the letters,  and Titus no shows.  Oh the Horror!  Remember they are in times of extreme persecution.  Just carrying such a letter is reason to torture and kill Titus.   Finally,  Paul reunites with Titus. During all that Paul is suffering his own trials and anguish…so now as you read this letter know the LOVE Paul has for the seeded churches that are planted in such horrible cities.

Through all these trials, Paul has experiences a Comfort that only God provides in such times,  He also has readability to what the people of Corinth are going through.  I am just letting you know I am not a major underliner but I think I went through a whole pen on just these 4 chapters.  I am thinking we should come back and just study this book!

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Cor 1:21

I want to take 2 seconds on 2 Cor 2:14-17.  Regarding the term “Aroma” of Christ is on us.  Maybe you have seen this in the movies like Gladiator but the Romans would parade their prisoners of war or captives through the town after a victory.  Huge incense would be burned.  To some,  that smell would be beautiful, a smell of victory but to the ones that were prisoners that smell meant they were going in the Gladiator Den or Prison.  The incense was a small of death.    My friend chose verse 17 as a tag line for a ministry called Operation Crazy Love.  May we be the sweet smell of Christ to those we are helping.  A smell of hope and comfort.  However, know that to the lost and unbelieving we will smell like death because compared to us (eternally) that is the difference.  (that is why we offend the lost just being in the room)

Paul then continues about his “credentials”.  There were men walking around with papers declaring their importance in status and felt Paul needed to prove himself worthy to Preach and witness to the people.  Paul lets them know that our “letter of recommendation” is on our hearts!  Our lives are the testimony.  And Paul says it PERFECTLY!

I personally think Chapters 3 and 4 might be in my top 5 readings in the whole bible.  I remember where I was th first time I read them actually a few years ago.  I was numb (and confused).  I was lucky enough to call a neighbor who dropped everything and walked me through them.  If any of the Glory/Veil/ Stuff is swirling in your head let me know.  I actually assume most of you know more than me on the NT so I don’t know what to write on sometimes.

2 Corinthians overview.

Ever put something out there…and then wonder how it was received?  Well that is what happened to Paul.  He wrote the letter we called 1 Corinthians to the Church in Corinth and it was pretty straight forward.  I mean, he didn’t fluff it up at all.  Then Paul was worried about how the church received the letter.  (I know the feeling)  So paul sent his friends Titus to get the scoop.  Titus comes back with good news and bad news.  The good news is the letter was received very well from the believers in Corinth.  The bad news is they were questioning the authority of Paul.  (ummm ever look at someone’s name under a bible study offer and think “uhhhhhh”).  Anyway, same thing here.  See Paul was NOT one of the original 12 disciples.  Even after Judas the replacement was Matthias,  not Paul.  He never sat with Jesus.  He never learned from Jesus.  So what makes Paul a credible source?  Well, what makes any of us credible?

This is actually the 3rd letter.  If you paid attention to the first letter you can see Paul kep saying “As I told you” but  I am not sure what happened to that letter (God does).

SO this letter is written again to Corinth (thus the name 2 Corninthains…your quick…ha ha) and it is about a year after the first letter.  If I was estimating the timeline we are about 28ish years after the Resurrection.