Paul was called by Jesus Christ to an exceptional ministry as revealed to Ananias in Acts 9:15–16 (LEB) ‘But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” ‘ and because of this call, Paul received “the extraordinary degree of the revelations” in 2 Corinthians 12:7 and also because of these revelations, Paul also received, in that same verse, “a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, in order that it would torment me so that I would not exalt myself”. It is this that established Paul as an apostle and also gave him the wisdom to deal with others that only claimed themselves to be apostles. It is because of these false apostles that Paul speaks to the Christians in Corinth and says to them in 2 Corinthians 11:2 (LEB) “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ”. Paul has the charge for their souls’ and passionately speaks out to protect them because in 2 Corinthians 11:3 (LEB) “But I am afraid lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds may be led astray from the sincerity and the purity of devotion to Christ”. It was Paul’s sincere desire that the Christians entrusted to his care would know the voice of the Lord and not follow any other.

The Sincerity and the Purity of Devotion to Christ

2 Corinthians 11:1–15

Paul makes an unusual statement here because he knows these people and has been a part of their life for a while so he asks them to “put up with me, in something a little foolish” in 2 Corinthians 11:1. As we read this it is like a conversation between long-time friends where they know the best and the worst in each other and are still fully committed to each other so Paul says this in

2 Corinthians 11:2 (LEB) “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ”

We have lost the solemnity of this statement in our culture where people come and go in relationships at a whim if they ever considered marriage at all. This statement, “I promised you in marriage to one husband” in Paul’s day, involved a complete and total, lifelong commitment and lasting relationship based on honor and loyalty and trust and love. Paul raises this conversation because as he goes on to say in

2 Corinthians 11:3 (LEB) “But I am afraid lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds may be led astray from the sincerity and the purity of devotion to Christ”

Then Paul asks if he has made a mistake and sinned against them even though he knows he has not in

2 Corinthians 11:7–8 (LEB) “Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself in order that you may be exalted, because I proclaimed the gospel of God to you without payment? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them for the ministry to you”

but he wants them to understand his great love for them and the close relationship he feels with them in

2 Corinthians 11:11 (LEB) Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

This is the reason for his strong warning and caution to them that they should not be led astray or deceived by these others that have come along declaring themselves as apostles in

2 Corinthians 11:13–14 (LEB) “For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light”

if It Is Necessary to Boast

2 Corinthians 11:16–33

How can you prove to someone that you love them or even that you truly care about them? Jesus said “beware” and then gave us the answer in

Matthew 7:15–16 (LEB) “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inside are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits: they do not gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles, do they?

This still may be difficult for us to put into practical application unless we think about the fruit, it is the luscious part of the plant that is good for us to eat, we enjoy it and it is satisfying to our taste and filling for our hunger. There are also plants that produce thistles and these are painful to tough and have no nutritional value but only good to be gathered and burned which represents wasted effort and trouble. It is easy for us to recognize this difference between good and bad fruit so Paul makes this somewhat sarcastic statement to expose the bad behavior of these false apostles in

2 Corinthians 11:19–20 (LEB) “For because you are wise, you put up with foolish people gladly! 20 For you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone is presumptuous toward you, if someone strikes you in the face”

No, a true apostle is not one taking advantage, a true apostle is one that lays down his life for you and endures even extreme opposition to deliver the gospel as “servants of Christ” in 2 Corinthians 11:23.

The Extraordinary Degree of the Revelations

2 Corinthians 12:1–10

There is a reason that Paul is as successful as he is in ministry and it is because the Lord called him to this position and with that calling came revelation. We who are Christians have heard the gospel and believed and have a revelation of the work that Jesus Christ did for us. Paul has this and other specific encounters with the Lord that have given him insight and direction, that has given him a surety about the things he is doing even in the face of abusive treatment and responses. Paul describes these in

2 Corinthians 12:2–4 (LEB) “I know a man in Christ fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or outside the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven, 3 and I know this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—4 that he was caught up to paradise and heard words not to be spoken, which it is not permitted for a person to speak”

Paul has revelation that others did not have that he calls “the extraordinary degree of the revelations” in 2 Corinthians 12:7 and also because of this, he has in that same verse, “a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, in order that it would torment me so that I would not exalt myself” and the Lord also gave Paul the grace he needed, the poser of God to overcome in

2 Corinthians 12:9 (LEB) And he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, because the power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore rather I will boast most gladly in my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may reside in me.

Study Verses

• 2 Corinthians 11:1–15 The Sincerity and the Purity of Devotion to Christ
• 2 Corinthians 11:16–33 If It Is Necessary to Boast
• 2 Corinthians 12:1–10 The Extraordinary Degree of the Revelations

Today’s Reading

• 2 Corinthians 11:1-33
• 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Paul is taking a collection for the church in Jerusalem and speaks firmly to the people of Corinth encouraging them to give in 2 Corinthians 8:8 (LEB) “I am not saying this as a command, but proving the genuineness of your love by means of the diligence of others”. This gift was a way for them to express the God’s grace as Jesus did in 2 Corinthians 8:9 (LEB) “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, for your sake he became poor, in order that you, by his poverty, may become rich”. This was an important offering so great care was taken to ensure the administration and at least seven men accompanied Paul to Jerusalem to deliver it. Paul is also careful to explain the firmness, the boldness of some of the things he has said because people are easily offended and he anticipates their response in 2 Corinthians 10:7 (LEB) “You are looking at things according to appearance. If anyone is convinced he himself is Christ’s, he should consider this concerning himself again: that just as Christ himself is, so also are we” and we are to in Ephesians 4:15 (LEB) “But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow into him with reference to all things, who is the head, Christ”. Any correction is to be taken as from the Lord in Hebrews 12:5–6 (LEB) “And have you completely forgotten the exhortation which instructs you as sons? “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, or give up when you are corrected by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one whom he loves, and punishes every son whom he accepts”.

Proving the Genuineness of Your Love

2 Corinthians 8:1–15

Paul had received a vision, a call to go to Macedonia and he had been there beginning in

Acts 16:9-10 (LEB) ‘And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: a certain Macedonian man was standing there and imploring him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and* help us!” 10 And when he had seen the vision, we wanted at once to go away to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them’.

Now, Paul has returned to Macedonia in his third missionary journey but it has been hard going in

2 Corinthians 7:5 (LEB) “For even when we arrived in Macedonia, our body had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way—quarrels outside, fears within”

but this hardness was not in their receptiveness to the gospel because the people did give themselves to the Lord, it was the poverty of the region that made it so difficult even-so, they had contributed to the collection that was being gathered for the church in Jerusalem as described in

2 Corinthians 8:1–5 (LEB) “Now we make known to you, brothers, the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 that with a great ordeal of affliction, the abundance of their joy and the extreme depth of their poverty have overflowed to the wealth of their generosity. 3 I testify that they gave* according to their ability, and beyond their ability, by their own choice, 4 requesting of us with much exhortation the favor and the fellowship of the ministry to the saints, 5 and not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, by the will of God”

As Paul continued his work in Macedonia he sent Titus to Corinth where they might find additional support to send to Jerusalem. This is a very forward-looking action by Titus because it has been planned, desired and begun more than a year before and Paul is encouraging the Corinthian believers to follow through in

2 Corinthians 8:6 (LEB) “So we urged Titus that, just as he had previously begun it, thus he would also complete for you this act of grace”

While “this act of grace” was support for the church in Jerusalem, Paul describes it as a benefit to them, the Corinthians who by this action are proving their love just as Christ had done for them in

2 Corinthians 8:9–10 (LEB) “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, for your sake he became poor, in order that you, by his poverty, may become rich. 10 And I am giving an opinion in this matter, because this is profitable for you who not only began previously, a year ago, to do something, but also to want to do it”.

They are Messengers of the Churches

2 Corinthians 8:16–24

They, these messengers, who are those “chosen by the churches” in 2 Corinthians 8:19 to oversee the administration of this collection that was made and described here are first Titus in

2 Corinthians 8:16 (LEB) “But thanks be to God, who has put in the heart of Titus the same devotion on your behalf,

then is “the brother whose praise is in all the churches, is usually identified with Luke”¹ in

2 Corinthians 8:18 (LEB) “And we have sent at the same time with him the brother whose praise in the gospel has become known throughout all the churches”

then, later on, there were other companions of Paul named when he arrives in Jerusalem in

Acts 20:4 (LEB) “And Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, and Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, and Gaius from Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia, were accompanying him”

More important than the names though, is the concept of ensuring that this gift was delivered without reproach, in a way that no one could question their veracity. This team then included a representative known and trusted by Paul and also people known and trusted by the churches that were contributing the funds.

Your Zeal has Stirred up the Majority

2 Corinthians 9:1–15

Just as Christ Himself Is, So Also are We

2 Corinthians 10:1–10

We were born into this world and raised according to our culture which focuses on outward appearance. In the world, it is survival of the fittest. In the world, boldness takes what it wants. Jesus taught though, that to be great in the kingdom of God we were to be a servant of all and this is the message Paul is bringing in

2 Corinthians 10:7 (LEB) “You are looking at things according to appearance. If anyone is convinced he himself is Christ’s, he should consider this concerning himself again: that just as Christ himself is, so also are we”

Though Paul has authority as an Apostle and he also has a responsibility to establish righteousness and holiness, he is not speaking boldly “for tearing you down” as the world does, instead, his boldness is “for building you up” in

2 Corinthians 10:8 (LEB) “For even if I boast somewhat more about our authority that the Lord gave us for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be put to shame”

This is a difficult concept in the world today because so many families have been torn apart and few children experience the real love of a father who wants only the very best for his children. Too many have instead of love and nurture, experienced abuse and rejection and have forgotten, if they ever knew, the value of discipline in

Hebrews 12:5–6 (LEB) “And have you completely forgotten the exhortation which instructs you as sons? “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, or give up when you are corrected by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one whom he loves, and punishes every son whom he accepts.”

Proclaim the Gospel in the Regions That lie Beyond

2 Corinthians 10:11–18

Study Verses

• 2 Corinthians 8:1–15 Proving the Genuineness of Your Love
• 2 Corinthians 8:16–24 They are Messengers of the Churches
• 2 Corinthians 10:1–10 Just as Christ Himself Is, So Also are We

Today’s Reading

• 2 Corinthians 8:1-24
• 2 Corinthians 9:1-15
• 2 Corinthians 10:1-18

References

• 1. Barclay, W. (2002). The Letters to the Corinthians (3rd ed., p. 274). Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press.

We that have heard the gospel and accepted the work of Jesus Christ know that we have an eternal place with God 2 Corinthians 5:5 (LEB) “Now the one who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the down payment, the Spirit” and while we still face death and loss and grief at our separation from those we love in this age, we know that as Jesus said in John 14:3 (LEB) “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, so that where I am, you may be also”. There is still though, this life for us to live and we are to in 2 Corinthians 7:1 (LEB) “cleanse ourselves from all defilement of body and spirit, accomplishing holiness in the fear of God” and do the work of being witnesses to the world around us in 2 Corinthians 6:1 (LEB) “Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain”. The message Paul says to deliver is that as the Lord has established us, we are from Isaiah 49:8-9 ‘as a covenant of the people, to raise up the land … “saying to the prisoners, “Come out!” to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves!”. Today is the day for us to proclaim the day of salvation.

We Live by Faith, Not by Sight

2 Corinthians 5:1–10

How is it that we know when our natural physical life ends that we have a place as it says in

2 Corinthians 5:1 (LEB) “For we know that if our earthly house, the tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens”?

We know it because this is the promise of God himself and he has not only given us his word but he has also given us his Holy Spirit in

2 Corinthians 5:5 (LEB) “Now the one who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the down payment, the Spirit”

By these two, God’s word that he has given as in

2 Peter 1:21 (LEB) “for no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God”

and by the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised and who came after His resurrection in

John 16:13 (LEB) “But when he—the Spirit of truth—comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak from himself, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will proclaim to you the things to come”

By these two we can trust and have faith in God to perform just as He has said so that in

2 Corinthians 5:6–7 (LEB) “Therefore, although we are* always confident and know that while we* are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—7 for we live by faith, not by sight”

If Anyone is in Christ, He is a New Creation

2 Corinthians 5:11–21

Now is the Day of Salvation

2 Corinthians 6:1–13

Jesus taught his disciples to pray for laborers in

Luke 10:2 (LEB) ‘And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest that he send out workers into his harvest” ’

Now, Paul recognizes “fellow workers”, those that have been called into the harvest field and Paul admonishes them that they fulfill the work and that they have not been called “in vain” in

2 Corinthians 6:1 (LEB) “Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain”

This next verse is often used to tell those that don’t know the Lord that today “is the day of salvation”, the time for them to accept the Lord but this is actually for the laborers who have already been helped by the Lord and now is the time for them to speak out in

2 Corinthians 6:2 (LEB) ‘For he says, “At the acceptable time I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation!’

Here in 2 Corinthians Paul uses a quote from Isaiah where the message of the laborers is clear in

Isaiah 49:9 (LEB) “saying to the prisoners, “Come out!” to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves!” they shall feed along the ways, and their pasturage shall be on all the barren heights”

Though we face opposition, and as Paul himself did, we must overcome to be able to present the gospel, Paul says “we have spoken freely” in 2 Corinthians 6:11 and then asks these believers to go beyond their own personal natural needs, “your affections” in 2 Corinthians 6:12 and themselves speak out and reach those around them in

2 Corinthians 6:13 (LEB) “Now the same way in exchange (I am speaking as to children), you open wide your hearts also”

I Will Walk About Among Them

2 Corinthians 6:14–18

Accomplishing Holiness in the Fear of God

2 Corinthians 7:1–7

This section represents one of the most challenging areas for us as Christians because God is a God of faith. What He says He does. What God promises He delivers so when Jesus paid the price for the sin of the world, the price for sin was paid and that is exactly what Jesus did in

John 1:29 (LEB) “On the next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

He did this so that we could become righteous in Him in

Romans 3:22 (LEB) “that is, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. For there is no distinction”

God’s view here is made clear as he spoke to Peter before Peter was sent to Cornelius who was a Gentile and unclean in Peter’s mind. But God said to Peter before Peter shared the gospel with Cornelius in

Acts 10:15 (LEB) ‘And the voice came again to him for the second time: “The things which God has made clean, you must not consider unclean!” ’

God had already done the work and now, Cornelius and his house came into a new understanding of who God is, they were born again, made righteous in Christ, still in the world but no longer slaves to sin, and now as Paul says, there is a new kind of life for us to live as the Holy Spirit, the new nature in us works in us in

2 Corinthians 7:1 (LEB) “Therefore since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of body and spirit, accomplishing holiness in the fear of God”

You Were Grieved to Repentance

2 Corinthians 7:8–16

Study Verses

• 2 Corinthians 5:1–10 We Live by Faith, Not by Sight
• 2 Corinthians 6:1–13 Now is the Day of Salvation
• 2 Corinthians 7:1–7 Accomplishing Holiness in the Fear of God

Today’s Reading

• 2 Corinthians 5:1-21
• 2 Corinthians 6:1-18
• 2 Corinthians 7:1-16

We have in 2 Corinthians 4:1–2 (LEB) “this ministry … with the open proclamation of the truth commending ourselves to every person’s conscience before God” and this is different than the first covenant that was the law of Moses. While that covenant separated God’s people and gave them the blessing as they followed God, it was always with the consciousness of sin. We now have this new covenant in 2 Corinthians 4:7 (LEB) “But we have this treasure in earthenware jars, in order that the extraordinary degree of the power may be from God and not from us”. While in 2 Corinthians 4:4 “the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they would not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”, we have been given freedom from sin in Christ and in 2 Corinthians 3:17–18 (LEB) “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory into glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” and it is this image of God that the world is to see in us.

That We May Not be Exploited by Satan

2 Corinthians 2:5–11

A Door Was Opened for Me by the Lord

2 Corinthians 2:12–17

You Are Our Letter, Inscribed on Our Hearts

2 Corinthians 3:1–8

A Veil Lies Upon Their Heart

2 Corinthians 3:9–18

How is it that Paul calls the law of Moses that is the foundation of the Jewish religion, the “ministry of condemnation”? This law, this covenant, this ministry produced miraculous results in the lives of the people, the children of Abraham that God made into a nation. This covenant that covered the nation of Israel with the glory of God when they followed after him in

2 Corinthians 3:9 (LEB) “For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, by much more will the ministry of righteousness overflow with glory”

Paul says this because the law of Moses was based on the giving of a sacrificial offering to cover sin and restore the person to right standing, righteousness before God. But, this sacrifice was always after the fact, there was always the consciousness of sin in the mind and that consciousness comes with condemnation. It was in this covenant that the presence of the Lord resided with Israel above the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies behind the veil in the temple.

We though now live under a new covenant, the covenant that Paul calls “the ministry of righteousness” and in this covenant, there is no condemnation because Jesus Christ has become the final sacrifice for the sin of the world. Jesus tore the veil and opened the way into the presence of the Lord in

2 Corinthians 3:17–18 (LEB) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory into glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

The Glory of God in the Face of Christ

2 Corinthians 4:1–6

Now that Paul has explained the freedom that we as believers in Jesus Christ have, that the veil has been removed and we are “being transformed” in

2 Corinthians 3:17–18 (LEB) “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory into glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit”

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:1 “Because of this”, because of the work that God has done in us and our understanding of His great love not only for us but also for the world, those people around us, we have this ministry in

2 Corinthians 4:1–2 (LEB) Because of this, since we have this ministry, just as we have been shown mercy, we do not lose heart, 2 but we have renounced shameful hidden things, not behaving with craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but with the open proclamation of the truth commending ourselves to every person’s conscience before God.

We, now, as a result of this work God has done and this ministry God has given:

• “We do not lose heart” because God is with us
• “We have renounced” things in the world that at one time were our way of life but no longer have any part or place in us

The deception in the world is that this veil still covers the eyes of unbelievers in

2 Corinthians 4:4 “the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they would not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

But we now carry “the image of God” and the word used here is “The Greek noun eikōn (which) means image, form, or statue … (where) Caesar is represented by his image on a coin, and pagan gods are represented by images of them … (and) Christ does not merely represent God; he is the full manifestation of God. Believers are being conformed to Christ’s image and thus manifest God’s presence as well¹.

We Have This Treasure in Earthenware Jars

2 Corinthians 4:7–18

Paul acknowledges the frailty of our humanity and yet within our frame there is “this treasure” which is to show forth the power of God through our weakness in

2 Corinthians 4:7 (LEB) “But we have this treasure in earthenware jars, in order that the extraordinary degree of the power may be from God and not from us”

While it may seem to us and even to the world that we are being destroyed, as we give ourselves to the ministry of this gospel in

2 Corinthians 4:12 (LEB) “So then, death is at work in us, but life in you”

and it is this life that we desire to manifest for all to see in

2 Corinthians 4:15 (LEB) “For all these things ⌊are for your sake⌋, in order that the grace that is increasing through the many may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God”

Study Verses

• 2 Corinthians 3:9–18 A Veil Lies Upon Their Heart
• 2 Corinthians 4:1–6 The Glory of God in the Face of Christ
• 2 Corinthians 4:7–18 We Have This Treasure in Earthenware Jars

Today’s Reading

• 2 Corinthians 2:5-17
• 2 Corinthians 3:1-18
• 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

References

• 1. Easley, K. H. (2017). 2 Corinthians. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1843). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

As Paul ends the letter we know as 1 Corinthians, he reminds them that they are in a world that views the things of God as foolishness. As Christians, they are to in 1 Corinthians 16:13 (LEB) “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act courageously, be strong” but this stance is not like the firmness in the world because for us he says in 1 Corinthians 16:14 (LEB) “All your actions must be done in love”. This is what sets us apart from the world and as Jesus taught his disciples, it is this love that defines us in John 13:35 (LEB) By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another. It isn’t always easy for us to demonstrate this love because, though we may want to spend time with our fellow believers there is a specific path that the Lord is leading us to follow. As Paul describes his decisions it is clear that he feels pulled in different directions, that he sees himself vacillating but in the end he says in 2 Corinthians 1:20–21 (LEB) “For as many as are the promises of God, in him they are “yes”; therefore also through him is the “amen” to the glory of God through us. 21 Now the one who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anoints us is God”.

Flesh and Blood is Not Able to Inherit the Kingdom of God

1 Corinthians 15:46–58

A Great and Effective Door Has Opened

1 Corinthians 16:1–12

Stand Firm in the Faith, Act Courageously, be Strong

1 Corinthians 16:13–24

As Paul closes this letter, he admonishes all to

1 Corinthians 16:13 (LEB) “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act courageously, be strong”

and he also reminds them that everything they do must be done in love in

1 Corinthians 16:14 (LEB) “All your actions must be done in love”.

and Paul also names certain people that have been faithful in the things of God and says “be subject to such people” in 1 Corinthians 16:16 and then also says “recognize such people” in 1 Corinthians 16:18 and it is good for us to commend, to give thanks, to those that are active in the work of the ministry. After all, it is the whole body of Christ united together and our love that is the witness to the world in

John 13:35 (LEB) By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

God of All Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:1–11

Purity of Motive from God

2 Corinthians 1:12–14

In another place, Paul says he didn’t come with man’s wisdom, which he could have because he was very well educated but he came with one message, the gospel of Jesus Christ in

1 Corinthians 2:2–5 (LEB) “For I decided not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I came to you in weakness and in fear and with much trembling, 4 and my speech and my preaching were not with the persuasiveness of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and power, 5 in order that your faith would not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God”

If there is anything for Paul to boast about in his life, it is the work that God has done through him “by the grace of God” in 2 Corinthians 1:12 “we conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, in holiness and purity of motive from God, not in merely human wisdom, but by the grace of God”.

But God is Faithful

2 Corinthians 1:15–24

Paul has a personal desire to return to Corinth yet he is busy with the work God has called him to complete in Macedonia in

2 Corinthians 1:15–16 (LEB) “And with this confidence, I was wanting to come to you previously, in order that you may have a second proof of my goodwill, 16 and through you to go to Macedonia, and to come to you again from Macedonia, and to be sent on my way by you to Judea”

It may have seemed to the people of Corinth that Paul was vacillating and it is true, he was being drawn in two directions. He personally had relationships with some in Corinth and wanted to spend time with them but his mission was to finish the work in Macedonia. And how often do we find ourselves in this position where we want to move in a certain direction and we know it would be good for us and good for others, but God’s perfect will is in a different direction. If there is any place we are to die to ourselves, it is here where we lay down our desire and out will to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. It says it this way in

Proverbs 16:9 (KJV 1900) “A man’s heart deviseth his way: But the LORD directeth his steps”

There may seem to be vacillation in our direction as we are pulled by natural demands or led by our own desires but God is steadfast in His promises and it is He that will establish us in

2 Corinthians 1:20–21 (LEB) “For as many as are the promises of God, in him they are “yes”; therefore also through him is the “amen” to the glory of God through us. 21 Now the one who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anoints us is God”

I Have Confidence About You All

2 Corinthians 2:1–4

Study Verses

• 1 Corinthians 16:13–24 Stand Firm in the Faith, Act Courageously, be Strong
• 2 Corinthians 1:12–14 Purity of Motive from God
• 2 Corinthians 1:15–24 But God is Faithful

Today’s Reading

• 1 Corinthians 15:46-58
• 1 Corinthians 16:1-24
• 2 Corinthians 1:1-24
• 2 Corinthians 2:1-4

We are born into this natural world and as we come to know Jesus Christ, we are born into the kingdom of God, but we still have this natural body. Paul instructs the Corinthians in the ways of the Holy Spirit, they are to seek the gifts, but also must learn to subject themselves to the move of God for the group whenever they “come together”. The problem is that in 1 Corinthians 14:26 (LEB) “each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation” because the Spirit of God does speak to each of us individually. Paul tells them though when they are in a group they are to give way, to let others speak. The emphasis is not on many speakers but on evaluating what is spoken in 1 Corinthians 14:29 (LEB) “Let two or three prophets speak, and the others evaluate”. Paul then moves on and says in 1 Corinthians 15:26 (LEB) “The last enemy to be abolished is death” and this will culminate in the resurrection of the dead where our natural, corruptible, mortal bodies will be raised a more glorious “spiritual body” in 1 Corinthians 15:44 because Jesus Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:45 (LEB) “the last Adam became a life-giving spirit”.

Tongues Are for a Sign

1 Corinthians 14:13–25

Let All Things Be Done Decently

1 Corinthians 14:26–40
Paul emphasizes the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians. And, since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, there are many that have felt the unction, the leading, the strong desire to speak out something that the spirit of God is speaking to them. God does speak to each of us individually if we are listening. Now though, Paul adds something that we each must consider when we “come together” because now we are to consider not only what the Lord is speaking to us, but what the Lord is speaking to the whole body together in

1 Corinthians 14:26 (LEB) Therefore what should you do, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. All things must be done for edification.

When we come together it is not the time for us to randomly speak out, but it is a time for each to carefully consider how the Spirit of God is moving and only contribute where we have a message that adds. Paul doesn’t emphasize the speaking but instead stresses the importance of evaluating what is being said in

1 Corinthians 14:29 (LEB) “Let two or three prophets speak, and the others evaluate”.

because what the Holy Spirit speaks to each of us individually may be only for us and not for the whole body together. When bringing a word in public, as a word from the Lord, our natural nature may rise up and we may begin to speak our own words. Paul asks them, as a reminder to be humble and think carefully about what they say in

1 Corinthians 14:36 (LEB) “Or has the word of God gone out from you, or has it come to you only?”

The Gospel I Proclaimed to You

1 Corinthians 15:1–11

Christ Has Been Raised From the Dead

1 Corinthians 15:12–21

In Christ All Will be Made Alive

1 Corinthians 15:22–34

God is implementing His plan of redemption and it is founded on the work of Jesus Christ. There is a clear promise from God in 1 Corinthians 15:22 that “in Christ all will be made alive”. And while it is a little cryptic in these few passages, Jesus has taken His place “to abolish all rule and all authority and power” in 1 Corinthians 15:24 it is the authority of the devil and his fallen angels that Jesus is taking and the final enemy Jesus will put down or “abolish is death” in

1 Corinthians 15:26 (LEB) “The last enemy to be abolished is death”.

and Paul is making this point to bring us to the end of the story which is the resurrection from the dead. This resurrection is our future, our hope and the reason we endure. Why else would we put ourselves in danger in

1 Corinthians 15:30 (LEB) “And why are we in danger every hour?”

it is because there is hell waiting for those that have not come to a saving knowledge of Christ. We know that they need to call “upon the name of the Lord” even if they do not know it yet themselves and how will they hear without us as it says in

Romans 10:13–14 (LEB) For “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in him about whom they have not heard? And how will they hear about him without one who preaches to them?

The Last Adam Became a Life-giving Spirit

1 Corinthians 15:35–45

It is easy for us to understand from the natural world that there are different kinds of bodies and they are described in

1 Corinthians 15:39 (LEB) “Not all flesh is the same, but there is one flesh of human beings, and another flesh of animals, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish”

then Paul goes on to describe the difference in the “heavenly bodies” distinguishing them with the use of the word glory in

1 Corinthians 15:40–41 (LEB) “and heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the glory of the heavenly bodies is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly bodies is of another kind. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars, for star differs from star in glory”.

He then goes on to describe the resurrection of the dead which in this progression from natural to celestial to spiritual brings us into a realm we have no natural counterpart for. We can though, understand that it is a higher level, somehow a more glorious body than anything we have seen or known and is “raised in incorruptibility” in 1 Corinthians 15:42 and “raised in power” in 1 Corinthians 15:43 and “a spiritual body” in 1 Corinthians 15:44.

What we have known in the past is from the first Adam “a living soul” but now, in Jesus Christ, we come into contact with this “life-giving spirit” in

1 Corinthians 15:45 (LEB) ‘Thus also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit’.

Study Verses

• 1 Corinthians 14:26–40 Let All Things be Done Decently
• 1 Corinthians 15:22–34 In Christ All Will be Made Alive
• 1 Corinthians 15:35–45 The Last Adam Became a Life-giving Spirit

Today’s Reading

• 1 Corinthians 14:13-40
• 1 Corinthians 15:1-45