JEAN'S BIBLE STUDY COM

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2Cor 1-1,2

(14j) Servant >> Ministry of helps >> Helpers are indirectly in charge of the Word >> They have the heart of the one who trained them – Timothy was with Paul when he ventured to Corinth and preached the gospel to the people living there. Timothy was Paul’s right-hand man in many of his adventures. Jesus taught to go two-by-two, one supporting the other. When one struggles for words, the other can assume position of spokesman, or if there is a personality clash, the other can intercede. A lone person is a target for robbers and hoodlums, but together they testify of each other's faith and encourage each other. The fact that there is a physical body standing next to them tremendously helps with moral, and they can pray together. It is always good to have a brother strong in faith to help administer the great commission. Christianity is not a one-man band; many people are involved. Paul preached the gospel to them, and after many came to faith, Timothy would teach them the ways of God and instruct them how to fellowship in the Church.

(29bb) Gift of God >> Delivered from our enemies >> God delivers us from those who hate Him >> Church assembles in people's houses (underground) – The Corinthian Church represented the entire region of Achaia, being converts throughout the countryside. Some would go to Church in Corinth, and others would hold church in people’s homes closer to their neighborhood, because travel was not easy back then. Driving ten miles to church is nothing for us, but for them it would have been an all-day event, so it was a much smaller world back then. Everybody lived in the region where they were born, and they rarely ventured beyond it. Today people fly here and there and put thirty thousand miles on their car a year. The earth has shrunk over the last two millennia. People walked to their neighborhood church, perhaps taking a donkey five miles at the most, so churches were spotted throughout the region in people’s homes, because of persecution. After a few hundred years had past, after the Christian Church became an entity of the state, people started building churches and meeting there instead of in people’s homes, and that was also the time when Christianity was corrupted. The Church actually operates better in an environment of persecution than in times of peace and acceptance.

2Cor 1-1

(219a) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> The elect >> Man is a spectator of his own salvation >> God elects us through His sovereign will

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2Cor 1,3-11

(29g) Gift of God >> God is on our side >> He stands beside us through hardship – In Asia Paul in bringing the gospel of Christ to the people was persecuted to the point of wishing he could just die. It was through these afflictions that God was able to give the apostles the ability to bring Christ to the world. God placed Paul in a position where he had to trust the Lord for his life. If he was going to survive his circumstances, he would need to put his whole trust in God, and this brought glory to Him. When we think of all the things Jesus went through; He didn’t just go to the cross; He suffered as the first Christian, mostly during His ministry when He began walking in His anointing and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, which offended many people. Paul too was led by the Spirit, and God often led him right into fiery trials and circumstances and difficulties, but these things paid dividends of many souls won to Christ, and Paul was usually up for the challenge, digging in his heels and seeking God with all his heart, knowing that if he survived his ordeal God would convert his suffering into anointing that would be useful to reach more souls. The result: he was filled with the grace of God to overcome his circumstances, so he had something to offer those who were afflicted, perpetuating God's grace throughout the Church. Prayer is largely involved, not just by the person afflicted, but also by those who benefited from his affliction so that everyone is involved in the ministry of the saints, that the Church might spiritually and numerically grow through the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(98h) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> (Faith à Suffering à Glory) – There were times when Paul was burdened excessively beyond his strength, so that he despaired even of life. He went through terrible persecutions, but he considered them all opportunities to grow closer to God. This is the benefit of suffering. We should take our trials as opportunities to know God better. However, there are those who spurn affliction, asking why God has allowed adversity to ravage their lives, but they have the wrong idea, for whatever we lose in the course of affliction we gain in our relationship with God. If we feel that what we have lost in this world is more than what we have gained in Christ, then how can He use us? People who voice these complaints make it clear they don’t understand the ways of God.

(233k) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seek His glory without wavering >> Seek His glory through hardship 

2Cor 1,3-10

(188d) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Suffering >> Growing pains >> Growing inwardly – God uses affliction to bring us closer to Himself. When we emerge from our hardships, we should possess things from Him that we didn’t have before we were afflicted. This pertains to the increase of His grace that we use in ministry. He wants to comfort us in relation to Him, whose presence and influence increases during times of adversity. God desires to mature His church in a state of unity by increasing our faith in Him through suffering, and by that comfort us in an increasing process of building up the body of Christ. By this we can see the basis of the Church’s growth is affliction, for without it there is no comfort, and without comfort there is no growth. Paul is talking about the leadership of the Church, that if they are afflicted, it is for the comfort of the saints, for God through affliction gives them needed tools to effectively lead the saints into deeper levels of faith and love. Consequently, whether leadership is comforted or afflicted, it is for the comfort of all, for either we are comforted by the knowledge that they are not suffering, or we are comforted by their anointing that results from suffering. Paul is asking which one is better, the opportunity to enjoy our lives without affliction or the opportunity to grow in Christ through affliction? Paul often chose to be afflicted so he might continue to grow in faith and have more to share with those in need. It is better to be afflicted in this life than to live in comfort, for we don’t grow by our own volition but through affliction. It is human nature to avoid suffering whenever possible; we need to be prodded before we will move forward in the direction of Christ. There needs to be something driving us into the grace of God, otherwise we won’t go there.

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2Cor 1,3-7

(32e) Gift of God >> God is our Father >> Grace >> God gives grace to the afflicted – God doesn’t have multiple ways of ministering to us; He has the Holy Spirit who is the perfect answer to all our problems; He ministers to us in all the ways we need most. What does Peter say about it? If we cause our own affliction, then we deserve it (1Pet 2-20). God doesn’t comfort people who cause their own problems; he ministers to those who are afflicted through no fault of their own. Bad things happen in this life and God will meet us in our distress, but if we create the conditions of our own comfort, we won’t need His comfort, nor will we grow in His grace. If we are victims of suffering, God will comfort us, but if we are the cause of our own suffering, we have nothing for God to comfort. All He offers the self-afflicted is conviction for repentance, which is also the message of Peter.

(116c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Through worship >> Through our relationship with Him – Those who have suffered, who have been through the trenches, who have struggled in hard times, have felt the Holy Spirit ministering to them and have benefited from His presence in life-changing experiences, giving us tools to help others who are afflicted. We have the spirit, the ministry, the words and the relationship with God that can find them in their darkness, because we’ve been there, as others have helped us though our darkness.

(228a) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> Comforted >> God comforts you in times of adversity >> He comforts you in your suffering -- These verses go with verse 11. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Comforter. When we go through suffering as a Christian, we can feel the Holy Spirit closer to us the more we suffer. Eating pizza and watching our favorite movies on TV does not frame the circumstances conducive for the Holy Spirit to comfort us, but when we run on hard times, He is faithful to visit us in the trenches, in the deep pits of our despair. We don’t suffer alone. Even with other Christians nearby and our best friends consoling us, they cannot comfort us the way the Holy Spirit does. He gets closer to us than anyone can. Sensing someone next to us is a comfort that the world will never know or understand. 

(229ia) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Partaking of Jesus’ suffering >> Suffering as a Christian – The sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, which causes His comfort to wash over our souls. God comforts us to the proportion of our suffering. The more we suffer, the more comfort we receive. This is why people in other countries have a closer relationship with Christ, because some places in the world are very difficult to live, and they have problems that America doesn’t yet know. Paul said, “If we are afflicted it is for your comfort,” meaning Paul was working for them, and they would be beneficiaries of his suffering. Then he said, “If we are comforted it is for your comfort,” meaning circumstances are better for Paul and his friends, so they didn’t have to worry about them. Either way the Corinthians were comforted.

(231b) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Mystery of godliness >> Solving the mystery of godliness >> The mystery is solved in contentment – God leads us into the suffering of Christ, and for this reason we have His comfort in abundance, and as we rest in God's comfort, we transfer His blessing to others. Those who receive it are comforted, and those who don't become our adversaries, a source of suffering and an occasion for God's comfort. The key to receiving His comfort is to do His will so that when we suffer for it, He can comfort us. Then we can turn and comfort others who are suffering. In this way we become distributors of His grace.

2Cor 1-3

(255g) Trinity >> Father, Son and Holy Spirit >> The process of imparting the substance of God >> Father discloses the Spirit by the word – Jesus described the Holy Spirit as the comforter, and here Paul is describing Him as the God of all comfort, meaning the Holy Spirit is indeed a vital member of the trinity.

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2Cor 1,4-10

(165l) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The hardship of affliction – Persecution is a common affliction of Christianity, but there are other Christian tribulations that are ours alone that the world does not know, such as having our spirit continually troubled by the sin of unbelief in the world. This affliction of spirit is a backdrop for all other sufferings as a Christian. Vexation of spirit results from being among those who demonstrate a level of disobedience and unbelief that is destroying themselves and those around them, and adding to the darkness of this world. Another vexation known only to us who have the indwelling Holy Spirit is conviction regarding our own sin. Temptation is yet another layer of vexation. Then, keeping our spirit immersed in the word of God and prayer to avoid spiritual impoverishment is another responsibility that the world cannot know. Compassion is one of the greatest traits of Christianity, but it can also be a source of conviction and affliction of spirit. Witnessing the pain and horror in other people’s lives without being able to do anything about it is deep vexation of soul.

2Cor 1-4

(228a) Comforted (Key verse)

2Cor 1-5

(35b) Gift of God >> God is willing to Give >> He is generous with the Spirit of His Son

2Cor 1-6

(99c) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Enduring the will of God >> Enduring people (patience)

(126m) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Patience >> Be patient in your circumstances

2Cor 1-7

(121j) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Hope based on faithfulness >> Hope based on endurance -- This verse goes with verse 10. Those in the world who don’t have Christ and are suffering must seek comfort elsewhere, but believers have a blanket of comfort surrounding them in their fellow believers who love God, who are equipped to comfort those who are suffering, and above all have the Comforter in the Holy Spirit, who comforts them in their suffering. We have all felt His presence when we were going through trials and difficulties. God doesn’t just pity us when we hit a bump; He ministers to us by His compassionate, comforting Spirit, revealing Himself and becoming closer and brighter in our hearts, so once our suffering has ended we have the experience of His presence that we can use to help others, bringing about hope in times of difficulty, knowing there is one who stands beside us closer than a brother.

2Cor 1,8-11

(29c) Gift of God >> God is our advocate >> Delivered from death 

(242k) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Reacting to persecution >> Enduring persecution >> Hated by the world – Some of the experiences of the early apostles were so severe that they were unable to trust themselves to get through them, but relied completely on God. They were like a storm-tossed boat in the middle of the ocean without a compass; they could only trust God to get them through the night. When we go through something like that, it changes us forever. The Bible says we will receive a crown for faithfully enduring hardship and for maintaining an attitude of righteousness and hope. These crowns are not so much about enduring hardship as about our relationship with God that results from faithfully enduring our trials. The crown is placed on our head to represent our spiritual understanding of God that we receive in times of tribulation.

2Cor 1,8-10

(9f) Responsibility >> God strengthens us through our weaknesses

(53m) Paradox >> Opposites >> God is made strong in our weakness

(227g) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> Depending on Jesus to have compassion >> Depending on Jesus to deliver us

2Cor 1-8,9

(176l) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> False doctrine >> Extremes >> Exception: going to extremes to love God

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2Cor 1-9,10

(102g) Thy kingdom come >> Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Trustworthy >> Faithfulness – It didn’t matter to Paul if he sacrificed his life for the cause of Christ, for he was convinced that doing God’s will God’s way would profit more than his own way; though it often led him into the belly of the beast, and it always produced fruit for the kingdom, and it likely kept him alive. He encountered thieves and robbers along the road; there was danger no matter what he did, even if he stayed in bed, so he might as well get up and obey the Lord, because with that there was promise of fruit that would follow in his wake. Some missionaries go into distant countries and preach the gospel and hardly see any effect, but then later, even after they have died, the gospel comes to life in the area where they preached, and the whole village is saved.

(146l) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Purpose of Miracles, Signs and wonders >> Evidence to trust Him – Paul and his companions led a miraculous life. They all should have died years before they did, but God kept them alive to fulfill their ministry. Following in the footsteps of Christ and in the dictates of the Holy Spirit is tantamount to planting seeds, though we can plant an acorn as a child and not see much fruit in our lifetime. However, doing things our way is not like planting seeds; it is just a waste of time. It is like flailing in a lake and drowning as opposed to swimming to shore, a lot of splashing motion and energy spent but not much movement. Doing things God’s way guarantees we will live long enough to achieve every objective He had in mind for us, but if we do things our way, we might end up dead before the time. All will be forgotten, Solomon said, but the one who serves the Lord will remain forever and God will remember our works forever; our name will be etched in the Lamb’s Book of Life forever, and we will live forever to tell our stories, and hopefully the people who were involved in our stories will be there with us. However, the man who lives for himself dies by himself and is buried and forgotten. The kind of life Paul and his companions lived were nothing less than miraculous, giving cause for others to believe in God through their example of faith and trust.

2Cor 1-9

(38c) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death (Satan) >> Resurrection overcomes death – Paul's attitude was that had he died as a result of preaching the gospel, so be it. This is not something the world understands, because they don’t believe in the resurrection from the dead. Saving us in this life and for eternal life are both a function of the cross, which affords us the Holy Spirit who dwells in our heart. The suffering of Christ on the cross making salvation possible was in a way the easy part, for ever since God has been saving us from danger and peril of death, saving us from ourselves, from our sin and from our poor choices. Seeing Paul’s exploits through the Scriptures, the many times he got in trouble with the Jews, being persecuted from town to town, sometimes physically harmed, other times thrown in jail for years, the Bible teaches that God saved him in every case, even saving Him from an early death more than once. Paul said that he and his companions did not trust in themselves but in God.

(29a) Delivered From Our Enemies (Key verse)

(121j) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Hope Based On Faithfulness >> Hope based on endurance -- This verse goes with verse 7

2Cor 1-11

(9g) Responsibility >> Strengthen us by the sword of His Spirit >> Through prayer

(14i) Servant >> Ministry of helps >> Helpers are Indirectly in charge of the word >> They minister to God's leaders

(30l) Gift of God >> God favors you through your prayers

(82h) Thy kingdom come >> Prayer >> Thankfulness >> Giving thanks for His mercy – Paul asked the Church to offer up a corporate prayer of thanksgiving for the favor bestowed on them through the prayers of many. They received favor and a blessing from God through prayer, and now he wanted the Church to pray again in thanksgiving, indicating that prayer is an essential part of the Christian life.

(83c) Thy kingdom come >> Results of prayer >> Prayer unites the body – Paul and the other apostles were depending on the Church to pray for them as an investment in the Kingdom of God for the proliferation of the gospel as God used His prophets to cut through the darkness of the world’s unbelief, like cutting a path through the thick jungle with a machete. Their prayers proved there were people in the Church who loved them and cared for them, validating their suffering. They were not alone, but had the whole church behind them. It is their prayers that God sees as a web that binds them together and forms them into a single effort to cut through evil. There is something about going through hard times alone that is very disconcerting, but if we know there is someone with us, we have a physical representation of assistance that is comforting.

(130g) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Committed to caring for the needs of the body >> Caring for spiritual needs

(131b) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Interdependent on each other to pray – Prayer does more than request God for favors; it is more than communicating with God; prayer is an investment of our lives in Him and in those for whom we are praying. When we pray for people, we are investing in their lives, plus making requests of God, and this enhances our own faith. So, when we come together with the brethren, we know about the investment we made in their lives, and we treat them accordingly. We have expectations of their spiritual growth and their steadfastness, because we prayed. When we pray for somebody and they never spiritually mature, we know they are insensitive to the Holy Spirit and insensitive to the ministry of angels all around them. When we pray for people, we receive authority from God for their sake and benefit. We have previously participated in their spiritual growth before we said a word to them, and the anointing will be on our words when we speak to them. We have these expectations because of our prayers, and for this reason we should pray all the more for the brethren who are faithful in Jesus that they might grow all the more (Mat 13-12).

(228a) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> Comforted >> God comforts you in times of adversity >> He comforts you in your suffering -- This verse goes with verses 3-7

2Cor 1,12-15

(122g) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in yourself as you die to sin >> Confident in good conscience

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2Cor 1-12

(11j) Servant >> Paul is our example how to walk with God – Paul had proud confidence in his conscience. Isn’t pride evil? Most pride is evil, for example if we use it to judge other people, but not all pride is evil. Paul was proud of his conscience that didn’t judge anyone, instead used it to become a servant of the Corinthians, replacing fleshly wisdom with the grace of God. This produced great confidence in Paul by which he told them exactly what they needed to hear. He was confident that he loved them. He didn’t care what other people thought; all that mattered was God's opinion, and by this he knew he loved them. It gave him confidence to speak the word of God in love, for if he didn't love them, why would he tell them the truth? Then, he wouldn’t be telling them for their own good but for selfish reasons. Paul had godly sincerity, and by that he spoke to them, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, and in that grace reached the Corinthians and imparted grace into them. Flesh begets flesh and grace begets grace, as God said from the beginning, let them reproduce after their own kind. The time for repentance and refreshing had come from the presence of the Lord (Act 3-19), that the grace of God should come bearing gifts of righteousness, raising the Corinthians from glory to glory.

(41j) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Be godly toward one another

(78f) Thy kingdom come >> Sincerity >> Embracing your first love >> Single devotion

(92m) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way >> Walk it for the sake of your brother

(115c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Through your ministry >> Through your calling >> To build up the body of Christ

(133g) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holiness >> The body of Christ is holy >> We have made ourselves holy through Christ

(142h) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Reputation exposed to slander >> Protect your reputation

(155b) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Witness of the believer >> Conscience >> Having a good conscience >> Conscience bears witness of our good behavior – Paul defines confidence as having a clear conscience. We look to our conscience and seek God who lives within us for direction, and as He leads us, it builds confidence to trust our conscience. This is the faith of Abraham, who believed and obeyed the small, still voice in his heart. When we accomplish the objectives that God has for us, all is revealed after sufficient time has elapsed to see our trail, straight and narrow behind us, a procession of events, places and people along the way that brought us to the point where we are now standing. When we look back, it makes sense, but when we look forward, we see only our next step. Yet, we keep following Christ in our conscience, knowing our path will make sense one day. Living our lives this way is the antithesis of fleshly wisdom. It gives us the grace we need to conduct ourselves in the world and especially toward the saints.

(166c) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Wisdom of the world >> Man’s wisdom excuses his sinful nature >> Man’s wisdom wants to earn his ticket to heaven

2Cor 1-13

(98k) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Endurance invites the Holy Spirit into your life >> The salvation of God >> Endure to the end – Scripture reiterates that we must believe in Jesus to the end, that if we become faint of heart, the faith we showed at first will be nullified. That is, our eternal state will be determined by the faith we had at the end of our lives. If we continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2Pet 3-18), making a consistent upward climb, we will receive a full reward (2Jn-8).

(102j) Thy kingdom come >> Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Consistency >> Loyalty – What is written is what we believe, for nothing has changed. We don’t get a new revelation that contradicts Scripture and then run with it. Paul was very wise when it came to spiritual things. He experienced the devil trying to plant ideas in his head and learned that the first message was from the Lord, and all messages after that were counterfeits trying to dissuade him from the truth. The devil doesn’t know what to counterfeit until God speaks. Paul’s message was consistent because he never listened to the wrong spirit that tried to lead him away from what he first believed. This is also what John taught in 1Jn 2-7,8, “Brothers, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, I write a new commandment to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light already shines.” Although the new covenant has replaced the old, which is a new and better way through the Spirit, yet the teachings of the old covenant remain true. That is, God’s law is still in effect, meaning it is still evil to commit adultery. When we put the old and new together, we find the word of God and His Spirit working together to achieve the grace of God. The new covenant remains consistent with the old… nothing has changed; it is just the manner in which we walk with God that has changed, not by His law but by His grace, like balancing on the other rail on a set of railroad tracks. His will has not changed, but the manner of doing his will has changed. We no longer try to satisfy a list of commandments but follow the Holy Spirit, who leads us into the will of God to please Him far more specifically than the Law ever tried. Paul said, “and I hope you will acknowledge to the end,” that nothing has changed except our understanding of Him. We no longer obey inanimate inkblots on a page; rather, the words have been lifted off the page and placed in our heart, according to Heb 8-10, “‘For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ says the Lord: ‘I will put my laws into their mind; I will also write them on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people,’” The writer of Hebrews quoted this from the Old Testament. Hopefully our understanding of Him will increase, though it is better to know God in truth than to know many facts about Him that are skewed. We know God not by His word alone, also by His Spirit. See also: Inkblots on a page; 106j

(106j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Means of hearing from God >> Read the Bible – Everything Paul had to say he wrote in his epistles, and they were added to the collection of authoritative works of the early Church that were canonized into the Bible. We depend on no other teachings. We know what Jesus taught, and we have a sampling of Peter, John and James (the brother of Jesus), so we can trust the Scriptures. We can depend on it and live by it as a clear and concise message from heaven that anyone can read and understand to inherit eternal salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. See also: Bible (Inkblots on a page without the Holy Spirit); 102j; Rom 4-17; 150h

(109e) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelation of the word of God >> Revelation of the meaning of God’s word

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2Cor 1-14

(45a) Judgment >> God judges us for not judging ourselves >> Preparing for believer’s judgment

(235d) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Tithing >> Offerings >> Help your weaker brother – All the believers that Paul won to the Lord were his reason to be proud on the day of Christ, for they will be his offering to the Lord. Each of us should have an offering that we can represent to the Lord on that Day. Remember the parable of the mina; the Lord entrusted ten minas to one, and he gained ten more, and the ones he gained were his offering. He entrusted five minas to another, and he gained five more, but the one mina He entrusted to the worthless, lazy slave he buried, and when the man tried to give His mina back as an offering, the Lord rejected it on the grounds that the mina already belonged to Him and that it wasn't a gift. The ability that God gave to the worthless slave he never used for God's purposes; displeased He cast the wicked slave into outer darkness, “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mat 25-30). Without an offering we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. In another parable everyone was in attendance at the wedding feast and a man was there not wearing wedding clothes; and when the Head of the house confronted him, the man was speechless. Security escorted him from the premises and threw him into outer darkness; “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mat 22-13). His lack of wedding clothes represented his lack of good works (Rev 19-8). See also: We don't go to heaven to avoid hell; 1Tim 4-10; 31a

2Cor 1,15-17

(251a) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Making plans >> Making plans according to the will of God >> Making plans within the boundaries of God’s will

2Cor 1-15

(234l) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Be a blessing >> Freely give what you received from God – The Corinthian’s blessing was Paul himself, who sought to impart the blessing of Christ to establish them in their faith. His confidence to contribute knowledge was complete; he contributed to the world in preaching the gospel to save souls, and he contributed to the Church building the saints in their most holy faith, all by the word of God. He knew he was a blessing wherever he went, and he was hoping for a material blessing from them in return. He imparted spiritual blessings, while they imparted material blessings to see him on his way fully provided. God guarantees people who give that they will always have enough even in the worst of times. Since the Corinthians didn’t have the calling that Paul had, the next best thing was to invest in his ministry and become beneficiaries of his work.

2Cor 1,17-20

(195c) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Idolatry >> Serving two masters >> You can only believe in one at a time – How often have we experienced “yes” and “no” from the same source? People make giant promises about how their product will supplement our lives, and we jump in with both feet only to discover all the conditions to their promises, so they walk away with our money with no product or services rendered; this is what most insurance has become. Then think of all the religions in the world and the many promises they make. Apart from Christianity, they don’t offer eternal life, but even their inferior promises are unattainable. Virtually all non-Christian religions are performance oriented. Meanwhile, in Christianity God gives His Spirit as a pledge based on faith, before we do any good works with the added benefit of receiving eternal life. Therefore, Christ’s salvation is based on trust; we trust God to save us and He trusts us to obey Him, just like Paul with the Corinthians, who trusted them and they trusted him. There is no “probation period” that we must pass before God will accept us into His mercy and grace.

2Cor 1,17-19

(129m) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Being in one accord >> Single minded >> Avoid contradicting yourself – Salvation is not a bait-n-switch scheme, like so many duplicitous scam artists, whether offering a product or asking for donations claiming to be a charity. They are unable to prove how their donations are used, and they have intensions of dumping us after getting what they want. Most telemarketers are heartless liars, lost in a world of greed, offering nothing and expecting us to give and making sure we end up on the short end of their shtick. Although their reasons for us to give are plentiful, when it comes to their giving, it never happens, but Paul says that true Christianity is not like this; it is not “yes” and “no” but “yes” in Christ Jesus.

2Cor 1-17

(166m) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world) >> The carnal mind cannot discern between good and evil >> The carnal mind assumes the will of God

(232f) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Count the cost >> Procrastination – Paul wanted to visit the Corinthians, who thought he was procrastinating in coming to them, but he was saying that more pertinent issues needed his immediate attention, distracting him from coming. Paul had a great fondness for them, though he immensely struggled with their carnality; one of his biggest complaints was that they accused him of being in the ministry for his own benefit; that angered him. He considered it to be spiritual warfare, an allegation generated by demons. He wanted to see them just the same, trying more than once to come their way but was thwarted. He had a special place in his heart for them, knowing their struggles as citizens of Corinth, a city full of secularism, idolatry and immorality, yet he made converts there and formed a church where no one expected people to believe in God. They struggled in their faith, attempting to incorporate worldliness into their belief systems, and Paul kept telling them that these things were incompatible with faith in Christ, and so part of his motive for returning to Corinth was to continue teaching them about God and training them to think more like Christ and better understand His will.

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2Cor 1-18

(102d) Thy kingdom come >> Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Faithfulness is dependable >> God is dependable

2Cor 1-20

(205a) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> According to promise >> God never changes – When it comes to the promises of God, we have a green light. He does not say “Yes, but…” There may be conditions, but those conditions do not mean no; it is we who say no. The conditions refer to all the ways we should be living, establishing a proper foundation, so God can build upon it with the fulfillment of His promises.

2Cor 1-21

(98c) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Rooted deeply >> The Lord establishes us – Note that Paul said God established him with them and not them with him, meaning Paul was not the focal point of their faith, but Christ. At no time did Paul ever consider what he was doing to be about himself, nor did he operate through his own strength. Rather, the Church is God’s possession, and he was part of it. The direction of flow is that all things originate from God, and Paul was following that order. Although Paul was responsible for establishing the Church, he did not consider it to be his own possession but was the possession of Christ, and he was merely a steward of the mysteries of God (1Cor 4-1).

(113l) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Anointing establishes us in His will – The word “anointing” is not often mentioned in church. It is an old covenant concept with new covenant applications. Samuel anointed King David with oil, pouring it over his head before he became king. The only difference between the old and the new covenant anointings is that God anointed only kings, prophets and priests, essentially anyone in a position to lead, but in the new covenant all God’s saints are entitled to an anointing from God. The word Christ literally means “anointed One,” therefore the word Christians means “anointed ones.” So, should Christians be anointed? Yes. Are all Christians sealed? Yes. Is the anointing a seal? Yes. The anointing acts as a seal or as a sign that proves we belong to God (Rev 7,2-8). As we see in the Church, however, not everyone has an anointing; not everyone in the Church even doctrinally adheres to such beliefs. Does this mean there are many people in the Church who are not saved? That is up to God to determine. Scripture teaches that all Christians should be anointed.

2Cor 1-22

(71k) Authority >> Ordained by God >> We have His seal – Some consider the seal to be unbreakable, but we can break the seal if we so choose; but if we do, we are forfeiting our eternal future in heaven. They call it the doctrine of Eternal Security, saying they cannot lose their salvation, though we know that virtually all seals are made to be broken. Seals are not made unbreakable but are made to ensure the quality of the product; in this case it is our souls. If we remain sealed to the day of redemption, we prove to be an unadulterated child of God, but if we meet Christ with a broken seal, He will know who broke it—we did, for we are the only ones with the power to break the seal. See also: Eternal security? (Doctrine of easy-believism); 1Cor 3-15; 153d

(132f) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> God gives his Spirit as a pledge >> God pledges His Spirit – The Holy Spirit acts as a seal and as a pledge. He seals us for the day of redemption and pledges that the power we experience in our inner man is just a taste of what is to come. Many churches have pledge drives, and people pledge large sums of money and never give it. Meanwhile the pastor and church board have already allocated the funds to things like the building program and other financial obligations, and now the Church is stuck with a bill they cannot pay. Pledging is a vow, and Jesus condemned vowing, teaching not to vow at all (Mat 5-34). If we want to give, we don’t have to vow, just give. Jesus taught that making vows were like putting ourselves under a curse, for if we do not fulfill the vow we will be breaking a promise, which is lying and a violation of one of the Ten Commandments. God has made vows to us but tells us not to vow, because we tend to break them, and the pledge of the Spirit is one of His oaths to us that it is a sampling of what is to come. We are the children of God and His children must resemble their Father, who never breaks His vows. We don’t break any vows because we don’t make any. The only vow we make is the vow to protect the Spirit that He has given us by obeying Him.

(132k) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> Holy Spirit is in the hearts of men

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2Cor 1-23

(138c) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Reproof >> Reprove your brother for sinning – In the first century God was busy establishing His Church in the world, and He required much from them, yet as time elapsed the Church continued its downward spiral from the will of God, until disciplining them was useless as squashing a roach in a cabin full of roaches. God loves people, and He loved the Corinthians, and so did Paul. God wanted them saved, and He selected many from the multitude at Corinth to be His worshippers, knowing them by name, many being written in the Lamb's Book of Life. For this reason Paul did not immediately return to Corinth, because he would have come with a rod of discipline, because of their carnal attitude and lackadaisical manner of serving Christ. They figured no further sacrifice was necessary, so all that remained was to revel in their flesh.

(155h) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Witness of the believer >> The Father bears witness of the believer – Paul was speaking in a more literal sense, calling God witness to his soul that what he was saying was the truth. This was the level of relationship Paul had with God; he counted Him a person who was always with Him. No one else could bear witness to the fact that God bore witness to Paul; the only way he could prove this was through the entirety of Paul's life. He was not accustomed to lying; therefore, to the degree that Paul would never use God’s name in a lie was the degree to which he was being sincere and honest, also proving that God literally bore witness of Paul. He spared the Corinthians by not returning to their fair city; for had he returned, He would have come with the rod of discipline. God was in charge of Paul, sending him on his missionary journeys and bearing the fruit of his ministry, and God also refused to send Paul to certain places. Had he returned to Corinth, he would have come with the discipline of Christ that likely would have gone beyond words, not that Paul would have laid a hand on anybody, but that God Himself may have laid a hand on some of those who were disturbing the others, as it is written, “For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep [dead].” (1Cor 11-30). Had Paul come with the anger of God, it is possible that some of the Corinthians would not have survived.

2Cor 1-24

(98a) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Rooted deeply >> Standing firm in the faith >> Be strong – Standing firm refers to endurance, and endurance has the connotation of Paul’s thorn in the flesh. He asked the Lord to remove it, and He told Paul that it would be better for him if he endured it. Paul told the Corinthians to be strong and endure their circumstances. They didn’t stand alone; Paul was with them, and with him was an entourage of support, consisting of fellow apostles and their helpers, such as Timothy and Titus, and along with them stood all the churches they had won to the Lord, consisting of thousands of people, and they were all standing together in one accord in support of one another. No one stood alone. Sometimes God calls us to persevere in our ministry, and though we feel like quitting, we continue. Other times he calls us to stop moving and stand firm in the faith, and by not moving we are accomplishing just as much as when we persevere. When we are tempted, those are the times we are called to stand motionless like a rabbit in sight of its hunter. Movement exposes the rabbit, and the hunter shoots it for dinner. When we are tempted, be still, until the temptation passes.

(125h) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Joy is the result of obedience – Paul did not Lord himself over their faith, but was a fellow worker with them in serving the Lord. We don’t just wait for God to do things for us; He has commanded us to walk in love and serve Christ. We can identify a Christian by their joy, which is the result of hope, and what form does joy assume in a person? It appears in the sparkle in their eye! The same goes for peace and all the fruits of the Spirit; there are times we must strive for peace because of all the unrest that is around us, the unrest that wants to invade our homes and destroy our relationships. We must take control of the circumstances through the power of Christ who dwells in us; we must work for peace. When temptation comes to bark at our loved ones or neighbors or co-workers, we hold our peace and remain patient. The fruits of heaven don’t float onto us from heaven like angel dust; we attract them as students of His word and disciples of prayer. We say, ‘Where is God; why isn’t He helping me?’ He seems distant because we are not serving Him in our heart. The fruits of the Spirit don’t just come to us; we work with Him and He applies His grace to emulate His character (2Cor 6-1).

(236j) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Invest in the treasures of the kingdom >> Invest your life in God’s faith

2Cor 2,1-8

(69e) Authority >> Righteous judgment (outcome of discernment) >> Righteous anger >> Church is angry at sin

(70d) Authority >> Righteous judgment (outcome of discernment) >> Being sensitive to the Spirit >> Spirit grieves over the flesh

2Cor 2,1-4

(11m) Servant >> Paul’s example of love for the Church – In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul wrote with much anguish and tears. It wasn’t easy for Paul to be hard on the very people who brought him joy. He affirmed his love for them, they being a manifestation of his ministry, that without them and without the other churches obeying Christ, spiritually and numerically increasing, spotted throughout the regions that he had visited, his labors would have been in vain. He loved the Corinthians because they played their part in keeping Paul’s ministry from obscurity, so Paul had his personal motives, acting as feedback to the effectiveness of his ministry in the world. That is, he didn’t love them for them only but for himself too, since they were his reward in heaven and confirmation here on earth that his efforts were meaningful. There is a list in a later chapter of this book detailing the suffering he endured, the beatings he received from the Jews, and all the years in prison he endured for the sake of all the churches. The thought of going through all that for nothing must have given him nightmares. He wanted his commitment to mean something to them, not because he deserved it, but because gratitude is an appropriate response. If they weren’t grateful and respected his ministry, it would have been a red flag that there was something missing in their hearts, which would ultimately poison their relationship with God. Paul didn't want to see any lack in the churches he managed but wanted to instill whatever they needed to be grounded in the faith.

(139a) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Encouragement >> Our brothers encourage us in our adversity – The Church's obedience gave Paul encouragement enough to continue reaching other communities and seeing many souls come to the Lord, perpetuating the gospel of Christ, and making sure that by the time his life was spent the Church would be well established in the world. This was Paul’s calling, and what he did through the power of Christ was amazing, and one of the main sources of his power was joy, which is the fruit of hope. When we have hope, we have joy. Sometimes we have hope but joy is not easily seen, because of suffering we must endure through faith. The main engine that produces all these things is faith; the Holy Spirit engenders faith in us, strengthening us to believe in Him against all odds, producing hope. None of us can live without hope, and it is just as true that none of us can meaningfully live without joy. When we have hope, we know that joy is right around the corner. There are times when our lives are so miserable we can hardly stand it, but when we get among the brethren, we speak our faith in hope of eternal life, and joy returns; the gleam in our eye lets everyone know that Jesus lives in our heart in spite of the circumstances.

(123j) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love >> Spiritual affection >> Being in love with the body of Christ >> Weeping in the Spirit 

2Cor 2-2,3

(125g) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Joy is the result of unity – Joy was very important to Paul, and it should be important to us, for the more miserable our lives, the more valuable is joy, which fights against our misery and the things we don’t enjoy, whether it be physical or emotional suffering. Paul had a relatively miserable life; he was physically beaten and tortured on a fairly regular basis for preaching the gospel in Satan’s world, and the result was a church established everywhere he went. One reason people believed in Jesus through Paul was the misery he was willing to endure for their sakes. They deduced that he must be telling the truth, for if he were unsure of himself or lying, he wouldn’t accept the suffering in his life, so to counteract his misery, he served Christ all the more, which produced more fruit and increased his joy, and part of that service was investing in God's people at Corinth. There is only so much joy a person can pull out of a hat before it requires realistic circumstances that evoke joy. Paul received joy from the Corinthians who served God in Spirit and truth. In a number of passages throughout the New Testament it says that the saint's obedience to the truth gave him so much confidence and hope that he could go though just about anything (1The 3,7-9). Paul needed the saints to serve God, otherwise it would be too discouraging to continue what he was doing, like blowing up a raft that had a hole in it. He couldn’t continue preaching the gospel, being beaten to the point of death to later find the churches disassembled and in a state of apostasy. Paul could not live with that; he needed Christians to believe in Jesus and suffer with him for the cause of Christ.

2Cor 2-3,4

(124g) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love >> Acts of love >> Love cherishes discipline

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2Cor 2,5-11

(95f) Thy kingdom come >> Attitude >> Having a cooperative attitude >> Cooperating with each other

(193f) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Repent >> Bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance >> Instruction to the Church – Paul was referring to the case in First Corinthians chapter five about a man who had relations with his father’s wife (step mother). Paul exclaimed that not even the world does this, and his instruction to them was to remove the offender from the church. Is that what we do today when someone practices egregious sins; do we kick him out of the church or do we bear with him and accept his behavior? This is the second half of the story about this man, and now if he has repented, Paul wants the Church to receive him again, and let him be restored to fellowship with no misgivings. Paul’s concern was for the offender this time, suggesting that in the first epistle when he commanded the Corinthians to ostracize him, it was a measure to protect the Church, arbitrating for the victim (the father). When the offender has fully repented, they should restore him to fellowship with the saints. God does not give up on us so quickly, and neither should we. They were to grant him a full pardon, and not to consider him a second-class citizen of the church at Corinth, for God works with all of us through repentance.

(207la) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Salvation verses >> The kindness of God >> God is kind to sinners >> He calls sinners to repentance – If we have sinned, God commands us to repent, and if we do, He completely restores us. He doesn’t punish us after repentance; he might discipline us to make us repent, but once our repentance is complete, He completely restores us with no misgivings. However, that doesn’t mean we should restore people to their former position as ministers of God’s Church. Rather, leaders, if they have committed egregious sins while in the ministry, should be permanently demoted but restored to fellowship, and if they can’t accept it, then let that be the consequence of betraying the Lord's trust. If he has repented, then we should forgive, but restoring him to leadership is out of the question, for there are plenty of capable people who are far more trustworthy. The bottom line is trust. We cannot entrust our faith to someone who has betrayed our trust, like some televangelists have done since the 1980s.

2Cor 2,5-8

(108g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Balance >> Do all things in moderation

(130l) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Accept one another >> Accept the weak – The entire Corinthian Church was unfaithful to God on multiple levels, and within that environment there was one person who was having sex with his mother in law. Paul advised them saying, “sufficient is such a one of this punishment,” referring to having ostracized him from the Church. As a result he repented of his sin and realized the error of his ways that Christianity is not a license to do whatever he wanted because he was forgiven, which apparently framed his thinking. Paul commended the Corinthian Church to reaffirm their love with this man and bring him back into the fold and reestablish him as a vital member of the body of Christ, not because he felt sorry or said the words they wanted to hear, but under the premise that he had repented of the behavior from the heart.

2Cor 2-6,7

(176j) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> False doctrine >> Extremes >> Truth is never found in your conduct on either extreme of any circumstance – There is a narrow way that we must all walk. On one side is unforgiveness that can lead to bitterness, and on the other side, if we restore a person to fellowship without repentance, we risk polluting the Church with sinful behaviors that has potential to infect the congregation and spread his lifestyle to others like a contagious disease. If an immature brother enters the church and spreads his licentiousness throughout the assembly, we have an obligation to protect the people from deception, fraudulent faith, evil fashions and toxic bitterness, but if we label him and never give him another chance because of something he did in his past, even if he repents, Satan can use that just as well.

(223c) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Conceit >> Imposing your opinion of self on others >> Cliques make people seek your acceptance

2Cor 2-7

(120i) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Forgiveness >> Forgiveness is an act of mercy >> Forgiveness sets you free -- This verse goes with verses 10&11. Paul is saying if the Corinthians have forgiven a person, he trusts them and forgives the offender also. However, we are not to restore a person too quickly if he has not repented. We can forgive his offenses, but until we see that he has repented and recommitted himself to the faith, we cannot very well give him an equal standing in the Church.

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2Cor 2-9,10

(72c) Authority >> Transferring authority >> Men delegate authority by obeying the word

(236d) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> All things are for your sake >> Our motive is for your up-building

2Cor 2-9

(5l) Responsibility >> Discipleship tested >> The Church tests the disciples

(87d) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Church obeys all the Father’s will

(239j) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> The gift of teaching >> The ability to teach is a gift from God – Teachers test their students, and once we mature, having learned the curriculum, we test ourselves. That’s what Paul said at the end of this epistle, “Examine your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don’t you know that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified” (2Cor 13-5). We go to school to learn how to learn, and then we develop theories and test them to see if they stand against the mountain of evidence that we know is true. In this way we become self-taught; we are not a carbon copy of academia; instead, we have an understanding of the world that is totally unique from all others. We start with an interest, research it and come to our conclusions, and a good student will test their theories to see how well they stand against the circumstances of life. In this verse Paul considered the Corinthians to be unprepared to become life-long learners; they were still in school, and Paul was their teacher, and he was pitting the Corinthians against the circumstances of life to see if they would be obedient. In the areas where they failed he taught them again and allowed life to test them until they succeeded, which is defined as their knowledge and understanding of God standing against the forces of the world, the flesh and the devil. He worked with the Corinthians this way and tarried with them longer and harder than any other church, according to his epistles, because they were slow learners. Then again, they had strong forces against them, living in Corinth, the melting pot of idolatry with much carnality in that city. So, we should give them a break, but the same could be said about the United States; it is a secular country also with a lot of carnality that is allowed to flourish. God is testing the Church in America to see if it stands against the forces of the world, the flesh and the devil, and we are failing the test.

(250b) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Sequence of priorities >> In all things ... >> Be obedient in all things

2Cor 2-10,11

(46f) Judgment >> Spiritual warfare >> Fall of Satan >> Resisting Satan’s deception

(120i) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Forgiveness >> Forgiveness is an act of mercy >> Forgiveness sets you free -- These verses go with verse 7. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians he was obviously very angry, saying he intended to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, and now in Paul’s second letter to them we see the other side of him, that since the man has repented they should welcome him back into the fold with open arms, saying, “Whom you forgive anything, I forgive also.” Delivering such a one to Satan seems to be the opposite of forgiveness, and when he repents it is important that they quickly forgive and restore the individual, “In order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” We know how Satan can use unforgiveness to turn our heart bitter and then use our bitterness to torture us and destroy those around us. In First Corinthians they threw this guy into the meat shredder, and in Second Corinthians they pulled him out just before he got the blades, that is, before Satan could get a hold of him and turn his heart to stone and make him unable to repent.

2Cor 2-10

(69k) Authority >> Righteous judgment (outcome of discernment) >> Executing God’s judgment by His authority

(104i) Thy kingdom come >> Pure in heart shall see God >> Shall see Jesus >> Being in the presence of Jesus

(188j) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Sorrow >> Grieving over your own loss >> Grieving over your loved ones

2Cor 2-11

(9a) Responsibility >> Prevent being blamed for something you did not do >> Prevent accusations

(80b) Thy kingdom come >> Know the word in spiritual warfare >> To deliver yourself from bondage

(158a) Works of the devil >> Excerpts of the greatest verses of this chapter

2Cor 2-12,13

(105g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Led by the Spirit into the will of God >> Led to the right place – Paul refers to some of his experiences in passing, when he went to Troas and had no rest for his spirit; this is what happens when we make a decision that doesn’t square with the will of God. When this happens we know God is calling us elsewhere. Let peace be the umpire when it comes to making decisions in the Lord. Paul realized that his plans were not the will of God, and an about-face was in order. After he had preached the gospel to a certain area and was ready to move-on, in the night he had a dream about a man waving at him saying, ‘come over here,’ to Macedonia (Act 16,6-12). That very night they packed their bags and began their journey to Europe. The direction that God led him was to a people who were more receptive to the gospel than those in the direction he intended (Asia). This should be the mental attitude of every person when it comes to saving souls. Why should we bang our head against a wall trying to save a handful of people when we could go elsewhere and save bucketfuls? God does not see one person better than another; rather, the more the merrier. His wish is that His kingdom be filled to capacity (Lk 14-23); therefore, the place that is most open to the gospel is the direction we should go. See also: Missionaries hold the position of a prophet; Jn 4-43,44; 152g

(148i) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Obligation to preach the gospel >> Ambassador in chains

2Cor 2-13

(216h) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> Compelled by the Spirit >> Following God in fear of losing the anointing