Episodes
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2 Corinthians 4:1-6
Please remain standing for the reading of God’s Word. By the way, a couple of you have recently asked why we stand for the sermon text and not the Old and New Testament readings. I would definitely like us to stand for all of them, just like the people did in Nehemiah 8 when the Word was read. However, we already stand and sit a lot in our service, as you know. So, consider our standing for the sermon text as a representative standing for all our readings. We stand in reverence to God’s Word.
Hear now God’s Word, 2 Corinthians 4:1-6.
Reading
Prayer
“Dr. Livingstone, I presume.”
Maybe you’ve heard that phrase before. It dates back to 1871. David Livingstone had left Scotland 30 years earlier to travel to Africa. He went there with the London Mission Society and he travelled all over central and southern Africa. But in the late-1860s Livingstone had gone missing. Many presumed he had died.
So, a man named Henry Morgan Stanly was sent out to find him. Stanley searched for months. And on November 10, 1871, in modern-day Tanzania, he finally found the missionary. Stanly simply said, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume.”
It's hard to overestimate the impact that Livingstone had on Africa. Not only was he a Christian missionary but also a doctor and an explorer. He desired to put an end to slavery. He opened doors of trade in many places and emphasized education. As a doctor, he helped promote helpful practices to treat and prevent diseases. But most importantly, Livingstone brought the Gospel to central and southern Africa. As he travelled, he would learn the different languages of the people he met. He would translate portions of the Bible for them. He would teach the 10 commandments and the love of God in Christ.
However, despite all his work and ministry, Livingstone did not experience fruit from his labors. No, in fact, by some accounts, he only witnessed one convert to Christ. One. In 1871, when Stanly urged Livingstone to return to England, he responded, "Oh, when will Christ's holy Gospel enter into this dark region?” Livingstone yearned to see the light of Christ in Africa.
Now, if you were in Livingstone’s situation, how would you feel and what would you do? If you had dedicated 30 years of your life testifying to Jesus’ life and the cross and his resurrection but God had not seen fit to turn hearts to him, how would it affect you?
I’m sure, like Livingstone, it would weigh on you. And of course, it is not a theoretical question. Every one of us has family and friends who don’t believe. Who maybe are even cynical or hostile to the message.
Maybe that is you? Maybe you’re here today because of family or friends, but your heart is very skeptical. If that is you, as you listen today, be thinking about two things.
· First, yes, your family or friends who believe in Jesus do want you to know and believe in him. But think about this. If you believed in something that you thought truly answered life’s deepest questions, would you not want your friends and family to know and believe? Questions of existence, meaning, morality, life, and death. Yes, I think you would. If you truly believed something that important, you would want to share it out of love. It’s something to think about.
· Second, be thinking about what is preventing you from believing. Is there a deep-down reason that you are skeptical? If so, try to listen anew to the message of Christ. Maybe there something new to hear.
I mention that to be sensitive. These verses are written to believers in Christ. And in part, they speak about people who do not believe. I don’t want you to feel ignored or dismissed.
Going back to Livingstone. I have no idea if he ever compared his situation to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. Maybe he did. Maybe he didn’t.
But if you were to pick a chapter in the Bible that describes Livingstone’s situation best, it would be 2 Corinthians chapter 4. Really, the whole chapter. But in particular verses 1-6.
What I mean is that 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 is about faithfulness to ministry and mission. It’s about remaining true to Christ even when the message is rejected. Livingstone faithfully continued in his ministry even though the hearts of those to whom he was ministering to were closed.
In fact, Livingstone was a Scottish Presbyterian… that means he believed in God’s sovereignty in salvation. And with that confidence, he persevered. Livingstone knew that God is the one who changes hearts and minds. It is God who shines his light of knowledge and glory. Despite the burden of seeing little response, yet he pressed on in faithfulness.
As we work through these verses, I think you will see the parallels to Livingstone’s ministry.
We have three main points this morning. You’ll see those on the sermon notes page.
Point 1. Do not lose heart - that is verses 1-2 and 5.
Point 2. Because of veiled and deceived hearts (verses 3-4)
Point 3. For it is God who shines his Gospel light on hearts (verse 6)
Let me put that together. (1) Do not lose heart (2) because of veiled and deceived hearts (3) for it is God who shines his Gospel light on hearts
1. Do not lose heart (4:1-2, 5)
As we get into this, let me first remind you of a couple of related things that the apostle Paul has already written. Back in chapter 2 he wrote that we are the aroma of Christ. That aroma is one that will lead to life for those being saved. But it is also the aroma of death to those who do not believe. Some will believe and some will reject.
That same theme is continued in chapter 3. Remember from last week, the old covenant has been fulfilled in the new. The glory of the old is gone, because the new covenant in Christ has come. However, many hearts are still veiled. And that veil, as Paul says, is only lifted by Christ through his Spirit.
When Paul begins chapter 4 with the word “therefore” he is referring to the fact that many will hear but not hear. Many hearts will be veiled. The aroma will not be pleasing but the opposite.
He says in verse 1, “Therefore having this ministry by the mercy of God.” That ministry, as a reminder, is the ministry of the new covenant. It’s proclaiming Christ. And in that ministry, Paul continues, “we do not lose heart.”
As I mentioned, when you believe something deeply, you, of course, desire others, especially those you love, to also believe. You want them to know the love of God in Christ. You want them to see the hope and forgiveness and mercy of God. But often, they do not. Paul is not saying we shouldn’t continue to long and desire others to believe. Rather Paul is saying that we should not lose our motivation and our focus in our ministry. “Do not lose heart.” And essentially the next 5 verses explain why and give a word of warning.
L me ask. What temptations do you experience when your words seem to have no impact? A couple come to my mind. Sometimes I feel like a failure. Sometimes I’m tempted to want to stop. But what about this temptation: are you tempted to change the message? If the message doesn’t appear to have any effect, are you tempted to want to change it so that it will?
That is what was happening in Corinth. We get a clear sense of that in verse 2. Paul says, “we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word.”
Paul’s opponents were changing the message. They were tampering with God’s word. The message was no longer the message. They reverted to whatever methods and messages would work. Do you remember that phrase “peddler” at the end of chapter 2? That is what was happening. They were saying whatever they thought the people wanted to hear so that people would respond. They wanted to get a sale, so to speak, and they were using disgraceful ways.
Now, we’re not told exactly what their distorted message was, but based on what Paul says elsewhere in 2 Corinthians, it undermined truth faith. For example, in chapter 11 verse 4, Paul warned, “For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.” To some extent the church was putting up with a different Jesus, a different Spirit, or a different gospel.
It's a great temptation. There are difficult things in the message of Christ. Because of that, we are tempted to change part of the message, or even more common, leave things out. Like leaving out God’s wrath or the need for repentance. But when you leave out the reality of our sin and God’s hatred of it because of his holiness and justice, you are undermining the Gospel message. You are removing the cross from Christianity.
Let me also add, when you remove the wrath of God against sin and the sinner, you also remove the love of God. The amazing depth of God’s love offered in Jesus comes because of the real gravity of God’s condemnation. If you remove God’s wrath, you remove God’s love.
I was reminded of a well-known quote from Richard Niebuhr, which I think I’ve quoted before. “A God without wrath brings men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through a ministry of a Christ without a cross.” It’s no longer the message of Christ.
Now, we do other things today to pervert the message of the Gospel. We turn Christianity into social reform and not salvation. Or Christianity becomes an agenda-based message of liberation or justice. To be sure, justice is critically important. God loves justice and hates oppression. But, as we learned last year in our Proverbs study those things need to be understood through the lens of what God has defined as good and right and true.
So then, what is the central message of Jesus Christ? It is this: the need for all humanity to be reconciled to God. All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. All are condemned. But God, because of the great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in our sin, God made us alive together with Christ.
And he accomplished that through the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for sin on the cross and through the hope of the resurrection. The only way to receive that reconciliation is by faith when we see our sin, when we grieve because of it, and give our life to him.
The word “gospel” there in verse 3 means good news. That is the Gospel message.
In verse 2, Paul says that instead of tampering with God’s word, they proclaim it, as he puts it, “the open statement of the truth.” Paul and those with him were not not hiding or manipulating anything in the message.
And look at verse 5, Paul affirms that they are proclaiming the central message. He says, “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord.” Unlike his opponents who were exalting themselves, Paul and Timothy and the others were humbly exalting Jesus. The word “Lord” implies that Jesus Christ is the sovereign one. He’s the risen king. He is to be the Lord of our lives.
So do not lose heart. And do not practice underhanded ways or distort the message. Rather, be faithful to God’s Word.
2. Because of veiled and deceived hearts (4:3-4)
That brings us to Point #2. Do not lose heart… because of veiled and deceived hearts.
Listen again to verse 3 and the first part of 4. Paul writes, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world [in other words, the devil] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.”
We get the sense from verses 3 and 4 that Paul’s detractors questioned his legitimacy because of a lack of effectiveness. In other words, they were saying “Paul’s message was not working and the proof is that people weren’t responding.” To be sure, there were many who did respond. But there were also many who didn’t.
To go back to David Livingstone for a moment. He also was critiqued because of a perceived ineffectiveness. In fact, there was a group in Britan who critiqued him because his message was outdated. He needed, as they said, a “new” message and he needed an expanded message. His problem was his approach. That’s similar to the critiques against Paul.
Paul’s response here is very important. The message is not being responded to… not because there’s a problem with the message. No, rather, the message is not being responded to because of veiled hearts. And that veiling is because the god of this world (lowercase “g” god) has deceived.
It’s very tempting to think that we are responsible to remove the veil… That we are the responsible ones when the veil is not removed. But to say it again, our responsibility is to be faithful to the message. And, just to be sure, we need to listen well. We need to be thoughtful and loving in our response. But we should not compromise the truth of Christ.
Again, I want to be sensitive if you are here and you put yourself in the category of unbelief. Let me ask, why is your heart hard to this message? What is the reason, the veil that lies over it? Would you be willing to ask the Lord to remove that veil? Would you be willing to reexamine your heart and reconsider the message?
Every single one of us was blind at one point – I’m using that word blind from verse 4. We were blind for many reasons. It all goes back to our unbelief and selfishness.
Back when God created man, it was Satan who deceived. The devil questioned God’s authority. He questioned God’s moral command. And Adam and Eve in their sin, they replaced God who had been the center of their lives, with themselves. And from that point on, all of mankind was blinded.
And what are we blinded from in our unbelief? We are blinded from seeing God’s remedy to restoring our relationship with him. We are blinded from seeing Christ.
That is exactly how Paul describes the blindness brought on by Satan. Second half of verse 4. Satan has, it says, “keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Satan is called the great deceiver. But there is one who is greater than him.
3. For it is God who shines his Gospel light on hearts (4:6)
And that brings us to point #3.
So, do not lose heart because of veiled and deceived hearts. Why? For it is God who shines his Gospel light on hearts.
Verse 6 is the climax in these verses. “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Did you notice the shift in the object of the sentence? It shifts from third person plural to first person plural. Paul had been talking about the veiled hearts of others. He now talks about his own heart and Timothy’s heart. God “has shown in our hearts.” He has shown his light.
The reference to shining light in darkness refers all the way back to the creation account. We read it earlier from Genesis 1.
The very God who created all things, who created all things ex nihilo - out of nothing – created light. In fact, his very first act of creation was to create light in darkness… because he is the God of light. He illuminates all things. He sees all and nothing is hidden from his sight. He is the one who has shone his light in our hearts.
Do you see what this is saying? Because God is the all-powerful creator God, there is no heart whom he cannot penetrate with his light. And the testimony of that truth is his work in us.
The one true God who in creation shone the light of his truth in the whole of the universe is the same one doing a work of re-creation in our hearts. He is illuminating the light of the knowledge of his glory in us. And that light which illuminates hearts is the light of Christ.
By the way, the idea of light is found all throughout the Scriptures. Light symbolizes God’s glory (which is referenced here). Light refers to God’s truth like the reference here to the knowledge of God. Light also refers to God’s presence and his holiness and his guidance. All those references are fulfilled in the light of Christ. That’s how verse 6 ends… “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” …the presence and fullness of the revealed son of God.
For Paul, this is not something theoretical. No, for him, it was deeply personal. His heart had been veiled. So much so that not only did he reject Jesus, but Paul hated him and hated those who loved Jesus. But Paul was confronted by the light of Christ. For him, it was a literal light. Paul was physically blinded, but the veil over his heart was removed… and Paul could truly see. He fell to his knees. Jesus asked, why Paul are you persecuting me? And Paul then acknowledged him as Lord.
God is the one who did it. Paul’s spiritual blindness was removed by God. He is the one who shines his light on hearts.
Perhaps the transformation in your heart didn’t seem as radical. Perhaps over time the Lord lifted it. Perhaps you remember the very day and hour that the veil was removed. Or perhaps God is removing it even now.
God is the only one who can shine the light of his knowledge and his glory on our hearts. We don’t lose heart because we know that God is at work in hearts. We just don’t know how and when and on whom he will shine his Gospel light.
Conclusion
David Livingstone died on May 1, 1873 while still in Africa – it was only two years after meeting Stanley. His body was found next to his bed in a position of prayer. And do you know what they did? They buried Livingstone’s heart in Africa. He loved the people there. And they brought his body back to England where he was buried in Westminster Abby.
In his lifetime, Livingstone saw very little response to his efforts. Despite the veil over so many hearts, yet he was faithful to shine the light of Christ. Little did he know at the time, but God was at work in Africa.
After Livingstone died, God saw fit to use Livingstone’s labors in a tremendous ways. Even in the decade after his death, the veil was lifted on thousands and thousands who turned to Christ. Even more, through Livingstone’s work and expeditions, the door was opened to more missions work. Today, hundreds of millions of Christians can trace their spiritual legacy back to Livingstone.
In our lifetime, we may or may not see what God is doing, but we can have hope because he is the God of light.
May we not lose heart. May we not tamper with the message. Instead, may we trust in the God of light, to shine the light of Christ.
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The Surpassing Glory of God’s Promises in Christ
2 Corinthians 3:7-18
Our sermon text is from 2 Corinthians 3 verses 7-18.
We learned in the beginning of chapter 3 that the apostle Paul was a minister of a New Covenant. That new covenant is received through the Spirit and resulted in life. That is contrasted with the letter of the law, which, as Paul put it, kills.
The rest of chapter 3 unpacks the old and new covenants. As I read, listen for the similarities and differences between the two.
Reading of 2 Corinthians 3:7-18
Prayer
I don’t know if you have been following it, but later this week, 7 planets will be visible in the night sky at the same time. That is a rare event. In fact, it’s been quite the season of interesting astrological occurrences. Maybe you experienced the partial solar eclipse last year. Or 5 years ago, you saw the great conjunction. That was when Jupiter and Saturn overlapped in the sky. Apparently, that only happens once every 400 years. And coming up in just 3 weeks, there will be a total lunar eclipse.
You are probably wondering, how does this relate to 2 Corinthians 3?
Well, 2 Corinthians 3 is considered by some to be the most difficult chapter to understand in all of Paul’s letters. That’s debatable, of course, but it certainly contains some lofty concepts.
At this chapter’s core is the theological intersection between the Old and New Testaments. That’s significant. And obviously important.
And that brings us to the moon and sun and planets.
You see, the central point is that the glory of the old covenant was a fading reflection of the glory of the new to come. The new covenant has come and it has eclipsed the glory of the old. It’s like the way the moon and planets reflect the light of the sun at night. But when the sun rises, its light is so bright that it completely outshines the moon and planets. The old covenant reflected the new before the new came, but the new has come, and the old has now passed away.
By the way, this is one of two main passages of Scripture that compare the old covenant with the new. Hebrews chapter 8-10 is the other. We read part of chapter 10 earlier. The difference between Hebrews 8-10 and 2 Corinthians 3 is that Hebrews works through how God accomplished his promises in the new covenant. He’s done that through Jesus perfect sacrifice for sin. In 2 Corinthians 3, we learn about the permanent nature of the new covenant and that we receive its benefits through the Spirit. So both teach about the old and new covenant but with different emphases.
Earlier this week I spent some time analyzing how 2 Corinthians 3 compares the old and the new. I put a little chart together as I went. You can see that on page 4 of the bulletin. Really, it was for my benefit as I tried to get my mind around the contrast. But I included it in case it may be helpful to you.
You can see that Paul’s primary purpose here is a comparison of the two.
· He gives us the nature of the covenants. The old carved on stone and the new written by the Spirit on our hearts.
· He speaks of the fading glory of the one and the eternal glory of the other.
· The old primarily focused on Israel, but the new expands that to God’s people from all nations.
· Even more, those who live by the old live with a veil over their hearts. But for those who have been freed by Christ, that veil is lifted and they are being transformed.
· But the most weighty of all the comparisons is the eternal outcome. Those who put their trust in the old and reject the new are condemned. But those whose hearts have been transformed by the Spirit and who trust in Christ receive righteousness and life through the Spirit.
It's really amazing how much is here in just a couple of paragraphs.
Alright. We are going to focus in, first, on understanding the comparison, verses 7-11. And then we’ll look at implications of that, today, in verses 12-18. You can see a few summary bullets there.
Now, you may be wondering, why does it take such work to unlock the differences between the two? That is a great question. I wondered the same. Because it does seem that Paul jumps around and repeats himself. Why didn’t he just spell it out in a clear linear way?
The answer is, to his readers, he did. Paul spelled it out in a way they would understand. He used a Greco-Roman rhetorical argument called “a fortiori.” Lesser to greater. That will be on the test after the service. Just kidding. I had no idea that such a thing existed before this week.
The argument goes that if something lesser is true, how much more sure and true is the thing that is greater. Its purpose is to elevate the greater reality. To do that there’s a comparison and an elevation. And another comparison and another elevation. And then a further elaboration on a comparison and a further elevation.
We can see that in these verses. One thing that clearly comes out is the amazing, surpassing, never ending glory of the new covenant. Look at verse 10 for example. “For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.”
You see, these verses are not just a technical explanation. Rather, Paul was elevating the hearts of the Corinthians. He wanted them not only to know that the new is greater and eclipses the old, but he wanted their hearts to see and rejoice in what God has done. How he has fulfilled all the promises of the old in the new.
Going back to the moon and sun… you know, when it comes to light and energy, there’s no comparison. The moon can only reflect the light of the sun. Yes, in the middle of the night, when a full moon is out it really lights up the surroundings. You can even see shadows. You can see where you are going. If you wanted to, you could even turn off your car’s headlights. Don’t do that, though… but you would be able to see.
But where does that light from the moon and planets come from? It comes from the sun. The light of the sun reflects off of them. The old covenant reflected the glory of the new which, in the Old Testament times, had yet to come.
But also, let me ask, what is the lunar surface of the old covenant? Meaning what is the light from the new reflecting off of? Well, it reflects off of (1) the moral law, you know, the letters carved on stone – the 10 commandments, and it reflects off of (2) other laws that God gave through Moses like the ceremonial laws including sacrifices… and also (3) festivals and (4) the temple itself. All of it, in different ways, reflected the glory of what was to come in the new covenant.
And they all tie together the Old Testament with the New Testament in profound ways. Ways that help us better understand the new.
In the past, I’ve shared a little of my journey to seeing the Bible as one unified book. I remember when I was, I think, 22 years old. I could not wrap my mind around the purpose of God’s law nor even the purpose of the Old Testament. It was a burning question in my mind. I couldn’t let those questions go. Well, my Bible had cross references in the margins. And so, I set out to read through the New Testament and cross reference every single Old Testament cross reference. I worked on it a little bit every day. It took me about 3-4 months. It blew my mind. By the way, I still have that Bible in my office with a bunch of underlines and notes.
Light bulbs kept going off as I saw more and more connections between God promises and laws in the Old and their fulfillment in Christ in the new. Before then, I used to think that the Old Testament had so many strange practices and peculiar events that had no relevance. But then their beauty came alive to me. I realized how in different ways they revealed God in his glory, they revealed his plan for redemption, and they revealed the need for atonement and the Messiah. All of those old covenant things were driving at what was to come.
You see, for God’s people in the Old Testament, the whole purpose of the different laws and ceremonies was to direct their attention to the promise of what was to come.
Let me say something that is really really important. It was never about offering the sacrifices and obeying the law as a means for salvation. Never. Rather it was so that they could trust in God for what he would do. Their salvation was received by faith in Christ who was to come just as ours is received by faith in Christ who has come.
This is illustrated for us in what happened at Mount Sinai. These verses in 2 Corinthians 3, refer to Moses veiling his face. You see, when the Israelites were freed from their slavery in Egypt, God brought them across the Red Sea and he brought them to the base of Mount Sinai. And God then called Moses to ascend the mountain to receive the law.
And so Moses went. But in the meantime, the people began worshipping a golden calf instead of the one true God. And God’s anger burned against the people. But… Moses pleaded with the Lord for mercy. And God relented. Moses was a mediator between God and his people.
After that, God commanded Moses to go up the mountain again. Actually, he needed a new copy of the law because he had thrown down the first. But also, this time, God revealed his glory to Moses. Moses was only given a glimpse of God in his glory, but it caused Moses face to shine with the glory of God.
When Moses descended, the people were afraid because of the reflected glory. And so Moses would veil his face to protect the people. Look at 2 Corinthians 3 verse 7. It says, “the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory.” Even the reflected glory was unbearable because of their sin. Again, Moses acted as a mediator of God’s mercy by veiling his face.
We learn a couple things from that. We learn there is glory in the law. As I mentioned last week, God’s moral law is good and right and perfect. It reveals God’s nature and his goodness. But it is only a reflected glory. We also learn that God’s law requires a mediator, just as Moses mediated for the people. So, the law both directs us to God and it directs us to our need for Christ because of our failure to meet its standard.
That explains verse 9. Look at it. “For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.” The law is glorious but without a mediator, it brings condemnation.
But the mediator of the new covenant has come. Christ has come. And he’s accomplished and has fulfilled all that the law required. We are no longer condemned by the law. Through Jesus’ righteousness, we are given life. That phrase in verse 9, “ministry of righteousness” is referring to the righteousness we have in Christ.
You see, the sunrise has come. The sun is up. Yes, in the daytime we can faintly see the moon and we can occasionally see a planet. But the moon and plants no longer light anything up. Because the day has come. There’s no more need for the reflected glory of the old because of the surpassing and permanent glory of the new covenant.
Alright, let’s now turn our attention to the implications for us - verses 12-18.
There are two implications - one negative and one positive. The first is when you only see the old and you reject the new. Look at verse 14. Paul, talking about unbelieving Israel, says, “For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.”
Now, I don’t think that there are any Jewish people here today who reject Christ. But that is who Paul is speaking about. They read the Old Testament. Some may think that by obeying the laws and celebrating the festivals that they are therefore justified in God’s sight. They may even believe in a coming Messiah. But their hearts and minds are hardened and veiled.
It would be like believing that the moon is shining with its own source of energy and light. And maybe even believing that sun does not exist. It would be like covering your eyes during the day so that you don’t see the sun. Or sleeping when the sun is up and only being awake at night.
They do not believe the new. They are trusting in the old for salvation. And because of that unbelief, to use Paul’s earlier words, they will receive “the ministry of condemnation.”
Let me expand this a little. I think there are some parallels here to the Roman Catholic church. In our church history Sunday school class this morning, we talked a little bit about the counter reformation. That was the church in Rome’s response to the Protestant Reformation. And while yes, much of the immorality in the church was addressed, yet, the church doubled-down on many of its beliefs.
Now, I know there are some faithful believers in the Catholic church, but over the centuries, the church has added unbiblical layers that veil Christ. Like the veneration of Mary, or like praying to the saints, or believing in an intermediate state to work off your sins, or going to a priest for intercession. Those are all merit-based or works-based righteousness things. They are in essence veiling the glory of God in Christ.
It’s kind of like a partial solar eclipse. The fulness of the glory of God in Christ cannot be fully seen. And because of it, many in the Catholic church, trust in these things and not the ministry of God in Christ.
There are other parallel as well… like any rejection of the new covenant in Christ. That would include the “I’m a good person” theology. The belief that God will evaluate our good works and because of them consider us good in his sight. That is just a version of the old covenant which cannot save. It denies the sin and idolatry of our hearts and rejects the new covenant.
Let me ask, how should we respond? How should we, who believe in the new covenant, respond to those groups?
Well, we should seek to be ministers of the New Covenant, like Paul. What does that mean? That means praying for the work of the Holy Spirit to remove the veil over their hearts. It means revealing the failure of the old or the law to redeem. It means doing what Paul does here. Showing the glory of God in the ministry of the new covenant! Its exalting the person and work of Christ through his Spirit! It’s showing what unveiled worship is as we behold God. Remember, it’s not peddling God’s Word, but rather it’s exalting God for the exceeding glory of the new.
Ok, there’s another implication here. A positive one. And it relates to my favorite verse in this chapter.
Look at verse 18. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” I love that verse.
Paul is speaking about those transformed by the ministry of the new covenant. Those whose hearts are not hardened nor veiled but who, through Christ, can behold the glory of God without condemnation! Those who have the ministry of his righteousness because our hearts have been transformed by his Spirit.
And when we behold the wonder and glory of God in what he has accomplished, he does something in us. Or rather he is doing something in us. He is transforming us. He is conforming us to the image of Christ. More and more we will reflect his glory… in our countenance, in our thoughts, in our words, in our actions – in our hearts.
Now, we can certainly inhibit that transformation. Our sin can block the light of the sun.
As you know, this last week has been a little cold. But if you were outside during the day when it was sunny, you really got warmed by the sun.
Inhibiting that transformation is like blocking the sun in some way. We do that when the comforts of this world become idolatrous. Or when our lust or anger or some other sin goes unchecked and unrepented of. Or when we forget to pray or engage in God’s Word. All those things cause us to become cold. They all inhibit the light of the sun reaching us… by our own doing. They all inhibits the transformation of God within us.
But, as verse 18, says, when we behold God with unveiled face. When we come to him laying our sin before him, letting his Word wash over us. When glorying in the ministry of the new covenant becomes our life and righteousness, then God will be transforming us! He’ll be transforming us from one degree of glory to another.
These verses are not saying that we will become perfectly glorified. That will only happen when we pass from this life to the next. But more and more we will reflect the glory of God in Christ. And we will radiate that glory like the face of Moses.
By the way, did you notice that the Lord is equated with the Spirit… multiple times, here. That word Lord, used here, is in reference to Jesus. What Paul is doing here is he is affirming God’s oneness in the Trinity. It’s not overlapping the roles of the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit applies the work of Christ in us. In fact, multiple times in the New Testament he is called the Spirit of Jesus. Christ works in us through his Spirit, to transform us from one degree of glory to another. It is his work.
And that ties back to the new covenant. The ministry of the new covenant is the ministry of the Holy Spirit in us, not the ministry of the law.
So, God has fulfilled all the promises of the old in the new. The glory of the old has faded away, and the surpassing glory of the new has come in Christ. The moon has set and the sun has risen. So may we all with unveiled hearts, behold the glory of God through the Spirit of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
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2 Cor 2:16b – 3:6 Letters from Christ, Written by the Holy Spirit
Please remain standing for the reading of God’s Word. Our sermon text this morning is 2 Corinthians 2:16 to chapter 3:6. You can find that on page 1146 in the pew Bible. We are going to start with the second half of verse 16.
You may notice that we read the last 2 verses of chapter 2 last week. I decided to include them again because of the question asked. The question is “who is sufficient for these things?” The apostle Paul is asking, who is sufficient to be the aroma of Christ? More specifically, he’s asking about his ministry as an apostle. Who is sufficient to be an apostle and to spread the aroma of Christ?
As I read, listen for the answer.
Reading of 2 Corinthians 2:16b to 3:6
In 1948, a professor from Carnegie Mellon wrote one the most famous reference letter ever. This professor, Richard Duffin, was asked by 19-year-old John Nash Jr, to recommend him to Princeton. You see, Nash was hoping to pursue a PhD in mathematics. You may or may not recognize or remember the name John Nash Jr, but the movie Beautiful Mind highlighted his life. In fact, over his lifetime, Nash received many accolades for his work, including a Nobel Prize.
Well, on February 11, 1948, Duffin wrote a letter to Princeton in support of the young Nash. The reference simply had 5 words. “He is a mathematical genius.”
That’s quite the reference. Wouldn’t we each want something like that said of us. “She’s a brilliant lawyer. He is a renowned chef. She’s a musical virtuoso. He’s a master mechanic.”
And what about the apostle Paul? Couldn’t it be said of him, “There’s none like him.” or “His ministry skills are unparalleled.” Or “he’s the greatest of greats.” And it would be true. Even among the apostles, Paul stands out because of his tremendous ministry.
Many things could be said of him. But when it comes to the question, who is sufficient? Or who is qualified? Paul actually rejects the need for a reference letter. Rather, there’s something better. There’s something more important. To be sure, Paul is not saying that letters of recommendation are bad. No. The whole book of Philemon is a reference letter. Paul wrote it to commend Onesimus.
But when it comes to ministry qualifications… When it comes to evaluating Paul’s sufficiency as a minister, there is something far greater. The greatest testimony of Paul’s ministry is the testimony of the Holy Spirit’s work in those to whom he ministers.
That is what these verses are about. They testify to God’s work through his Spirit in Paul’s life and in the life of the Corinthians. These verses really center on God. They center on God’s work in us, as his Spirit transforms our hearts. And in doing so, they teach us the means through which God ministers.
To boil it down, Paul is making two parallel arguments. First, he is defending his ministry by testifying to the work of the Spirit. And second, while Paul is defending his ministry, he is also revealing the way that God fulfills his promises in us. He changes us through his Spirit and not his law.
By the way, I don’t know if you saw it, but I was able to get a sermon outline in the bulletin this week. You’ll see it on page 4. Those two points are the two things that Paul is emphasizing.
· #1 - His ministry credentials. I’m calling that first point Living Letters from Christ
· And #2, God’s covenant ministry with us and in us. I’m calling that point, Written by the Spirit of the Living Lord.
Those ideas are parallel, because if Paul is a true minister, then the focus of his ministry will be God’s ministry. And the results of Paul’s ministry will prove that God himself is the one at work through the Holy Spirit.
So, that is where we are headed.
And let me make one more introductory point. These truths are very important. If we think that God transforms people through his law and not his Spirit, then our ministry to others may actually lead them to death. I don’t think I’m overstating that. In verse 6, Paul said, “the letter kills (meaning the letter of the law) but the Spirit gives life.”
1. Living Letters from Christ (Paul and the apostle’s ministry credentials)
Ok, let’s begin with Paul’s credentials. #1 - Living Letters from Christ.
We’ve talked about the situation in Corinth a lot. The reason is, it helps us understand why Paul says what he says. Remember, some people were trying to undermine Paul. That has come out a couple times so far. They questioned the legitimacy of Paul’s ministry because of his suffering and because of his changing plans. These people, which Paul later calls “super apostles,” were trying to elevate themselves by critiquing Paul.
He alludes to them in chapter 2 verse 17. Look at how he puts it: “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word.” Do you hear his underlying critique of them? Some people were out there treating God’s word like a business to make profit. And back in the first century this idea of peddling had very negative connotations. Peddling involved aggressively pushing a product with often deceitful tactics.
And Paul’s response is that he and the other ministers of the Gospel are not like these peddlers. No, instead, they speak with “sincerity,” he says. They speak with the truth of Christ. God is the one who “commissioned” them in their ministry. Do you see how Paul is elevating God and not himself in his defense?
If you jump down to chapter 3 verse 5, Paul makes a similar point. Their own ministry does not come from themselves. Rather, it comes from God. It’s God’s work and it’s the truth of his Word.
Really, all of this relates to the opening question. Who is sufficient for these things (for this ministry)? And the answer is, nobody. Nobody is sufficient in and of themselves. Listen for the word sufficient in verses 5 into 6. “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers.” He’s saying, it’s about God and not about us, unlike the peddlers.
Now, you and I, we are not apostles, capital A. But each one of us here ministers in some way to other people. You may be a witness at work. Maybe you are a light of hope and of God’s grace in your neighborhood or your school or your family. Maybe you are teaching God’s Word or participating in another form of discipleship. In whatever ways you are ministering, your sufficiency should be in God and not yourself.
Why? Well, it is not your work, rather it is God’s work through you. You and I are merely instruments in God’s hands.
Let me ask, if someone said to you, “thank you for ministering God’s word to me. It really really help” How should you respond? Well, you should say something like, “Praise the Lord. God is at work.” In doing so, you would be affirming that it’s not you, but God who is at work.
Paul is essentially responding in that way. He says up in verses 1 and 2, we are not commending ourselves. We don’t need, as some do, letters of recommendation. Apparently, some of these “super apostles” had letters that somehow qualified them. “Here’s my letter. Corinthians, you must therefore listen to me.”
But Paul’s response is totally different. It’s like he is saying, “Do you know where to find the highest credentials for our ministry? It’s not a piece of paper written with ink. No, instead, look in the mirror. Corinthians, you are our letter of recommendation! God has changed your heart through his Spirit. We were merely agents of God’s work in Corinth. Look at the amazing thing that God has done in transforming you, a people for himself. It is not our work. No. It is God’s work through us and in you by his Spirit.”
Suppose you were applying for a job. And you wanted to work for some kind of discipleship ministry organization. Like maybe our denomination’s discipleship agency. Of course, that organization is going to ask you for letters of recommendation. Well, there’s someone in your church that you have discipled for years. In fact, let’s say, God used you in his life to share the hope and forgiveness of Christ. He responded to that by professing faith in Christ. And since then, you’ve been walking alongside of him in his journey of faith.
And so, you ask him to write a letter of reference for you. Of course, he agrees. He would be honored to do so. But instead of writing a letter, he gets in his car; he drives over to the ministry, and he meets with the director. He explains that his own life is a testimony of God’s work through you. He didn’t want to write a letter. No, instead, he wanted to be a living letter because God through his Spirit had changed his heart. And with tears, he explains how God used you to bring the message of salvation in Christ to him. And how since then, you have walked with him to further disciple him in Christ. Wouldn’t that be a powerful living letter of recommendation?
Paul is saying that the Corinthians themselves are living letters of recommendation. And the credentials are not in Paul’s work. No, the greatest credentials come through the work of God in Christ, through his Spirit, who has transformed them. Look again at what he says in verse 3. “And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God...”
You see, Paul and Titus and Timothy… and the others who were ministering to the Corinthians were the true ministers of God. And it was not because of anything that Paul or Titus or Timothy were doing in and of themselves. They were being faithful to ministry God’s Word. The true testimony of their ministry was that the Spirit of God was working in them and through them. The Corinthian’s hearts had been transformed. The Corinthians were their letters of recommendation from Christ. These living letters were not written with ink but instead, the Spirit wrote God’s truth and grace on their hearts.
So, to summarize point 1. God is the one who commissioned Paul and the others. God is therefore the one through whom they find their sufficiency. It is God’s work. And the proof is found as God ministers through his Spirit. As we minister to one another, it is not our work. Rather it is the Holy Spirit’s work. He transforms us and we then become living letters of recommendation
2. Written by the Spirit of the Living Lord (God’s new covenant promise with us)
Ok, Number 2 – main point number 2. Written by the Spirit of the Living Lord. Let me put 1 and 2 together. We are living letters written by the Spirit of the living Lord.
I’ve essentially already said that. That’s because these two points overlap. You see, the reason that Paul can stake his credentials on God’s work through his Spirit is simple. It’s how God works. In other words, if the way God works is through his Spirit and not the law, then that reality ought to be reflected in Paul’s ministry.
Before we get into the details, briefly look at verse 6. Paul states that God made them sufficient “to be ministers of a new covenant.” If they are ministers of a new covenant, then of course, their ministry will reflect that new covenant.
There are a couple things to unpack here. But the first thing I want you to notice is that Paul takes his analogy of a letter, and he extends it to speak of the law.
He had just used the example of a letter of recommendation, which would be written in ink. But then he applies the analogy to the letter of the law.
You can see that at the end of verse 3. The Holy Spirit is writing and it says this: “not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.”
What were the tablets of stone? The law. The 10 commandments. God engraved the 10 commandments on two tablets of stone.
So, in other words, at the heart of the distinction between letters written with ink and letters written on hearts, is the difference between the law and the Spirit.
The law (meaning God’s law) does not and cannot change hearts. It can merely reveal someone’s heart. In fact, the law often does the opposite. It often hardens hearts. In his own life, before coming to faith in Christ, the apostle Paul exemplified this. You see, before God changed Paul’s heart, everything was about the law.
Paul was a pharisee. Pharisees even made laws on top of laws to help keep the law. And none of it worked. That is because, the law cannot change hearts.
I’ve used the analogy of a mirror before. But I think it’s very helpful, so I want to share it again. God’s moral law, in one sense, is like a mirror.
Kids, let’s say you were outside playing. It had just rained like last night, and so you got pretty dirty. When you came inside, your mom told you to get cleaned up. So, you went in the bathroom. You looked in the mirror. And you noticed that you were pretty dirty. What would happen if you tried to clean your face by rubbing it on the mirror? Well it’s not going to work. In fact, it’s just going to make a mess. Why? Because the mirror cannot clean you. It can only show you that you are dirty. Rather, what you need is soap and water. In a similar way, God’s law cannot cleanse you. Rather, you need the cleansing work of Christ which God applies to you through the Holy Spirit.
That is what the end of verse 6 means. Paul mentions they are ministers of a new covenant, and then says, “not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills but the Spirit gives life.”
The letter kills. He’s talking about the letter of the law. If you are trying to justify yourself by keeping the letter of the law, you will fall short. It cannot save you.
I want to make something clear. Paul is not saying that the law is evil! He’s not saying that the law is bad and the Spirit is good. No. God’s law is good. It’s perfect. It’ right and true. It reveals the very nature of God in his holiness and goodness. It points us to Christ in the sense that is shows us our need for him just like a mirror.
And furthermore, once we know Christ and trust in him, God’s law directs us how to honor him in our lives. It’s not bad versus good. Rather, death is what happens if we are seeking to be justified by the law. The letter of the law kills, but the Spirit brings life.
I think Ezekiel’s prophecy in chapter 36 is helpful as we consider this. We read it earlier the service. God said through Ezekiel. “I will give you a new heart…. I will take your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statues.”
What a powerful image. Your heart and my heart are like stone. We were all spiritually dead. And the only way we can come alive is if God, through his Spirit, bring us to new life by giving us a new heart.
Do you see how this ties to Paul’s credentials? Paul’s ministry was not to tell people that if they kept the law, they would be saved. No, Paul’s ministry was quite the opposite. His ministry was to show them that they could not fulfill the law. Instead, they needed a new heart. They needed faith in the one who could keep the law for them. Faith in Christ.
In verse 6, Paul calls this ministry the ministry of the “new covenant.” Implied, of course, is that there is also an old covenant. Let me say, the rest of chapter 3 compares these two covenants. Both are connected and they both are about God’s promises to his people… and how he fulfills them. Just to give you a brief summary, central to the old covenant was the ministry of the law. The old covenant revealed sin and it pointed forward to Christ in different ways. The new covenant is the fulfillment of what was promised in the old. Jesus Christ perfectly obeyed the law and fulfilled all the promises in the old. The new covenant is the ministry of the Holy Spirit, because he applies the ministry of Christ to us by faith. There’s a lot there and we’ll work through it next week. But I wanted to at least give you an introduction since Paul mentionmed the new covenant.
Well, let’s end by going back to the opening question. Who is sufficient for these things? Paul’s sufficiency as a minister comes from God alone. It is God’s work, through his Spirit, in the lives of the Corinthians. That is why they are living letters of recommendation. And why is this important? Because if God’s purposes are fulfilled through the work of God’s Spirit, then Paul’s ministry absolutely needs to reflect God’s purposes.
In a similar way, our ministry to one another should reflect the work of God’s Spirit in Christ. We should not be hammers trying to chisel God’s moral law onto each other. Rather, we should be conduits of God’s grace. We should be ministering the grace of God in Christ to one another.
As we see sin in each other, yes, we should go to our brothers and sisters. That is part of our ministry to one another. We should direct each other to pursue God and his commands because of what Jesus has done for us. We do that knowing that God transforms our hearts through his Spirit. He is the one who applies the work of God in Christ to each of us. Because the letter kills, but Spirit gives life.
May we each be living letters of recommendation for one another… as we see the Spirit of the Living God at work in each of us. Amen
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2 Corinthians 2:12-17
Triumphal Procession in Christ
Please remain standing for the reading of our sermon text. This morning, 2 Corinthians 2:12-14. That can be found on page 1146 in the pew Bibles.
Thank you to Coleman for preaching last week.
In the verses that he worked through, Paul further explained his change of plans. He didn’t want to make another painful visit. That would have been hard on them. Instead, because of his love for them, he thought it best to write a letter and send Titus.
Also from last week, Paul exhorted them to forgive a brother of his sin. What an encouragement to hear. One of the men stirring up controversy had repented. Paul encouraged the church to receive this man back into full fellowship. As Coleman put it, repentance and forgiveness are the Most Precious Remedy Against Satan’s Devices.
OK, that brings us to chapter 2 verse 12 through the end of the chapter. In our verses today, we learn (1) where Paul went next and why, and also (2) from where he draws his strength.
Reading of 2 Corinthians 2:12-17
Prayer
One of my seminary professors said to our class once. “If you can do anything else, do not be a pastor.” At the time, I thought, “that is ridiculous.” In fact, I was doing something else. I was working full time in a career and taking classes in the evenings and weekends. And furthermore, I thought, any one of these guys in seminary should be able to do something else.
I didn’t realize what my professor meant until becoming a pastor. It’s not the work-load. Being a pastor is like any career – it often requires long days and unplanned things that come up. Furthermore, he was not talking about work politics. Any job requires navigating difficult dynamics.
Rather, my professor was telling us that being a pastor comes with burdens unlike most careers. Loving and caring for sheep often requires carrying their burdens. It means weeping with them in grief. It means yearning to see change and pleading with the Lord to see reconciliation in families and marriages and in the church. It means suffering with and alongside others.
Now, to be sure, we all carry those burdens for our friends and family. But being a pastor is like multiplying that by 100. My professor was saying “being a pastor is a special calling because of those things.” To be sure, I am not saying “do not come to me or Coleman with your burdens. No, it is a privilege and honor to minister God’s grace and carry them with you.
The reason I’m bring this up is because the apostle Paul carried many many burdens. For him and the apostles, take the burdens of a pastor and multiple that by 100.
Paul not only carries the weight of the people he’s ministering to where he is. But he carries the weight of all of the churches that he helped establish. And that’s a lot
Look back up at chapter 2 verse 4 and you’ll hear what I mean. “I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.” Anguish of heart. Many tears. Abundant love. What a pastoral heart. He was in Ephesus when he wrote the painful letter he’s talking about. His heart was in Ephesus, for sure. But his heart was also in Corinth. He sent that letter with all those emotions – tears and anguish and love.
And as I mentioned, he sent that letter with Titus. Titus’s objective was to deliver the painful letter to the Corinthians and help them see their need to repent. Then following that visit, Titus was to travel to Troas where he was to meet Paul and give an update.
That was the plan.
Now look at verse 12 “When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, my spirit was not at rest (why?) because I did not find my brother Titus there.”
You see, Paul had left Ephesus and travelled north to Troas, which was also in Asia Minor. And when he got to Troas, as he put it, there was a “door opened for me in the Lord.” That’s a phrase Paul has used before. The city was ripe for Gospel ministry. There were believers there and many people were open to hear about Christ Jesus. By the way, in Acts chapter 20, it is in Troas on this same trip that Paul preached late one night. He went on and on. There was a young man Eutychus who was sitting in the window. He fell asleep and then he fell out of the window 3 stories down to his death. But God used Paul to revive Eutychus back to life.
So, Paul is there in Troas, and he is ministering… but his heart is not settled. Titus didn’t show up. You see, Paul was still carrying a great pastoral burden for the Corinthians. The anguish and tears for them were still there.
Maybe Paul thought that Titus was detained in Corinth because they weren’t listening… so maybe Titus needed to stay longer. Paul didn’t know for sure… but the burden was too much. He couldn’t stay in Troas. No, Paul needed to find Titus. So, as it says, he continued on to Macedonia.
Full stop.
Paul pauses the narrative about his travels. In fact, Paul doesn’t pick it back up until chapter 7!
In other words, Paul interrupts himself. He had been sharing about his intense burden and love for them which caused him anguish in his heart. But then he says in verse 14 - “but thanks be to God!” And he gives us an amazing word of Christ’s ministry in him and through him.
Speaking of interrupting, let me take a brief tangent.
Every single one of us here carries different heart burdens. What burdens are weighing you down? Some of your burdens are very very hard. I know some of them. Sometimes we need an interruption. Sometimes we need to say, like Paul, “but thanks be to God.” You may be suffering a difficult illness, but thanks be to God. A relationship dear to you is struggling, but thanks be to God. A child is suffering or is wayward… or a parent is in his or her last days of life. But thanks be to God. Like Paul, you may feel a similar anguish of heart for someone you love, but THANKS be to God.
But thanks be to God… why? Well, there are many reasons to thank God.
But here, Paul hones in on something that directly relates to his ministry.
He writes, “but thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession.”
On the surface, I think we can understand this. Jesus Christ is the victorious king. He has triumphed over his and our enemies – sin, death, and the devil. And now he is leading us. Look at the verb and modifier there. “always leads us!”
Paul is reminding himself this truth. While he is enduring affliction and anguish, God in Christ is always leading him because God is the triumphal king. That is the surface level understanding.
Now, when the Corinthians read this, they knew exactly what Paul was referring to. Remember, Corinth was a Roman city in Greece. It had been destroyed a couple hundred years prior, but Julius Ceasar re-built Corinth. It then became the Roman capital of the region.
So, the Corinthians knew the Roman system. They knew the history of the empire. They knew all the conquests of the emperors and princes and generals of the land. And they knew that when a commander conquered a foreign land, there would be a great triumphal procession in Rome.
It was the highest honor any general could receive. He would be dressed in a purple robe. He would ride in a gold chariot – the triumphal chariot, it was called. His soldiers would march behind him, celebrating the victory. Some of the spoils of war would be carted along. Incense would be burned and the fragrance would waft through the streets masking the usual rancid smell with a sweet aroma. And furthermore, prisoners of war would be dragged behind in chains. And when the envoy reached the Temple of Jupiter, the prisoners would be publicly sacrificed to their false god – Jupiter, by the way their chief deity of justice and authority.
It was quite the display of victory and triumph. Celebrations throughout Rome would break out and many in the city would join in the great celebration.
So, when Paul says … “God… in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere,” …that imagery would come to mind.
Now, there has been two main interpretations of this metaphor. The first is that Paul considered himself one of the soldiers or lieutenants following Christ in the triumphal procession. John Calvin held this view. He’s been on my mind since we were studying him today in Sunday school. Calvin wrote, “Paul shared in the triumph that God was celebrating… just as the chief lieutenants shared in the general’s triumph by riding on horseback behind his chariot.”
That’s a very reasonable interpretation, I think. As Paul is continuing on from Ephesus to Troas to Macedonia, he is like a soldier of Christ, being led by him. Thanks be to God for that.
However, even Calvin agrees that the word “triumph” in the Greek includes triumphing over us.
I’ve been wrestling through this all week. You see, the other main interpretation is that God, in Christ, triumphed over Paul.
In other words, the imagery Paul gives may not be as a soldier, but as one of the captives being led to his death. Now, mind you, he’s a joyful captive. But isn’t it true, God conquered Paul’s heart. He had been an enemy of God, persecuting and killing God’s people, but God took him captive. Paul bowed the knee in submission to Christ. He forsook all his sin and evil ways. The cross of Christ became his life. In fact, multiple times in his letters, Paul refers to himself as a “prisoner of the Lord” or a “prisoner of Christ Jesus.”
And that interpretation aligns with the rest of 2 Corinthians. Paul and the apostles had been enduring affliction and trials and persecution as a testimony of their apostleship. Paul is a prisoner in that sense - bound to God’s call in his life. And Paul is on the triumphal procession to his death, suffering as an apostle. And as I mentioned, it’s a joyful imprisonment because in his death, he will be given new life.
I think this second interpretation is likely what Paul is implying.
But either way, it is Christ who is leading the triumphal procession. Jesus is the one who through the cross and in his resurrection accomplished the overwhelming victory. The burden of our sin fell on him. Satan and his demonic forces thought that they had the author of life destroyed forever. They thought they had won, but what they didn’t know is that through their very act, God accomplished salvation and defeated them. And when he rose from the grave, he defeated death and sealed Satan’s fate forever.
You see, it is finished! Salvation has been accomplished. And now, Christ is leading us, always, whether as a prisoner or a soldier, in that triumphal procession with him.
Thanks be to God. Because even with the burdens we carry, we can rejoice in his victory.
Now, I think… Paul could have ended it there. It’s a wonderful image of being led in Christ’s triumphal procession. But that is not the end of Paul’s illustration.
No, he also uses the imagery of fragrance. As the triumphal procession continued through the streets of Rome, as I mentioned earlier, incense filled the air. Spices were soaked and slowly burned which gave off a pleasing aroma – it was the smell of victory.
When I was growing up, my grandmother had a few little ceramic potpourri bowls. They were filled with flower petals and dried fruit and spices like sticks of cinnamon. All of it was mixed with water. And underneath the ceramic bowls, were little candles. The little flame would heat up the mixture and the smell would permeate the house.
Of course, I was mesmerized by it. Not the smell, but the candles. Anything with fire is mesmerizing for boys… that doesn’t really change when boys grow up!
But anyway, when you entered my grandmother’s house, it had a sweet aroma. And when I smell a similar smell today, it kind of transports me back in time to her home.
In Rome, the incense bowls were big, and the smell would fill the streets. As the triumphal processional passed by street after street the aroma of burning incense would fill the whole city.
Paul likens the fragrance to the aroma of Christ spreading throughout the world.
And what is that aroma?
The aroma is the aroma of Jesus’ sacrifice. The reason I say that because the language parallels how the burnt offerings were described in the Old Testament. In Leviticus, the offerings were called “a pleasing aroma to the Lord.” That very phrase “pleasing aroma” is used 16 times in the book of Leviticus and 18 times in the book of Numbers. What I am saying is that use of the word “aroma” intentionally connects to the idea of a sacrifice.
And all those sacrifices and offerings of old come together and are fulfilled in Christ.
Now to be sure, this text in 2 Corinthians does not make the explicit connection to the sacrifice of Christ for our sin. But listen to what Paul says in Ephesians 5 verse 2: “walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
When we follow Christ and walk in his love and testify to his sacrifice… then the pleasing aroma of Christ will emanate from us. His fragrance will permeate to those around us. When the church does this as a whole, many will be drawn to the love and grace and hope and forgiveness and community that God has given us in him.
And by the way, look how the fragrance is described in verse 14. “The fragrance of the knowledge of him.” You see, the aroma of Christ in us and coming from us is more than just the testimony of our lives. Yes, it absolutely includes that. But the aroma is also the testimony of our words …as we declare Christ’s sacrifice and his love… which includes the call to repentance and faith.
So, when we love God and reflect that love, and speak of God’s love and the salvation accomplished and offered in Christ, we we do those things, then we will exude the aroma of Christ.
And look at what will happen. Again, up in verse 14. The fragrance will spread “everywhere!” You see that word? The aroma of Christ will permeate to every corner of the earth. Every nation. It is and it will expand to every people, every language, every tribe.
It’s been almost 2000 years since Jesus’ suffering and sacrifice. Yet, his fragrance is still spreading today – more so than ever. The Gospel of Christ which Paul preached has been expanding ever since and will continue to expand until Jesus returns.
And how does that expansion work? Through us. As the aroma of Christ works in us, it then emanates from us. Others then received it. And they, in turn, pass that fragrance on. We “are the aroma of Christ,” as Paul puts it.
Alright, let’s look now at verses 15 and 16.
We learn an important thing here. The aroma of Christ will have one of two effects.
Number 1: The fragrance of Christ will be a sweet aroma to those who are “being saved.” That is the phrase right there in verse 15. In other words, those whom God has called, whom the Holy Spirit turns to him will smell the aroma of Christ. It will be pleasant, and it will draw them to him. Verse 16 reinforces that. The aroma of Christ will be a fragrance from life to life. The aroma will be the sweet smell of life which will yield new life to them.
Burt there’s a second effect: Not everyone who smells the fragrance of Jesus sacrifice will smell that sweet aroma. No, for those who reject Christ, who, as it says “are perishing” the aroma will not be sweet. Rather, it will be the stench of death. The aroma will permeate to them, but it will sadly be, as verse 16 says, “from death to death.” The smell of death will lead to death.
I want to say this... if you are smelling the aroma of Christ for the first time. Meaning if you are hearing about Jesus sacrifice on the cross. It is the most beautiful aroma. It is the most beautiful testimony of God’s love.
Here’s what I mean. Every single one of us. Every single person who ever lived has offended God. We’ve rejected him. We’ve rejected his law and promises. And God in his perfectly just nature is justified to treat us as enemies. Because of the unholiness of our sin we cannot be in God’s holy presence. We deserve to suffer the captive’s fate.
But God, because of his great love, sent his son, the eternal son of God, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die and receive God’s wrath in your place. And the only requirement for you is to believe that by faith – to forsake your sin and turn to him. In other words, in his sacrifice is life.
That is the pleasing aroma that Christ offers you – life in him. As you smell this aroma, so to speak, receive it with joy and with faith. Join the triumphal procession as a captive of Christ… and celebrate his triumph!
May the aroma be a pleasing aroma because God is saving you.
As we draw to a close, let’s go back to the apostle Paul. He is saying that he is spreading the aroma of Christ in his life and his ministry. And he makes an important point in verse 17. Being the aroma of Christ is not like selling goods. It’s not something to be “peddled”, as verse 17 puts it. That’s what was happening in Corinth. The false teachers and so-called “super apostles” were treating the Gospel like a business. They were using it for their glory and using the people in the process. But no, Paul calls us to “sincerity” (that’s the word he uses)… and calls us to “to speak in Christ.” In other words, we’re to let the aroma of Christ overwhelm us. Out of a heart that has the love and grace of Christ, we can then let the aroma of Christ flow to others. And that sweet fragrance will then draw people to him.
Even in our trials, and suffering, and the anxiousness of our souls, may we know that Christ is leading us on that triumphal procession. May we give thanks to God for that. And may God use us to spread the pleasing aroma of Christ everywhere. Amen
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2 Cor 1:12-22
Change of Plans and Plans that Never Change
Please remain standing and turn to 2 Corinthians 1:12-22. That is on page 1145 in the Pew Bible.
In these verses, the apostle Paul explains three things. First, his own manner of life as it relates to the Corinthians. Second, Paul explains his change of plans. And third, he explains that the promises of God never change.
Listen for those three things as I read.
Reading of 2 Corinthians 1:12-22
Prayer
“Who moved my cheese?”
That question is the title of a 1998 book that has sold over 30 million copies. Maybe some of you have read it.
It’s about 4 characters who live in a maze. Day in and day out they are looking for cheese. Well one day, the cheese is not in its usual place. And one of the characters, in frustration, exclaims, “who moved my cheese?”
It’s really a book about change. We are creatures of habit. We like things to stay consistent. We like our plans to work out the way we planned them. When things don’t go as expected, we resist or we blame, or we make bad assumptions. Or we worry about the future.
Well, the apostle Paul moved the Corinthian’s cheese, so to speak. You see, Paul had told the church in Corinth that he planned to visit them, but those plans changed. In fact, Paul’s plans to visit had changed two times.
First, at the end of 1 Corinthians, Paul told them that he planned to visit them after travelling through Macedonia. Well, that didn’t work out.
Second, he mentions here, in 2 Corinthians 1 verse 16 that he had hoped to visit them twice, but he didn’t. Further, if you remember from a couple of weeks ago, Paul had made an emergency visit to them. That was an unplanned trip. And following that visit he wrote a painful letter, as he described it.
So, Paul had set expectations with the church in Corinth, but over the prior few months, he made multiple changes of plans.
What if Sinclair Ferguson, well-known Scottish preacher, promised to visit us? We had him scheduled to preach. But he had to back out. So, we rescheduled. And again he had to cancel. Then one day Sinclair Ferguson did show up, but his visit was unplanned. We had to scramble to accommodate him. How would you feel about that? Now, I know it’s not the same. Sinclair is not an apostle, nor do we know him personally.
But the Corinthians did know Paul. And he did promise to visit. And because of his changed plans, they were frustrated. We get that sense in verses 17. Paul uses the word “vacillating.” They thought he was wishy washy. In that same verse he asks whether he makes his plans according to the “flesh.” That word flesh is often in Scripture used to indicate sinful desires and actions in contrast with living according to the Spirit. Because his plans changed, some believed he was therefore not walking by the Spirit.
So, all these questions were swirling about. And I want to remind you about the group that had been undermining Paul. The reason Paul defends himself in this letter is because of their accusations. This group was using Paul’s change of plans to undermine his authority. They were in essence taking advantage of the Corinthians’ doubt and assumptions and unmet expectations and using those thing against Paul.
Paul moved your cheese, how can you trust this guy? After all, he says one thing, but he does another. His “yes” is not “yes,” his “no” is not “no.” That is not how someone led by the Spirit would act. No, this Paul guy is being led by the flesh. With all his vacillating, can he even be an Apostle?
And some of the Corinthians were persuaded.
So, Paul wants to clear things up. That is the premise and purpose of these verses. And as I mentioned up front, he does that by communicating three things.
· First, in verses 12-14, Paul reminds them about the testimony of his own life and his love for them. That’s really important for them to remember.
· Second, verses 15-17, Paul explains that his plans do not undermine his love for them nor his ministry
· and then, third, verses 18-22, he tells them that there’s something that never changes - God's promises fulfilled in Christ.
So, that is where we are headed this morning.
#1 Paul’s Life and His Love
So, again, #1, in verses 12-14, Paul begins by testifying to his own life and his love for them. By the way, it’s not just his life, it’s also those who were with him, like Timothy.
Now, let me ask you this. When someone questions your decisions, what is your first response? Do you get defensive? Sometimes I do. Do you dismiss the person? Do you turn the tables on them and start questioning them? Those are the kinds of things that we tend to do. Right?
Well Paul doesn’t do any of that. No, instead, he lovingly responds.
Look at verse 12. Paul begins with a reminder about their time together. He and Timothy modelled “simplicity” and “godly sincerity” in their lives. You can see those words there. What Paul means is that he and Timothy demonstrated their deep faith by (1) living a simple lifestyle and (2) doing that with sincere hearts seeking to honor God in their lives. And look at that phrase there at the end of 12. They were doing that, it says, “not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.”
He was reminding them that when he and Timothy were in Corinth, they loved them well. They built them up in the Word, through the Spirit. They were gentle and peaceable. Their lives testified to the grace of God, especially in their relationship with the Corinthians.
Verse 13 essentially extends that same idea to what they wrote. Paul and Timothy have been very consistent in their lives and letters.
And then verse 14. It’s so encouraging. Look at it, the second half. “on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you.” That word boast comes up many times in this book. It’s a joyful confidence in God’s work in someone. So, it’s not negative, it’s positive. It’s not pridefully bragging in one’s own strength and will, instead it’s boasting in what God has done.
Here’s what Paul was saying: when Jesus returns in glory, we will give praise to God for your lives and you will praise God for ours. You have built us up in the Gospel and we have built you up. And glory to God in Christ when he returns! What an amazing testimony.
You know, I brag about you. It’s true. Sometimes people ask me how church is going. And I describe how you love and care for one another. And how you seek to build each other up in the Word through the Spirit. And how your hearts love your neighbors. Now, I am not really boasting about you in and of yourselves. No, rather, I am boasting about God’s work in you and through you. It will be great on that day when Jesus returns to see one another … and to boast of what God’s has done here in Tucker.
That is what Paul is doing here. He’s boasting in Christ.
He’s drawing them back in to the relationship that they have with him. Especially after that emergency visit and painful letter… he wants to re-affirm his commitment and love for them.
#2 that his change of plans do not undermine his ministry
Isn’t that a great way for Paul to begin? In fact, all of these verses from 12-22 are positive. As you know, sometimes Paul strongly exhorts the church, but here he lovingly encourages and explains.
And actually, these next verses, 15-17, continue to display Paul’s heart for them.
Look at verse 15 and 16. Two times he says, “I wanted to come.” In verse 15, “…I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first…”
and then in 16… “I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia.” He was saying, this was and is my heart for you. Don’t interpret my change of plans as a lack of interest or love. In fact, we will find out next week that his love for them was one of the reasons he changed his plans.
Let me mention a brief side note. That phrase “double blessing of grace” is something that relates to chapters 8 and 9. It’s the grace of giving. We’ll see what that means in a couple of months.
Plans sometimes change because God redirects us. Doors close. Other paths open. New dynamics may require re-evaluating. And when we are resistant to change, it may actually indicate an unwillingness to let the Lord lead. Not always, of course. And to be sure, the number one responsibility we have in letting the Lord’s lead us is pursuing him and his righteousness.
For Paul, his willingness to change demonstrated his being led by God in the Spirit. Paul’s life demonstrated that. On his second missionary journey, Paul was in Asia and he had planned to revisit all the churches he had planted there. But God redirected him to Macedonia. And he obeyed. And through that, God brought the Gospel to Europe for the first time.
We submit our plans to the Lord, we move forward with those plans by faith, but we allow God to direct and at times redirect our steps.
Some of you were around 5 years ago. We had our plans in place. I think it was almost exactly 5 years ago that we set our launch date for the end of March, 2020. We had a location lined up. We were excited. As the date got closer, we got the word out. Then the world shut down because of COVID. All of us here learned many things during that time. We learned to trust in the Lord. We learned the importance of prayer. And one of the things I learned was to have an open hand with our plans. It’s not our church, it’s the Lord’s church. When we hold on to our plans with a tight fist, we can miss the blessing of how the Lord leads and guides.
When Paul asks whether he was vacillating? Verse 17. The implied answer is “no.” He also affirms that he was not saying “yes, yes” and “no, no” at the same time.
By the way, the double “yes” and double “no” was a cultural thing. If you said “yes” twice, it was a definitive yes. “No” twice, was a definitive “no.” Apparently if you just said “yes” once, it was like saying “yes” while crossing your fingers behind your back. You didn’t really have to mean it.
This is related to what Jesus said in Matthew 5, “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.” And it is similar to what James said. “Let your yes be yes or your no be no, or you will be condemned.”
You see, in verse 17, Paul was insinuating a severe critique. Some were saying that Paul says “yes, yes,” and “no, no” at the same time! They were saying he was a liar!
Paul’s answer is bound up in the question itself. No, that is not the case at all. Paul is being led by the Spirit, not by the flesh. Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of man plans his ways, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
Even though Paul is an Apostle, he does not have divine foresight into the future. No, he faithfully plans his ministry, but he allows God to lead and guide according to God’s grace, not earthly wisdom, as he put it.
Ok, To recap. Paul’s heart has not changed for them, even though his plans changed, His life and his letters testified to his faith and love. He still boasts in God’s work in them. Those times that he said he would come, he earnestly desired to do so. It was not vacillating in the flesh but rather being led by the Spirit.
#3 There’s something that never changes – God’s promises in Christ
And that brings us to verses 18-22. Really, these verses are the center of this whole section from chapter 1 verse 12 to chapter 2 verse 4. We’ll get to the rest next week.
Paul has been leading up to these words. He gives us here the immoveable rock in the midst of change. Despite all of his changed plans, here’s what he says to them in verse 18 “As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No.” In other words, yes, plans may have changed, but our message has not changed.
What he preached to them when he planted them… what he wrote to them in his multiple letters… what he said to them in his emergency visit just a few months prior, has not changed.
That’s because, God’s promises in Christ never change.
Verse 19 “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes.” Jesus whom we proclaimed is always “yes.”
By the way, notice that Paul names himself, Timothy, and Silvanus. The testimony of three witnesses establishes the truth of this matter. They were there with Paul. Their message never changed, and that message is the message of Jesus Christ.
Verses 20 is definitely the most well-known verse in this passage. “All the promises of God find their yes in him.” That is, in Christ Jesus.
God’s plan from before the foundation of the world has always been “yes” (so to speak) in Christ Jesus. That’s because all the promises of God find their yes in him.
If I could go back in time and experience one event in the Bible, it would probably be Jesus on the road to Emmaus. Jesus was with two men after his resurrection. They didn’t recognize him. And as they were walking, Jesus began explaining how the promises and prophecies of old have been fulfilled in him. Luke 24:27 says, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Wouldn’t that have been amazing to hear?
As you know, Sinclair Ferguson is not here. He was planning to come, but his plans changed. Just kidding.
Here’s what Ferguson said about all the promises of God finding their “Yes” in Jesus.
“He is the seed of the woman who was promised to Adam and Eve. He is the seed of Abraham who was promised to Abraham and Sarah. He is the true Melchizedek Priest. He is the true Prophet that God promised to Moses He would raise up. He is the King that He promised to David would sit upon his throne. He is the Son of Man that Daniel envisaged. He is the suffering Servant about whom Isaiah spoke. He is the Root out of Jesse whom [Isaiah] also prophesied. Every single line of promise that we find in the Old Testament Scriptures… meet in Jesus. Which means this: If I want to know the promises of God fulfilled in my life, the place I need to go to begin to experience these promises coming to pass is to Jesus, in whom all of the promises of God are Yes.” Amen to that?
That word, “Amen” is used there in verse 20. We can “utter Amen to God for his glory.” As it says. We can do that, because all of the promises of God do find their fulfillment in Christ. Amen literally means, “let it be so” or “it is true and so.” Jesus is even called the “Amen” in Revelation 3.
Let me put it this way, Jesus Christ is the great Amen and the great Yes in all of history and all of life and in all the universe. He has been and he will be so forevermore.
This unchanging promise in Christ is an unchanging promise for you.
When you have the promise of Christ, that promise will be yours forever. It’s not just a promise out there that God has fulfilled in Jesus. The promise of “Yes” and “Amen” is for you. It is offered to you… and when you receive it by faith, it is yours forever.
That is what Paul is telling the Corinthians. Verse 21 God has “established us with you in Christ.” They are together united to him. And verse 22, he’s “put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
It is guaranteed. Plans won’t change. When you turn your life to God in Christ by faith - that means forsaking your sin and ungodly ways, and turning to him as Lord and Savior… when you do that, God will put his seal on you. Like a king putting his signet seal upon you. You are his. And that will never change. He, Jesus. will be your “yes” and “amen,” forever. You are guaranteed life and peace and redemption in him.
I’ve mentioned this before, but I want to say it again. One of the beautiful things about 2 Corinthians is how Paul always goes back to the Gospel. It’s what we each need to do as well.
Conclusion
Let me summarize. Yes, Paul’s plans changed. But no, his message never changed. That is because God’s plans never change. The promises of God in Christ have always been and always will be yes and Amen. It’s what the Corinthians could be assured of. Despite Paul’s detractors undermining him, he could point to his life in Christ and to the unchanging promise of the one in whom they had life forever.
And it’s the same for us. Despite all the changes in life…. Despite your cheese getting moved, so to speak… despite all the unexpected hurdles and expectations that fall through. when you have to move to a new home, or when you lose your job, or when your friends move away… when you are disappointed or afraid for whatever reason. Despite all of that, there is one innwhom will always be “yes”… All the promises find their yes and Amen in him. His promises will never change. And that is the eternal and unchangeable promises of Christ Jesus for you.
May we be able to say yes and amen to Christ, our rock and redeemer.
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2 Corinthians 1:8-11
Delivered by God, Sustained by Prayer
Please remain standing for the reading of our sermon text – 2 Corinthians 1:8-11. That is on page 1145 in the pew Bibles
These verses continue the theme from last week. The apostle Paul was expressing the comfort of God to the Corinthians. He wanted them to be comforted by the comfort of Christ in their suffering and also share that comfort.
These verses, 8-11, continue that theme. Paul now gives them an example - a life threating affliction that he experienced.
Reading of 2 Corinthians 1:8-11.
Prayer
There is strong evidence that most of the apostles were killed for their faith… for their gospel ministry. We call that being martyred. For example, James, the brother of the apostle John, was executed by king Agrippa. We know that for sure from the book of Acts chapter 12.
That is the only one recorded in the Bible, but we have other historical testimonies from the early church fathers. They wrote about how Peter was crucified upside down in Rome. How Thomas was killed in India. How Andrew was crucified in Greece on an X shaped cross. And how Paul was beheaded under the persecution of Nero.
Other accounts exist as well. And while we can’t absolutely verify the details, the evidence supports those accounts.
Some of you will know this, but before the apostle Paul’s radical conversion, he was the one persecuting and even killing Christians. Yet God transformed his life. He was confronted by Jesus himself on the road to Damascus. Even though he was temporarily blinded, God opened the eyes of his heart, he could now see the truth clearly. Instead of being a persecutor he became one of the persecuted.
In fact, at the time of his conversion, God revealed to Paul, what he must suffer. God told a man named Annanias to find Paul. Annanias was hesitant because he knew Paul’s history. But listen to these words spoken by the Lord to Annanias.
“Go, for he [that is, Paul] is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
And suffer, Paul would. In the book of Acts we have account after account of Paul’s imprisonments, beatings, and other persecution. And we don’t even know the half of it! Later in 2 Corinthians, chapter 11, Paul lists many more than we have recorded elsewhere. Five times he received what was known as 40 lashes minus 1. That is whips on his back. Three times he was beaten with rods. One time he was stoned. He had been left for dead.
You see, Paul and the other apostles endured intense persecution because of their Gospel ministry. And eventually would be martyred,
I’m telling you all this because when we read 2 Corinthians, it’s important to understand and apply this book correctly. And we can do that on three levels.
· First and foremost, Paul is defending his apostleship. The apostle’s ministry was patterned after Christ’s ministry of persecution unto death. The affliction and martyrdom that Paul and the others endured testified to God’s special call for them. So, the first layer of application is to affirm their apostleship and this word from God and to therefore reject false teachers and false apostles.
· Second, the call to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth still applies today. And while there are no more apostles, capital A, yet God still calls many to bring the love of God in Christ to places that have never received the good news of Jesus Christ. And it is a sacrifice. There are those, today, who give their lives for that great cause. Martyrs, who in their frontier mission work, testify in their life and death to the risen Christ and hope in him. That is the second level of application. Those being persecuted for their faith receive a special comfort from these verses.
You with me, so far? The first level application, again, is the apostle’s persecution and affliction which testifies to their apostleship. The second level of application is in the affliction and comfort of those who are afflicted because of their faith.
Now, some people draw the line there. They say that those are the only two levels of application here. In other words, they say we should not extend the application to the other kind of suffering… like sickness, hardships, emotional or relational pain, or grief. But I disagree with that.
· I want to make the case (like many others have) for a third layer of application in 2 Corinthians. If you have your Bible open to 2 Corinthians 1, look at verse 3 from last week. God is to be worshiped because he is the God of “all” comfort. That is pretty broad... “all.” And if you look at verse 4, the word “all” is used again. Then Paul says that they want to comfort others who are in “any” affliction. Again, it’s a very broad application of comfort in affliction… “any.” Here’s what I am saying… the giving and receiving of comfort in suffering also applies beyond those in dangerous missions work. I mentioned last week that we are not talking about worldly comfort, but rather the comfort of assurance and peace and being encouraged and strengthened in Christ to endure.
As the theme of suffering and comfort comes back around over and over, we’ll apply it on those three levels.
I wanted to say that up-front because it relates to today’s verses…
Ok, before we get into verses 8-11, I want to share one more thing. Amy told me this after last week’s sermon. The verses from last week are very meaningful to her family. 30 years ago, Amy’s brother died in a small plane accident. He was 23 years old at the time. A dear friend of the family shared these verses of comfort with Amy’s dad. That friend who shared those verses had himself been comforted by those very words. Years earlier his daughter had died in an accident. He was sharing with Amy’s family the comfort of Christ with which he himself had been comforted in his suffering.
It's a beautiful picture of sharing Gospel comfort with one another.
Now look at verse 8. It begins with the word “for.” It’s a connecting word. “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia.” The apostle Paul directly connects this new paragraph to what he has just written to them. He is saying, let me now give you an example of our affliction through which you can be comforted.
The big question, of course, is what exactly happened in Asia? That would be helpful information.
And the answer is, we don’t know exactly.
However, I do want to give you a couple of possibilities. Look at how Paul describes the event in the second half of verse 8. “We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.” It was very difficult. Verse 9 makes the event even more intense. “Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.”
Whatever the situation they found themselves in, they thought they were going to die.
Earlier in the service, we read from Acts 19. One possibility is that Paul was referring to the riots in Ephesus. Ephesus was, after all, the capital of Asia at that time - Asia minor.
You see, in Ephesus, Christianity had been spreading and transforming it in a good way. But it was bad for business. What I mean is that the church had been preaching against idols and idolatry. Well, that meant that all the merchants who were selling little “g” god idols were losing money. And so, Demetrius, the silversmith stirred up a riot. As you know, when a crowd gets stirred up, it can easily turn into an angry mob. When that happens, people lose any sense of peace or moderation… if they even had any to start with.
Well, this mob in Ephesus dragged off two of the believers, Gaius and Aristarchus. They were, in fact, two of Paul’s travelling companions. It’s amazing that these men and others were not killed. God delivered them… he used the Roman authority to calm the crown down.
You can see, it is possible that Paul was referring to this event – After all, they thought they had received the sentence of death, broadly speaking.
The only thing is that Paul was not in the midst of it. He was not at the theater where the riot occurred. The other believers wouldn’t let him go out of fear for his life.
So, we do not know for sure if this was the event.
Another possibility is in 1 Corinthians 15. There Paul mentioned that they fought with “wild beasts” in Ephesus. Those were the words he used. Now, to be sure, he was not talking about literal beasts, but rather men so evil it’s as if they were wild beasts. So, there was a second event where they had been attacked. They could have felt the same sentence of death that he describes.
Maybe it was some other event. We ultimately don’t know. But whatever it was, Paul and the other with him were overwhelmed. They feared for their life, and despaired of what was going to happen. Paul described what they felt as “burdened beyond our strength.”
Let me ask, have you been there? Have you experienced something so intense and so difficult that you could not see any path out of the burden? That is what they experienced.
In the garden of Gethsemane the night before he was crucified, Jesus prayed, “Father, take this cup from me… yet not my will but yours be done.”
I think it is safe to presume that Paul and those with him prayed a similar prayer. And what happened? God delivered them.
So, while we don’t know exactly what happened, we certainly know how it affected them and we know that God delivered them.
And furthermore, we know two more things.
· We know what God taught them.
· And we also know how the church was to help them.
So, let’s turn our attention to those two things. Again, what did they learn and how can the church help.
1. What they Learned
Number 1: what did they learn in their suffering?
You know what? We don’t have to guess. No, actually, Paul tells us right there in verse 9 – the second half. “But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”
In the middle of our affliction, suffering, trials, God desires that we rely on him. And I want you to notice something very important here - the order of what happened. Paul first says that they learned to rely on God and not themselves… THEN in verse 10 he says that God delivered them. That’s important. It was not after God delivered them that he taught them to rely on him. No, it was in the middle of feeling the sentence of death. That is when they learned to rely on him.
That’s hard to do, isn’t it. Because in the moment, we often feel so overwhelmed. Yet it is in that very moment that we need to rely on God the most.
And why we can rely on him and trust in him in those very moments? Well, it is for this reason: God raises the dead. That is what he did. God raised Jesus Christ from the grave. And that is what he will do. He will raise the dead.
At the very height of the intense burden… feeling the sentence of death, what did God teach them? He taught them to not rely on their own strength but to turn their hearts to the one who raises the dead.
It is the greatest promise that we can rely on in our affliction.
Some of you may recognize the name Donald Barnhouse. He pastored 10th Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia back in the mid 20th century. Sadly, when his children were young, his wife passed away. As you can imagine, he struggled to have the words to comfort his children. Well, on the way to the funeral, one of his children asked, “Daddy, why did mommy have to die?” At that moment, God gave him words of comfort for his children. You see, right then, a large truck drove past them and cast its shadow over them. And he asked his children, “would you rather be run over by the truck or by its shadow? His youngest child responded first, “the shadow. It couldn’t hurt anybody.” Barnhouse replied “Remember, children, Jesus let the truck of death strike him, so that it could never destroy us. Mother lives with Jesus now—only the shadow of death passed over her.” She lives.
He was telling his kids… death is not the end. And while we grieve, we grieve knowing that God raises the dead. We each will experience the death of our bodies, yet we have that sure hope in our resurrection because of his. Those in Christ will be raised with him forever
Let’s go back to the apostle Paul and those with him. God did deliver them in that moment. God still had more work for them to accomplish in this life. More suffering to endure. More people to share the hope of Christ. More letters to write, like this one. More churches to plant. God delivered them.
I want you to notice something in verse 10. The word deliver is used three times. The first use is past tense. “[God] delivered us from such a deadly peril.” Then twice, future tense. “God will deliver us.” That future deliverance involved first, hoping and praying that the Lord would deliver them again in their earthly circumstances. But second, the future deliverance meant that whatever happened, God would deliver them forever. Death in this life will only be a shadow because God raises the dead.
Paul and those with him learned to rely on God who will deliver them. They “set their hope” on it (that is the phrase used)…. They “set their hope” that God would deliver them from the next sentence of death in this life. But they knew that their ultimate deliverance would be beyond the grave.
And as I mentioned, at God’s appointed time, Paul suffered a martyrs death. But he lives.
Lets bring this together… what was God teaching them? He was teaching them… to rely on him. His strength, his purposes, his means, and not on themselves. God reminded them that he raises the dead. That is the most profound truth for those in Christ… especially in our suffering and affliction. God will deliver you. We pray for and set our hope on deliverance in this life from whatever affliction we are enduring… but ultimately, we rest on Christ and his eternal promise. We will be delivered because God raises the dead.
2. How they should help
OK, that brings us to the other thing we learn in these verses.
We learn the primary thing the church can and should do for those suffering. And that is, pray!
Now, there are a lot of things that we can do to support one another as we go through affliction. Last week, we learned we can share the comfort of Christ with each other. Obviously, Paul had that in mind – he had just written that. And of course, we can come alongside each other in several other tangible ways. But the most important thing that we can do for anyone in any trial or affliction is pray. Pray with them and for them.
Now, remember, Paul was not there with the church in Corinth. That is why he wrote to them. So, the church in Corinth could not help him and support him in the middle of this affliction. But they could pray.
Look at verse 11. “You also must help us by prayer.” That is pretty strong. Paul petitioned them to pray. They needed prayers from the church in Corinth.
As we think about how that applies to us today. Number one, we need to be praying for those on the front lines of mission work around the world. We do that. We know and support several that are on those front lines of Gospel ministry. And we need to continue that and maybe increase our prayers.
Praying for their ministry… praying for protection… praying for them to rely on God who raises the dead. Praying that through their ministry, that God would change hearts and minds and increase his kingdom. All those things.
We also need to be praying for the persecuted church. Last week, Open Doors published their annual report of persecution. They are a ministry which focuses on information and prayer for the persecuted church. They estimate that last year 380 million Christians across the world faced persecution… and about 4,500 Christians were killed for their faith. We need to pray. God will work through our prayers to bring deliverance or endurance just as he did for Paul.
Let me ask this: What does Paul assume by telling them they must pray? Well, he believes prayer is powerful and effective. God hears our prayers. Look how he describes the importance of prayer in verse 11. He says, “many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.” You see that? The Apostles will be blessed because of the prayers of the church. Our prayers will build up those in Gospel ministry. Though our prayers, God will give them confidence and reliance on him.
So, we need to press on in our prayers for those experiencing persecution.
Let’s take this down to that third layer of application. We need to pray for those in any kind of suffering…. Like what I mentioned earlier: sickness, hardships, emotional pain, or grief. To say it again, there are other ways we can and should support one another. But the most important is prayer.
And we absolutely can pray for deliverance. If it’s sickness, we can and should pray for healing. God heals. If it’s emotional or spiritual, we can pray for the Holy Spirit to intercede. If it’s relational we can pray for reconciliation. We can pray boldly for comfort and peace, and healing.
The same confidence that the apostle Paul had in prayer should be the same confidence that we have in prayer. May we pray for these things.
Conclusion
So, God raises the dead. If your only hope in life and death is in the Lord Jesus Christ, then this great promise is one you can rely on in your affliction. God will ultimately deliver you forever.
But God also can deliver you from affliction in this life. We trust in his providence, but we pray and hope that God will intercede. We boldly pray, knowing that our prayers for one another are powerful and effective.
In our suffering, may God direct us to rely on him and the power of his resurrection. And may we pray for one another and especially those enduring affliction because of their faith in Christ.
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2 Corinthians 1:3-7
The Comfort of Christ in Our Affliction
Please remain standing for the reading of our sermon text. We are continuing in 2 Corinthians chapter 1. This morning, 2 Corinthians 1:3-7. That is on page 1145 in the provided pew Bibles.
As a reminder, last week, Paul emphasized his apostleship. He was writing to them, to the church of God in Corinth, as an apostle of God. Paul had been appointed by God in this special role. The reason he emphasized that point is because some in Corinth had been questioning Paul’s legitimacy.
As we read, we are reading the Word of God given to us through the apostle of God.
As you hear this Word, know that it is the very Word of God.
Reading of 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
Prayer
Why has God allowed this suffering in my life or my loved one? What are his purposes in it? Does my trial mean that God is displeased with me? Will it ever end?
Every one of us, in some way or to some extent, struggles through these questions.
And we generally struggle through them on two levels. On the one hand, the intellectual questions... Why does God allow suffering and affliction? What do the Scriptures teach about it? And then on the other hand are the questions of the heart. Why am I or why is someone I love enduring this? God, where are you?
Questions of the mind and questions of the heart.
In 1940, well-known British author and Christian philosopher, CS Lewis, wrote the book, the Problem of Pain. It’s a philosophical analysis of why a loving and omnipotent God allows pain and suffering – questions of the mind. Lewis seeks to answer by working through questions of God’s nature, his justice, the fallen state of the world, heaven and hell, and the purposes of pain.
But 20 years later, in 1961, Lewis wrote a very very different book on suffering. A Grief Observed. You see, in 1957 Lewis married Joy Davidman. They had developed a deep friendship with one another over the years through letters and visits. Joy was from the States. Eventually that friendship turned into a deep love for one another. But Joy developed breast cancer and it metastasized into her bones.
Nonetheless, they loved one another, so they had a small wedding ceremony in a hospital room in Oxford, England. Joy lived for three more years. They endured the ups and downs of her cancer. They grieved and cried together. Lewis significantly reduced his writing and speaking engagements to be by her side. Joy passed away in the summer of 1960 at the age of 45.
In the months after her death, Lewis wrote A Grief Observed. In it he shared his sorrows, his confusion, and doubts. He wrote about the struggles of maintaining his faith in God through it. But he shared how he came to find deep meaning and healing in the grief and sorrow and suffering. Through it, he experienced the love of God in Christ in a way he had never before. In short, Lewis experienced in his heart what his mind knew.
What we find in 2 Corinthians is that very thing. It was one of the apostle Paul’s goals in writing to the church. He wanted them to understand the intellectual side of affliction and suffering, but also for them to apply it to their hearts.
Let me explain. You see, the theme of suffering and comfort runs throughout 2 Corinthians. It’s not the only theme, but the apostle Paul comes back to it many times and in different ways.
And the reason Paul addressed affliction and suffering over and over was to correct them - to first, correct their thinking.
I mentioned last week that there was a group trying to infiltrate the church. Paul called them “super-apostles.” And one of the ways that they were attempting to sway the church, was by undermining Paul.
Do you know what their main critique of Paul was? It was the suffering that he was going through. They were saying something like, “Hey, church in Corinth, look at that guy, Paul. You know, the one who calls himself an apostle. Look at all the suffering that he has and is going through. He’s been persecuted. He has this physical ailment and God hasn’t healed him. His speaking ability is weak. He’s suffered many things. You see, there is no way that this guy Paul is a true apostle. No, God would not allow someone with such an important role to go through all of that.”
That’s what they were saying. We’re going to get into those details in chapters 10-12. But it’s important to understand why Paul writes these opening words here. He wants them to understand clearly that suffering and affliction are part of the Christian life. But that’s not the only thing. In fact, there’s something greater that Paul explains. You see, in the Christian life, God gives comfort and joy and hope in our trials and afflictions.
Let me put it this way. A big part of Paul’s letter teaches us a foundational theology of suffering. It’s a theology that we can understand in our minds and apply in our hearts. And when we do, not only will we understand the problem of pain, to use CS Lewis’s language, but in the grief and suffering that we observe and experience, God will overwhelm us with his comfort… the comfort of his grace in whatever we go through.
As we go through 2 Corinthians, it will be critical for each of us, you and me, to re-evaluate our theology of suffering. Because in the trials you are experiencing or will experience, your understanding of suffering will greatly affect your heart response to suffering. It’s that important.
We see that right here in these opening words. So let’s consider them.
And to start with, I have a theory about these 5 verses. I don’t know how to prove it. But I think that these 5 verses may have the most intense use of word repetition in the whole Bible.
· That word “comfort” is used 10 times in the 5 verses. I’m including the verbs and the nouns, by the way.
· The word “affliction” and “suffering” are used seven times, total between them.
· The words “share” 4 times.
That is a lot packed into just 5 verses.
Maybe Psalm 150 rivals it. The word “praise” in Psalm 150 is used 13 times in just 6 verses. But still, in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, multiple words are repeated – comfort, suffering, affliction, and share. It is intense – intensely comforting.
Before we get into Paul’s message, let me first define the word “comfort.” Because we may be tempted to think about our current use of the word. When we think about comfort today, it is most often about how we feel in our senses. We say, “are you comfortable?” ...meaning are we at ease. “Are those chairs comfortable to sit on?” In healthcare... comfort is how well our pain is medicated.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with those uses.
But the word “comfort” here is spiritual and relational. It’s about being encouraged and consoled in the midst of a trial. In other words, it’s not about removing the affliction or being physically comfortable in it. Rather it is being strengthened in your soul while enduring the suffering, whatever trial it is.
Ok, with all of that said… (1) the false teaching being addressed, (2) the mind and heart application, and (3) the repetition and the word comfort, let’s now get into the message.
Let’s look at three things this morning.
1. Worship the God who comforts.
2. Know the comfort of God in Christ.
3. Share the comfort of God with others.
Let me say it again if you are taking notes… (repeat)
1. Worship the God who comforts
So first, worship! Look at verse 3. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” In the very opening words (in the body of this letter), Paul emphasizes God as the God of comfort. God of ALL comfort. And these words direct our praise to him.
The very first thing that Paul wants the church in Corinth to do… is to worship and acknowledge God as the God of comfort.
And when it says that God is the “God of all comfort, who comforts us in our affliction” it is saying that God brings hope and resolve in suffering. He is present with us in our suffering. Back to the definition of comfort. God consoles us. He ministers to us. He strengthens us to endure. Furthermore, gives us assurances that his promises are eternal. In all of that, God provides a measure of peace in unsettled times and in pain. Comforting his people is part of his nature. He is the God of all comfort.
God is not some detached supernatural being that cares not about the suffering of his people. No, he loves us and ministers to us in our suffering.
So, in our suffering, we’re to direct our attention to him in worship … because he is the God of all comfort who comforts us in those ways.
In fact, let me add this point. Worshipping God is one of the ways through which God ministers to us in our suffering. When we praise him for all the ways that he cares for and loves us and gives us hope, he increases our comfort. Through it, he strengthens us to endure the trials and suffering in this life.
Now, when I say “worship” I am talking about both what we are doing here in our worship service, and in all of life when we direct our attention to God.
So, worship the God of all comfort.
2. Know the comfort of God in Christ.
#2 – know the comfort of Christ.
Let’s go back to the so-called super apostles one more time. They claimed that Paul’s suffering disqualified him for apostleship. They are very much like today’s health-wealth preachers. If you are not familiar with that term, it’s referring to pastors who say “that suffering is not God’s will for you.” One thing they believe is that sickness or affliction indicates that you do not have enough faith.
There are a lot of problems with that. The main problem is that it’s not the pattern of Jesus’ own life and ministry.
Verse 5 speaks of the suffering that we share in Christ.
Suffering is a part of the Christian life. And it was especially so for the true apostles. They endured much affliction and persecution because of their ministry. But through their suffering, they brought the comfort of Christ and his salvation to them.
You see, Paul is saying the opposite. He’s saying something like this “The reason that I am suffering is because I am sharing in the ministry of Christ. It is actually for your comfort and salvation. My affliction does not disqualify me. No, actually, my suffering is instead a qualification of my apostleship.”
Part of Paul’s message here is a defense of his ministry.
But he also wants them to know the amazing comfort of Christ in their own affliction.
Now, there are lots of ways through which God comforts us in suffering. But the main way is through the comfort we have in Jesus Christ.
Look at verse 5, “For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”
The greatest comfort that we can receive in our affliction comes from sharing the comfort of Christ.
It says we “abundantly share” in Christ sufferings and comfort. I think that’s hard to get our minds around. Afterall, Jesus lived 2000 years ago. How do we share in his sufferings and comfort?
It happens this way… when God calls believers to him and gives them faith in Christ, he unites them to him. So, if you believe in the saving grace of God, he does this amazing thing. You are ingrafted into Christ… Jesus describes it like a vine being grafted into his root… like a branch grafted into a healthy tree.
Jesus said that when we abide in him, he will abide in us. That is what Paul is referring to when he says we share abundantly in Christ. He is ours and we are his. The afflictions that he endured, he endured for us… and through those afflictions, we receive the abundance of his comfort.
We have a Savior who endured the suffering and miseries of this life. He shed tears of sadness and was grieved at Jerusalem’s lack of belief. He was tempted in the desert. He was insulted and persecuted. He endured the shame of the cross where he suffered unto death.
And in our union with him, he ministers to us through what he endured… and he is therefore able to comfort us through his victory over the persecution and suffering and death.
I like how one commentary I read put it: “The key experiences of Christ, especially his suffering, death, and resurrection, are the pattern by which Christians can understand their own suffering and final triumph.”
Because we share in his suffering, we share in his great comfort.
It’s not emphasized here, but part of that comfort comes through knowing that Jesus sympathizes in our weakness and our suffering. You see, because we are united to him by faith, he is present in us. He is with us in our trials. He can therefore can minister his comfort to us. I like to refer to it as Gospel comfort. Sometimes you’ll hear me use that phrase “gospel comfort” when I pray.
We have the Gospel comfort of Christ through what he endured and accomplished for us. I’m talking about all those things I mentioned earlier. Strength to endure, hope and resolve. Consolation and peace. Heart encouragement. We share all those comforting things through him.
Now, there is more to say about this, especially as we consider Jesus’ resurrection. We’ll get to that next week.
All experience affliction and suffering. But we worship a God who comforts us in our affliction. And he does that through Christ.
3. Share the Comfort of God
So, #1, Worship the God who comforts. #2. Know the comfort of God in Christ.
And number 3, share the comfort of God.
One of God’s purposes in your suffering, is so that you can comfort others by the comfort you’ve been given in in Christ.
That is actually the main emphasis in these 5 verses. It’s woven throughout. In verse 3, right after it says that God comforts us in all our affliction… Paul writes this, “so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” And then again in verses 6 and 7, Paul goes right back to comforting others with the comfort that we are given.
Verses 6 and 7 are like an example. Notice he says, “if we.” “if we are afflicted it is for your comfort and salvation.” He’s talking about himself and Timothy. If they are afflicted, God will use it to comfort the Corinthian church. Verse 7 reinforces that. Next week when we get to verses 8-11, he is going to give a real example – their persecution in Asia.
Here is the point for them and for us. We are called to comfort one another. You and I are to both give and receive the comfort of God. That means relaying the comfort we receive in our affliction. That means directing one another to worship the God of all comfort. It means sharing the comfort of God in Christ. It means blessings each other with the promises of God in his Word. It means being with one another in our suffering… and caring for one another through trials. It means praying with and for each other through those difficult times.
Beloved in Christ, look around you in this room. These are your brothers and sisters in Christ. In the pain and suffering that we each share... we also need to share the comfort of God.
You see, one way that God ministers this grace to his people is through his people.
Now, two things come to mind that are necessary:
· First, in order to minister God’s comfort to one another, we need to intentionally grow in our relationships with one another. I’m very encouraged by how that is happening here in different ways. But we should continue to strive towards that.
· Second, we need to know when we are each suffering. Someone can’t share the comfort of Christ with you without knowing the suffering that you are enduring. You know, sometimes we bottle things up. We don’t want people to know. I get it. To be sure, I’m not saying that everyone needs to know your trials and pain, but I encourage you to reach out to someone. Or reach out to me so that I can connect you with others here who can come alongside of you… and comfort you in Christ. In order for us to minister this Gospel comfort to one another, we need to share our burdens with one another.
In summary, part of the comfort we receive in our suffering comes through sharing the comfort we have in Christ.
Conclusion
So, worship the God who comforts. Know the comfort of God in Christ and share the comfort of God.
If you know the grace of God in Christ. If you have faith in the living Lord... then today, in the midst of the burdens you bear, as you feel the pains of this world weighing on you... be reminded in your mind and heart that God is the God of all comfort. Worship him.
Be strengthened and nourished and assured of all that Christ has done for you. Know of the comfort that he gives because you share in his affliction and his comfort. And may we comfort one another in that great eternal comfort.
If you are suffering today but you do not know the great comfort of Christ... come to him with your burdens. Lay your life and your suffering before him and come and worship him… for God is merciful as it says in verse 3. He will give you that everlasting comfort, the only true comfort in this life.
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2 Corinthians 1:1-2
Grace and Peace to Corinth and Beyond
We are beginning a new series today - the book of 2 Corinthians. And we’ll just be considering the first 2 verses this morning. Chapter 1 verses 1-2 and you can find that on page 1145.
As you will hear, this book is a letter written by the apostle Paul to the church in Corinth.
In his opening greeting, Paul includes that this letter is also from Timothy. Now, that does not mean that Timothy is a co-author. Most of the book is written using the first-person singular, “I.” …and throughout, Paul talks about his own travels, his relationships, and his struggles.
Rather, Paul includes Timothy because Timothy was with Paul. And Timothy was very much known by the church in Corinth. Paul is saying that he and Timothy are unified in this letter that he is writing.
Let’s now come to God’s inspired and inerrant Word.
Reading of 2 Corinthians 1:1-2
Prayer
Over the last century, several books have been written about The Lost Art of Letter Writing.
And as you would imagine, these books lament how people today no longer sit down to write thoughtful and engaging personal letters. Or when we do communicate, we are not sensitive or thoughtful about our words. Salutations and concluding words are sparce. Etc. etc.
You would probably agree with those assessment. And if you think back over the last 100 to 150 years, there have been remarkable changes in communication technologies. We’ve gone from the telegraph, to the telephone, to email, to the cell phone… then came instant messenger and texting, and now video calls. As the technology has advanced, it has led to helpful and unhelpful communication habits.
But there is something special about an old-school letter written in pen and on paper. A letter with many personal elements. Life updates and feelings and struggles. Hopes and dreams. A letter that recalls times together and plans for the future. A letter with intentional thoughts about important matters. One that conveys love and care and longings. A letter that you can hold in your hand and read and ponder and read again.
Well, 2 Corinthians has it all. It is a letter of letters. I would say, out of all the New Testament letters, which we call “epistles,” 2 Corinthians is the most personal and engaging. What I mean is that 2 Corinthians contains more details about personal matters and events and relationships than the other letters in the Bible. Now, to be sure, I am not minimizing the other letters. Each is engaging and thoughtful and has a context.
But there’s something special about 2 Corinthians. In it, the apostle Paul conveys his love and care for the church in Corinth; he works through difficult things that he has gone through; he defends his calling and teaching; and he applies the truths of God in Christ to the situations that they are experiencing. In all of it, Paul encourages them, directs them in truth, and challenges them.
It’s beautiful.
Are we allowed to have a favorite book of the Bible? I think so. As long as we are not minimizing the relevance and authority of the others. Well, if so, my favorite book is 2 Corinthians.
And my hope is that over the next few months you will likewise come to love 2 Corinthians… and you will also be challenged as we apply it to our lives.
So let’s dive in. And this morning, as an introduction to the book, we’ll touch upon the city, the situation, and the significance. The city (what do we know about Corinth), the situation (what was happening in the church and what were the reasons Paul wrote this letter), and the significance (what does it say and why does it matter).
1. The City
Alright, Corinth.
Please turn to the back of you bulletin. I thought it would be helpful to include a map. The arrows represent the apostle Paul’s travels on his third missionary journey. We’re going to come back to that shortly.
But first, notice Corinth. It’s right there on the southern part of Greece. And actually, the circle there for Corinth should be a little northeast of where it’s positioned on the map. That’s because Corinth sat between two inlets. On the east side of Corinth, there was access to the Aegean sea. Ships would travel back and forth between Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) and Greece, going to both Athens and Corinth. And on the west side of Corinth, was access to the Adriatic Sea. Italy is not pictured in this map, but it’s right there off the map west of Greece.
So, Corinth was strategically positioned. It was an access point between the two seas, allowing ships to avoid the often treacherous Mediterranean.
A couple of years ago, Caleb and I were helping at a missions conference on the island of Crete. Some of you were also there. You can see Crete there on the map. Well, on our way back, we took a ferry to Athens. And let me say, it was rough going on the Mediterranean. The winds were very high, and the waves just hammered the ferry the whole trip. It was like a 10-hour trip. We were glad it was a rather large ferry. Even so, it was rocking and shaking. But as soon as we got to the bay with Athens on the east and the ruins of Corinth on the west, it was much calmer. You see, back in the first century, ships were much safer docking near Corinth and sending their cargo across the land to the port on the other side of Corinth.
In fact, back then, Corinth was also a land port. It was the access point to the southern part of Greece.
I’m telling you all this because Corinth was a strategic city. It was a crossroads. It was the Roman capital of the whole region of Achaia.
Interestingly, the Roman Empire had destroyed Corinth 200 years prior. That happened in the year 146 BC. But 100 years later, in 44BC, Julius Ceasar re-settled the city given its location.
So, in other words, Corinth was a Roman city in Greece… and it attracted people from all over – from northern Africa, Asia Minor, Italy, and of course, Greece itself. It attracted Maritimers and merchants and other trades. It attracted the poor because there were jobs and it attracted wealthy.
Added to the cosmopolitan mix was the religious diversity. People brought their idols and beliefs. And on the hill overlooking the city was the temple of Aphrodite. She was the Greek goddess of love and fertility. Some have suggested that temple prostitution was common. That is disputed, but what is clear is Corinth’s sexually promiscuous culture.
Ok, two things are important to understand about Corinth.
· First, when you intermix all of these ideologies and cultures and religions, it is a recipe for tension and conflict and prejudice. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, which we call 1 Corinthians, we see that conflict played out in the church. Paul therefore addressed their lack of love for and unity with one another.
· So that was one thing about Corinth – the people did not get along with one another. The second thing about Corinth involved social status. Because the city was relatively young and prosperous, the social structures were still being developed. There was an opportunity to raise your social status and standing. But in order to achieve that, often you had to figuratively climb over other people to gain a higher status. In fact, we will see that explicitly played out in this book, 2 Corinthians. We’ll come back to that in a minute.
So, to summarize, the city of Corinth was a melting pot of culture, religion, and commerce. It was also like the Las Vegas of the Mediterranean… with its sexualized and promiscuous culture. A culture that was filled with tension and prejudice and social one-upmanship.
It was a place that desperately needed the Gospel.
2. The Situation
So, that’s the city. Let’s now talk about the situation.
First, imagine how all of those cultural influences affected the church in Corinth.
The apostle Paul planted about 13 churches on his missionary journeys. Yet, he spends more time supporting the church in Corinth than any other church… all because of their sin and issues.
I believe that is true because we have record of multiple letters and visits and the involvement of other church leaders.
Let me highlight some of those things.
As far as letters, yes, we only have two of them preserved. 1 and 2 Corinthians. However, Paul actually wrote at least four letters to them. In 1 Corinthians he refers to an earlier letter. And in 2 Corinthians he refers to yet another letter– an emotionally painful letter which was written right after an emergency visit to Corinth.
Added to that, Paul invested his two most trusted co-laborers to help in Corinth. Timothy and Titus.
Ok, here’s a brief synopsis of events that led up to this letter.
· First, Paul with Timothy’s help, planted the church in Corinth in about the year 51AD. That happened on Paul’s second missionary journey. In fact, we read the account from Acts 18 earlier. The church included Jews and Gentiles and it grew rapidly. We also read that Paul stayed for 18 months to help shepherd the growing community.
· But then very soon after Paul left, he heard some discouraging news. Some people associated with the church were caught up in the sexual immorality of the culture. So Paul wrote his first letter to them explicitly about that. As I mentioned earlier, we don’t have that initial letter, but Paul alludes to it in 1 Corinthians 5.
· Well, things did not get better, and the church also started to fracture in disunity. So, Paul writes the letter we know as 1 Corinthians. He doesn’t just put it in the mail, no, he sends it with Timothy.
· Now, at this point, Paul is on his third missionary journey. Please look back at the map. As I mentioned, this is a map of Paul’s third missionary journey. Paul spent 3 years in Ephesus. Do you see Ephesus on the map there? That is where he wrote 1 Corinthians. Do you also see that purple dashed line? Well, Paul had to make an emergency visit to Corinth. He refers to that painful visit in 2 Corinthians chapter 2. We’re going to get to those details in a few weeks.
· And then, after that emergency visit, Paul writes a painful letter. He refers to that letter in chapter 2 and chapter 7. But Paul doesn’t just write that letter calling them to repentance. No, he sends Titus – his other trusted co-laborer. Titus delivers it with Paul’s hope and prayer that they would seek repentance and renewal in Christ.
So, a founding visit, a letter, another letter, an emergency visit, and another letter. And besides Paul, Timothy and Titus were very involved. All of this is happening before Paul writes 2 Corinthians.
Now, the reason I’m telling you all of this is because Paul loves this church. He is on his knees praying with tears and he is fully invested in their spiritual wellbeing.
So, again, Paul sent the painful letter with Titus. Meanwhile, he continued on his missionary journey. He goes north to Troas. You can see that on the map. Titus had planned to meet Paul in Troas and give Paul an update. But Titus didn’t show up. Of course, Paul was worried. So, he continued on to Macedonia hoping Titus would meet him there. And thankfully Titus showed up.
And Titus brought good news. Titus shared that the church in Corinth repented and that they longed to see Paul again. This was great news to Paul.
And it is at that moment that Paul wrote 2 Corinthians.
We know all this from 2 Corinthians chapter 7. Let me quote a few words from that chapter. “But God... comforted us by the coming of Titus, ...he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it... because you were grieved into repenting."
Great news and encouraging words.
There are two reasons that Paul wrote 2 Corinthians.
· First, he was very glad. He wanted to encourage them to continue in their spiritual maturity.
· Second, there was a matter that Titus brought to Paul’s attention. And this goes back to Corinth’s cultural problems around social status. You see, there was a group trying to infiltrate the church. Paul sarcastically calls them “super apostles.” Basically, they were trying to position themselves as superior to Paul. They critiqued Paul’s theology and they sought to undermine his apostleship.
We don’t learn about these so-called “super apostles” until later in the book. But in every chapter, we get the sense that Paul is countering their false claims and false Gospel.
So, that is the situation. The church in Corinth had been heading in the wrong direction. Thay had been infected by the culture. But the Holy Spirit used Paul and Timothy and Titus to call them back to being a faithful witness. And in 2 Corinthians, Paul encourages them in their renewed faith and he exhorts them to stay away from these false teachers.
#3 The Significance
Now, I know what some of you are thinking right now, “You are putting me to sleep! How am I supposed to keep that all straight and why does it matter?”
We are now shifting to “The Significance.”
To answer the first question, “how to I keep it all straight?” as we work through 2 Corinthians verse by verse and chapter by chapter, we are going to come back to the situation at hand. My goal this morning was simply to give an overview.
To answer the second qurstion, “why does it matter.” It matters because in order to bring to bear the Scriptures to our situation, we need to first know the original situation… we need to understand why Paul writes what he writes, and what his words meant to them. It’s then that we can apply this Word to us.
Let me illustrate this by going back to verses 1.
Here are Paul’s opening words. “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God…”
It’s easy to skip over that, right. But consider what was happening in Corinth with the false apostles.
Paul is saying in his opening words, “God is the one who established the role he has given me. I, Paul, am a witness of Jesus himself. What I write to you, I write as a true apostle. Receive this letter as such and do not listen to or believe the false apostles. They are trying to dissuade you from the truth.”
Friends, this word is God’s Word. All of Scripture is. And it’s given to us through God’s ordained apostles. We are to hear it and heed it. That means we are to filter any and all spiritual teaching through this truth.
You see, it would be easy to miss this important point if we didn’t consider what was going on in Corinth.
And let me say, this book, 2 Corinthians, is gold. It gets to the heart of salvation. Over and over, 2 Corinthians speaks of the reconciliation that we have with God through Christ. That ministry of reconciliation come through Jesus’ death for us and the new life we have in his resurrection.
And 2 Corinthians applies that Gospel truth to God’s covenant promises, it applies it to our suffering and our weakness and our resources, and the way we live our lives. That’s what makes this book my favorite.
2 Corinthians is the height of the beauty of God’s grace put into words.
Rather than just tell you that, let me highlight some of the more well-known verses.
And by the way, these verses are going to be a part of our Scripture memory as a church this year.
· 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” Deeply encouraging words.
· Here’s another great one. 2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.” …in Jesus
· And how about chapter 2 verse 15 “…we are the aroma of Christ… among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing”
· Another one of my favorites is 2 Corinthians 4:6 – “For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
· Listen to chapter 4 verses 17-18 These are the most encouraging words in the trials we face. “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
· Moving to chapter 5. Verse 21 is perhaps the clearest articulation of the Gospel in the entire Bible. Listen to it “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
· 2 Corinthians 8:9 You hear me pray this often before our offering. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” That whole chapter is about God’s grace in giving. But that verse is not about earthly riches. No it is about the riches we receive in Christ Jesus, who became poor by becoming a man.
· Ok, two more. Listen to 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
· And here’s one last one, 2 Corinthians 12:9 This is Paul speaking about his “thorn in his flesh.” He writes “But [the Lord] said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
You see, blessings upon blessings upon blessing in 2 Corinthians. And each one of those beautiful statements is founded on the grace of God in Christ. We have a lot to look forward to.
And I want to ask you to do something this week. I want you to read 2 Corinthians.
Let me leave you with the words of verse 2. And I want you to know, these are very common words from the apostle Paul. He uses in them in almost evert salutation in his letters. But they are not cliché’. No, he means these from the bottom of his heart.
He writes: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
As we study 2 Corinthians together, may God grant to us a deepening of his grace in our lives. And may we be renewed in the peace which God the Father gives through His Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
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