Sowing Generously
6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9As it is written:
"He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever." 10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
12This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Dig Deeper
Down on the lakefront of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, just across the street from Bradford Beach, sits a fairly steep hill. I’m sure that my players passed that hill many times in their lives, but never thought about it too much until they found out about three weeks before practice began one season that they would be running that hill every single day for the next three weeks. This was just part of a whole new system of increased conditioning and stricter rules for the team that year. Some viewed the conditioning and the hill running to be harsh and found the rules to be unnecessarily restrictive. In fact, several guys quit the team before we even got to practice. The more I tried to encourage them to finish what they had begun, the more those guys saw the new regimen as a bunch of oppressive measures. In their defense, if one was looking at things from an individual point of view, it would certainly seem that way. What those players could not understand, however, is that it wasn’t that these were just a set of expectations and rules, they were part of the demonstration that this was a new kind of team than we had ever had before at our school. If the players didn’t completely change their mindset, they simply would not understand what was going on.
To this point, Paul has been trying to explain to the Corinthians his reasons for the great collection he is taking, and why he wants them to complete it. In this passage, he ticks off a number of quotes from the Old Testament. If they continue to see things in the old way or from their own individual point of view, then they will seem like a string of quotations trying to get them to act a certain way that Paul wants them to act. That is not the case, though. What they really need to do in order to understand what Paul has been trying to do and say all along is to realize that he expects them to be part of a whole new reality, the restored people of God. The people of God are not just different from the people of the world in degree but in kind and category. This become easier for us to see in this section if we realize that when Paul, or most any New Testament writer, quotes from the Old Testament, they are not just throwing out a quick quote to back up the point they are trying to get across. They are, in fact, invoking the entire passage and line of thought from which the quote comes. If we keep this in mind, we will see more clearly what Paul is trying to tell his brothers and sisters in Corinth.
The first passage that Paul quotes from is from Proverbs 22:8 (from a verse which appeared in the Greek translation that Paul used, but was, for some unknown reason, dropped from the Hebrew texts, and thus, does not appear in English translations), which says that ‘God loves a cheerful giver’. It comes as a part of chapter that is all about riches and poverty. Chapter 22 begins, "a good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed (or grace) is better than silver or gold. This is exactly what Paul has been trying to tell the Corinthians. They need to learn about the value of grace and esteem in the eyes of God rather than clinging to the gold and silver of the world. In the Proverbs, we find a complete and complex picture of the God-fearing person who is generous with money. Paul wants them to learn that way of life because of who they now are as the people of God. Notice that he wants them to give cheerfully as a way of life, but Paul doesn’t say "don’t give if you don’t feel like it". That’s what a lot of people would, perhaps, like it to say, but Paul’s point is that if you don’t give cheerfully, then you haven’t yet understood the Kingdom way of living and you need to change your entire attitude and worldview.
The second passage that he quotes from Psalm 112:9, which speaks of the one who scatters generous blessings to the poor. The Psalm says that the one who does this has a righteousness that endures forever. When righteousness refers to God, it speaks of Him being faithful to the promises that He has made to His people. When I refers to His people, it usually refers to the behavior through which we demonstrate gratitude for God’s faithfulness. Psalm 112 is all about those who fear the Lord and how that comes out in their life in overwhelming generosity and mercy. Once again Paul is inviting the Corinthians to embrace a whole new identity rather than just throwing out a few snappy lines. Just as a young man who joins the army must embrace a whole new life, a whole new way of thinking and being, so must the Christian.
The final passage from which Paul quotes is Isaiah 55:10. Isaiah 55 is an incredible description and invitation to come and be a part of God’s new creation that will be coming soon. The new creation of Isaiah 55 will come about as a result of the suffering (vv. 3-5), death (v. 9), and resurrection (vv. 11-12) of God’s servant, and the covenental renewal of chapter 54. Isaiah 55:10 says that just as the rain comes down from heaven and waters the earth, giving seed to the sower, "so is my word that goes out from my mouth" (v. 11). This is exactly the point that Paul has been making throughout this letter. God’s new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) is based on His new covenant (ch. 3) which was accomplished by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and can now be seen at work through the preaching and ministry of the gospel.
If they would only look up and realize that they are the people of God, living precisely in God’s new creation, then the life of generosity to which Paul is calling them, will come quite naturally. It’s the same for us. There are aspects of the Christian life that seem so foreign and difficult, yet if we would simply understand who we are and where we stand in the history of the great drama of God’s people, the things that now seem so unnatural would become the most natural things in the world.
Devotional Thought
Paul’s point here is that grace, gratitude, mercy, and generosity are not side orders of the main meal of the Christian life, they are the centerpiece. To what degree is your life characterized by these things? In what ways are they still a struggle?
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
2 Corinthians 9:1-5 & Commentary
1There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. 2For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. 3But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be. 4For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. 5So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.
Dig Deeper
Last year, the church of which I was then a part was hosting a conference for college students. The tricky aspect of the conference was that, rather than staying in hotels, all of the students were by housed by families in the church. Before we hosted the conference, we noted that one downside of many good conferences in the past had been a lack of solid communication. Things often seemed to be thrown together (even though they were not) because of holes in communication. In order to avoid the appearance of that, we made an extra effort to communicate clearly every single aspect of the conference, particularly to the host families. We went by the philosophy that it is nearly impossible to communicate too much and be too clear.
Paul has had his problems with the Corinthians in the past, and although we will never know for sure, it is possible that a lack of clear communication may have contributed to some of the problems. Whether that ever was a problem or not, it is clear that Paul is determined for it not to be now. In an effort to have everything ready when he comes so that his visit can be one of joy and celebration rather than correction and discipline, Paul has carefully orchestrated things. He also goes to great lengths here to communicate everything step-by-step, point-by-point, and explain everything that he is doing. Paul, if nothing else, is going to be well understood and transparent in his upcoming plans.
In verse 1, the NIV removes the beginning word "for," which indicates that the subject is still connected to verse 24. Thus, Paul continues to discuss the reception of the three brothers rather than their specific response to the collection. Paul wants the Corinthians to respond positively to the three man delegation because they are coming to ensure that their desire to give will be completed before Paul arrives (v. 3) and that completing the collection will demonstrate God’s blessing and grace in their lives. In fact, in chapter 8, Paul was discussing their discipline in completing the collection not in their desire to participate in it. That means that in vv. 1-2 Paul wants to ensure that will respond positively and graciously to the brothers by both being hospitable and by completing the collection before Paul comes.
It appears, in this section, that Paul has switched the focus from the Corinthians alone to the entire region of Achaia (of which Corinth was still the primary city). Again, Paul is not worried about their eagerness and desire to have the collection but simply wants to encourage them to complete the collection in a disciplined fashion. He engages in a fantastic bit of circular logic in order to continue to encourage them. They should finish the task because of the example of the Macedonians, but now we find out that, all along, he has encouraged the Macedonians with the eagerness of Achaia. This provides, then, another impetus for Corinth and the rest of Achaia. Paul wants them to be motivated by both the Macedonian example and by their own earlier example to the Macedonians. If you realize that someone has been motivated by your great example, it makes it quite difficult to not finish the job that you started.
Paul, in verse 3, provides another reason for completing this important task. He has been boasting about the great work that God was doing in them. If they should now fail to complete the collection by the time the three brothers arrived, it will be a demonstration that the power of God has not been flowing through Corinth and Achaia as Paul has said. This would be a serious issue for Paul who believed that actions were the visible sign of God’s transforming power in one’s life. Not only would their failure to have the collection ready for the brothers be a sign of the lack of God’s grace, but it would also be a damaging blow to the reliability of Paul’s word, which had already been under a bit of fire in Corinth.
In verse 4, Paul switches ahead to his own impending trip to Corinth. He wants them to avoid the embarrassment, both for himself and for them, of having the Macedonians comes and see that they have waned in their commitment and discipline. If that were to happen, it would be a clear sign that Paul’s boasting in them was unfounded, meaning that Paul’s apostleship would be called into question, as well a poor demonstration of where their faith was at.
Now the real motivation for Paul is clearly stated. There is no question in Paul’s mind that the collection will be completed. What he wants, however, is that they finish on time in a genuine display of the heart rather than Paul having to come and wrench it out of them. This, perhaps, provides two surprising things for those of us in the 21st century. The first thing is the absolute authority Paul expresses in declaring and carrying out a collection, that by his own admission, was not a command from the Lord. This leads us to believe that church leaders had a great deal more authority than would make most of us comfortable in our time. The second surprise is that Paul has urged, cajoled, and pleaded with them to complete this collection on time, and yet still feels that if they do so, it will be a sign that they have done so out of their own generosity. We tend to think that something done generously from the heart is only so if we are never asked or even reminded. Yet, this does not seem to be the case for Paul. Paul knows that situations happen, but God can still work. As long as they complete the task on time, the difficulties along the way are not at all a sign that God has not been working in their hearts. For Paul, one could obey their leaders and it was still seen as a sign of God’s grace rather than them just being pushed around by his orders. This is a surprising lesson for us, but perhaps one that we need to learn.
Devotional Thought
If someone were to look for signs of God’s grace flowing through your life, what would they find? Would they find a life of power, love, and discipline, or a life of timidity, fear, and half-finished projects?
Dig Deeper
Last year, the church of which I was then a part was hosting a conference for college students. The tricky aspect of the conference was that, rather than staying in hotels, all of the students were by housed by families in the church. Before we hosted the conference, we noted that one downside of many good conferences in the past had been a lack of solid communication. Things often seemed to be thrown together (even though they were not) because of holes in communication. In order to avoid the appearance of that, we made an extra effort to communicate clearly every single aspect of the conference, particularly to the host families. We went by the philosophy that it is nearly impossible to communicate too much and be too clear.
Paul has had his problems with the Corinthians in the past, and although we will never know for sure, it is possible that a lack of clear communication may have contributed to some of the problems. Whether that ever was a problem or not, it is clear that Paul is determined for it not to be now. In an effort to have everything ready when he comes so that his visit can be one of joy and celebration rather than correction and discipline, Paul has carefully orchestrated things. He also goes to great lengths here to communicate everything step-by-step, point-by-point, and explain everything that he is doing. Paul, if nothing else, is going to be well understood and transparent in his upcoming plans.
In verse 1, the NIV removes the beginning word "for," which indicates that the subject is still connected to verse 24. Thus, Paul continues to discuss the reception of the three brothers rather than their specific response to the collection. Paul wants the Corinthians to respond positively to the three man delegation because they are coming to ensure that their desire to give will be completed before Paul arrives (v. 3) and that completing the collection will demonstrate God’s blessing and grace in their lives. In fact, in chapter 8, Paul was discussing their discipline in completing the collection not in their desire to participate in it. That means that in vv. 1-2 Paul wants to ensure that will respond positively and graciously to the brothers by both being hospitable and by completing the collection before Paul comes.
It appears, in this section, that Paul has switched the focus from the Corinthians alone to the entire region of Achaia (of which Corinth was still the primary city). Again, Paul is not worried about their eagerness and desire to have the collection but simply wants to encourage them to complete the collection in a disciplined fashion. He engages in a fantastic bit of circular logic in order to continue to encourage them. They should finish the task because of the example of the Macedonians, but now we find out that, all along, he has encouraged the Macedonians with the eagerness of Achaia. This provides, then, another impetus for Corinth and the rest of Achaia. Paul wants them to be motivated by both the Macedonian example and by their own earlier example to the Macedonians. If you realize that someone has been motivated by your great example, it makes it quite difficult to not finish the job that you started.
Paul, in verse 3, provides another reason for completing this important task. He has been boasting about the great work that God was doing in them. If they should now fail to complete the collection by the time the three brothers arrived, it will be a demonstration that the power of God has not been flowing through Corinth and Achaia as Paul has said. This would be a serious issue for Paul who believed that actions were the visible sign of God’s transforming power in one’s life. Not only would their failure to have the collection ready for the brothers be a sign of the lack of God’s grace, but it would also be a damaging blow to the reliability of Paul’s word, which had already been under a bit of fire in Corinth.
In verse 4, Paul switches ahead to his own impending trip to Corinth. He wants them to avoid the embarrassment, both for himself and for them, of having the Macedonians comes and see that they have waned in their commitment and discipline. If that were to happen, it would be a clear sign that Paul’s boasting in them was unfounded, meaning that Paul’s apostleship would be called into question, as well a poor demonstration of where their faith was at.
Now the real motivation for Paul is clearly stated. There is no question in Paul’s mind that the collection will be completed. What he wants, however, is that they finish on time in a genuine display of the heart rather than Paul having to come and wrench it out of them. This, perhaps, provides two surprising things for those of us in the 21st century. The first thing is the absolute authority Paul expresses in declaring and carrying out a collection, that by his own admission, was not a command from the Lord. This leads us to believe that church leaders had a great deal more authority than would make most of us comfortable in our time. The second surprise is that Paul has urged, cajoled, and pleaded with them to complete this collection on time, and yet still feels that if they do so, it will be a sign that they have done so out of their own generosity. We tend to think that something done generously from the heart is only so if we are never asked or even reminded. Yet, this does not seem to be the case for Paul. Paul knows that situations happen, but God can still work. As long as they complete the task on time, the difficulties along the way are not at all a sign that God has not been working in their hearts. For Paul, one could obey their leaders and it was still seen as a sign of God’s grace rather than them just being pushed around by his orders. This is a surprising lesson for us, but perhaps one that we need to learn.
Devotional Thought
If someone were to look for signs of God’s grace flowing through your life, what would they find? Would they find a life of power, love, and discipline, or a life of timidity, fear, and half-finished projects?
Friday, October 26, 2007
2 Corinthians 8:16-24 & Commentary
Titus Sent to Corinth
16I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. 17For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. 18And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. 19What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. 20We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 21For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.
22In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. 23As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. 24Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.
Dig Deeper
Part of human nature since the fall of man is to distrust one another. Left to our own devices, we tend to assume the worst about one another. When I was gathering up the money for the fund-raising coin competition at the high school at which I taught, I realized that chances were pretty low that anyone would have a problem with me collecting the money, counting it, and taking it to the bank. Even though I knew I wasn’t going to steal any money, and I felt that everyone trusted me, I thought it best to remain above suspicion. I had two other people with me at all times while collecting and counting the money. As we took the coins to the bank and got cash in return, I never held the money. The reason for all of this was that I wanted to remain above reproach for my own protection. I also wanted, however, to not put anyone in the position of being tempted to mistrust what was going on.
In organizing and calling for the Gentile churches to take up this collection for the Jerusalem Church, Paul knows that the best thing for all concerned was for him to not physically collect the money, and when he did take it to Jerusalem, he would take highly respected men with him so that no one would have doubts about Paul’s integrity. It appears that some of Paul’s opponents had accused him of trickery and embezzlement in the past (cf 2 Cor. 12:16), so he wants to avoid any possible appearance of that, both for his sake and theirs.
The first part of Paul’s plan to stay above reproach is to send Titus back to Corinth to gather the money that they had been collecting. Titus is commended by Paul, not so much for the person that he is, but for the work that God has done in him. God has transformed Titus’ heart, which is of ultimate importance to Paul because a transformed hearts is the hallmark of his Spirit-driven ministry. Titus, then, would likely have just returned from Corinth and met Paul in Macedonia, and now Paul is asking him to turn around and go right back. Certainly Titus is becoming more familiar with the road to Corinth than he might have ever imagined. No doubt, Titus is driven to return to them for three reasons. The first is his loyalty to the Lord God. The second is his loyalty to Paul’s ministry and Paul himself. The third is his loyalty, concern and love for the Corinthians. He had so enjoyed his time with them that he apparently didn’t give a moment’s hesitation when Paul asked him to return to Corinth.
But, Titus is not going alone. There is more to Paul’s plan of perfectly perceived purity. Two other men will accompany Titus. Paul does something unusual for him in not including the name of these two men. Determining Paul’s reasons for not including their name and discovering the identity of these two anonymous brothers are impossible to know beyond conjecture so we will leave them as they will probably always be, a mystery. We can gain a few clues from the text, however, as to what was going on in this situation. The first brother was well known for his service to the gospel, which could mean that he was an evangelist. He was chosen specifically by the church for this task, which means, more than likely, that he was elected by the raising of hands during the assembly of the entire church. The second man (as evidenced by Paul referring to him as our brother that was being sent) was evidently, directly appointed by Paul for this task. They were entrusted with the task of safely transporting the collection just as the priests had been given the job to transport the offering from Babylonia to the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 8:24-30).
In verses 20 and 21, Paul clearly states the purpose for all of these precautions. He sought to avoid any criticism. Again, this is both for his benefit as well as to protect the hearts of other men. He wants to always be blameless in the sight of God and of other men. Paul is confident that he is blameless before God, but wants to take steps to make sure that is perceived as such before men. The word that is translated as "administer" in v. 20 literally says "ministered by us." This change in translation obscures the point Paul is making. He says that this collection is part of his ministry, as he uses the same phrase in 2 Cor. 3:3 to describe the new covenant ministry of the Spirit. Paul’s point is that this collection is an indispensable part of the ministry of the Spirit to which he has been called. This collection is the evidence of the Spirit that has come through Paul’s ministry and into the lives of those to whom he has given the gospel. The reality of the Spirit is evidenced by Paul’s enthusiasm and their willingness to meet the needs of other Christians in response to God’s will.
Paul’s desire for the Church in Corinth is that they accept Titus and the other two brothers with open arms. Earlier Paul argued that he did not need a letter of recommendation to or from the Church in Corinth, but has no problem providing one for Titus (although Titus didn’t really need one in Corinth either) and the two reliable brothers. These two men are, says Paul an honor to Christ. The Greek literally says "glory to Christ." To value other believers as one who will be part of the glory of the Messiah when he returns to earth in all of His glory is part of the great task of God’s people (cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:10).
Paul calls them to show these men proof of your love by the way that they treat them. This is a great reminder for us that simply professing the gospel and saying that we love others is of little value if we don’t act on it. Paul had shown a great deal of confidence in the Corinthians, now it was time for them live up to that confidence and to welcome the three men coming to them, as well as by reaching out across ethnic and national lines and giving sacrificially to a group of Christians that most of them would never see or meet.
Devotional Thought
If someone were to examine your life what evidence of God’s transforming glory would they see? Does your life exhibit evidence of the things that you profess to be, or have you been reduced to mere words?
16I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. 17For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. 18And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. 19What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. 20We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 21For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.
22In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. 23As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. 24Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.
Dig Deeper
Part of human nature since the fall of man is to distrust one another. Left to our own devices, we tend to assume the worst about one another. When I was gathering up the money for the fund-raising coin competition at the high school at which I taught, I realized that chances were pretty low that anyone would have a problem with me collecting the money, counting it, and taking it to the bank. Even though I knew I wasn’t going to steal any money, and I felt that everyone trusted me, I thought it best to remain above suspicion. I had two other people with me at all times while collecting and counting the money. As we took the coins to the bank and got cash in return, I never held the money. The reason for all of this was that I wanted to remain above reproach for my own protection. I also wanted, however, to not put anyone in the position of being tempted to mistrust what was going on.
In organizing and calling for the Gentile churches to take up this collection for the Jerusalem Church, Paul knows that the best thing for all concerned was for him to not physically collect the money, and when he did take it to Jerusalem, he would take highly respected men with him so that no one would have doubts about Paul’s integrity. It appears that some of Paul’s opponents had accused him of trickery and embezzlement in the past (cf 2 Cor. 12:16), so he wants to avoid any possible appearance of that, both for his sake and theirs.
The first part of Paul’s plan to stay above reproach is to send Titus back to Corinth to gather the money that they had been collecting. Titus is commended by Paul, not so much for the person that he is, but for the work that God has done in him. God has transformed Titus’ heart, which is of ultimate importance to Paul because a transformed hearts is the hallmark of his Spirit-driven ministry. Titus, then, would likely have just returned from Corinth and met Paul in Macedonia, and now Paul is asking him to turn around and go right back. Certainly Titus is becoming more familiar with the road to Corinth than he might have ever imagined. No doubt, Titus is driven to return to them for three reasons. The first is his loyalty to the Lord God. The second is his loyalty to Paul’s ministry and Paul himself. The third is his loyalty, concern and love for the Corinthians. He had so enjoyed his time with them that he apparently didn’t give a moment’s hesitation when Paul asked him to return to Corinth.
But, Titus is not going alone. There is more to Paul’s plan of perfectly perceived purity. Two other men will accompany Titus. Paul does something unusual for him in not including the name of these two men. Determining Paul’s reasons for not including their name and discovering the identity of these two anonymous brothers are impossible to know beyond conjecture so we will leave them as they will probably always be, a mystery. We can gain a few clues from the text, however, as to what was going on in this situation. The first brother was well known for his service to the gospel, which could mean that he was an evangelist. He was chosen specifically by the church for this task, which means, more than likely, that he was elected by the raising of hands during the assembly of the entire church. The second man (as evidenced by Paul referring to him as our brother that was being sent) was evidently, directly appointed by Paul for this task. They were entrusted with the task of safely transporting the collection just as the priests had been given the job to transport the offering from Babylonia to the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 8:24-30).
In verses 20 and 21, Paul clearly states the purpose for all of these precautions. He sought to avoid any criticism. Again, this is both for his benefit as well as to protect the hearts of other men. He wants to always be blameless in the sight of God and of other men. Paul is confident that he is blameless before God, but wants to take steps to make sure that is perceived as such before men. The word that is translated as "administer" in v. 20 literally says "ministered by us." This change in translation obscures the point Paul is making. He says that this collection is part of his ministry, as he uses the same phrase in 2 Cor. 3:3 to describe the new covenant ministry of the Spirit. Paul’s point is that this collection is an indispensable part of the ministry of the Spirit to which he has been called. This collection is the evidence of the Spirit that has come through Paul’s ministry and into the lives of those to whom he has given the gospel. The reality of the Spirit is evidenced by Paul’s enthusiasm and their willingness to meet the needs of other Christians in response to God’s will.
Paul’s desire for the Church in Corinth is that they accept Titus and the other two brothers with open arms. Earlier Paul argued that he did not need a letter of recommendation to or from the Church in Corinth, but has no problem providing one for Titus (although Titus didn’t really need one in Corinth either) and the two reliable brothers. These two men are, says Paul an honor to Christ. The Greek literally says "glory to Christ." To value other believers as one who will be part of the glory of the Messiah when he returns to earth in all of His glory is part of the great task of God’s people (cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:10).
Paul calls them to show these men proof of your love by the way that they treat them. This is a great reminder for us that simply professing the gospel and saying that we love others is of little value if we don’t act on it. Paul had shown a great deal of confidence in the Corinthians, now it was time for them live up to that confidence and to welcome the three men coming to them, as well as by reaching out across ethnic and national lines and giving sacrificially to a group of Christians that most of them would never see or meet.
Devotional Thought
If someone were to examine your life what evidence of God’s transforming glory would they see? Does your life exhibit evidence of the things that you profess to be, or have you been reduced to mere words?
Thursday, October 25, 2007
2 Corinthians 8:8-15 & Commentary
8I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
10And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
13Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, 15as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."
Dig Deeper
The high school that I taught at was basically a charter school rather than a ‘normal’ high school. We were always on a quest to do things that normal schools did so that our school and our students would be perceived as equal rather than some inner-city parody of a real school. When the tragedy of September 11th, 2001 took place, it was the week before our school had scheduled a school-wide coin drive competition fund-raiser. Several of the teachers quickly had the idea of swinging into action. Rather than raising money for school needs, we turned the coin drive into a fund-raiser for families of firefighters that died in the collapse of the twin towers. Our small school that was 1/20th of many of the large high schools in Milwaukee raised more money than most of the high schools did for the same cause. Suddenly we gained a fair amount of recognition for the wild generosity that a bunch of poor inner-city students had shown. Not only had they given out of their poverty to a good cause, it had demonstrated to the rest of the city that we were a legitimate school. We were a school to be appreciated and respected.
In a sense, this was Paul’s motivation in collecting money for the persecuted and impoverished church in Jerusalem. If Paul could gather a collection from the Gentile churches around the world, this would be a clear sign to skeptical Jewish Christians that the Gentiles really had embraced the same gospel and Christianity that they had turned to. They had started taking up this collection but, as tends to happen, things seemingly got in the way. People lose enthusiasm, they don’t carry through on things, and of course the trouble between Paul and the Corinthians had not helped. Paul wants them to, once again, embrace the dream of the great collection project, and finish the task at hand.
This whole business of the collection is not something that Paul passes on to them as a direct command. When Paul says he is not giving a command and is giving his advice or opinion, that does not mean that it’s just something Paul thought was a nice idea, but could be discarded if they (or we) would prefer something else. As in 1 Corinthians 7:6, 25, Paul’s point is that this is not something Christ directly passed on to him as a command for the Church. The collection comes from his own judgment and authority as a Spirit-led apostle of Jesus Christ. Philemon 1:8-9 is an example of Paul leaving the matter solely to their own judgment. This is not the case here, he is directing those under his authority to finish up the collection (as we see he clearly commands them what he wants them to do in verse 11). At the same time, though, Paul uses a gentle hand. He wants to convince them to want to do it, not simply because they are bending to his authority. He offers them reasons and examples for doing what he wants them to do. He wants them not just to know what to do but why they are doing it.
He has already offered them the example of the incredible sacrificial heart of the Macedonians, but now Paul will offer them the ultimate example and motivation for having a heart to give. There is nothing more powerful than the example of Christ. Christ gave up the glory and grandeur of heaven to come to earth as a human being so that we might enter into His life and become spiritually rich (cf. Phil. 2:5-11; Gal. 3:13-14). Christ became a curse under the law so that we could know the riches of the Spirit. Paul wants the Corinthians to follow this example of giving from their wealth so that others might share in the riches of their blessing from God. Verse 9 is one of the most beautiful theological statements in the entire Bible. At first glance that might be surprising that it comes in a passage concerning a collection, but on second look, perhaps that’s fitting. The best theology is not nice, neat statements in well-organized books. It comes in the real world, in real life with all of its messiness, its needs, its disparity.
Incarnational theology (living out the presence of Jesus in us in the lives of others) is never easy to figure out. It takes time, effort, courage, and perseverance. The Corinthians will need all of this to complete this important collection. Paul believes that their willingness to give is far more important than the amount given, so he wants them to give whatever they can. In this way, the poor in Christ can give every bit as much as those who have more wealth. Paul knows that the fact that they began taking the collection was a clear sign of the work of the grace of God in them. Now he wants them to complete that task and show that the grace of God is at work in them once again (apparently somewhere along the line they stopped taking the collection, or slowed to a near stop). The willingness is more important than the accomplishment, but the action and accomplishment is the visible sign of the willingness.
Paul finishes this section with yet another comparison between them and the Exodus generation, thereby identifying them as the second Exodus people, the new people of God. Just as the Israelites had been provided for by God so that each one had enough, so will God provide for his people now. This makes two things clear. The first is that Paul does not want them to give more than they have and thus become impoverished. He is calling them to give from what they have and motivated them to do so by sharing the example of the Macedonians. He is not calling to give more than they are able as the Macedonians wanted to. The collection is about everyone having enough, not "robbing Peter to pay Paul." The second item is made clear by Paul’s allusion to Exodus 16:18. In that passage God provided so that everyone will have enough. Here Paul is calling on the Corinthians Christians to provide so that the Christians in Jerusalem will have enough. The obvious implication is that God is working to provide for His people directly through the Corinthian Church and the Churches in Macedonia. The Church comprised of God’s people is the vehicle through which God loves and provides for His people in the present age.
Devotional Thought
Do you realize that the actions we take in accordance with God’s will are the primary means through which God works in the world. Do you have that sense of responsibility and urgency when serving others? Do you act as though, through your effort, work, and sacrifice you are directly dispensing the grace of God into the lives of others?
10And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
13Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, 15as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."
Dig Deeper
The high school that I taught at was basically a charter school rather than a ‘normal’ high school. We were always on a quest to do things that normal schools did so that our school and our students would be perceived as equal rather than some inner-city parody of a real school. When the tragedy of September 11th, 2001 took place, it was the week before our school had scheduled a school-wide coin drive competition fund-raiser. Several of the teachers quickly had the idea of swinging into action. Rather than raising money for school needs, we turned the coin drive into a fund-raiser for families of firefighters that died in the collapse of the twin towers. Our small school that was 1/20th of many of the large high schools in Milwaukee raised more money than most of the high schools did for the same cause. Suddenly we gained a fair amount of recognition for the wild generosity that a bunch of poor inner-city students had shown. Not only had they given out of their poverty to a good cause, it had demonstrated to the rest of the city that we were a legitimate school. We were a school to be appreciated and respected.
In a sense, this was Paul’s motivation in collecting money for the persecuted and impoverished church in Jerusalem. If Paul could gather a collection from the Gentile churches around the world, this would be a clear sign to skeptical Jewish Christians that the Gentiles really had embraced the same gospel and Christianity that they had turned to. They had started taking up this collection but, as tends to happen, things seemingly got in the way. People lose enthusiasm, they don’t carry through on things, and of course the trouble between Paul and the Corinthians had not helped. Paul wants them to, once again, embrace the dream of the great collection project, and finish the task at hand.
This whole business of the collection is not something that Paul passes on to them as a direct command. When Paul says he is not giving a command and is giving his advice or opinion, that does not mean that it’s just something Paul thought was a nice idea, but could be discarded if they (or we) would prefer something else. As in 1 Corinthians 7:6, 25, Paul’s point is that this is not something Christ directly passed on to him as a command for the Church. The collection comes from his own judgment and authority as a Spirit-led apostle of Jesus Christ. Philemon 1:8-9 is an example of Paul leaving the matter solely to their own judgment. This is not the case here, he is directing those under his authority to finish up the collection (as we see he clearly commands them what he wants them to do in verse 11). At the same time, though, Paul uses a gentle hand. He wants to convince them to want to do it, not simply because they are bending to his authority. He offers them reasons and examples for doing what he wants them to do. He wants them not just to know what to do but why they are doing it.
He has already offered them the example of the incredible sacrificial heart of the Macedonians, but now Paul will offer them the ultimate example and motivation for having a heart to give. There is nothing more powerful than the example of Christ. Christ gave up the glory and grandeur of heaven to come to earth as a human being so that we might enter into His life and become spiritually rich (cf. Phil. 2:5-11; Gal. 3:13-14). Christ became a curse under the law so that we could know the riches of the Spirit. Paul wants the Corinthians to follow this example of giving from their wealth so that others might share in the riches of their blessing from God. Verse 9 is one of the most beautiful theological statements in the entire Bible. At first glance that might be surprising that it comes in a passage concerning a collection, but on second look, perhaps that’s fitting. The best theology is not nice, neat statements in well-organized books. It comes in the real world, in real life with all of its messiness, its needs, its disparity.
Incarnational theology (living out the presence of Jesus in us in the lives of others) is never easy to figure out. It takes time, effort, courage, and perseverance. The Corinthians will need all of this to complete this important collection. Paul believes that their willingness to give is far more important than the amount given, so he wants them to give whatever they can. In this way, the poor in Christ can give every bit as much as those who have more wealth. Paul knows that the fact that they began taking the collection was a clear sign of the work of the grace of God in them. Now he wants them to complete that task and show that the grace of God is at work in them once again (apparently somewhere along the line they stopped taking the collection, or slowed to a near stop). The willingness is more important than the accomplishment, but the action and accomplishment is the visible sign of the willingness.
Paul finishes this section with yet another comparison between them and the Exodus generation, thereby identifying them as the second Exodus people, the new people of God. Just as the Israelites had been provided for by God so that each one had enough, so will God provide for his people now. This makes two things clear. The first is that Paul does not want them to give more than they have and thus become impoverished. He is calling them to give from what they have and motivated them to do so by sharing the example of the Macedonians. He is not calling to give more than they are able as the Macedonians wanted to. The collection is about everyone having enough, not "robbing Peter to pay Paul." The second item is made clear by Paul’s allusion to Exodus 16:18. In that passage God provided so that everyone will have enough. Here Paul is calling on the Corinthians Christians to provide so that the Christians in Jerusalem will have enough. The obvious implication is that God is working to provide for His people directly through the Corinthian Church and the Churches in Macedonia. The Church comprised of God’s people is the vehicle through which God loves and provides for His people in the present age.
Devotional Thought
Do you realize that the actions we take in accordance with God’s will are the primary means through which God works in the world. Do you have that sense of responsibility and urgency when serving others? Do you act as though, through your effort, work, and sacrifice you are directly dispensing the grace of God into the lives of others?
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
2 Corinthians 8:1-7 & Commentary
Generosity Encouraged
1And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. 6So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
Dig Deeper
One question that often pops into the mind of Christians is what sets us apart from everyone else? The answer to that seems clear, but can get muddled over time as we begin to come in contact with different types of people. One of the areas that has really muddied the situation for many Christians comes in the form of good works. How can Christians see themselves as different from the rest of the world when there are so many people who are not Christians who do incredible acts of service and charity? Isn’t that supposed to be the realm of Christians? If other people excel in those things then how can we feel set apart by God in anyway?
Paul now feels that he has his relationship with the Corinthians established enough that he turns his attention toward his great collection project. He really wants them to participate in this great act of charity and support of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem for many reasons. What he will make clear though, is that acts of kindness and service aren’t the point of being a Christian, the point is doing those acts in accordance with God’s will.
Paul is ready to take up this potentially touchy subject, yet he knows that he is still somewhat on eggshells. He must tread these waters carefully, which is evidenced by the fact that in the whole of this chapter and the next, Paul never actually uses any of the Greek words for "money." He presses on, however, because he wants them to take part in his great plan to show the Jewish Christian world that the Gentiles are genuinely their Christian brothers and sisters, that they belong at the table of Christians fellowship. He desperately wants to complete this great act of unity that will show to the world that God has chosen to work through Gentiles just as he had through Jews. Paul knows that, at every level, this is a tricky project. Would the Gentiles be willing to contribute to this project? So far they had been more than willing. That wasn’t the only potential obstacle, though. Could Paul collect this money and make it safely back to Jerusalem? Once there, would the Jews even accept money from Gentiles (see Romans 16:31)?
It is God’s grace that Paul doesn’t want them to miss out on. He’s not just referring to the unmerited favor and blessing of God. When Paul refers to God’s grace here, he is referring to the grace that God gives people so that they can abound in good works (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 9:8). God had allowed the Macedonian churches, like Philippi and Thessalonica, to give beyond their means despite their great poverty and suffering from persecution. The churches in Macedonia pleaded with Paul repeatedly to let them give to the level that they did (it’s not that they would have had to urge him to allow them to give at all, but to give to the sacrificial level that they did). They gave so sacrificially that Paul was close to (if he actually didn’t) asking them to stop as Moses had to restrain the Israelites from giving to the Tabernacle (Exod. 36:5-7). Paul wants Corinth to see the incredible grace that had flowed from God through the Macedonian churches. They had done so all on their own, and this is what Paul wants them to be able to experience. Note that just because Paul is urging them to do so, does not take away from the possibility of doing it on their own. It doesn’t necessarily have to be their own idea, it needs to be of their own free will. They gave not only money, but they gave themselves. They understood the true order of things. They gave themselves first to God, and then to his rightful ambassador.
Paul then answers the question of what sets apart Christian good works from the world’s. If the Christian life is about loving and serving others, what does it mean when non-Christians do it to amazing levels? Paul says they gave themselves in keeping with God’s will. That’s the answer. The great expression of God’s grace in our lives is not how much we serve or give to others, but that we do it in response to his cause. My children could do housework around the house all day long, and that would be good, but it doesn’t really demonstrate much if they don’t do the specific things that I asked them to do. They show themselves to be my obedient children by doing the things I have asked of them. When we work in accordance with God’s will and direction in our lives as it leads us to do good works, that is what shows us to be His obedient children. Simply doing good works apart from God’s will and purpose is not really the point. It is obedience to God’s will that he desires.
This is why Paul urged Titus to go and finish the collection. From a worldly point of view, it might be easy to wonder why Paul would bring up an issue like a collection with so much tension having recently passed between them. That’s exactly why Paul wants them to experience this. Allowing God to work His grace so powerfully through the life of a believer is a powerful transforming force. Paul knows that one of the best things for them was to allow God’s grace to flow mightily in their lives. He doesn’t want them to give like the Macedonian churches did out of a worldly motivation of envy or one-upmanship. He wants them to look at the grace that has flowed through Macedonia and to desire that for themselves. Anyone can be persuaded into giving money out of guilt, but that is not what Paul wants. He is trying to explain to them that giving is not about forcing yourself or trying to outdo the next guy (giving from those motivations would be to miss out on the grace that Paul is talking about). Paul wishes for them to desire to excel in the grace that comes through giving. This is probably a good-natured poke at their desire to have all of the gifts (as Paul discussed at length in 1 Corinthians). They wanted to have the fullness of all of the other gifts of the Spirit, so why don’t they turn that desire into a positive things and desire the grace of giving. When they do that they will see what the overwhelming grace of God can do in the lives and works of ordinary people.
Devotional Thought
Paul did not want the Corinthian church to miss out on the incredible power of God’s grace flowing through their lives. In order to experience, the key was to do good works that were in line with God’s will in their lives. What good works is calling you to do right now? How have you responded? When was the last time you asked God to reveal to you the works of service and giving that He has in store for you?
1And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. 6So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
Dig Deeper
One question that often pops into the mind of Christians is what sets us apart from everyone else? The answer to that seems clear, but can get muddled over time as we begin to come in contact with different types of people. One of the areas that has really muddied the situation for many Christians comes in the form of good works. How can Christians see themselves as different from the rest of the world when there are so many people who are not Christians who do incredible acts of service and charity? Isn’t that supposed to be the realm of Christians? If other people excel in those things then how can we feel set apart by God in anyway?
Paul now feels that he has his relationship with the Corinthians established enough that he turns his attention toward his great collection project. He really wants them to participate in this great act of charity and support of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem for many reasons. What he will make clear though, is that acts of kindness and service aren’t the point of being a Christian, the point is doing those acts in accordance with God’s will.
Paul is ready to take up this potentially touchy subject, yet he knows that he is still somewhat on eggshells. He must tread these waters carefully, which is evidenced by the fact that in the whole of this chapter and the next, Paul never actually uses any of the Greek words for "money." He presses on, however, because he wants them to take part in his great plan to show the Jewish Christian world that the Gentiles are genuinely their Christian brothers and sisters, that they belong at the table of Christians fellowship. He desperately wants to complete this great act of unity that will show to the world that God has chosen to work through Gentiles just as he had through Jews. Paul knows that, at every level, this is a tricky project. Would the Gentiles be willing to contribute to this project? So far they had been more than willing. That wasn’t the only potential obstacle, though. Could Paul collect this money and make it safely back to Jerusalem? Once there, would the Jews even accept money from Gentiles (see Romans 16:31)?
It is God’s grace that Paul doesn’t want them to miss out on. He’s not just referring to the unmerited favor and blessing of God. When Paul refers to God’s grace here, he is referring to the grace that God gives people so that they can abound in good works (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 9:8). God had allowed the Macedonian churches, like Philippi and Thessalonica, to give beyond their means despite their great poverty and suffering from persecution. The churches in Macedonia pleaded with Paul repeatedly to let them give to the level that they did (it’s not that they would have had to urge him to allow them to give at all, but to give to the sacrificial level that they did). They gave so sacrificially that Paul was close to (if he actually didn’t) asking them to stop as Moses had to restrain the Israelites from giving to the Tabernacle (Exod. 36:5-7). Paul wants Corinth to see the incredible grace that had flowed from God through the Macedonian churches. They had done so all on their own, and this is what Paul wants them to be able to experience. Note that just because Paul is urging them to do so, does not take away from the possibility of doing it on their own. It doesn’t necessarily have to be their own idea, it needs to be of their own free will. They gave not only money, but they gave themselves. They understood the true order of things. They gave themselves first to God, and then to his rightful ambassador.
Paul then answers the question of what sets apart Christian good works from the world’s. If the Christian life is about loving and serving others, what does it mean when non-Christians do it to amazing levels? Paul says they gave themselves in keeping with God’s will. That’s the answer. The great expression of God’s grace in our lives is not how much we serve or give to others, but that we do it in response to his cause. My children could do housework around the house all day long, and that would be good, but it doesn’t really demonstrate much if they don’t do the specific things that I asked them to do. They show themselves to be my obedient children by doing the things I have asked of them. When we work in accordance with God’s will and direction in our lives as it leads us to do good works, that is what shows us to be His obedient children. Simply doing good works apart from God’s will and purpose is not really the point. It is obedience to God’s will that he desires.
This is why Paul urged Titus to go and finish the collection. From a worldly point of view, it might be easy to wonder why Paul would bring up an issue like a collection with so much tension having recently passed between them. That’s exactly why Paul wants them to experience this. Allowing God to work His grace so powerfully through the life of a believer is a powerful transforming force. Paul knows that one of the best things for them was to allow God’s grace to flow mightily in their lives. He doesn’t want them to give like the Macedonian churches did out of a worldly motivation of envy or one-upmanship. He wants them to look at the grace that has flowed through Macedonia and to desire that for themselves. Anyone can be persuaded into giving money out of guilt, but that is not what Paul wants. He is trying to explain to them that giving is not about forcing yourself or trying to outdo the next guy (giving from those motivations would be to miss out on the grace that Paul is talking about). Paul wishes for them to desire to excel in the grace that comes through giving. This is probably a good-natured poke at their desire to have all of the gifts (as Paul discussed at length in 1 Corinthians). They wanted to have the fullness of all of the other gifts of the Spirit, so why don’t they turn that desire into a positive things and desire the grace of giving. When they do that they will see what the overwhelming grace of God can do in the lives and works of ordinary people.
Devotional Thought
Paul did not want the Corinthian church to miss out on the incredible power of God’s grace flowing through their lives. In order to experience, the key was to do good works that were in line with God’s will in their lives. What good works is calling you to do right now? How have you responded? When was the last time you asked God to reveal to you the works of service and giving that He has in store for you?
Thursday, October 18, 2007
2 Corinthians 7:11-16 & Commentary
11See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 12So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. 13By all this we are encouraged.
In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. 14I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. 15And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. 16I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.
Dig Deeper
Years ago while I was teaching high school, I had a class of students that was a fun but a particularly rowdy bunch. The thing was that this class had 8 or 10 of the most difficult-to-handle students in the entire school. They were usually pretty good for me but could have a great tendency to give other teachers fits. We were having a guest speaker come in to my class one day, a guest who was also a friend of mine. I was a little bit nervous as to how they would respond to and treat my friend, and to make matters worse, I was going to have to be gone that day, so another teacher was filling in for me in that class. Yet, I was convinced that they had learned how to behave and told my friend that I was confident that the class would be great. To make a long story short, things didn’t go very well at all; they gave the guest a very hard time. I was quite embarrassed and my credibility was damaged.
The situation here is almost precisely the opposite. Paul was unsure of how the Corinthians would react to him. He decided to send Titus to them in reconciliation rather than having to come himself in judgment. Before going, however, Titus was seemingly hesitant, not sure of how the Corinthians would treat him based on their difficulties with Paul. Paul was confident in the fact that God had been working in and through the Corinthians and that they would receive him well. Yet, he was extremely anxious over the situation, and it only get worse when Titus didn’t return right away. There was much that was on the line here for Paul. The Corinthians were his letter of recommendation (2 Cor. 3:2-3). They were the embodiment of his ministry and how they acted would either vindicate or indict his ministry of the gospel. Imagine Paul’s relief and pure joy when he finally did hook up with Titus and found out that not only did the Corinthians receive Titus well, but Titus had loved his time with the Corinthians and had been greatly refreshed.
As we have seen previously, some people in the Corinthian congregation had incited many others against the leadership of Paul and challenged the legitimacy of his apostleship. Paul has warned the entire congregation that rejecting him was really a rejection of the gospel itself, and would endanger them of joining the ranks of unbelievers (6:14). He had also charged them, as a congregation, with not defending him and his ministry the way that they should have. When Paul sent Titus, he found complete repentance on their part, but he also found that just as Paul was anxious to see if they would accept him and Titus on his behalf, the Corinthians were anxious to see if Paul would accept them. They had taken action in their repentance and had demonstrated true, godly sorrow, but for them, it remained to be seen if Paul would give his blessing and accept them once again into the type of relationship they had had with him at first.
This is what he means in verse 12, which would otherwise seem a bit strange. In verse 11, Paul holds up a mirror and says "just look at how true repentance has shown in your lives." It had produced earnestness to repair their status as Paul’s spiritual children. Paul then lists a process of six other corollaries that come as a result of earnestness, each resulting from the previous action. The majority of the congregation had taken action on their repentance, including pronouncing judgment and enacting punishment on at least one individual who had spoken out against Paul (2:6). Now Paul wants to reassure them that they have demonstrated godly repentance and that he has accepted them once again with open arms. They need to see the fruit and sincerity of their own repentance.
This repentance has given Paul great encouragement, but he is even more encouraged to see that everything he told Titus about them has been vindicated. God really is working in their lives and through Paul’s ministry. This must have been an incredible mixture of joy, encouragement, relief, and vindication all rolled together into one. This is a special relief for Paul, because his credibility has been brought into question in Corinth. Their repentance has shown Paul to be credible in two major ways. First, he has been proven credible in telling the Corinthians about the power of the gospel to change the lives of people who would be obedient to it. That has certainly happened in the case of the Corinthian Church. Second, he has been shown credible in his confidence in them and God’s power. Had Titus arrived and found that they had not punished the offender(s) or that they would not receive Titus well, then Paul would have been proven to be a wishful thinker who was at best engaging in unfounded optimism. The situation has shown that Paul is not interested in looking good or making up lies to foster a good reputation, he is only interested in the truth.
Titus got to Corinth, though, and was greatly encouraged by their humility in obedience and that they received him with fear and trembling. This is probably an allusion to Isaiah 19:16, which describes the dread that will come over Egypt when it realizes that God has raised up against her. This further demonstrates Paul’s belief that rejecting him was a rejection of the gospel and of the true God. Those in Corinth have realized that and have responded appropriately to the severity of the situation. Because of this Paul affirms once again (v. 4) that he can have great confidence in them. Paul is still walking a fine line here between being encouraged and being affirmed by those who have repented and still wanting to bring back into the fold those who haven’t fully done so yet. His hope, no doubt, was that the encouraging, but firm tone of this letter will accomplish that. He ends this section on a positive tone, though, which will put him in a much better situation to move on to topic of his next section: the completion of his collection, and event that will require great financial sacrifice on the part of the Corinthians.
Devotional Thought
Paul and the Corinthians have been through a great deal together? Yet they both have demonstrated a great deal of humility, forgiveness, and love. When someone offends you, do you show this kind of forgiveness and acceptance or do you tend to hang on to bitterness? In Ephesians 4:31 we are told to "get rid of all bitterness." Have you done that? Is there any bitterness that you are hanging on to?
In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. 14I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. 15And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. 16I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.
Dig Deeper
Years ago while I was teaching high school, I had a class of students that was a fun but a particularly rowdy bunch. The thing was that this class had 8 or 10 of the most difficult-to-handle students in the entire school. They were usually pretty good for me but could have a great tendency to give other teachers fits. We were having a guest speaker come in to my class one day, a guest who was also a friend of mine. I was a little bit nervous as to how they would respond to and treat my friend, and to make matters worse, I was going to have to be gone that day, so another teacher was filling in for me in that class. Yet, I was convinced that they had learned how to behave and told my friend that I was confident that the class would be great. To make a long story short, things didn’t go very well at all; they gave the guest a very hard time. I was quite embarrassed and my credibility was damaged.
The situation here is almost precisely the opposite. Paul was unsure of how the Corinthians would react to him. He decided to send Titus to them in reconciliation rather than having to come himself in judgment. Before going, however, Titus was seemingly hesitant, not sure of how the Corinthians would treat him based on their difficulties with Paul. Paul was confident in the fact that God had been working in and through the Corinthians and that they would receive him well. Yet, he was extremely anxious over the situation, and it only get worse when Titus didn’t return right away. There was much that was on the line here for Paul. The Corinthians were his letter of recommendation (2 Cor. 3:2-3). They were the embodiment of his ministry and how they acted would either vindicate or indict his ministry of the gospel. Imagine Paul’s relief and pure joy when he finally did hook up with Titus and found out that not only did the Corinthians receive Titus well, but Titus had loved his time with the Corinthians and had been greatly refreshed.
As we have seen previously, some people in the Corinthian congregation had incited many others against the leadership of Paul and challenged the legitimacy of his apostleship. Paul has warned the entire congregation that rejecting him was really a rejection of the gospel itself, and would endanger them of joining the ranks of unbelievers (6:14). He had also charged them, as a congregation, with not defending him and his ministry the way that they should have. When Paul sent Titus, he found complete repentance on their part, but he also found that just as Paul was anxious to see if they would accept him and Titus on his behalf, the Corinthians were anxious to see if Paul would accept them. They had taken action in their repentance and had demonstrated true, godly sorrow, but for them, it remained to be seen if Paul would give his blessing and accept them once again into the type of relationship they had had with him at first.
This is what he means in verse 12, which would otherwise seem a bit strange. In verse 11, Paul holds up a mirror and says "just look at how true repentance has shown in your lives." It had produced earnestness to repair their status as Paul’s spiritual children. Paul then lists a process of six other corollaries that come as a result of earnestness, each resulting from the previous action. The majority of the congregation had taken action on their repentance, including pronouncing judgment and enacting punishment on at least one individual who had spoken out against Paul (2:6). Now Paul wants to reassure them that they have demonstrated godly repentance and that he has accepted them once again with open arms. They need to see the fruit and sincerity of their own repentance.
This repentance has given Paul great encouragement, but he is even more encouraged to see that everything he told Titus about them has been vindicated. God really is working in their lives and through Paul’s ministry. This must have been an incredible mixture of joy, encouragement, relief, and vindication all rolled together into one. This is a special relief for Paul, because his credibility has been brought into question in Corinth. Their repentance has shown Paul to be credible in two major ways. First, he has been proven credible in telling the Corinthians about the power of the gospel to change the lives of people who would be obedient to it. That has certainly happened in the case of the Corinthian Church. Second, he has been shown credible in his confidence in them and God’s power. Had Titus arrived and found that they had not punished the offender(s) or that they would not receive Titus well, then Paul would have been proven to be a wishful thinker who was at best engaging in unfounded optimism. The situation has shown that Paul is not interested in looking good or making up lies to foster a good reputation, he is only interested in the truth.
Titus got to Corinth, though, and was greatly encouraged by their humility in obedience and that they received him with fear and trembling. This is probably an allusion to Isaiah 19:16, which describes the dread that will come over Egypt when it realizes that God has raised up against her. This further demonstrates Paul’s belief that rejecting him was a rejection of the gospel and of the true God. Those in Corinth have realized that and have responded appropriately to the severity of the situation. Because of this Paul affirms once again (v. 4) that he can have great confidence in them. Paul is still walking a fine line here between being encouraged and being affirmed by those who have repented and still wanting to bring back into the fold those who haven’t fully done so yet. His hope, no doubt, was that the encouraging, but firm tone of this letter will accomplish that. He ends this section on a positive tone, though, which will put him in a much better situation to move on to topic of his next section: the completion of his collection, and event that will require great financial sacrifice on the part of the Corinthians.
Devotional Thought
Paul and the Corinthians have been through a great deal together? Yet they both have demonstrated a great deal of humility, forgiveness, and love. When someone offends you, do you show this kind of forgiveness and acceptance or do you tend to hang on to bitterness? In Ephesians 4:31 we are told to "get rid of all bitterness." Have you done that? Is there any bitterness that you are hanging on to?
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
2 Corinthians 7:2-10 & Commentary
Paul's Joy
2Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. 3I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. 4I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
5For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
8Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
Dig Deeper
One phrase that nearly everyone has heard when they were a child is the classic line, "this is going to hurt you more than it hurts me." These ominous words are usually uttered by a parent who is about to spank their child. When you’re a kid, you always think that this is something bogus that parents tell you to try to make you feel better. When you become a parent yourself, though, you finally begin to understand what that means. It means that you don’t like to put your children through the pain of discipline, but you will because you realize that it is far better for them than the consequences of continued, undisciplined behavior. A little pain caused by healthy discipline is worth it, if it produces a crop of repentance and righteousness. This is what Paul believes when it comes to the way that he has dealt with the Corinthians. He loves them deeply, and because he does, he has agonized over them and was even willing to cause them pain if it would produce true sorrow that fostered repentance.
The last passage served as a bit of a parenthetical aside to Paul’s primary train of thought of defending his ministry of apostelship. In 6:13, he exhorts the Corinthians to make room for them in his heart. He’s seems to have been speaking to the whole congregation, including those who have directly opposed him. He speaks to them hopefully, encouraging all of the Corinthians to act as those who are truly acting like his children. Now he seems to turn more directly to those in Corinth who have accepted him. In the last passage Paul made it clear that their acceptance or rejection of him was a matter of being a believer or an unbeliever. Here, Paul speaks to those who have already proven themselves to be among the believers by their repentance. This would mean that 6:11-13 was directed to the church as a whole, while this section is aimed at those who have opened their hearts. This, passage, then is a call on those who have repented to actually follow through on their repentance, completing their separation from the unbelievers and their return to unity with Paul. By addressing the repentant directly and moving on, Paul is, in effect, letting his opponents know that they are in very real danger of being on the outside looking in. What he is now doing in the letter, excluding them, will soon happen in real life if they don’t repent.
Paul is no longer addressing those who need to open their hearts (6:13), he is now addressing those who have repented and calling them to make room for him once again in their hearts. He reminds them that he has not wronged, corrupted, or exploited anyone. Yet, he is still walking carefully, not wanting to offend anyone. His defense of himself is not meant to sarcastically imply that he is condemning them, he sincerely loves them. He has great confidence in them (he almost sees relieved that he can truly have confidence in their actions; see 7:16), which leads to great pride because they are the evidence of the Spirit-driven character of his ministry (cf. 1:14; 3:3, 8; 7:14; 8:24; 9:2-3; 10:12-18). That fact that he can have pride in them once again leads to great encouragement for Paul. They are indeed a new creation which causes Paul to overflow with joy.
In verse 5, Paul begins to explain how God has specifically worked to turn his troubles into joy when it concerned the Corinthians. In doing so, Paul returns to the story he began in 2:12-13, showing that his suffering serves the dual purpose of bringing benefit to the Corinthians and his own happiness. Paul was in Macedonia, waiting anxiously for word from Titus as to how the Corinthians felt about him. Each passing day tempted him to worry more and more, but Paul quotes Isaiah 49:13 to remind them that truly his God is the one who comforts the downcast. For Paul the comfort came in the form of Titus finally arriving. In Paul’s mind, this wasn’t just a coincidence, it was the hand of God.
This leads us to an interesting question, though. Isn’t this the same Paul that wrote to be anxious about nothing (Phil. 4:6)? Is Paul clearly contradicting his own words? He is not, and the reason he is not can be very encouraging. For Paul, being anxious about nothing isn’t some detached esoteric state where one feels no anxiety and has no feeling. Being anxious about nothing means deeply feeling the realities of the situation and then, with huge struggle and effort, casting them upon the Lord. It means turning over the difficult parts of life and trusting that God is truly in control. This is no easy process, and knowing that it was extremely emotional and difficult for Paul can provide great comfort for us in a very real way.
What Paul found out from Titus was that what comforted Paul, actually caused great sorrow for the Corinthians that had responded to his painful letter. Paul is a true parent in his response. He didn’t want them to be sorrowful, but knows that if it produced repentance, then it was well worth it. The sorrow of a rebuke is well worth its fruit. Yet, Paul knows that that’s not exactly true. Not all sorrow is worth its fruit. Only sorrow as God intended will produce that kind of fruit.
Paul does not state directly what he thinks is the difference between Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow, although we can assume that it has to do with motivation. Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow were demonstrated in living color by Peter and Judas following the death of Jesus. Peter responded by bitterly weeping and returning humbly to fellowship with the other disciples. He seemed to know that his sin was against God. Judas, however, could only think of himself and the pain that his sin caused for him. That led him to suicide, an attempt to relieve himself of that pain, rather than true repentance. That is not to imply that all worldly sorrow will lead to suicide, but sorrow that does not lead us to repentance will eventually lead to death. In a sense, no sorrow is better than worldly sorrow, because at least when someone remains hard and unsorrowful, they know that are not in the right. Worldly sorrow can give one a false sense of security, and Paul does not want the Corinthians to be lulled into their own spiritual deaths.
Devotional Thought
What is your reaction when sin is pointed out in your life? Do you feel sorry for yourself? Do you make excuses or get defensive? Or do you allow the sorrow to produce true repentance in your life? Resolve to not be defensive or demonstrate worldly sorrow, but to truly respond to sin in your life with genuine godly sorrow.
2Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. 3I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. 4I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
5For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
8Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
Dig Deeper
One phrase that nearly everyone has heard when they were a child is the classic line, "this is going to hurt you more than it hurts me." These ominous words are usually uttered by a parent who is about to spank their child. When you’re a kid, you always think that this is something bogus that parents tell you to try to make you feel better. When you become a parent yourself, though, you finally begin to understand what that means. It means that you don’t like to put your children through the pain of discipline, but you will because you realize that it is far better for them than the consequences of continued, undisciplined behavior. A little pain caused by healthy discipline is worth it, if it produces a crop of repentance and righteousness. This is what Paul believes when it comes to the way that he has dealt with the Corinthians. He loves them deeply, and because he does, he has agonized over them and was even willing to cause them pain if it would produce true sorrow that fostered repentance.
The last passage served as a bit of a parenthetical aside to Paul’s primary train of thought of defending his ministry of apostelship. In 6:13, he exhorts the Corinthians to make room for them in his heart. He’s seems to have been speaking to the whole congregation, including those who have directly opposed him. He speaks to them hopefully, encouraging all of the Corinthians to act as those who are truly acting like his children. Now he seems to turn more directly to those in Corinth who have accepted him. In the last passage Paul made it clear that their acceptance or rejection of him was a matter of being a believer or an unbeliever. Here, Paul speaks to those who have already proven themselves to be among the believers by their repentance. This would mean that 6:11-13 was directed to the church as a whole, while this section is aimed at those who have opened their hearts. This, passage, then is a call on those who have repented to actually follow through on their repentance, completing their separation from the unbelievers and their return to unity with Paul. By addressing the repentant directly and moving on, Paul is, in effect, letting his opponents know that they are in very real danger of being on the outside looking in. What he is now doing in the letter, excluding them, will soon happen in real life if they don’t repent.
Paul is no longer addressing those who need to open their hearts (6:13), he is now addressing those who have repented and calling them to make room for him once again in their hearts. He reminds them that he has not wronged, corrupted, or exploited anyone. Yet, he is still walking carefully, not wanting to offend anyone. His defense of himself is not meant to sarcastically imply that he is condemning them, he sincerely loves them. He has great confidence in them (he almost sees relieved that he can truly have confidence in their actions; see 7:16), which leads to great pride because they are the evidence of the Spirit-driven character of his ministry (cf. 1:14; 3:3, 8; 7:14; 8:24; 9:2-3; 10:12-18). That fact that he can have pride in them once again leads to great encouragement for Paul. They are indeed a new creation which causes Paul to overflow with joy.
In verse 5, Paul begins to explain how God has specifically worked to turn his troubles into joy when it concerned the Corinthians. In doing so, Paul returns to the story he began in 2:12-13, showing that his suffering serves the dual purpose of bringing benefit to the Corinthians and his own happiness. Paul was in Macedonia, waiting anxiously for word from Titus as to how the Corinthians felt about him. Each passing day tempted him to worry more and more, but Paul quotes Isaiah 49:13 to remind them that truly his God is the one who comforts the downcast. For Paul the comfort came in the form of Titus finally arriving. In Paul’s mind, this wasn’t just a coincidence, it was the hand of God.
This leads us to an interesting question, though. Isn’t this the same Paul that wrote to be anxious about nothing (Phil. 4:6)? Is Paul clearly contradicting his own words? He is not, and the reason he is not can be very encouraging. For Paul, being anxious about nothing isn’t some detached esoteric state where one feels no anxiety and has no feeling. Being anxious about nothing means deeply feeling the realities of the situation and then, with huge struggle and effort, casting them upon the Lord. It means turning over the difficult parts of life and trusting that God is truly in control. This is no easy process, and knowing that it was extremely emotional and difficult for Paul can provide great comfort for us in a very real way.
What Paul found out from Titus was that what comforted Paul, actually caused great sorrow for the Corinthians that had responded to his painful letter. Paul is a true parent in his response. He didn’t want them to be sorrowful, but knows that if it produced repentance, then it was well worth it. The sorrow of a rebuke is well worth its fruit. Yet, Paul knows that that’s not exactly true. Not all sorrow is worth its fruit. Only sorrow as God intended will produce that kind of fruit.
Paul does not state directly what he thinks is the difference between Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow, although we can assume that it has to do with motivation. Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow were demonstrated in living color by Peter and Judas following the death of Jesus. Peter responded by bitterly weeping and returning humbly to fellowship with the other disciples. He seemed to know that his sin was against God. Judas, however, could only think of himself and the pain that his sin caused for him. That led him to suicide, an attempt to relieve himself of that pain, rather than true repentance. That is not to imply that all worldly sorrow will lead to suicide, but sorrow that does not lead us to repentance will eventually lead to death. In a sense, no sorrow is better than worldly sorrow, because at least when someone remains hard and unsorrowful, they know that are not in the right. Worldly sorrow can give one a false sense of security, and Paul does not want the Corinthians to be lulled into their own spiritual deaths.
Devotional Thought
What is your reaction when sin is pointed out in your life? Do you feel sorry for yourself? Do you make excuses or get defensive? Or do you allow the sorrow to produce true repentance in your life? Resolve to not be defensive or demonstrate worldly sorrow, but to truly respond to sin in your life with genuine godly sorrow.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 & Commentary
Do Not Be Yoked With Unbelievers
14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
17"Therefore come out from them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you."
18"I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
2 Corinthians 7
1Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
Dig Deeper
In the days leading up to the Civil War, the Southern countries began to secede from the United States. At the same time, they went about amassing an army because they anticipated that the North would not recognize their perceived right to withdraw from the Union. This put many men in an awkward situation. They were already officers in the military of the United States of America but now their home state was no longer a part of the country they were serving. The lines were clearly drawn, however, and no one would accept an officer who decided to be loyal to both sides. It couldn’t be done. The officers had to either remain loyal to the United States and denounce their home state, or they had to be loyal to their home state and resign their position from their country. Either way, a choice had to be made.
This is precisely what Paul is now telling the Corinthians. His opponents have drawn distinct lines in claiming that Paul’s ministry could not be from God. A choice will have to be made. When you have two groups making mutually exclusive claims, you must accept one and reject the other. Sitting on the fence and trying to appease both sides simply cannot be done. Paul makes this clear as he says do not be yoked together with unbelievers. This passage is usually discussed as though it is referring to marriage or friendships with the world. Their are certainly other biblical passages that deal with those situations, but those things are not directly in sight here. If they were, it would be a strange departure from the surrounding context. No, Paul is making clear what it means for those who would try to embrace or stay even marginally loyal to his detractors.
In describing his opponents, Paul does not mince words. He refers to these men as unbelievers, a word he usually reserves for those who have completely rejected God. The Corinthians are people of the new Exodus, they are people who have entered into the Messiah. They can have no place with those who have rejected the true gospel. (Of course this is the immediate context, but that does make it pretty clear that Christians should not be yoked in marriage or any other way to non-believers). In using "yoke," Paul brings up images of Psalm 2:3, in which the kings of the world throw off the yoke (translated "chains" in the NIV) of God and his Messiah. Yoke was also commonly used in Paul’s day to refer to religious teachings. Thus, Paul is telling them not to become allied with unbelievers because it would have negative effects on their status as the people of the Messiah. Doing so would actually align them with Belial, an uncommon word for Satan, which was often used in contexts which stressed Satan’s active participation in activities against God.
What Paul is telling them is that they need to separate, on an immediate level, from those who would oppose Paul’s ministry, and they must separate, on a grander scale, from those who would oppose God in general. Paul, here, gives two primary reasons. The first is their identify in the Messiah. The second is the history of the people of God and where they stand in that history. They simply cannot be the people of the Messiah and be allied with the things of the world in any way. This is a point that Paul has stressed time and again to his spiritual children in Corinth. They were yet to understand the incredible implications of dying to themselves and entering into the life of the Messiah. Paul feels so strongly that this is their new identification that at times he seems to refer to the body of Christ and Christ himself as virtually indistinguishable from one another (1 Corinthians 1:16; 12:12; Galatians 3:16).
Paul begins a short section in the latter part of verse 16, in which he strings together a list of loose quotations from the Old Testament. All of these quotes combine together to describe the new status of God’s Covenant people using the history and language of God’s Old Covenant promises. He begins with a combination of Leviticus 26:11-12 ("I will put my dwelling place among you") and Ezekiel 37:27 ("My dwelling place will be among them"). The obvious point for Paul is that God has now made his dwelling place within them. They both have entered into the life of Christ and house His Holy Spirit. Both of the passages Paul cites here contain a version of the Covenant formula, "I will be their God and they will be my people." Paul’s point is that they are now the Temple or dwelling place of God and they need to act like it.
Paul then turns, in verse 17, to a reference to Isaiah 52:11, which he presents as a consequence to their status as the dwelling place of God. Because God is dwelling among them, therefore they must be separate. Understanding the context of Isaiah 52 is rather instructive at this point. In Isaiah 52, we have a promise from God to the exiles to redeem them in a second exodus that would far outdo the first (Isa. 52:3, 9, 12). Paul is telling them that they are the people of that second exodus, and as such, need to live out their new reality. They must be separate from the world. Paul is not telling them to withdraw into a Christian island that never comes in contact with the rest of the world, he wants them though, to be more of a Christian colony; one that is a culture in the middle of another culture, but never being influenced by or compromising with that culture.
Finally, Paul uses a mixture of quotations from Ezekiel 20:34, 2 Samuel 7:14, and Isaiah 43:6. Ezekiel 20 is a passage concerning the second exodus, 2 Samuel speaks of God being father to the Messiah and His people and pouring His Spirit out on them, and Isaiah explicitly expands the new Covenant to God’s sons and daughters.
Putting all of these passages together, Paul is saying that God, through the Messiah, has done what He promised. He has brought His people out of their exile of sin and death and has once again taken up residence with His people. The responsibility is now on them to realize that and live like it.
Devotional Thought
As God’s new exodus people, we have received an incredible string of privileges that we don’t deserve (not unlike the prodigal son). Have you taken full advantage of these privileges or have you wasted them far too often?
14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
17"Therefore come out from them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you."
18"I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
2 Corinthians 7
1Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
Dig Deeper
In the days leading up to the Civil War, the Southern countries began to secede from the United States. At the same time, they went about amassing an army because they anticipated that the North would not recognize their perceived right to withdraw from the Union. This put many men in an awkward situation. They were already officers in the military of the United States of America but now their home state was no longer a part of the country they were serving. The lines were clearly drawn, however, and no one would accept an officer who decided to be loyal to both sides. It couldn’t be done. The officers had to either remain loyal to the United States and denounce their home state, or they had to be loyal to their home state and resign their position from their country. Either way, a choice had to be made.
This is precisely what Paul is now telling the Corinthians. His opponents have drawn distinct lines in claiming that Paul’s ministry could not be from God. A choice will have to be made. When you have two groups making mutually exclusive claims, you must accept one and reject the other. Sitting on the fence and trying to appease both sides simply cannot be done. Paul makes this clear as he says do not be yoked together with unbelievers. This passage is usually discussed as though it is referring to marriage or friendships with the world. Their are certainly other biblical passages that deal with those situations, but those things are not directly in sight here. If they were, it would be a strange departure from the surrounding context. No, Paul is making clear what it means for those who would try to embrace or stay even marginally loyal to his detractors.
In describing his opponents, Paul does not mince words. He refers to these men as unbelievers, a word he usually reserves for those who have completely rejected God. The Corinthians are people of the new Exodus, they are people who have entered into the Messiah. They can have no place with those who have rejected the true gospel. (Of course this is the immediate context, but that does make it pretty clear that Christians should not be yoked in marriage or any other way to non-believers). In using "yoke," Paul brings up images of Psalm 2:3, in which the kings of the world throw off the yoke (translated "chains" in the NIV) of God and his Messiah. Yoke was also commonly used in Paul’s day to refer to religious teachings. Thus, Paul is telling them not to become allied with unbelievers because it would have negative effects on their status as the people of the Messiah. Doing so would actually align them with Belial, an uncommon word for Satan, which was often used in contexts which stressed Satan’s active participation in activities against God.
What Paul is telling them is that they need to separate, on an immediate level, from those who would oppose Paul’s ministry, and they must separate, on a grander scale, from those who would oppose God in general. Paul, here, gives two primary reasons. The first is their identify in the Messiah. The second is the history of the people of God and where they stand in that history. They simply cannot be the people of the Messiah and be allied with the things of the world in any way. This is a point that Paul has stressed time and again to his spiritual children in Corinth. They were yet to understand the incredible implications of dying to themselves and entering into the life of the Messiah. Paul feels so strongly that this is their new identification that at times he seems to refer to the body of Christ and Christ himself as virtually indistinguishable from one another (1 Corinthians 1:16; 12:12; Galatians 3:16).
Paul begins a short section in the latter part of verse 16, in which he strings together a list of loose quotations from the Old Testament. All of these quotes combine together to describe the new status of God’s Covenant people using the history and language of God’s Old Covenant promises. He begins with a combination of Leviticus 26:11-12 ("I will put my dwelling place among you") and Ezekiel 37:27 ("My dwelling place will be among them"). The obvious point for Paul is that God has now made his dwelling place within them. They both have entered into the life of Christ and house His Holy Spirit. Both of the passages Paul cites here contain a version of the Covenant formula, "I will be their God and they will be my people." Paul’s point is that they are now the Temple or dwelling place of God and they need to act like it.
Paul then turns, in verse 17, to a reference to Isaiah 52:11, which he presents as a consequence to their status as the dwelling place of God. Because God is dwelling among them, therefore they must be separate. Understanding the context of Isaiah 52 is rather instructive at this point. In Isaiah 52, we have a promise from God to the exiles to redeem them in a second exodus that would far outdo the first (Isa. 52:3, 9, 12). Paul is telling them that they are the people of that second exodus, and as such, need to live out their new reality. They must be separate from the world. Paul is not telling them to withdraw into a Christian island that never comes in contact with the rest of the world, he wants them though, to be more of a Christian colony; one that is a culture in the middle of another culture, but never being influenced by or compromising with that culture.
Finally, Paul uses a mixture of quotations from Ezekiel 20:34, 2 Samuel 7:14, and Isaiah 43:6. Ezekiel 20 is a passage concerning the second exodus, 2 Samuel speaks of God being father to the Messiah and His people and pouring His Spirit out on them, and Isaiah explicitly expands the new Covenant to God’s sons and daughters.
Putting all of these passages together, Paul is saying that God, through the Messiah, has done what He promised. He has brought His people out of their exile of sin and death and has once again taken up residence with His people. The responsibility is now on them to realize that and live like it.
Devotional Thought
As God’s new exodus people, we have received an incredible string of privileges that we don’t deserve (not unlike the prodigal son). Have you taken full advantage of these privileges or have you wasted them far too often?
Monday, October 15, 2007
2 Corinthians 6:3-13 & Commentary
Paul's Hardships
3We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.
Dig Deeper
You can turn on your television set almost anytime of day these days and watch a preacher or televangelist of some sort. Each of them has a different message and many of them spout a different version of the gospel altogether. The difficulty comes in knowing which ones are speaking the true gospel and which are not. Although it is not the only determining factor, the life of the man giving the message definitely plays a part in discerning whether his message is accurate or not. This was especially true in Paul’s day, which took place before the New Testament was written down. The signs of the Spirit in the life of the speaker meant everything, so it is vital for Paul that he defend his way of life and ministry so that no one thinks that he is a false teacher, and are subsequently led astray.
Paul wants to be very clear that he has not done anything that should have caused anyone truly seeking the Kingdom of God to stumble or struggle. He has carried his message and lived his life in an intentionally holy manner so that the ministry of reconciliation that he has attempted to embody would not be discredited. He is making his appeal of that ministry through the very vehicle of his life and manner of living, so he realizes that the appeal is only as strong as the apostle who espouses it. So when Paul commends himself the reasons are twofold. First, it is really a commendation of Christ living in him and not Paul himself, because anything he has done, he has done through the power of God. Second, is that a defense of his ministry as the embodiment of the true gospel must be made by him because the Corinthians should have defended his life and ministry against his detractors but they had not (2 Cor. 5:12; 12:11).
Paul lists a catalogue of the things which the Corinthians could have mentioned in defense of his embodiment of the gospel of Christ. This catalogue list can be broken into four distinct sections. The first part is contained in verses 4b-5, in which he gives a list of hardships that all begin with "in" and are all in the plural. He begins the list by denoting that he has went through them all in great endurance. The rest of the list relates to and are further explanations of his endurance. He has endured despite troubles, hardships, distresses, beating, imprisonments, riot, hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger.
The next section, verses 6-7a, is a catalogue of graces that have bestowed upon him. Each one also begins with "in" but all are in the singular. He has received the grace of God as evidenced by the fact that he has been able to demonstrate purity, understanding, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, sincere love, truthful speech, and the power of God. Each one of these things is, Paul believes, evidence that God has poured out his grace and blessing on Paul’s ministry and life.
The third section comprises verses 7b-8a, and is a list of the changing circumstances that he has gone through in his ministry. It is a list of the reality of his ministry countered by the charges of his critics. He has battled with weapons of righteousness in the honorable right hand although he has been accused of doing so with his dishonorable left hand (this sentence should be, of course, taken as imagery and not literally). He has continued on whether he was receiving glory and a good report or dishonor and a bad report. He has continued to embody the genuine gospel despite how he has been treated by his critics.
The final section, verses 8b-10, details the display of God’s transforming power through the sacrifices Paul has faced. Each begins with "as" and plays against one another as in "A yet B". He has been genuine even if treated as as an imposter. He has lived so as to be truly known by them, even if they treat him as if they don’t know him. He has felt the pain of dying, but the power of Christ allows him to live on. He has been regularly beaten, but he isn’t dead yet. Even when he is sorrowful, God allows him to rejoice in his suffering. He has given up everything to bring the treasure of the Kingdom to everyone who will listen. He has nothing by the world’s standards but realizes that he has the Kingdom of God and has been given the life of the age to come, and so he has everything. We truly get the feeling that Paul would not recognize the modern prosperity gospel of health, wealth, and power as the true gospel at all.
Paul begins to truly address the Corinthians in verse 11 as their spiritual father. He is simply telling them like it is because he loves and cares deeply for them. They have accused him of not being straightforward, of having impure motivations, and having a hidden agenda. None of that is true, says Paul. He has done nothing but open his heart and love them, holding nothing back. If there is a problem, if they have stumbled, it is not due to Paul’s actions (v. 3), it is due to the fact that they have viewed Paul and his ministry from a worldly point of view. Paul knows that it is easy to twist someone’s motivations, even when they are pure, if we view them from a worldly vantage point. What looks so muddled to the Corinthians would be revealed as clear and pure if they would only see things from God’s vantage point and not the world’s. Paul has already said that his is a ministry of reconciliation. He is calling the world to be reconciled to God. The obvious implication is that if they continue to act like little children and are not reconciled with Paul, then they are not truly reconciled with God. If they do not open their hearts to Paul, God’s apostolic agent, then they are denying God himself. Paul is not saying that he is above the gospel or that he is the gospel, but he truly believes that he is a genuine embodiment of the gospel. If his life is called into question, then so is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Devotional Thought
Paul felt that his life so genuinely embodied and reflected the gospel that anyone who examined his life would see an honest representation of it. Does your life look like that? Would you be comfortable with someone judging the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ just by observing you life?
3We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.
Dig Deeper
You can turn on your television set almost anytime of day these days and watch a preacher or televangelist of some sort. Each of them has a different message and many of them spout a different version of the gospel altogether. The difficulty comes in knowing which ones are speaking the true gospel and which are not. Although it is not the only determining factor, the life of the man giving the message definitely plays a part in discerning whether his message is accurate or not. This was especially true in Paul’s day, which took place before the New Testament was written down. The signs of the Spirit in the life of the speaker meant everything, so it is vital for Paul that he defend his way of life and ministry so that no one thinks that he is a false teacher, and are subsequently led astray.
Paul wants to be very clear that he has not done anything that should have caused anyone truly seeking the Kingdom of God to stumble or struggle. He has carried his message and lived his life in an intentionally holy manner so that the ministry of reconciliation that he has attempted to embody would not be discredited. He is making his appeal of that ministry through the very vehicle of his life and manner of living, so he realizes that the appeal is only as strong as the apostle who espouses it. So when Paul commends himself the reasons are twofold. First, it is really a commendation of Christ living in him and not Paul himself, because anything he has done, he has done through the power of God. Second, is that a defense of his ministry as the embodiment of the true gospel must be made by him because the Corinthians should have defended his life and ministry against his detractors but they had not (2 Cor. 5:12; 12:11).
Paul lists a catalogue of the things which the Corinthians could have mentioned in defense of his embodiment of the gospel of Christ. This catalogue list can be broken into four distinct sections. The first part is contained in verses 4b-5, in which he gives a list of hardships that all begin with "in" and are all in the plural. He begins the list by denoting that he has went through them all in great endurance. The rest of the list relates to and are further explanations of his endurance. He has endured despite troubles, hardships, distresses, beating, imprisonments, riot, hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger.
The next section, verses 6-7a, is a catalogue of graces that have bestowed upon him. Each one also begins with "in" but all are in the singular. He has received the grace of God as evidenced by the fact that he has been able to demonstrate purity, understanding, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, sincere love, truthful speech, and the power of God. Each one of these things is, Paul believes, evidence that God has poured out his grace and blessing on Paul’s ministry and life.
The third section comprises verses 7b-8a, and is a list of the changing circumstances that he has gone through in his ministry. It is a list of the reality of his ministry countered by the charges of his critics. He has battled with weapons of righteousness in the honorable right hand although he has been accused of doing so with his dishonorable left hand (this sentence should be, of course, taken as imagery and not literally). He has continued on whether he was receiving glory and a good report or dishonor and a bad report. He has continued to embody the genuine gospel despite how he has been treated by his critics.
The final section, verses 8b-10, details the display of God’s transforming power through the sacrifices Paul has faced. Each begins with "as" and plays against one another as in "A yet B". He has been genuine even if treated as as an imposter. He has lived so as to be truly known by them, even if they treat him as if they don’t know him. He has felt the pain of dying, but the power of Christ allows him to live on. He has been regularly beaten, but he isn’t dead yet. Even when he is sorrowful, God allows him to rejoice in his suffering. He has given up everything to bring the treasure of the Kingdom to everyone who will listen. He has nothing by the world’s standards but realizes that he has the Kingdom of God and has been given the life of the age to come, and so he has everything. We truly get the feeling that Paul would not recognize the modern prosperity gospel of health, wealth, and power as the true gospel at all.
Paul begins to truly address the Corinthians in verse 11 as their spiritual father. He is simply telling them like it is because he loves and cares deeply for them. They have accused him of not being straightforward, of having impure motivations, and having a hidden agenda. None of that is true, says Paul. He has done nothing but open his heart and love them, holding nothing back. If there is a problem, if they have stumbled, it is not due to Paul’s actions (v. 3), it is due to the fact that they have viewed Paul and his ministry from a worldly point of view. Paul knows that it is easy to twist someone’s motivations, even when they are pure, if we view them from a worldly vantage point. What looks so muddled to the Corinthians would be revealed as clear and pure if they would only see things from God’s vantage point and not the world’s. Paul has already said that his is a ministry of reconciliation. He is calling the world to be reconciled to God. The obvious implication is that if they continue to act like little children and are not reconciled with Paul, then they are not truly reconciled with God. If they do not open their hearts to Paul, God’s apostolic agent, then they are denying God himself. Paul is not saying that he is above the gospel or that he is the gospel, but he truly believes that he is a genuine embodiment of the gospel. If his life is called into question, then so is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Devotional Thought
Paul felt that his life so genuinely embodied and reflected the gospel that anyone who examined his life would see an honest representation of it. Does your life look like that? Would you be comfortable with someone judging the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ just by observing you life?
Friday, October 12, 2007
2 Corinthians 5:16-6:2 & Commentary
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 6
1As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. 2For he says,
"In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
Dig Deeper
Life for married couples is markedly different before and after having children. Any parent knows that once you have children, everything changes. No longer can you run quickly to the store whenever you want, you can’t go catch a quick movie together on a whim, keeping the house clean takes on a whole new challenge, and you can forget about getting a solid night’s sleep for a long time. Once you have children you realize that life has changed radically and you simply can’t live as you did before; you see the entire world in different terms.
This is what Paul wants the Corinthians to understand. Christianity isn’t just a new religion among many, or a new philosophy in the marketplace of ideas. Christ has come into the world and opened the door to a whole new reality. Becoming a Christian means entering into that reality and realizing that nothing will ever be the same again. Life has changed radically and we simply can’t live as we did before.
The difference in how Christians view the world is whether we do so from a worldly (literally "according to the flesh") point of view, which refers to the corruptible present age that is passing away, or from our new position in Christ. One who has entered into Christ, stands on the precipice of the new creation and must begin to live that way. Paul is setting up an interesting contrast here. He no longer sees things from a worldly point of view. He no longer looks at the things that are seen, but the implication is that his critics do. They look at things that are worldly and value them. It is the Lord, however, that knows the heart of people. Once we have entered into Christ, we can begin to see things from His point of view rather than the world’s. Paul is not just criticizing the position of his critics, though, he also identifies with them. They have looked at his suffering and rejected him as a true messenger of God. When one looked at Paul according to the flesh, all they could see was weakness and signs of being cursed by God. Paul knows what that feels like because he once viewed Christ’s suffering on the Cross as evidence of weakness and being cursed by God (Deut. 21:23). Once Paul was confronted by the risen Messiah on that road to Damascus, however, he realized that rather than being cursed by God, Jesus had taken the place of man and become a curse for us. He realized that Christ was the suffering servant who bears the iniquities of the world (Isa. 53:4-5, 11-12). Paul had seen Christ as a pretender because of his suffering and now he is being seen as a pretender because of his own suffering on behalf of Christ. Paul changed his method of viewing Christ and the world, but his opponents have not. If they truly understood who Christ was and what he came to do, they would have no problem recognizing Paul as a minister of Christ.
If anyone has entered into Christ, says Paul, there is a new creation. Paul doesn’t just limit this to the individual as the NIV implies, although that’s certainly part of it (the original language literally and abruptly says, "If anyone is in Christ, new creation). Those who enter into Christ enter into the new creation of God’s age to come. We begin to live the future in the present, worldly age. Christ walked straight into death, and walked out the other side. He took on mankind’s biggest enemy and turned it into a doorway of the age to come. To enter into Christ, then, is a result of laying down our life in the present age at baptism (Rom. 6:3,4; Gal. 3;27), so that one becomes part of the church, the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13, cf. 1 Cor. 12;12-31; Rom. 12:4-8; Col. 1:18, 24; 2:16-19; 3:15; Eph. 1;23; 4:4-16; 5:23).
When we are in Christ we are a new creation but we are also a part of the new creation and are charged with living out the reality of that new creation. This is a summary of Paul’s entire ministry. God is not waiting to destroy His creation and make a new one out of nothing, He has been working all along to reconcile His originally perfect creation back to the way it was supposed to be. God’s work is about rescuing His entire creation (Rom. 8:19-22) not just human beings. Anyone who has entered into Christ takes on this mission of reconciliation as ambassadors of the true king of the world. Ambassadors was a term used in correlation with Roman delegates who represented the Empire in foreign lands and governed on the behalf of the Emperor. They were there to show foreigners how to live the ‘Roman way’. As Christ’s ambassadors, we represent the true king and have been commissioned to showing the rest of the world what it looks like to live in God’s age to come. This will look quite differently than those around us, but we need to be confident in those differences rather than ashamed because of who it is that we represent. Roman ambassadors were certainly not ashamed of representing Caesar and we should not shrink back from representing the Messiah. The NIV adds "you" in verse 20 which changes the meaning of the sentence slightly. Paul is not specifically imploring the Corinthians, what he is saying is that the mission of his ministry (and ours) is to implore the world, based on what Christ has made available, to be reconciled to God. Because the sinless one, took on the sin of the world, we are not just to tell people about it, we are to embody it. We are to become the righteousness of God. Our job as ambassadors is to demonstrate by our lives what it means to be a part of God’s reconciled creation.
In verse 1, of chapter 6, Paul now does turn his attention specifically to the Corinthians. They are God’s fellow workers (this demonstrates the problem of adding "you" to verse 20 as it implies that the Corinthians have not been reconciled to God if read in that way) and Paul wants them to hold onto God’s grace that has been given so freely to them. They are standing right in the doorway of the new creation, as Paul demonstrates with his quote from Isaiah 49:9. God is answering and say yes to all of the prophecies concerning his new creation and the day of salvation (2 Cor. 1:20). They were right there experiencing it and Paul doesn’t want them to lose sight of that and walk away. They were in the day of salvation, don’t waste it. The message for us, then, is the same. We have entered into the doorway of the new creation and we need to not waste that opportunity.
Devotional Thought
Do you make the most of your opportunity to enter into the new creation and enjoy the day of salvation or are you more likely to become paralyzed by a worldly point of view? The age to come is available in Christ now. If you haven’t entered in, what are you waiting for? If you have, are you making the most of it? If not, what keeps you from doing so?
2 Corinthians 6
1As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. 2For he says,
"In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
Dig Deeper
Life for married couples is markedly different before and after having children. Any parent knows that once you have children, everything changes. No longer can you run quickly to the store whenever you want, you can’t go catch a quick movie together on a whim, keeping the house clean takes on a whole new challenge, and you can forget about getting a solid night’s sleep for a long time. Once you have children you realize that life has changed radically and you simply can’t live as you did before; you see the entire world in different terms.
This is what Paul wants the Corinthians to understand. Christianity isn’t just a new religion among many, or a new philosophy in the marketplace of ideas. Christ has come into the world and opened the door to a whole new reality. Becoming a Christian means entering into that reality and realizing that nothing will ever be the same again. Life has changed radically and we simply can’t live as we did before.
The difference in how Christians view the world is whether we do so from a worldly (literally "according to the flesh") point of view, which refers to the corruptible present age that is passing away, or from our new position in Christ. One who has entered into Christ, stands on the precipice of the new creation and must begin to live that way. Paul is setting up an interesting contrast here. He no longer sees things from a worldly point of view. He no longer looks at the things that are seen, but the implication is that his critics do. They look at things that are worldly and value them. It is the Lord, however, that knows the heart of people. Once we have entered into Christ, we can begin to see things from His point of view rather than the world’s. Paul is not just criticizing the position of his critics, though, he also identifies with them. They have looked at his suffering and rejected him as a true messenger of God. When one looked at Paul according to the flesh, all they could see was weakness and signs of being cursed by God. Paul knows what that feels like because he once viewed Christ’s suffering on the Cross as evidence of weakness and being cursed by God (Deut. 21:23). Once Paul was confronted by the risen Messiah on that road to Damascus, however, he realized that rather than being cursed by God, Jesus had taken the place of man and become a curse for us. He realized that Christ was the suffering servant who bears the iniquities of the world (Isa. 53:4-5, 11-12). Paul had seen Christ as a pretender because of his suffering and now he is being seen as a pretender because of his own suffering on behalf of Christ. Paul changed his method of viewing Christ and the world, but his opponents have not. If they truly understood who Christ was and what he came to do, they would have no problem recognizing Paul as a minister of Christ.
If anyone has entered into Christ, says Paul, there is a new creation. Paul doesn’t just limit this to the individual as the NIV implies, although that’s certainly part of it (the original language literally and abruptly says, "If anyone is in Christ, new creation). Those who enter into Christ enter into the new creation of God’s age to come. We begin to live the future in the present, worldly age. Christ walked straight into death, and walked out the other side. He took on mankind’s biggest enemy and turned it into a doorway of the age to come. To enter into Christ, then, is a result of laying down our life in the present age at baptism (Rom. 6:3,4; Gal. 3;27), so that one becomes part of the church, the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13, cf. 1 Cor. 12;12-31; Rom. 12:4-8; Col. 1:18, 24; 2:16-19; 3:15; Eph. 1;23; 4:4-16; 5:23).
When we are in Christ we are a new creation but we are also a part of the new creation and are charged with living out the reality of that new creation. This is a summary of Paul’s entire ministry. God is not waiting to destroy His creation and make a new one out of nothing, He has been working all along to reconcile His originally perfect creation back to the way it was supposed to be. God’s work is about rescuing His entire creation (Rom. 8:19-22) not just human beings. Anyone who has entered into Christ takes on this mission of reconciliation as ambassadors of the true king of the world. Ambassadors was a term used in correlation with Roman delegates who represented the Empire in foreign lands and governed on the behalf of the Emperor. They were there to show foreigners how to live the ‘Roman way’. As Christ’s ambassadors, we represent the true king and have been commissioned to showing the rest of the world what it looks like to live in God’s age to come. This will look quite differently than those around us, but we need to be confident in those differences rather than ashamed because of who it is that we represent. Roman ambassadors were certainly not ashamed of representing Caesar and we should not shrink back from representing the Messiah. The NIV adds "you" in verse 20 which changes the meaning of the sentence slightly. Paul is not specifically imploring the Corinthians, what he is saying is that the mission of his ministry (and ours) is to implore the world, based on what Christ has made available, to be reconciled to God. Because the sinless one, took on the sin of the world, we are not just to tell people about it, we are to embody it. We are to become the righteousness of God. Our job as ambassadors is to demonstrate by our lives what it means to be a part of God’s reconciled creation.
In verse 1, of chapter 6, Paul now does turn his attention specifically to the Corinthians. They are God’s fellow workers (this demonstrates the problem of adding "you" to verse 20 as it implies that the Corinthians have not been reconciled to God if read in that way) and Paul wants them to hold onto God’s grace that has been given so freely to them. They are standing right in the doorway of the new creation, as Paul demonstrates with his quote from Isaiah 49:9. God is answering and say yes to all of the prophecies concerning his new creation and the day of salvation (2 Cor. 1:20). They were right there experiencing it and Paul doesn’t want them to lose sight of that and walk away. They were in the day of salvation, don’t waste it. The message for us, then, is the same. We have entered into the doorway of the new creation and we need to not waste that opportunity.
Devotional Thought
Do you make the most of your opportunity to enter into the new creation and enjoy the day of salvation or are you more likely to become paralyzed by a worldly point of view? The age to come is available in Christ now. If you haven’t entered in, what are you waiting for? If you have, are you making the most of it? If not, what keeps you from doing so?
Friday, October 05, 2007
2 Corinthians 5:11-15 & Commentary
11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Dig Deeper
One of my favorite television shows used to be the Crocodile Hunter, starring Steve Irwin. Irwin, before his untimely death, had become quite well known for his enthusiasm and his infectious passion for animal life. A typical episode of the show might find Irwin going deep into some swamp or lake area to remove a crocodile. Usually the crocodile had gotten itself into some precarious situation and Irwin needed to rescue it and move it to a safer location. In order to do this, though, he had to catch and subdue the crocs. The crocodiles were not usually very cooperative because they had no clue what he was doing. Thus, while he was trying to save these crocodiles, they would actually try to bite and even kill him. Many people thought that Irwin was crazy. The question always came up, why would he do these things? Certainly, one reason was that the crocodiles were in danger of dying, that was true. It was also true that he wanted to bring them to a place of safety. Those could both definitely be listed as motivations for doing what he did, but they were not the ultimate motivator. The ultimate motivator was that Irwin loved the crocodiles, plain and simple. His passion for them drove him to do what he did.
The question is what really compels Paul to do what he was doing? This was, no doubt, a confusing question for his critics. If Paul had been taking support and making money, it would have been obvious. Much to their frustration, though, he wasn't doing that. The only other plausible explanation was that he must have been crazy; his so-called Damascus road experience must have been a delusion. After all, they likely argued, if Paul really had been in God's presence the way he claimed, then why didn't his appearance reflect it the way Moses' face had? No, he must have been a fraud because he didn't need a veil, his physical appearance was so weak, and because of his constant suffering.
Paul has repeatedly offered up defenses of his apostolic ministry, and in the last section, he offered up two explanations for his motivation. The first is the hope of resurrection. No matter how difficult the present sufferings may be at times, those in Christ have the promise of resurrection into the age to come. The second motivator is the promise of judgment for all human beings. Those in Christ, then, have not only the positive motivation of resurrection, but also the negative motivation of realizing that all mankind will step before the judgment seat of Christ. Those in Christ have nothing to fear, for this is no condemnation for us (Romans 8:1). Yet it is a powerful reminder that it is completely worth standing firm in our faith and not shrinking back.
Paul, in fact says that he desires to persuade men with the gospel of Jesus Christ because he understands the fear of the Lord. He knows the judgment that God mercifully allowed him to escape, but he also knows the danger that those who have not entered into Christ are in. That his motivations are pure and straight forward is obvious to God and to anyone who truly looks at Paul's life with any level of honesty. Paul is careful to make it clear that he is walking the fine line between boasting in Christ and boasting in self. He is not commending himself, but Christ, and he wants his fellow brother and sisters in Christ to take pride and build their hope on what God has done in Paul's life, and what he has done and will continue to do in their lives. Paul contrasts that with his critics who can't see the true reasons for what he does, and can't understand the true Godly source of his ministry. These are the ones who can only understand what is seen rather than what is in the heart. They should be like God who looks at the heart rather than appearance (1 Sam. 16:7). The word translated "answer" in the NIV can be used as a Hebrew idiom, and would probably best be understood as Paul telling them that he wants to give them the opportunity to be "Ill-disposed" towards those who take pride in what is seen.
Even if Paul is crazy, as his opponents claim, then it has been for the sake of God. If he is in his right mind, as he would maintain, then it is not only for the sake of God but for them. Either way, the claims of the critics don't really stand up against Paul's behavior. They were simply perplexed because all they could see was appearances. They were unable to look at Paul's heart, and thus, they could never have understood Paul. Why? Because the true motivating factor for Paul (the one that even outweighed the hope of resurrection and the reality of judgment) was Christ's love. Paul is a living example of something that John wrote in 1 John 4:19: "We love because he first loved us."
Christ demonstrated this love by dying for us and allowing us all to enter into His death. Because he suffered and died, entering into the resurrection and the age to come, we can now enter into His death and receive His inheritance. Of this, Paul is convinced. There is no doubt in his mind that was is true of the Messiah is true of His people. Yet, this gift from the Messiah isn't one of just entering into His life to gain all of the good things. It demands what seems like sacrifice to us. In order to truly enter into His life, we must first lay down our lives. If we insist on living our own life, we will never be able to enter into His. The call for us, then, is to realize that we have entered into the life of Christ (Romans 6:3-4) and our obligation is to live the life of Christ to the full.
Devotional Thought
What compels and motivates you in your Christian life. Is it obligation, is it fear, is it not wanting to look bad, or is it the love of Christ and the hope of resurrection? Have you truly entered into the life of Christ? What areas of your life are not currently consistent with living the life of Christ?
Dig Deeper
One of my favorite television shows used to be the Crocodile Hunter, starring Steve Irwin. Irwin, before his untimely death, had become quite well known for his enthusiasm and his infectious passion for animal life. A typical episode of the show might find Irwin going deep into some swamp or lake area to remove a crocodile. Usually the crocodile had gotten itself into some precarious situation and Irwin needed to rescue it and move it to a safer location. In order to do this, though, he had to catch and subdue the crocs. The crocodiles were not usually very cooperative because they had no clue what he was doing. Thus, while he was trying to save these crocodiles, they would actually try to bite and even kill him. Many people thought that Irwin was crazy. The question always came up, why would he do these things? Certainly, one reason was that the crocodiles were in danger of dying, that was true. It was also true that he wanted to bring them to a place of safety. Those could both definitely be listed as motivations for doing what he did, but they were not the ultimate motivator. The ultimate motivator was that Irwin loved the crocodiles, plain and simple. His passion for them drove him to do what he did.
The question is what really compels Paul to do what he was doing? This was, no doubt, a confusing question for his critics. If Paul had been taking support and making money, it would have been obvious. Much to their frustration, though, he wasn't doing that. The only other plausible explanation was that he must have been crazy; his so-called Damascus road experience must have been a delusion. After all, they likely argued, if Paul really had been in God's presence the way he claimed, then why didn't his appearance reflect it the way Moses' face had? No, he must have been a fraud because he didn't need a veil, his physical appearance was so weak, and because of his constant suffering.
Paul has repeatedly offered up defenses of his apostolic ministry, and in the last section, he offered up two explanations for his motivation. The first is the hope of resurrection. No matter how difficult the present sufferings may be at times, those in Christ have the promise of resurrection into the age to come. The second motivator is the promise of judgment for all human beings. Those in Christ, then, have not only the positive motivation of resurrection, but also the negative motivation of realizing that all mankind will step before the judgment seat of Christ. Those in Christ have nothing to fear, for this is no condemnation for us (Romans 8:1). Yet it is a powerful reminder that it is completely worth standing firm in our faith and not shrinking back.
Paul, in fact says that he desires to persuade men with the gospel of Jesus Christ because he understands the fear of the Lord. He knows the judgment that God mercifully allowed him to escape, but he also knows the danger that those who have not entered into Christ are in. That his motivations are pure and straight forward is obvious to God and to anyone who truly looks at Paul's life with any level of honesty. Paul is careful to make it clear that he is walking the fine line between boasting in Christ and boasting in self. He is not commending himself, but Christ, and he wants his fellow brother and sisters in Christ to take pride and build their hope on what God has done in Paul's life, and what he has done and will continue to do in their lives. Paul contrasts that with his critics who can't see the true reasons for what he does, and can't understand the true Godly source of his ministry. These are the ones who can only understand what is seen rather than what is in the heart. They should be like God who looks at the heart rather than appearance (1 Sam. 16:7). The word translated "answer" in the NIV can be used as a Hebrew idiom, and would probably best be understood as Paul telling them that he wants to give them the opportunity to be "Ill-disposed" towards those who take pride in what is seen.
Even if Paul is crazy, as his opponents claim, then it has been for the sake of God. If he is in his right mind, as he would maintain, then it is not only for the sake of God but for them. Either way, the claims of the critics don't really stand up against Paul's behavior. They were simply perplexed because all they could see was appearances. They were unable to look at Paul's heart, and thus, they could never have understood Paul. Why? Because the true motivating factor for Paul (the one that even outweighed the hope of resurrection and the reality of judgment) was Christ's love. Paul is a living example of something that John wrote in 1 John 4:19: "We love because he first loved us."
Christ demonstrated this love by dying for us and allowing us all to enter into His death. Because he suffered and died, entering into the resurrection and the age to come, we can now enter into His death and receive His inheritance. Of this, Paul is convinced. There is no doubt in his mind that was is true of the Messiah is true of His people. Yet, this gift from the Messiah isn't one of just entering into His life to gain all of the good things. It demands what seems like sacrifice to us. In order to truly enter into His life, we must first lay down our lives. If we insist on living our own life, we will never be able to enter into His. The call for us, then, is to realize that we have entered into the life of Christ (Romans 6:3-4) and our obligation is to live the life of Christ to the full.
Devotional Thought
What compels and motivates you in your Christian life. Is it obligation, is it fear, is it not wanting to look bad, or is it the love of Christ and the hope of resurrection? Have you truly entered into the life of Christ? What areas of your life are not currently consistent with living the life of Christ?
Thursday, October 04, 2007
2 Corinthians 5:1-10 & Commentary
Our Heavenly Dwelling
1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7We live by faith, not by sight. 8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Dig Deeper
Up to this point, Paul has been discussing the role of suffering in his ministry as an apostle. The obvious question would be why he would go through such suffering. Most humans need a pretty good reason as to why they would pick up the life of the Messiah if it means so much suffering and struggle rather than just health and wealth in the present age. Paul’s obvious answer is resurrection. The Messiah has been resurrected, and what is true of Him is true of His people, so our great hope is the resurrection of all those who have entered into the life of the Messiah. If it is the hope of the Corinthians and all Christians, though, they must have a good understanding of what it is.
This passage is instructive for readers of our day, a time when many, if not most people, have an incorrect understanding of what the New Testament actually teaches about what happens when the Messiah’s people die. First, we find that heaven is not the final destination and hope of where we will go when we die. The hope of the Christian is the time when Christ returns and transforms His creation into the new heavens and earth. Heaven and earth were always meant to overlap and be perfectly united, and they will when Christ returns. This is when resurrection will happen for believers.
The hope of resurrection is not about becoming disembodied, but about being re-embodied. One verse on this topic that is often misunderstood is verse 4. Paul says that we will be clothed with our heavenly dwelling. Many take that to mean that we receive another body in place of our buried body, or that we receive an intermediate body until our present bodies are raised. This is not, however, the meaning of this passage; it is quite the opposite, actually. Our heavenly dwellings have to do with the source of where the resurrection body comes (v. 1). It does not mean that we will become disembodied spirits and float away from earth forever to a separate place called heaven one day. When we read this passage in context with other passages on the topic in the Bible, we are led to the conclusion that believers receive their resurrected bodies at the Second coming of Christ rather than when they die. Those who are alive will be immediately transformed, those who have died already will finally receive their resurrection bodies. This passage clearly refers to death as a time of disembodiment. Paul refers to death as being "naked" (v. 3) and "away from the body" (v. 8). We also have to ask why Paul would dread being "naked" if he were going to receive his new body, his complete reward, immediately following death? Speaking of death as disembodiment and not the final hope of the Christian, would make little sense if the moment of death and going to heaven were the ultimate fulfillment of the Christian hope. The ultimate hope is resurrection in the restored heaven and earth, not disembodiment in a heaven that is separate from the physical universe.
What we actually see is Paul describing a three stage process which will finally culminate in our final re-embodiment in the age to come. In verse 8, Paul makes it clear that being with the Lord is being away from the body. He is clear that this is preferable to being here on earth but looks forward to the time when the "dead in Christ shall rise first (1 Thessalonians 4:16) to our glorified, resurrected bodies. If we think of our physical bodies in the present age as stage 1, the time between our death, when we are with God, and the resurrection as stage 2, and our resurrected bodies in the ‘age to come’ as stage 3, then we might read 2 Corinthians 5:1-9 like this:
Now we know that if [stage 1] is destroyed, we have [stage 3] from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile [while in stage 2] we groan, longing to be clothed with [stage 3], because when we are clothed [stage 3], we will not be found naked [as in stage 2]. For while we are in [stage 1] we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed [as in stage 2] but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling [stage 3], so that what is mortal [stage 1] may be swallowed up by life [stage 3]. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose [stage 3] and has given us the Spirit as a deposit [during stage 1], guaranteeing what is to come [stage 3]. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body [stage 1] we are away from the Lord [which we will not be in stages 2& 3]. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body [in stage 2 as opposed to stage 1] and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body [stage 1 or 3] or away from it [stage 2].
Christians live by faith in the life of the Messiah and the coming resurrection. Of course this is nothing that we can see now, but we know that it will happen because it happened to Him. Faith is the opposite of sight but it is also the opposite of doubt. Thus, though we can’t see all of this now, we begin to live the reality of the resurrection and the age to come in the present age.
The fact is, all people will be resurrected (John 5:29) and face the judgment seat of Christ. The question is whether we will be raised to life or raised to condemnation. Those who have entered into Christ, though, have nothing to fear from this judgment. We have entered into the life of the Messiah (Romans 6:3-4) and have become co-heirs and share in His glory (Romans 8:17).
Devotional Thought
The purpose of judgment is to disallow any form of evil in the age to come. Only those who have allowed the Holy Spirit to transform them into the image of the perfect Messiah will be able to embrace, enjoy, and operate in an age without evil.
1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7We live by faith, not by sight. 8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Dig Deeper
Up to this point, Paul has been discussing the role of suffering in his ministry as an apostle. The obvious question would be why he would go through such suffering. Most humans need a pretty good reason as to why they would pick up the life of the Messiah if it means so much suffering and struggle rather than just health and wealth in the present age. Paul’s obvious answer is resurrection. The Messiah has been resurrected, and what is true of Him is true of His people, so our great hope is the resurrection of all those who have entered into the life of the Messiah. If it is the hope of the Corinthians and all Christians, though, they must have a good understanding of what it is.
This passage is instructive for readers of our day, a time when many, if not most people, have an incorrect understanding of what the New Testament actually teaches about what happens when the Messiah’s people die. First, we find that heaven is not the final destination and hope of where we will go when we die. The hope of the Christian is the time when Christ returns and transforms His creation into the new heavens and earth. Heaven and earth were always meant to overlap and be perfectly united, and they will when Christ returns. This is when resurrection will happen for believers.
The hope of resurrection is not about becoming disembodied, but about being re-embodied. One verse on this topic that is often misunderstood is verse 4. Paul says that we will be clothed with our heavenly dwelling. Many take that to mean that we receive another body in place of our buried body, or that we receive an intermediate body until our present bodies are raised. This is not, however, the meaning of this passage; it is quite the opposite, actually. Our heavenly dwellings have to do with the source of where the resurrection body comes (v. 1). It does not mean that we will become disembodied spirits and float away from earth forever to a separate place called heaven one day. When we read this passage in context with other passages on the topic in the Bible, we are led to the conclusion that believers receive their resurrected bodies at the Second coming of Christ rather than when they die. Those who are alive will be immediately transformed, those who have died already will finally receive their resurrection bodies. This passage clearly refers to death as a time of disembodiment. Paul refers to death as being "naked" (v. 3) and "away from the body" (v. 8). We also have to ask why Paul would dread being "naked" if he were going to receive his new body, his complete reward, immediately following death? Speaking of death as disembodiment and not the final hope of the Christian, would make little sense if the moment of death and going to heaven were the ultimate fulfillment of the Christian hope. The ultimate hope is resurrection in the restored heaven and earth, not disembodiment in a heaven that is separate from the physical universe.
What we actually see is Paul describing a three stage process which will finally culminate in our final re-embodiment in the age to come. In verse 8, Paul makes it clear that being with the Lord is being away from the body. He is clear that this is preferable to being here on earth but looks forward to the time when the "dead in Christ shall rise first (1 Thessalonians 4:16) to our glorified, resurrected bodies. If we think of our physical bodies in the present age as stage 1, the time between our death, when we are with God, and the resurrection as stage 2, and our resurrected bodies in the ‘age to come’ as stage 3, then we might read 2 Corinthians 5:1-9 like this:
Now we know that if [stage 1] is destroyed, we have [stage 3] from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile [while in stage 2] we groan, longing to be clothed with [stage 3], because when we are clothed [stage 3], we will not be found naked [as in stage 2]. For while we are in [stage 1] we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed [as in stage 2] but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling [stage 3], so that what is mortal [stage 1] may be swallowed up by life [stage 3]. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose [stage 3] and has given us the Spirit as a deposit [during stage 1], guaranteeing what is to come [stage 3]. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body [stage 1] we are away from the Lord [which we will not be in stages 2& 3]. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body [in stage 2 as opposed to stage 1] and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body [stage 1 or 3] or away from it [stage 2].
Christians live by faith in the life of the Messiah and the coming resurrection. Of course this is nothing that we can see now, but we know that it will happen because it happened to Him. Faith is the opposite of sight but it is also the opposite of doubt. Thus, though we can’t see all of this now, we begin to live the reality of the resurrection and the age to come in the present age.
The fact is, all people will be resurrected (John 5:29) and face the judgment seat of Christ. The question is whether we will be raised to life or raised to condemnation. Those who have entered into Christ, though, have nothing to fear from this judgment. We have entered into the life of the Messiah (Romans 6:3-4) and have become co-heirs and share in His glory (Romans 8:17).
Devotional Thought
The purpose of judgment is to disallow any form of evil in the age to come. Only those who have allowed the Holy Spirit to transform them into the image of the perfect Messiah will be able to embrace, enjoy, and operate in an age without evil.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
2 Corinthians 4:13-18 & Commentary
13It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Dig Deeper
One of the big problems that first-century Jews had with the concept of Jesus as Messiah was that they were expecting something else altogether. They were waiting for a Messiah that would exalt Israel, restore the Temple, and defeat Israel’s enemies in Rome. They were waiting for a military leader which is not at all what they got. They had such a different sort of Messiah in mind and their worldview was drastically different than Jesus’ that many of them just could not fit what their lives looked like with what Jesus was calling them to.
In a similar manner today, many in the world in the past hundred and fifty or so years have gotten the wrong impression about Jesus’ second coming and the resurrection. Most American Christians are waiting for the so-called rapture of Christ (a view that has arisen from 19th century mystics and an erroneous reading of passages like 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). This view is evident in songs such as "This World is Not My Home," or "Blessed Assurance," which sings of waiting expectantly with "visions of rapture." This worldview also tends to hold to the view that our souls are the important thing, just waiting to be freed from the prisons of our body, the time when Jesus will rescue us out of the evil, physical world through the resurrection (for those who don’t die first and get to go to heaven right away). We won’t discuss the blatant contradictions inherent in this view right now, but it does need to be mentioned because if we insist on holding to this view of things, we will misunderstand and completely miss what Paul is going to say in the rest of this chapter and chapter 5. Paul is not speaking of the contrast between the physical and the spiritual, he is speaking of the difference between the present age and God’s age to come.
Paul has been speaking here and there throughout the letter about feeling like he was being crushed and despairing of even his own life. When he taken on the identity of Christ so much so that he thought he might literally die, he turned to and relied on the power of God and His ability to raise him from that death to the life of Christ. In a sense, Paul is describing the incredible reality of the Christian life, that we are both dead and alive at the same time. He returns to that concept by quoting Psalm 116: "I believed, therefore I have spoken." In that one little line, Paul has invoked the whole of the Psalm in which Paul has found a perfect description of his own experiences. Just like Paul, the Psalmist had felt entangled by death (v. 3), and in despair had called on the name of the Lord (v. 4). The Lord had faithfully delivered him. The Psalmist says that despite all that, he has faith and so he speaks of the salvation of the Lord (v. 12). Just as the Psalm ends in praising God, Paul is also determined that they do the same. The Psalmist found God faithful to deliver him and worthy of praise. In the same way, Paul says that Christians know that we will be vindicated and resurrected because the Messiah has already been there and done that, and we have entered into Him so that what is true of Him is true of His people. This grace is being passed to more and more people who have been delivered from death into life and thus are caused to praise God. This is important for Paul, because he believes that the more people are praising God in worship, the more the world is taking the sort of form that it is supposed to have.
Paul now returns to the place where he began this chapter. In the face of the toughest challenges that life can offer, Paul will not lose heart. The circumstances he has gone through might cause other people to think that he has fallen out of God’s favor and has been stricken by God, but Paul knows better. God has led him into these circumstances and He will lead Paul out and into life, in what will culminate in the resurrection.
This really begins the section that could easily be misunderstood if our worldview causes us to look for something that is not there. Paul is not saying that the physical world is wasting away to its eventual destruction, while we are waiting to float off to the true, spiritual realm where we will finally be free from our bodies. The things that can be seen now are only temporary, they will not last; It is all wasting away, according to that view. What we really are waiting for, according to Paul, though, is for God’s true reality to burst forth. Right now the age to come is just out of view, but when Christ returns, heaven and earth will overlap in perfect unity for eternity, the way things were intended to be. We must go through this present age but it will all be worth it when we are vindicated as God’s people and ushered into His transformed and renewed creation.
Paul will explain the whole process in more detail in the next chapter, but right now he stresses that we must all fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. Again, what Paul is not saying is that we need to focus on spiritual things and ignore the physical. This is what those with a rapture mentality tend to believe that Paul is saying, but that misses his whole point. Paul is saying that we need to focus on God’s age to come rather than be obsessed with our own affairs in the present age. The glory of the age to come will far outweigh any troubles that we face in this age because of our association with the life of Christ. This doesn’t mean that we become completely unconcerned with the present age, just the opposite. When we realize that the age to come is eternal, and that there is a connection and a continuity between the present age that will be transformed into the age to come, we know that what we do in the present age matters immensely. No, we’re not waiting to be rescued from this body, this body is only the beginning. It is the initial covering for a true self that will be fully and gloriously covered one day.
Devotional Thought
Do you live every moment of your life as though what you do here and now will matter in the age to come? How might your life look differently if you did?
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Dig Deeper
One of the big problems that first-century Jews had with the concept of Jesus as Messiah was that they were expecting something else altogether. They were waiting for a Messiah that would exalt Israel, restore the Temple, and defeat Israel’s enemies in Rome. They were waiting for a military leader which is not at all what they got. They had such a different sort of Messiah in mind and their worldview was drastically different than Jesus’ that many of them just could not fit what their lives looked like with what Jesus was calling them to.
In a similar manner today, many in the world in the past hundred and fifty or so years have gotten the wrong impression about Jesus’ second coming and the resurrection. Most American Christians are waiting for the so-called rapture of Christ (a view that has arisen from 19th century mystics and an erroneous reading of passages like 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). This view is evident in songs such as "This World is Not My Home," or "Blessed Assurance," which sings of waiting expectantly with "visions of rapture." This worldview also tends to hold to the view that our souls are the important thing, just waiting to be freed from the prisons of our body, the time when Jesus will rescue us out of the evil, physical world through the resurrection (for those who don’t die first and get to go to heaven right away). We won’t discuss the blatant contradictions inherent in this view right now, but it does need to be mentioned because if we insist on holding to this view of things, we will misunderstand and completely miss what Paul is going to say in the rest of this chapter and chapter 5. Paul is not speaking of the contrast between the physical and the spiritual, he is speaking of the difference between the present age and God’s age to come.
Paul has been speaking here and there throughout the letter about feeling like he was being crushed and despairing of even his own life. When he taken on the identity of Christ so much so that he thought he might literally die, he turned to and relied on the power of God and His ability to raise him from that death to the life of Christ. In a sense, Paul is describing the incredible reality of the Christian life, that we are both dead and alive at the same time. He returns to that concept by quoting Psalm 116: "I believed, therefore I have spoken." In that one little line, Paul has invoked the whole of the Psalm in which Paul has found a perfect description of his own experiences. Just like Paul, the Psalmist had felt entangled by death (v. 3), and in despair had called on the name of the Lord (v. 4). The Lord had faithfully delivered him. The Psalmist says that despite all that, he has faith and so he speaks of the salvation of the Lord (v. 12). Just as the Psalm ends in praising God, Paul is also determined that they do the same. The Psalmist found God faithful to deliver him and worthy of praise. In the same way, Paul says that Christians know that we will be vindicated and resurrected because the Messiah has already been there and done that, and we have entered into Him so that what is true of Him is true of His people. This grace is being passed to more and more people who have been delivered from death into life and thus are caused to praise God. This is important for Paul, because he believes that the more people are praising God in worship, the more the world is taking the sort of form that it is supposed to have.
Paul now returns to the place where he began this chapter. In the face of the toughest challenges that life can offer, Paul will not lose heart. The circumstances he has gone through might cause other people to think that he has fallen out of God’s favor and has been stricken by God, but Paul knows better. God has led him into these circumstances and He will lead Paul out and into life, in what will culminate in the resurrection.
This really begins the section that could easily be misunderstood if our worldview causes us to look for something that is not there. Paul is not saying that the physical world is wasting away to its eventual destruction, while we are waiting to float off to the true, spiritual realm where we will finally be free from our bodies. The things that can be seen now are only temporary, they will not last; It is all wasting away, according to that view. What we really are waiting for, according to Paul, though, is for God’s true reality to burst forth. Right now the age to come is just out of view, but when Christ returns, heaven and earth will overlap in perfect unity for eternity, the way things were intended to be. We must go through this present age but it will all be worth it when we are vindicated as God’s people and ushered into His transformed and renewed creation.
Paul will explain the whole process in more detail in the next chapter, but right now he stresses that we must all fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. Again, what Paul is not saying is that we need to focus on spiritual things and ignore the physical. This is what those with a rapture mentality tend to believe that Paul is saying, but that misses his whole point. Paul is saying that we need to focus on God’s age to come rather than be obsessed with our own affairs in the present age. The glory of the age to come will far outweigh any troubles that we face in this age because of our association with the life of Christ. This doesn’t mean that we become completely unconcerned with the present age, just the opposite. When we realize that the age to come is eternal, and that there is a connection and a continuity between the present age that will be transformed into the age to come, we know that what we do in the present age matters immensely. No, we’re not waiting to be rescued from this body, this body is only the beginning. It is the initial covering for a true self that will be fully and gloriously covered one day.
Devotional Thought
Do you live every moment of your life as though what you do here and now will matter in the age to come? How might your life look differently if you did?
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
2 Corinthians 4:7-12 & Commentary
7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
Dig Deeper
In the late summer and early fall of 1858, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas were running for the same Senate seat in the state of Illinois. Through the course of their campaign, they squared off in a series of seven debates around the state. The differences between the two men were clear and striking. Stephen Douglas was rich, well-dressed, well-schooled in the social graces, and debonair. He knew all of the trendy styles of public speaking and had a powerful presence wherever he went. Abraham Lincoln was none of those things. He didn’t have a lot of money, he dressed poorly, and he was socially awkward. Many people likened him to a giraffe that moved about clumsily. His presence wasn’t particularly striking and he had a high nasally voice that got higher and irritated more and more people as each debate went on. Yet, his message was superior. He actually lost the campaign because senators were chosen back then by the state legislature and not the people, but all agreed that Lincoln won the debates easily, if not surprisingly. The unlikelihood of the messenger had been overshadowed by the timeless nature and truth of Lincoln’s message.
Paul’s critics in Corinth thought no more of him than Lincoln’s critics thought of him. They pointed to his unstriking appearance, his lack of rhetorical power and talent, and his constant suffering as signs that he was not God’s man. There was no way that God would entrust such an important message to such an unlikely and unimpressive messenger. And the more he talked about suffering and struggling the more, in their minds, he showed himself to be an imposter. He simply did not match up with the wealth and health gospel that they were preaching to the people in Corinth.
In this passage, though, Paul does what he has already done so many times; he turns the argument around on its head. Rather than his weaknesses demonstrating that he was not a true apostle of the Messiah, his struggles and suffering showed that he was. In fact his weakness and inability were the fertile ground from which the true ministry of the Messiah must spring. God will not use the powerful and flashy to spread his message because it is too easy to confuse the impressive nature of the messenger with the power of the message. This is, of course, the natural tendency of man, to think that something as powerful as the gospel must be dispensed by the powerful, the wealthy, the impressive. But Paul says that is all wrong. We have all probably seen examples of impressive, charismatic, and flashy preachers having a large following, telling people that they can be as blessed as he is. The problem is that this is not the true gospel of Jesus Christ. It is only in weakness and humility that God’s true power may come through.
No, God didn’t use anything impressive to spread the treasure of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13:44-45), just a jar of clay. It is quite likely that Paul uses this image from a common rabbinic saying of his day: "Just as water does not keep well in a vessel of silver or gold but in the commonest of vessels, so the Torah resides only in one who makes himself like a vessel of earthenware." God uses the weaknesses of weak men, made of nothing but clay, to demonstrate his true power.
Paul does not deny that he has truly felt weak. Here he presents the constant duality of the Christian. We are dying to self and embracing the death and sufferings of Christ, yet at the same time, we have the life of the resurrected Jesus in us. We know from chapter 1 that he has truly despaired of even his own life. He has truly felt hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. This is part of the Christian life because we are in the constant process of dying to self and entering into the death and suffering of the Messiah. Yet, as we have seen, Paul believes we all have the life of the Messiah. So while he feels all of those struggles, he is not crushed, not in despair, not abandoned, and not struck down.
The more Paul gets into the dirty work of real life and real ministry, and the more he suffers, the more the true power and life of the Messiah become manifest in his life. Christians are both dead and alive at the same time, a situation that would make any post-modern philosopher tingle with a bit of excitement at the duality of that truth.
We are alive because we have the life of Christ, but that must never be perverted into a message of health, wealth, and prosperity in the present age. The real life of Christ is in overcoming the despair, the struggles, the suffering, not in avoiding them. As God gives us the power to overcome these things, His life is revealed in our body.
In verse 12, Paul reminds them that the evidence of death and pain in his life is not a sign that he is dominated by the flesh, it is the very means through which they have life. He is their apostle, and as he lives out the death and life of Christ in his own body, it brings them life. This principle is true of all Christians, but especially those who have been called into leadership. The more leaders lay down their lives for those they serve and demonstrate the suffering and death of Christ, the more they bring life to those they serve. This is something that all true leaders should demonstrate. Leaders in God’s Kingdom are there to serve and lay down their lives for others. The more this is done, the more the true power of God is made evident in their own life and the lives of those they serve.
Devotional Thought
Do you think of the Kingdom of God as the true treasure and your own life as the insignificant jar of clay? Is that how your life really looks or would someone looking at your life from the outside think that you cared far more about yourself and your own desires than the Kingdom of God?
Dig Deeper
In the late summer and early fall of 1858, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas were running for the same Senate seat in the state of Illinois. Through the course of their campaign, they squared off in a series of seven debates around the state. The differences between the two men were clear and striking. Stephen Douglas was rich, well-dressed, well-schooled in the social graces, and debonair. He knew all of the trendy styles of public speaking and had a powerful presence wherever he went. Abraham Lincoln was none of those things. He didn’t have a lot of money, he dressed poorly, and he was socially awkward. Many people likened him to a giraffe that moved about clumsily. His presence wasn’t particularly striking and he had a high nasally voice that got higher and irritated more and more people as each debate went on. Yet, his message was superior. He actually lost the campaign because senators were chosen back then by the state legislature and not the people, but all agreed that Lincoln won the debates easily, if not surprisingly. The unlikelihood of the messenger had been overshadowed by the timeless nature and truth of Lincoln’s message.
Paul’s critics in Corinth thought no more of him than Lincoln’s critics thought of him. They pointed to his unstriking appearance, his lack of rhetorical power and talent, and his constant suffering as signs that he was not God’s man. There was no way that God would entrust such an important message to such an unlikely and unimpressive messenger. And the more he talked about suffering and struggling the more, in their minds, he showed himself to be an imposter. He simply did not match up with the wealth and health gospel that they were preaching to the people in Corinth.
In this passage, though, Paul does what he has already done so many times; he turns the argument around on its head. Rather than his weaknesses demonstrating that he was not a true apostle of the Messiah, his struggles and suffering showed that he was. In fact his weakness and inability were the fertile ground from which the true ministry of the Messiah must spring. God will not use the powerful and flashy to spread his message because it is too easy to confuse the impressive nature of the messenger with the power of the message. This is, of course, the natural tendency of man, to think that something as powerful as the gospel must be dispensed by the powerful, the wealthy, the impressive. But Paul says that is all wrong. We have all probably seen examples of impressive, charismatic, and flashy preachers having a large following, telling people that they can be as blessed as he is. The problem is that this is not the true gospel of Jesus Christ. It is only in weakness and humility that God’s true power may come through.
No, God didn’t use anything impressive to spread the treasure of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13:44-45), just a jar of clay. It is quite likely that Paul uses this image from a common rabbinic saying of his day: "Just as water does not keep well in a vessel of silver or gold but in the commonest of vessels, so the Torah resides only in one who makes himself like a vessel of earthenware." God uses the weaknesses of weak men, made of nothing but clay, to demonstrate his true power.
Paul does not deny that he has truly felt weak. Here he presents the constant duality of the Christian. We are dying to self and embracing the death and sufferings of Christ, yet at the same time, we have the life of the resurrected Jesus in us. We know from chapter 1 that he has truly despaired of even his own life. He has truly felt hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. This is part of the Christian life because we are in the constant process of dying to self and entering into the death and suffering of the Messiah. Yet, as we have seen, Paul believes we all have the life of the Messiah. So while he feels all of those struggles, he is not crushed, not in despair, not abandoned, and not struck down.
The more Paul gets into the dirty work of real life and real ministry, and the more he suffers, the more the true power and life of the Messiah become manifest in his life. Christians are both dead and alive at the same time, a situation that would make any post-modern philosopher tingle with a bit of excitement at the duality of that truth.
We are alive because we have the life of Christ, but that must never be perverted into a message of health, wealth, and prosperity in the present age. The real life of Christ is in overcoming the despair, the struggles, the suffering, not in avoiding them. As God gives us the power to overcome these things, His life is revealed in our body.
In verse 12, Paul reminds them that the evidence of death and pain in his life is not a sign that he is dominated by the flesh, it is the very means through which they have life. He is their apostle, and as he lives out the death and life of Christ in his own body, it brings them life. This principle is true of all Christians, but especially those who have been called into leadership. The more leaders lay down their lives for those they serve and demonstrate the suffering and death of Christ, the more they bring life to those they serve. This is something that all true leaders should demonstrate. Leaders in God’s Kingdom are there to serve and lay down their lives for others. The more this is done, the more the true power of God is made evident in their own life and the lives of those they serve.
Devotional Thought
Do you think of the Kingdom of God as the true treasure and your own life as the insignificant jar of clay? Is that how your life really looks or would someone looking at your life from the outside think that you cared far more about yourself and your own desires than the Kingdom of God?
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