2 Corinthians 1:1-2:13
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Who & When:
Written to the church in Corinth around AD 55–56 from Macedonia.
Paul wrote four letters to the church in Corinth — the first one is lost, the second is what we call 1 Corinthians, the third was written in tears after they hurt him badly on a visit, and the fourth is 2 Corinthians.
By the time he writes 2 Corinthians, most of the church has repented and come back to his side, but there are still some false teachers causing trouble.
So this letter is part "I'm so glad you came around," part "here's what real ministry looks like," and part "watch out for the guys who are lying to you."
What & Why:
Chapter’s 1-7: Paul's Ministry Defended and Explained
written by the apostle in the heat of battle against those attacking his credibility as an Apostle of God
Chapter’s 8-9: Paul addresses the offering for the impoverished Jerusalem church — 1 Corinthians 16:1 “1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.” - that had apparently stalled
the most extended New Testament teaching on the subject of Christian giving
true biblical giving is worked in the Christian by grace, that it is to be shaped and motivated by the Gospel, and that it has as its ultimate goal the display of the glory of God.
Chapter’s 10-13: Paul's Apostolic Authority Vindicated
most combative and harshest in tone of the entire letter
directed at the false apostles and those still under their influence
Think Chapter’s 1-9 to the repentant; Chapter’s 10-13 to the unrepentant
2 Peter 3:15–16 “15b even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”
Paul planted the church at Corinth.He spent a year and a half there. When he writes 2 Corinthians, he's not correcting strangers —he's fighting for people he loves
Going through Luke we stood at the cross, we watched the tomb, we heard the angel's announcement.
Now we're going to study what God meant by what he did — and what it demands of us as men.
Luke showed us the events. Paul is going to show us the theology underneath the events and the life that flows out of them.
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
God of All Comfort
God of All Comfort
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: 2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
an apostle is an official messenger sent by Jesus BY THE WILL OF GOD. It’s God giving him the authority granted by God to bring the word of God to them, not him giving it to himself.
Grace and peace is Paul’s usual greeting, praising the true God who revealed Himself in His Son, who is of the same essence with the Father
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
The pastor preached last week on this but let me read his post on Facebook yesterday: “
Paul is going to be showing us that sufferings in ministry are the mark of God with us as ministers not evidence against it
and not just pastors, deacons, evangelist, or teachers; WE ARE ALL ministers.
Paul will mention it in chapter 3 but Peter tells us: 1 Peter 2:9 “9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”
tribulation here is “crushing pressure”;
Paul’s ministry had enemies that did everything from undermine to stone and kill him. Yet God, comforted him so he could comfort others
The Holy Spirit IS the comforter, and like Paul, whatever pushback (pretty small right now in comparison with Paul’s) we get, God comforts us so we can comfort others
I’m not just making a connection there; the Greek word for comfort here — παράκλησις, paraklēsis — is from the same root as παράκλητος, paraklētos, which is the word Jesus used for the Holy Spirit in John 14:16; 26
Paul's word for what God does in verses 3–7 is literally the noun form of the name Jesus gave the Holy Spirit
And not just to comfort others, to be able to give them the truth of God’s salvation through Jesus Christ
Vs. 5-6: God’s comfort to believers extends to the boundaries of their suffering for Christ. The more they endure righteous suffering, the greater will be their comfort and reward.
1 Corinthians 12:26 “26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.”
All in the Body of Christ, the church, are partners in the suffering. We need to realize this, avoid any self-pity when suffering for Him, and share in one another's lives the encouragement of divine comfort they receive from their experiences
God’s comfort will help us persevere through the suffering by grace now and all the way to heaven. The consolation is for now AND eternity
7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. 8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
Some in the church at Corinth, perhaps the majority, were suffering for righteousness, as Paul was.
Although that church had caused him a lot of pain and concern, Paul saw its members as partners to be helped, because of their faithfulness in mutual suffering.
Vs 8 goes counter to a common phrase you’ve heard myself and the Pastor point out:
“God doesn’t give us more than we can handle”
Paul is pointing out that in fact God gave him so much more than he could handle he was ready to die
Then he goes on to explain…
9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; 11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
God gave him so much more than he could handle that he was ready to die so Paul, and we, would trust in God not ourselves
It was so bad, Paul says only the God who raises the dead could get him out of it.
The resurrection wasn’t just Easter, it’s the basis and power behind, in, and through all of our lives now and every day
Paul is saying it was God’s sovereign PURPOSE for more suffering than he thought he could bear SO GOD WOULD BE GLORIFIED and not Paul
Vs. 11: Paul also valued their prayers. It was God that did it but Paul needed their prayers too.
Don’t ever hesitate to ask for prayer and when asked don’t hesitate to pray.
Prayer’s help the “prayed for” as well as the “pray-er”. Encourages them and grows our faith
Paul’s Change of Plans
Paul’s Change of Plans
12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. 13 For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end; 14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Paul had been accused of being proud, self-serving, untrustworthy and inconsistent, mentally unbalanced, incompetent, unsophisticated, and an incompetent preacher
Paul faced his critics’ many accusations against his character and integrity by appealing to the highest human court, his conscience
conscience: “The soul’s warning system, which allows human beings to contemplate their motives and actions and make moral evaluations of what is right and wrong” -MacArthur
for the conscience to work right, it has to be informed and fed regularly from the only true standard of right and wrong - God’s Word
Paul is rejoicing in his confidence in what God had done in his life
conversation: When the KJV says conversation here it means the way Paul lived, not just the way he talked - His whole manner of life
13: Paul was always clear, straightforward, understandable, consistent, and genuine. He wasn’t holding anything back or have some secret agenda (10:11). He just wants them to understand all he’s written and spoken to them.
14: The more he’s written to them the more they understand. Just as Paul had confidence in what God did in his life, they can have confidence in Paul.
day of the Lord Jesus: when they all stand before Christ, the genuineness of his ministry and their faith will be mutually vindicated. They'll be his joy and he'll be theirs.
That’s what a pastor feels toward his congregation
15 And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit; 16 And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judaea.
Paul’s original plan was to visit the Corinthians twice so they might receive a double blessing.
Not out of selfishness, but because he loved them and the genuine relationship he enjoyed with them and their mutual loyalty and godly pride in each other.
17 When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay? 18 But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. 20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
Maybe an accusation of dishonesty brought by his opponents. It’s a rhetorical question.
When he came to them did he go back and forth, was he being dishonest?
Absolutely not is the answer. He meant what he said and said what he meant!
19-20: Paul’s defending his travel plans and changes and anchors them in the character of Christ Himself
“the gospel I brought you is the gospel of a God who keeps every promise, fulfilled in a Son who is the ultimate Yes to everything God has ever said.”
A man that says THAT to them isn’t a man that plays games with words: “God’s not a liar, and neither am I!”
21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 23 Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.
The foundation of a believer is Christ. Jesus’ work on the cross saves us and gives us all the stability power by the Grace of the Father and the calling and work of the Holy Spirit in us that sets us apart and seals us.
The Holy Spirit is the stamp of ownership and authority, of authenticity and protection God puts on us because we’re His!
He’s the down payment on our eternal inheritance!
He didn’t come earlier because he wanted the Corinthian believers to have time to repent of and correct their sinful behavior. He waited instead for a report from Titus before doing anything else, hoping he would not have to come again, as he had earlier, to face their rebellion.
24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.
1 But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. 2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? 3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
He didn’t want to have to Lord over them and come again. “Don’t make me come back there, it’ll hurt me more than it hurts you”
Paul’s very reason for writing was the sin in the church…again.
apparently on Paul’s last visit a man in the church had confronted him with the accusations taken from the false teachers.
The church had not dealt with that man in Paul’s defense, and Paul was deeply grieved over this lack of loyalty.
The only thing that would bring Paul joy would be repentance from any who agreed with him, and Paul had been waiting for it.
I want to go through 5-11 next week. Just too much to put in that’s too important!
I want to go through 5-11 next week. Just too much to put in that’s too important!
Conclusion
Conclusion
