Paul & Corinth (2 Cor. 1:1-2)
Notes
Transcript
WELCOME
WELCOME
RELEASE THE KIDS
RELEASE THE KIDS
2 CORINTHIANS - NEW SERIES
2 CORINTHIANS - NEW SERIES
Scripture Journal
Clarification from last week
Be the Church Series | Personal Application and as a Church
Introduces our elders, deacons, and new partners.
TURN TO 1 TIMOTHY 3
TURN TO 1 TIMOTHY 3
DEACON CLARIFICATION
DEACON CLARIFICATION
BIBLICAL DEFINITIONS
BIBLICAL DEFINITIONS
Two Offices
Elders/Overseers -
Character
Responsibilities: Prayer and the Ministry of the word ()
Able to Teach
Deacons -
Character
Responsibilities: None listed but description of serving the needs in the church 9Acts 6)
Hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
PAST EXPRESSION
PAST EXPRESSION
Before I became the Lead Pastor
All leaders were called deacons because of a desire that all our leaders would display the character qualities listed in 1 Timothy
This included all ministry leaders, community group leaders, and others
This was often assumed and the title was
Result
Lack of clarity in numerous areas including:
What did we even mean by deacon. Who were they, how did they relate to the elders, what did they do.
Some people didn’t know they were deacons when leaders considered them deacons
Some people thought they were deacons or were they still deacons
How do deacons functions in relationship to the elders
And more...
MOVING FORWARD
MOVING FORWARD
At the end of 2018 the elders put on hold on moving forward with deacons based on this previous practice. We went back to scripture to clearly understand what is was saying and came back with THREE clear convictions:
(1) Deacons are an office of the church and should be taken seriously and with care
It isn’t a term we should loosely use
(2) Deacons can be men or women because: (1) textual evidence, (2) under the teaching of the elders, (3) women described as deacons elsewhere in Scripture.
(32 The character of deacons is more important than the responsibility they carry
(3) Deacons work closely and under the authority of the elders to serve and care for the church
Decisions:
We decided to focus on a few areas of ministry and to start with a smaller number of deacons to explore in this coming year how the elders and deacons can collaborate to serve the church.
This decision had some implications we could have communicated with greater care prior to our announcement last week:
Specifically - there are people who were called deacons previously who no longer have that title. These leaders continue in the role and gifting of serving and leading the church in areas that fall under the care and responsibility of one of our current deacons. We could have done a better job of communicating with then better prior to our announcement.
We are sorry for any confusion or hurt feelings this may have caused and I want to say thank you to those who did come and talk with me with those feelings. Your honesty and directness are greatly appreciated and your concerns were heard.
The deacons we presented last week are not necessarily and final and forever group. The elders believe the role of deacons is to care and serve the church and so as our needs change - so will the deacon categories.
We also want to realize that there are numerous other leaders and volunteers who serve regularly and they are equally valued in the life and ministry or the church.
If you have any questions or thoughts or feedback please feel free to come and talk with me or one of the elders.
PRAY
PRAY
Turn with me to 2 Corinthians
Let’s pray and dive in
SERIES INTRODUCTION
SERIES INTRODUCTION
STARTING A NEW SERIES
As we begin our study in 2 Corinthians - it is important to understand to understand the context of what is happening or it may lead us to misinterpret what we see.
TURN WITH ME TO 2 CORINTHIANS
ILLUSTRATION -
Newly married and arguing over have to fold the bath towles
Connection: I saw the triple fold as inherently better and thus wanted to make our family become a triple fold family. Context is critically important if we are going to correctly understand what we see in 2 Corinthians.
Why context matters
In the same way - the author, audience, and occasion are important starting points if you are going to read a book of the Bible.
In the same way...
Understanding the background, the history, the circumstance surround this book of the Bible gives us insight into what we will see and hear. Without this - we may come to some wrong conclusions.
Today we will begin with the first two verses - the part of the Bible that you often read quickly or scan to focus on what we consider substance.
As we look at these two verses I want you to consider if your story resonates more with Paul or that of Corinth...
PAUL - Apostle, Author, & Average Man
PAUL - Apostle, Author, & Average Man
PAUL, AN APOSTLE BY THE WILL OF GOD
PAUL, AN APOSTLE BY THE WILL OF GOD
Paul
Apotle
Will of God
EARLY PAUL
EARLY PAUL
Paul was a Pharisee - a religious scholar, “strictest party of our religion”
Like the firstborn, seeking to please his parents
Perfectionistic, do-gooder, upright, self-righteous, prideful - he was literally “my way or the highway...”
So when people people began to say that Jesus was the Messiah - Paul was having no of it.
- As Stephen is being stoned they laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. Saul approved of Stephen’s execution (Acts 8:1)
- Paul continued to ravaged the church, entering the homes of Christians and dragging off bth men and women to prison.
Like the blogger or youtuber whose face is red with anger - Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the horrible Christians. He received permission from the religious leaders to travel outside Jerusalem in his continuous hunt for the blasphemers.
HUMBLED PAUL
HUMBLED PAUL
On the road - bright light
Voice from Heaven - why are you persecuting me?
Who are you?
I am Jesus.- bang, bang - Saul is blind
Saul heard and responded to the gospel
Something like scale fell from his eyes and he could see
Saul was immediately baptized and began preaching Jesus in the synagogues.
- Saul is sent on his first missionary journey
Paul and Barnabas were set apart and sent out on multiple missionary journeys.
JEWISH SCHOLAR
During Paul’s second missionary journey - if went to Corinth, where he lived for 18 months
MISSIONARY
You can read about it in
TENT MAKER
CORINTH
CORINTH
Corinth is the tale of a city - reborn
In 146 BC Rome invaded and attacked the city - killing or enslaving the entire population and for nearly 80 years, the city lay in ruins.
In 44 BC Julius Ceasar saw potential in the city because of it’s location and the city was rebuilt.
The city had two ports
Corinth was at the center of two worlds to the east and the west.
Business was booming and soon Corinth became a banking center for Rome
It also became a political force as the seat of the region’s proconsul - besides Rome itself and Alexandria - there was Corinth
Character of Corinth
Think about San Francisco of the Gold Rush Days - this was Corinth.
Entertainment: City’s Theatre: 18,000, Concert Hall: 3,000 people.
Travel, tourism, sex and religious pluralism were woven into the culture.
Sailors and merchants from every neighboring city passed through Corinth. This meant every race and religion in a booming town.
Corinth became notorious for luxurious and debauched living. Nearly every pagan diety had a following in Corinth
Neptune, Apollo, Venus, Octavia, Core, and Poseidon but the chief temple was built to honor Aphrodite (The greek goddess of life and love. Where as many as 1,000 prostitutes we present to help parishioners worship.
“The Church of God” that is at Corinth
When Paul arrived in Corinth - he began preaching in the synagogues but the Jews opposed him and reviled him so Paul said, “fine, then I’ll go preaching the gentiles in Corinth.
At night the Lord spoke to Paul saying, “Do not be afraid but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”
And so God began building his church, drawing his people to himself through the Paul’s proclamation of the gospel.
This wasn’t Paul’s church - This wasn’t the Corinthians church - THIS WAS GOD’S CHURCH that happened to be in Corinth.
IF WE ENDED HERE:
Incomplete Conclusion
Paul -Religious, do-good
Corinth - Irreligious do what I want
Both being saved.
This wouldn’t tell you want you need to know.
Have you ever become so entangled in a relationship of misunderstanding and distrust that there was no easy way out? No matter what you did, you could not do the right thing.
A forgot phone call, a missed appointment, an ill-timed joke, a misunderstanding - a now that relationship is broken, something is off.
Some times that misunderstanding starts to spiral out of control
It’s no longer a misunderstanding - its a character defect in the other person or in you
It’s because you are now a bad person, untrust-worthy, lack responsibility, you are deficient in some way. Fans become foes.
This is what happened between Paul and the Church of God in Corinth
MISTRUST & DISUNITY
MISTRUST & DISUNITY
Paul spends 18 months in Corinth in AD 50/51
He then goes to Ephesus but a short while later he departs for Jerusalem (). He then heads back to Anitoch and then Ephesus.
During this time he gets a report of problems in Corinth. There is sexual sin, factions, and they had lots of questions concerning Christans beliefs and behaviors and so Paul wrote them a letter we know as 1 Corinthians.
In that letter Paul hoped to visit Corinth after going to Macedonia but while Timothy was carrying that letter Paul’s plans began to change.
Initially he was going to visit before Macedonia and then after Macedonia but those plans changed once again.
Timothy arrived in Corinth and saw how bad the situation was and informed Paul who put aside everything and went to visit Corinth.
The Corinthians completely opposed Paul
They rejected his letter - 1 Corinthians.
They decided to follow one or two other guys who opposed Paul. They questioned Paul’s authority and Apostleship and rejected his leadership.
Paul didn’t stay long after being hurt deeply. He also called off his planned visits.
Paul’s enemies used those change of plans to say that Paul was fickle and wasn’t being led by God but by his feelings.
Paul desired to be reconciled and feared these other men would destroy the work of the gospel in Corinth so Paul wrote another letter which he describes as a severe and tearful letter (we don’t have this one).
Paul rebuked the Corinthians and called them to repent.
Paul remained in Ephesus where he faced some of the worst opposition to the gospel he had yet encountered.
Paul travelled to Macedonia where he received word that some had responded well to his letter
But others...
Critical of Paul changing his plans
If Paul was really on mission for God then why did he suffer so much.
Why couldn’t Paul speak as well as other’s. There’s better preachers out there.
That Paul was collecting money for the Church in Jersualem to care for the believers there who were in the midst of a famine.
Why didn’t Paul have degrees on his wall and letters of recommendations. We need references Paul.
Some continued in the cultural debauchery that was Corinth
Others were upset with Paul because he worked a blue collar job to provide for his needs.
On top of this - false teachers had entered the church and were undermining Paul’s authority and teaching.
Don’t you just long for the easier days of the 1st century church…? (hear my sarcasm)
Consider this context then as we read verse 2
GRACE & PEACE
GRACE & PEACE
“Grace to You” - outward favor, good will loveliness
Paul is moving toward them - the ones who belittled him, the ones who attacked him to such a degree that he cut his time with them short.
Giving something good to somebody, when it is not deserved.
Paul gives them grace.
Think about this for a moment:
Are you currently or have you recently been cross with someone. They hurt your feelings, they offended you. It has become easy for you to imagine and tease out in your imagine how they possess some great character flaw.
BUT - what would it look like for you to draw near and extend grace?
Maybe it’s a letter, a phone call, a text message, a smile, a handshake,
Don’t this this moment here - right now - pass, without solidifying something in your mind. Don’t just passively listen - actively engage in what this passage is saying in light of its context.
“HOW?” - How in the world can you expect me to extend grace? Let me tell you what they did so you can reinforce my anger toward them...
How is this possible...
“Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:8-
Romans 5:8
We were enemies with God | Jesus died on the cross for us
He calls us right, even though we were wrong
We received mercy - “Not getting what we deserved”
While we were enemies to God | Jesus died
We are reconcilied
We have received undeserved reconciliation
This is the truest, full of color and substance kind of reconciliation
Reflect this truth in the way you relate to others.
You will never give as much, sacrifice more, than Jesus did to reconcile us to himself.
Reflect Reconciliation to Others
It will cost you something (maybe pride, offense, wrong-doing) - know that it will cost you something you value.
You take the first step - don’t wait for them. (if God did not move first toward us then each one of us would still be enemies of God right now)
Let that sink in for a moment. If God did not move first toward us in reconciliation then we would be his enemy.
We can offer grace to others because we have received a supernatural peace that comes from God.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
How do we SHINE the light of the gospel in our lives from this passage?
Behold: God’s initiating work in your spiritual journey. How do you understand and describe your personal journey of faith by the will and purpose of God?
Reflect: Who in your life do you need to extend grace towards? How will you express that grace to them?
Meditate () | We will recite this together during the message next week.
Offer prayer...
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 cor