II Corinthians 12: 7-10
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
The quality and depth of the revelations that were given to Paul, being able to see Heaven (yesterday's blog), were to keep him on track with all the details he would be writing in his epistles.
But God didn't want that to distract him from his purpose, so He allowed him to suffer some malady that is not identified specifically. Some think it may have been some kind of eye problem, because he wrote the church in Galatia that, If it were possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me (Galatians 4:15).
Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
After
three times, Paul didn't ask any more. After three times, Jesus didn't
ask any more, either, in the Garden. So I suppose that's a good limit
for how many times we should ask God for what we are praying for.
But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."
This is a very good principle we all need to learn, that it's when we know that we are not strong that we're ready to lean on God.
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Paul would much rather talk about where he is weak and insufficient, instead of how much God had honored him by revealing so much to him. That way, Christ would get the credit, not Paul. Paul didn't want credit for all God had done for him.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul was much more comfortable talking about all the horrible things that happened to him, that he had no control over. That's when he leaned on the power of Christ to live through them. Then Christ gets the credit.
This is very encouraging. When I feel weak, when I am not sure of what I'm doing, or if I'm sick, or otherwise not up to what I need to be doing, then I know that Christ in me will be strong on my behalf to enable me to accomplish whatever it is that needs to be done. I know that Christ's strength will uphold me and enable me to do everything He has planned for me to do.
I never thought I could be faithful to maintain this blog, to be able to add a new entry every day. I've always been a good stater, but a poor finisher, and there was no chance that I would be able to be consistent. But I just determined that I would start, and trust God to keep me on track. And He has, for several years now! This is amazing to me!
So He can also enable you to do what He wants you to accomplish. When you talk to Him about it, just let Him know that you are weak in this area, but that you are leaning on Him to keep you consistent, or whatever you need to be, to get it done. And He will. Trust Him.
O my Father, thank You so much for Your attention to our every detail. You are God of the Great, and also God of the Small. You are immense, and nothing escapes Your attention.
Just as You were there for Paul, even in giving him a reminder of his weakness, so that he would remember to lean on You; You will also give each of us whatever we need to know how to lean on You for the strength and ability to do everything You have planned for us to do, for Your Kingdom and Your glory.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is sovereign King and Lord God Almighty, to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Monday, October 14, 2019
Sunday, October 13, 2019
The Reality Of Heaven
II Corinthians 12: 1-6
Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
Paul wanted only to boast of his weaknesses, but these people needed to know about how God honored him; so he puts this part into the third person.
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a man was caught up to the third Heaven.
And I know how such a man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows--
was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
This could have been when he was stoned and left for dead at Lystra, recorded in Acts 15:19.
He found himself in Glory, the "third Heaven," God's own home, where Jesus had carried Paradise out of Sheol with the saints who were there, in Abraham's bosom, after He had washed them clean with His blood.
(Note: the first Heaven is the atmosphere around our earth, the air we breathe. The second Heaven is the Universe, the environment, the neighborhood where our Earth lives. The third Heaven is the actual place where God lives.)
Paul can't figure out if he was actually in his body or not, but he was there. He'd died and gone to Heaven. And what he heard there cannot be pronounced by our mouths here on Earth.
Then God sent him back, and he was resuscitated and healed, because he got up, went back into the city, and was fit to travel the next day. God wasn't finished with him yet, He had a lot more work for him to do.
On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses.
So Paul will speak of this experience in the third person.
For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.
Even if Paul owned up to personally experiencing this event, he would be telling the truth, without stretching it or minimizing it.
But Paul doesn't want anyone to think that he is any more important or valuable than any other child of God. We all will enter Heaven upon death, because Jesus' Blood has washed us clean. But I daresay that God doesn't bring many back after seeing Heaven. When we go, we'll stay there.
Paul doesn't say he had a choice of whether he wanted to stay or go back to life here, he just found himself there, then back here again, God's doing.
O my Father, You allowed Paul to die and go to Heaven, then come back to finish the work You planned for him to do, so now we have proof that Heaven really does exist!
Not only do we have the Old Testament prophets who were given visions of Heaven, now we have a contemporary, a New Testament saint, giving a personal eye-witness account of Heaven.
This is incredible! Father, You are an incredible God! Everything You do is good, and comes from Your Love! Every detail of every letter and missive and parchment and scroll and story is important, and lends more color and perspective to this Story of Mankind.
Today we have people who are denying that there is anything beyond this life, and that all those old stories were just their imaginations and dreams. Now we have also Paul's account, to give veracity to all the other stories.
Then You gave John the whole Revelation of Jesus Christ, describing everything that we need to expect and be ready for, and it ends with two whole chapters describing so many of the details of our next Realm after this Earth is no more.
Father God, You have told us our whole story, from before we were, until after we will be gone, as a guideline to teach us who we are, and who You are, and how You have taken care of everything for us, ahead of time.
Father, teach us how to hear Your still, quiet voice behind us, in our spirits, telling us, "This is the way, walk here." And strengthen us to obey You instantly, even when we don't understand why right away. Continue to grow us up in Your family, in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, molding us into His very image, His sterling character.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will proclaim in every Heavenly and Earthly language, that Jesus is our Christ and Lord God Almighty and King of the Universe, to the glory of Almighty God the Father!
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
Paul wanted only to boast of his weaknesses, but these people needed to know about how God honored him; so he puts this part into the third person.
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a man was caught up to the third Heaven.
And I know how such a man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows--
was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
This could have been when he was stoned and left for dead at Lystra, recorded in Acts 15:19.
He found himself in Glory, the "third Heaven," God's own home, where Jesus had carried Paradise out of Sheol with the saints who were there, in Abraham's bosom, after He had washed them clean with His blood.
(Note: the first Heaven is the atmosphere around our earth, the air we breathe. The second Heaven is the Universe, the environment, the neighborhood where our Earth lives. The third Heaven is the actual place where God lives.)
Paul can't figure out if he was actually in his body or not, but he was there. He'd died and gone to Heaven. And what he heard there cannot be pronounced by our mouths here on Earth.
Then God sent him back, and he was resuscitated and healed, because he got up, went back into the city, and was fit to travel the next day. God wasn't finished with him yet, He had a lot more work for him to do.
On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses.
So Paul will speak of this experience in the third person.
For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.
Even if Paul owned up to personally experiencing this event, he would be telling the truth, without stretching it or minimizing it.
But Paul doesn't want anyone to think that he is any more important or valuable than any other child of God. We all will enter Heaven upon death, because Jesus' Blood has washed us clean. But I daresay that God doesn't bring many back after seeing Heaven. When we go, we'll stay there.
Paul doesn't say he had a choice of whether he wanted to stay or go back to life here, he just found himself there, then back here again, God's doing.
O my Father, You allowed Paul to die and go to Heaven, then come back to finish the work You planned for him to do, so now we have proof that Heaven really does exist!
Not only do we have the Old Testament prophets who were given visions of Heaven, now we have a contemporary, a New Testament saint, giving a personal eye-witness account of Heaven.
This is incredible! Father, You are an incredible God! Everything You do is good, and comes from Your Love! Every detail of every letter and missive and parchment and scroll and story is important, and lends more color and perspective to this Story of Mankind.
Today we have people who are denying that there is anything beyond this life, and that all those old stories were just their imaginations and dreams. Now we have also Paul's account, to give veracity to all the other stories.
Then You gave John the whole Revelation of Jesus Christ, describing everything that we need to expect and be ready for, and it ends with two whole chapters describing so many of the details of our next Realm after this Earth is no more.
Father God, You have told us our whole story, from before we were, until after we will be gone, as a guideline to teach us who we are, and who You are, and how You have taken care of everything for us, ahead of time.
Father, teach us how to hear Your still, quiet voice behind us, in our spirits, telling us, "This is the way, walk here." And strengthen us to obey You instantly, even when we don't understand why right away. Continue to grow us up in Your family, in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, molding us into His very image, His sterling character.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will proclaim in every Heavenly and Earthly language, that Jesus is our Christ and Lord God Almighty and King of the Universe, to the glory of Almighty God the Father!
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Living Bigger-Than-Life
II Corinthians 11: 7-33
Did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the Gospel of God to you without charge?
I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve you;
and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren come from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so.
As the Truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.
Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
Paul is asking them if he insulted them by not charging them for sharing God's Good News with them, for not making them pay for his services. He let other churches pay him for working in Corinth, and when he had a shortage, the brothers from Macedonia came and supplied everything he needed, so he didn't ask the Corinthians for anything in return. And he still won't.
Did he give everything to them for free because he didn't value them or love them? Of course not, he just didn't want anything to get in the way of their being able to hear and receive the wonderful Love of God!
But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.
Paul will continue to preach for free in Corinth, so as not to give these men who are taking advantage of them, who are presenting themselves as equal to Paul, any way to accuse him of taking advantage of them in any way.
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
These guys are lying to you, Corinthians. Don't fall for their slick stories, leading you down a slippery slope.
No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Therefore it's not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.
Satan was the original angel of light, Lucifer, until he decided to take the worship that belongs to God for himself, and became Satan, who accuses the brethren before God the Father. So he knows how to appear as he used to be.
So it's no surprise when his minions also lie and wear the garb of "righteousness" to spew their lies and deceptions.
And their end will come to them, if they don't turn to the Lord, separated from Him forever.
Again I say, let no man think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little.
What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.
Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also.
Paul says that, since these Corinthians are listening to all these guys who have all these credentials, well Paul also has very high credentials, if they want to compare.
For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face.
To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison.
The Corinthians are letting these guys take such extreme advantage of them that they are allowing them to walk all over them, and even to get physical in attacking them.
So Paul says that since he is meek and gentle, that he must look weak, since he won't exert his authority in physical ways.
But in whatever respect anyone else is bold--I speak in foolishness--I am just as bold myself.
So if they want to boast and compare, then I will play their foolish little game for a while.
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
I have just as good a pedigree as they have.
Are they servants of Christ?--I speak as if insane--I more so;
I must be out of my mind to be so focused on myself to spout off all these things I have suffered because of following Christ:
in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.
I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;
I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
These are just the things that happened to me.
Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.
Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?
If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.
What's even worse is the daily concern I have for all my brothers and sisters in all the churches I founded who are exposed to all the spiritual attacks. I love these people, and when they hurt, I hurt, too.
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
You know I'm telling the truth here, not stretching it in any way, just the facts. And here's one more thing:
In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me,
and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
Can you imagine all the stress that Paul was under, with everywhere he went and all he went through; as well as all the concern he had for all the people he won to the Lord, who he felt responsible for.
Paul was a man who lived his life bigger-than-life. There are few people who can do this, and I admire the strength they have to endure and triumph over all the pressure and stress that is put on them, physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.
Our God is such a great God, and He can give us His immense strength to gain the victory over every attack, every pressure, every stress, that our enemy, this World, and our own flesh can put on us. Anyone who is as sold-out as Paul was will also be able to live his or her life bigger-than-life, as Paul did.
O my Father, I pray that You would only give me the strength to face the pressures and sorrows and attacks that are against me this day.
Help me to face one day at a time, as this is what You are giving me. Let me not fret over the past, nor worry about the future. Just let me focus on this day I am living right now, and lean on You for strength.
Help me, Father, to gain the victory over the concerns I have today. Strengthen me to face the challenges, and to glorify You with every thought, every idea, every word, every action, and every contact I have with myself and others today.
Father, continue to prepare me for all the bountiful blessings You want to lavish on me, so that I will be equipped to enlarge and magnify Your great Kingdom. To glorify Your magnificent Name. To have an abundant treasure to cast at the feet of my Lord and Savior.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Lord God Almighty, our sovereign King of the Universe, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever, Amen!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!
Did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the Gospel of God to you without charge?
I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve you;
and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren come from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so.
As the Truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.
Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
Paul is asking them if he insulted them by not charging them for sharing God's Good News with them, for not making them pay for his services. He let other churches pay him for working in Corinth, and when he had a shortage, the brothers from Macedonia came and supplied everything he needed, so he didn't ask the Corinthians for anything in return. And he still won't.
Did he give everything to them for free because he didn't value them or love them? Of course not, he just didn't want anything to get in the way of their being able to hear and receive the wonderful Love of God!
But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting.
Paul will continue to preach for free in Corinth, so as not to give these men who are taking advantage of them, who are presenting themselves as equal to Paul, any way to accuse him of taking advantage of them in any way.
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
These guys are lying to you, Corinthians. Don't fall for their slick stories, leading you down a slippery slope.
No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Therefore it's not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.
Satan was the original angel of light, Lucifer, until he decided to take the worship that belongs to God for himself, and became Satan, who accuses the brethren before God the Father. So he knows how to appear as he used to be.
So it's no surprise when his minions also lie and wear the garb of "righteousness" to spew their lies and deceptions.
And their end will come to them, if they don't turn to the Lord, separated from Him forever.
Again I say, let no man think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little.
What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.
Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also.
Paul says that, since these Corinthians are listening to all these guys who have all these credentials, well Paul also has very high credentials, if they want to compare.
For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face.
To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison.
The Corinthians are letting these guys take such extreme advantage of them that they are allowing them to walk all over them, and even to get physical in attacking them.
So Paul says that since he is meek and gentle, that he must look weak, since he won't exert his authority in physical ways.
But in whatever respect anyone else is bold--I speak in foolishness--I am just as bold myself.
So if they want to boast and compare, then I will play their foolish little game for a while.
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
I have just as good a pedigree as they have.
Are they servants of Christ?--I speak as if insane--I more so;
I must be out of my mind to be so focused on myself to spout off all these things I have suffered because of following Christ:
in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.
I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;
I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
These are just the things that happened to me.
Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.
Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?
If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.
What's even worse is the daily concern I have for all my brothers and sisters in all the churches I founded who are exposed to all the spiritual attacks. I love these people, and when they hurt, I hurt, too.
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
You know I'm telling the truth here, not stretching it in any way, just the facts. And here's one more thing:
In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me,
and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
Can you imagine all the stress that Paul was under, with everywhere he went and all he went through; as well as all the concern he had for all the people he won to the Lord, who he felt responsible for.
Paul was a man who lived his life bigger-than-life. There are few people who can do this, and I admire the strength they have to endure and triumph over all the pressure and stress that is put on them, physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.
Our God is such a great God, and He can give us His immense strength to gain the victory over every attack, every pressure, every stress, that our enemy, this World, and our own flesh can put on us. Anyone who is as sold-out as Paul was will also be able to live his or her life bigger-than-life, as Paul did.
O my Father, I pray that You would only give me the strength to face the pressures and sorrows and attacks that are against me this day.
Help me to face one day at a time, as this is what You are giving me. Let me not fret over the past, nor worry about the future. Just let me focus on this day I am living right now, and lean on You for strength.
Help me, Father, to gain the victory over the concerns I have today. Strengthen me to face the challenges, and to glorify You with every thought, every idea, every word, every action, and every contact I have with myself and others today.
Father, continue to prepare me for all the bountiful blessings You want to lavish on me, so that I will be equipped to enlarge and magnify Your great Kingdom. To glorify Your magnificent Name. To have an abundant treasure to cast at the feet of my Lord and Savior.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Lord God Almighty, our sovereign King of the Universe, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever, Amen!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!
Friday, October 11, 2019
Are You A Pure Spiritual Virgin?
II Corinthians 11: 1-6
I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me.
For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy;
Jealousy arises when someone thinks he'll be replaced. God is a jealous God, not wanting us to replace Him with any other god.
And Paul didn't want these believers to replace Christ with any other entity.
for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.
All through Scripture, God considered idolatry to be the same as unfaithfulness of a wife to her husband, and called Israel His wife. Now the church is the bride of Christ, and Paul wants these Corinthians to be faithful to Him.
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
Eve was lied to by Satan, and never having heard a lie before, she didn't distinguish it from the truth she had always heard before. So she was deceived, and she believed him, and thought she was doing something good by eating that piece of fruit.
For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached,
Someone who presented Jesus as not having the same character or characteristics that Paul taught them.
or you receive a different spirit which you have not received,
No other spirit is the same as God's Holy Spirit.
or a different gospel which you have not accepted,
The Gospel is that Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead, all just as the Old Testament writers predicted He would. Any other story would not be the same, or have the same power to save.
you bear this beautifully.
They are just going along blissfully down this side-path that is leading them astray!
For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.
Paul didn't think he had any less reputation or rank or had less authority than others who called themselves apostles.
But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.
As a matter of fact, they have showed these Corinthians that what they were teaching them was the true knowledge, even if Paul's oratory skills were not as highly developed as these other teachers.
These other men who came in after Paul had founded this church were teaching these people other doctrines that were not according to the pure, simple Gospel Paul had taught these believers.
He didn't want them to be vulnerable, as Eve was, to fall for the slick silver-tongued false teachers who snuck into their midst after Paul left, casting dispersions on him and his teachings, as the Serpent cast dispersions on God's character.
So he wrote this letter, and now we also have it to read and learn the lessons too.
We also need to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16) when it comes to discerning the Truth. We don't need to experience evil in order to recognize it. We need discernment to determine how to avoid the evil and do the good.
We also are Christ's bride, so we need to keep ourselves pure, as chaste virgins spiritually, staying away from any other spirits or religious teachings that would take us away from the simplicity and purity of the Gospel of Christ, and His character in us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me.
For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy;
Jealousy arises when someone thinks he'll be replaced. God is a jealous God, not wanting us to replace Him with any other god.
And Paul didn't want these believers to replace Christ with any other entity.
for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.
All through Scripture, God considered idolatry to be the same as unfaithfulness of a wife to her husband, and called Israel His wife. Now the church is the bride of Christ, and Paul wants these Corinthians to be faithful to Him.
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
Eve was lied to by Satan, and never having heard a lie before, she didn't distinguish it from the truth she had always heard before. So she was deceived, and she believed him, and thought she was doing something good by eating that piece of fruit.
For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached,
Someone who presented Jesus as not having the same character or characteristics that Paul taught them.
or you receive a different spirit which you have not received,
No other spirit is the same as God's Holy Spirit.
or a different gospel which you have not accepted,
The Gospel is that Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead, all just as the Old Testament writers predicted He would. Any other story would not be the same, or have the same power to save.
you bear this beautifully.
They are just going along blissfully down this side-path that is leading them astray!
For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.
Paul didn't think he had any less reputation or rank or had less authority than others who called themselves apostles.
But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.
As a matter of fact, they have showed these Corinthians that what they were teaching them was the true knowledge, even if Paul's oratory skills were not as highly developed as these other teachers.
These other men who came in after Paul had founded this church were teaching these people other doctrines that were not according to the pure, simple Gospel Paul had taught these believers.
He didn't want them to be vulnerable, as Eve was, to fall for the slick silver-tongued false teachers who snuck into their midst after Paul left, casting dispersions on him and his teachings, as the Serpent cast dispersions on God's character.
So he wrote this letter, and now we also have it to read and learn the lessons too.
We also need to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16) when it comes to discerning the Truth. We don't need to experience evil in order to recognize it. We need discernment to determine how to avoid the evil and do the good.
We also are Christ's bride, so we need to keep ourselves pure, as chaste virgins spiritually, staying away from any other spirits or religious teachings that would take us away from the simplicity and purity of the Gospel of Christ, and His character in us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Can We Boast?
II Corinthians 10: 1-17
Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--
Paul is personally pleading with them gently and meekly, as Christ is.
I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!
This is what he's being accused of.
I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.
He wants to not have to be hard on them when he is with them, but he does want to deal with those who are against him, noting that they are thinking that he thinks like them.
Don't we all tend to think other people are thinking the same way we are?
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
Even though we still are living in our physical bodies, our battles are not fought with physical weapons.
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
We are fighting spiritual battles with spiritual weapons God gave us to gain victory over our spiritual enemies.
We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God,
These are lies, and deceptions, and self-promotion, and other prideful and selfish ideas that the enemy uses to take hold of vulnerable people to steer them away from the simplicity and purity of God's Word and His character.
and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
This is the key: our thoughts are the beginning of everything in our lives. How we think about something determines what we believe about it to be true, so we will speak and act according to that concept, whether it really is true or not, or if we've been tricked into believing something that is not accurate.
That is why we need to learn what God is like, what Jesus' character is like, and why we need to conform our own thinking processes to align with Christ. That is how we renew our minds, as Paul wrote to the Romans:
and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
So when those in Corinth are secure in their position and path in obeying what aligns with Christ's character, then Paul will be confident in calling out those who refuse to humble themselves before the Lord.
You are looking at things as they are outwardly.
So far they have only looked at the surface of what is going on. They need to look deeper, at the spiritual root of what they are doing.
If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, so also are we.
We need to be confident in our faith in Christ to have taken our place in death on the Cross, so that He really has washed us as white as snow and given us His Spirit to live in our human spirit, to teach us His Truth and to show us what is really going on in the World around us.
For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,
If Paul is talking about the authority the Lord gave him to help lay the foundation of the church so it could grow and spread all over the World, he is only speaking the reality of why he does what he does, and there is no need to be ashamed of that. He is obeying the Lord in following His plan for him.
Building the church was the job God gave Paul. And Paul was busy obeying that commission. That's what the Apostles did, lay the foundation of the church, which is Christ.
for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.
Paul's letters could seem to be scary if you don't want to follow the Lord faithfully, but he didn't intend them to scare the believers, just to encourage them to continue to follow what is right.
For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible."
These troublemakers are criticizing Paul with slander.
Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.
Paul says that he's the same person, whether he's writing a letter or talking with them face to face. He doesn't change.
For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves;
Paul is not comparing himself with anyone else, only with Christ.
but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.
These guys are just showing that they don't even understand God's ways at all. So we need to take note of this, and stop comparing ourselves with each other, because we'll always find someone who's doing better than us, as well as those who aren't doing as well. So we won't be either depressed or puffed up.
But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.
Paul is only looking at the area of his own ministry, which includes Corinth.
For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach unto you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the Gospel of Christ;
When he claims Corinth as his own ministry, he's not reaching beyond what God has given him, because he was the one who introduced the people of this area to Christ, who had never heard of Him before Paul and company came that far.
not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men's labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you,
So he's not trying to claim anyone else's work, but when those he has won for Christ go out to tell others, they will also be included in Paul's sphere, as an extension of his own ministry.
so as to preach the Gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.
When Paul's converts go into other regions beyond where Paul went personally, then they are enlarging Paul's area of influence, without impinging on anyone else's territory.
But,
For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.
God is Truth. Jesus is Truth. The Holy Spirit teaches us Truth, and works Truth through us. So only those who God commends, is truly approved by God.
Whenever we boast about what we've accomplished, we may receive accolades from other people. But to be accepted and approved by God, we must do our things according to His ways, in His power. We have to let God work through us, not try to wrest control from Him to do it ourselves.
Whenever I do that, I fall flat on my face. God won't let me succeed in my own strength, He loves me too much to do that. He lets me fail, so that I will turn to Him, confess my failure to trust Him, and let Him have His way in me again.
Then I can go on, confident in His strength and wisdom, and then He gets all the credit, all the glory. Then I can boast in Him. Only then I can boast at all.
O my Father, thank You for Your wisdom and Your gracious generosity to us. You know that we are just dust, with damaged DNA so that we are unable to do anything worth anything in our own power, or that can be accepted by You.
So You have taken pity on us, revealed who You are to us, and done everything we need to have done for us to be able to even know who You are. Then You went on to put Your Son in charge of us humans, to give us Your Law and told the prophets to write what He would accomplish when He came. Then You sent Him to Earth, to be one of us, so He could die!
I am amazed that You would love us so much, even knowing how damaged we are, to allow Your own Son to die! God can't die, but if we couldn't die, we wouldn't be able to have Someone die in our place, so we could live!
You are so wise, Father, and so magnanimous to have made us anyway, knowing how we would be, and then to do all You have done for us; everything possible and impossible!
So if we can boast at all, it will be boasting in all You have done, dear Father!
Because You have done it all! We have done nothing! It's all You!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Christ and Messiah, Lord God of the Universe, and sovereign King over all creation, to the glory and credit of Almighty God our Father, forever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--
Paul is personally pleading with them gently and meekly, as Christ is.
I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!
This is what he's being accused of.
I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.
He wants to not have to be hard on them when he is with them, but he does want to deal with those who are against him, noting that they are thinking that he thinks like them.
Don't we all tend to think other people are thinking the same way we are?
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
Even though we still are living in our physical bodies, our battles are not fought with physical weapons.
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
We are fighting spiritual battles with spiritual weapons God gave us to gain victory over our spiritual enemies.
We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God,
These are lies, and deceptions, and self-promotion, and other prideful and selfish ideas that the enemy uses to take hold of vulnerable people to steer them away from the simplicity and purity of God's Word and His character.
and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
This is the key: our thoughts are the beginning of everything in our lives. How we think about something determines what we believe about it to be true, so we will speak and act according to that concept, whether it really is true or not, or if we've been tricked into believing something that is not accurate.
That is why we need to learn what God is like, what Jesus' character is like, and why we need to conform our own thinking processes to align with Christ. That is how we renew our minds, as Paul wrote to the Romans:
Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this World; but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:1-2).When we let God transform our thinking processes to realize His Truth about who He is, how He sees us, and our true worth; then we will see with "new eyes" what is happening around us, and see opportunities to minister and help others and to love God and one another as He has loved us. This will transform our very lives!
and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
So when those in Corinth are secure in their position and path in obeying what aligns with Christ's character, then Paul will be confident in calling out those who refuse to humble themselves before the Lord.
You are looking at things as they are outwardly.
So far they have only looked at the surface of what is going on. They need to look deeper, at the spiritual root of what they are doing.
If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ's, so also are we.
We need to be confident in our faith in Christ to have taken our place in death on the Cross, so that He really has washed us as white as snow and given us His Spirit to live in our human spirit, to teach us His Truth and to show us what is really going on in the World around us.
For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,
If Paul is talking about the authority the Lord gave him to help lay the foundation of the church so it could grow and spread all over the World, he is only speaking the reality of why he does what he does, and there is no need to be ashamed of that. He is obeying the Lord in following His plan for him.
Building the church was the job God gave Paul. And Paul was busy obeying that commission. That's what the Apostles did, lay the foundation of the church, which is Christ.
for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.
Paul's letters could seem to be scary if you don't want to follow the Lord faithfully, but he didn't intend them to scare the believers, just to encourage them to continue to follow what is right.
For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible."
These troublemakers are criticizing Paul with slander.
Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.
Paul says that he's the same person, whether he's writing a letter or talking with them face to face. He doesn't change.
For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves;
Paul is not comparing himself with anyone else, only with Christ.
but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.
These guys are just showing that they don't even understand God's ways at all. So we need to take note of this, and stop comparing ourselves with each other, because we'll always find someone who's doing better than us, as well as those who aren't doing as well. So we won't be either depressed or puffed up.
But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.
Paul is only looking at the area of his own ministry, which includes Corinth.
For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach unto you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the Gospel of Christ;
When he claims Corinth as his own ministry, he's not reaching beyond what God has given him, because he was the one who introduced the people of this area to Christ, who had never heard of Him before Paul and company came that far.
not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men's labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you,
So he's not trying to claim anyone else's work, but when those he has won for Christ go out to tell others, they will also be included in Paul's sphere, as an extension of his own ministry.
so as to preach the Gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.
When Paul's converts go into other regions beyond where Paul went personally, then they are enlarging Paul's area of influence, without impinging on anyone else's territory.
But,
Whoever wants to boast, should only boast about what the Lord is doing through them, not what they've done through their own power and initiative.He who boasts is to boast in the Lord (Isaiah 65:16, see also Jeremiah 9:24).
For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.
God is Truth. Jesus is Truth. The Holy Spirit teaches us Truth, and works Truth through us. So only those who God commends, is truly approved by God.
Whenever we boast about what we've accomplished, we may receive accolades from other people. But to be accepted and approved by God, we must do our things according to His ways, in His power. We have to let God work through us, not try to wrest control from Him to do it ourselves.
Whenever I do that, I fall flat on my face. God won't let me succeed in my own strength, He loves me too much to do that. He lets me fail, so that I will turn to Him, confess my failure to trust Him, and let Him have His way in me again.
Then I can go on, confident in His strength and wisdom, and then He gets all the credit, all the glory. Then I can boast in Him. Only then I can boast at all.
O my Father, thank You for Your wisdom and Your gracious generosity to us. You know that we are just dust, with damaged DNA so that we are unable to do anything worth anything in our own power, or that can be accepted by You.
So You have taken pity on us, revealed who You are to us, and done everything we need to have done for us to be able to even know who You are. Then You went on to put Your Son in charge of us humans, to give us Your Law and told the prophets to write what He would accomplish when He came. Then You sent Him to Earth, to be one of us, so He could die!
I am amazed that You would love us so much, even knowing how damaged we are, to allow Your own Son to die! God can't die, but if we couldn't die, we wouldn't be able to have Someone die in our place, so we could live!
You are so wise, Father, and so magnanimous to have made us anyway, knowing how we would be, and then to do all You have done for us; everything possible and impossible!
So if we can boast at all, it will be boasting in all You have done, dear Father!
Because You have done it all! We have done nothing! It's all You!
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Christ and Messiah, Lord God of the Universe, and sovereign King over all creation, to the glory and credit of Almighty God our Father, forever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Some Benefits of Generosity
II Corinthians 8: 1-24; 9: 1-15
These two chapters discuss and lay out the whole doctrine (what we believe) about the whole idea of giving. The foundation under the principle of giving, the reason why we would want to give, the policies to follow in our giving, and the rewards we can expect as a result of our generosity.
This is all explained in these 39 verses.
This is a lot of ground to cover, so I've broken it up into its components over several days.
Today we will conclude this section by discovering many of the rewards God will lavish upon us for our giving:
9:6-15
Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
This is an agrarian illustration of a spiritual Truth. If you don't plant many seeds, you won't produce very much crop. But if you plant a lot of seeds, then it's much more likely that more of them will take root and grow.
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
God wants us to want to be generous. Just going through the motions will never produce any fruits or rewards.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
No matter how much we abound in our generosity, we can never out-give God. He always surpasses everything we can expect to receive. He is more generous than Mankind will ever be, and He wants us to abound in the good deeds that He planned ahead of Time for us to accomplish; He will supply more than we will need to do everything, and also abundantly reward us both now and in Eternity.
as it is written,
Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;
Our seed for sowing can be money, or it can be His Word, or it can even be actual seeds to plant in the soil. Whatever God has for you, in whatever activities you do, whether at work, at church, at home; with family, with neighbors, with co-workers, with brothers and sisters in Christ, or with people of the World; He will always give you whatever you need to share.
I've found that whatever I find myself short of, just give some away anyway, and God will stretch what I have left! He's done this for me with money, with time, with food on hand, with whatever I happen to need at the time. I just need to consciously be trusting God in the situation, and He's always come through for me. And He will for you, too. So don't ever be stingy.
you will be enriched in everything for all liberality,
Because God will always do what He said He will do, and He says right here that He will enrich us in whatever we need to be enriched in, in "everything," which doesn't leave anything out. So we can be generous, too.
which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.
Paul is thanking God for the Corinthians.
For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints
This gift that Paul has been and will be gathering from Corinth and all the other churches for two years will cover everything that the poor Christians in Jerusalem will be needing when he gets there with the offerings for them.
but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.
Paul is not the only one who was blessing them with thanksgivings to God for them, but the members of the other churches were, too, and also the saints in Jerusalem would be, also. Many thanks from many grateful children of God.
Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the Gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,
The contribution they are adding to the gift is proof of their love for God and their faith in Christ, and also for their share of the offering.
while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.
Because of their generosity, the Jerusalem believers will also be in prayer for their brothers and sisters in Corinth, and will be desirous of actually meeting them some day, and to want God to bless them even more abundantly.
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
God's foundational gift to us is Himself! His Love, His mercy, His grace, His Son, His Salvation, His generous provisions for everything we need. God has thought of everything, and has already provided everything we will ever need, both in this World and in the next, and in all Eternity! He didn't leave anything out, and He has provided for us super-abundantly in every area!
Our God is God! He is Almighty God the Father, who has given us His Son who is our Lord God Almighty and our Savior and Redeemer, and our sovereign King of the Universe; and He has also given us His Holy Spirit to actually live in our human spirits, making them Alive, causing us to be born into His own family; and made us co-heirs with Christ to inherit everything He receives from the Father, who has put All Things into His hand to rule and govern.
O my Father, You truly are the Almighty God! You subsist in three divine Persons, as one Almighty God. And Christ has made us also one with You.
I don't understand this, in my puny little human brain, but I know it is True, because Jesus prayed this for us, and I know You always answer His prayers, and do what You have said You would do.
You are the Creator of everything that is: The Father and the Son and the Spirit all had their roles in creation, to fashion everything that exists. And everything You made is connected to everything else You made, all in the same system, the same Universe, both material and spiritual.
And everything we do affects everything else, too. So when we are generous and we give of what You have given to us, then we set good things in motion, and we also receive the benefits. Everything is like a boomerang, it accomplishes what You have determined it will do, and circles back to bless us, too.
So, Father, help us to remember Your generosity with us, and to demonstrate Your character that You are building in us. Keep us growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will proclaim our Lord Jesus Christ is God's very Son, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
These two chapters discuss and lay out the whole doctrine (what we believe) about the whole idea of giving. The foundation under the principle of giving, the reason why we would want to give, the policies to follow in our giving, and the rewards we can expect as a result of our generosity.
This is all explained in these 39 verses.
This is a lot of ground to cover, so I've broken it up into its components over several days.
Today we will conclude this section by discovering many of the rewards God will lavish upon us for our giving:
9:6-15
Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
This is an agrarian illustration of a spiritual Truth. If you don't plant many seeds, you won't produce very much crop. But if you plant a lot of seeds, then it's much more likely that more of them will take root and grow.
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
God wants us to want to be generous. Just going through the motions will never produce any fruits or rewards.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
No matter how much we abound in our generosity, we can never out-give God. He always surpasses everything we can expect to receive. He is more generous than Mankind will ever be, and He wants us to abound in the good deeds that He planned ahead of Time for us to accomplish; He will supply more than we will need to do everything, and also abundantly reward us both now and in Eternity.
as it is written,
He scattered abroad, He gave to the poor, His righteousness lives forever (Psalm 112:9).He had the Psalmist write this, to show that He always has taken good care of us all throughout all the Time Mankind has lived in this World, whenever anyone lets Him in.
Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;
Our seed for sowing can be money, or it can be His Word, or it can even be actual seeds to plant in the soil. Whatever God has for you, in whatever activities you do, whether at work, at church, at home; with family, with neighbors, with co-workers, with brothers and sisters in Christ, or with people of the World; He will always give you whatever you need to share.
I've found that whatever I find myself short of, just give some away anyway, and God will stretch what I have left! He's done this for me with money, with time, with food on hand, with whatever I happen to need at the time. I just need to consciously be trusting God in the situation, and He's always come through for me. And He will for you, too. So don't ever be stingy.
you will be enriched in everything for all liberality,
Because God will always do what He said He will do, and He says right here that He will enrich us in whatever we need to be enriched in, in "everything," which doesn't leave anything out. So we can be generous, too.
which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.
Paul is thanking God for the Corinthians.
For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints
This gift that Paul has been and will be gathering from Corinth and all the other churches for two years will cover everything that the poor Christians in Jerusalem will be needing when he gets there with the offerings for them.
but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.
Paul is not the only one who was blessing them with thanksgivings to God for them, but the members of the other churches were, too, and also the saints in Jerusalem would be, also. Many thanks from many grateful children of God.
Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the Gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,
The contribution they are adding to the gift is proof of their love for God and their faith in Christ, and also for their share of the offering.
while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.
Because of their generosity, the Jerusalem believers will also be in prayer for their brothers and sisters in Corinth, and will be desirous of actually meeting them some day, and to want God to bless them even more abundantly.
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
God's foundational gift to us is Himself! His Love, His mercy, His grace, His Son, His Salvation, His generous provisions for everything we need. God has thought of everything, and has already provided everything we will ever need, both in this World and in the next, and in all Eternity! He didn't leave anything out, and He has provided for us super-abundantly in every area!
Our God is God! He is Almighty God the Father, who has given us His Son who is our Lord God Almighty and our Savior and Redeemer, and our sovereign King of the Universe; and He has also given us His Holy Spirit to actually live in our human spirits, making them Alive, causing us to be born into His own family; and made us co-heirs with Christ to inherit everything He receives from the Father, who has put All Things into His hand to rule and govern.
O my Father, You truly are the Almighty God! You subsist in three divine Persons, as one Almighty God. And Christ has made us also one with You.
I don't understand this, in my puny little human brain, but I know it is True, because Jesus prayed this for us, and I know You always answer His prayers, and do what You have said You would do.
You are the Creator of everything that is: The Father and the Son and the Spirit all had their roles in creation, to fashion everything that exists. And everything You made is connected to everything else You made, all in the same system, the same Universe, both material and spiritual.
And everything we do affects everything else, too. So when we are generous and we give of what You have given to us, then we set good things in motion, and we also receive the benefits. Everything is like a boomerang, it accomplishes what You have determined it will do, and circles back to bless us, too.
So, Father, help us to remember Your generosity with us, and to demonstrate Your character that You are building in us. Keep us growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And every eye will see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will proclaim our Lord Jesus Christ is God's very Son, to the glory of God the Father.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Plan Ahead And Safeguard Our Giving
II Corinthians 8: 1- 9: 15
These two chapters discuss and lay out the whole doctrine (what we believe) about the whole idea of giving. The foundation under the principle of giving, the reason why we would want to give, the policies to follow in our giving, and the rewards we can expect as a result of our generosity.
This is all explained in these 39 verses.
This is a lot of ground to cover, so I am breaking it up into its components over several days.
Today we will look at some of the policies we are to follow:
8:16- 9:5
But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus.
For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord.
Titus himself loved the Corinthians, and had confidence in their determination to help the struggling Christians in Jerusalem, as he was the one who first mentioned this to them, a year ago; and wanted to go back to see them and help them get this gift together. Titus must have been known to have substantial financial acumen to have this responsibility.
We have sent along with him the brother whose fame in the things of the gospel has spread through all the churches;
We're not given the name of this brother, so they may not have met him yet.
and not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work,
He is one who will go with Paul to deliver the gift to the Jerusalem church.
which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself,
There were representatives from many of the churches who would be going with him to bring the present.
and to show our readiness,
Many of the Gentile churches Paul founded participated in this aggregate gift.
taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift;
Paul had representatives from churches in Macedonia and Galatia and Asia accompany him with this sizable bundle of money to take to Jerusalem for the saints, to provide security and accountability.
for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
Paul is thinking of the admonition of Proverbs 3:4, to find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. He wanted to give glory to God, and also to maintain a good reputation.
We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you.
This is the third worker Paul is sending to Corinth ahead of his own visit. All three of these men have great confidence in the Corinthian saints to follow through on their pledge.
As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.
So if anyone asks who these guys are: Titus is Paul's partner who works alongside him in the work, and the other two are delegates from the churches who have already contributed to the gift, all to bring glory to Christ.
Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.
Paul is encouraging them to welcome these men openly, loving them as brothers in the Lord, and to live up to the confidences Paul has in them.
For it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints;
for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them.
Paul considers it excessive to keep mentioning this, since they had decided and agreed a year ago to gather this collection and have it ready to send, and this has been a big encouragement to all these other churches to follow suit.
But I have sent the brethren, in order that our boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, as I was saying, you may be prepared;
So he's sending these three brothers to make sure they've made all the preparations, because they had said they would, and Paul has advertised their generosity among the other churches to encourage them to give also.
otherwise if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we--not to speak of you--will be put to shame by this confidence.
We don't want to be ashamed of you, and especially we don't want you to be embarrassed at not having done what you said you would do, so have it finished and ready when I show up with the Macedonian brothers who your example encouraged.
So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift,
so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness.
That's why he sending Titus and the others ahead of him, so that this generous gift would be just that, a gift generously given, not out of necessity or hastily thrown together out of duty.
Paul was handling and transporting a sizable sum of money, so he wanted them to have it all together and ready on time, so that he wouldn't be ashamed of boasting about them to encourage others to also give, and so they also wouldn't be embarrassed, if they didn't have it ready.
So he was sending not just one or two, but three brothers ahead of his coming, to help them get it all together. It needed to be freely given, and bountifully contributed, according to the bounty God had given them, not feeling that they had to give out of duty or obligation.
And Paul will be traveling in a large group, for several reasons. There is safety and security in numbers. They were delegates from many of the churches who contributed to this large gift, so they were invited to see the results, the recipients of this support. They would also provide accountability that it would all be there, and preserve the reputations of all involved. And God would receive the glory for all this cooperative giving.
O my Father, help us to understand how You view our finances, and the discernment to handle our money wisely, whether in paying our bills or contributing to the offering at church, or whatever we use it for. Grant us Your bounty in our incomes, so that we will be able to give generously, not having to count the pennies, or give out of obligation.
Father, Jesus taught us that what we do with our "treasure" shows where our hearts stand. So I pray that You would grant me the finances to joyfully give generously, not having to be concerned for my obligations.
And send me out, Father, let me sow Your precious seed, to cast it broadly across Your fertile fields. Let me reap some of Your fields ready for harvest, and help to fill Your great House. To build up Your Kingdom.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess in every language that Jesus our Christ is Lord God Almighty, the sovereign King of the the Universe, to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
These two chapters discuss and lay out the whole doctrine (what we believe) about the whole idea of giving. The foundation under the principle of giving, the reason why we would want to give, the policies to follow in our giving, and the rewards we can expect as a result of our generosity.
This is all explained in these 39 verses.
This is a lot of ground to cover, so I am breaking it up into its components over several days.
Today we will look at some of the policies we are to follow:
8:16- 9:5
But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus.
For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord.
Titus himself loved the Corinthians, and had confidence in their determination to help the struggling Christians in Jerusalem, as he was the one who first mentioned this to them, a year ago; and wanted to go back to see them and help them get this gift together. Titus must have been known to have substantial financial acumen to have this responsibility.
We have sent along with him the brother whose fame in the things of the gospel has spread through all the churches;
We're not given the name of this brother, so they may not have met him yet.
and not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work,
He is one who will go with Paul to deliver the gift to the Jerusalem church.
which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself,
There were representatives from many of the churches who would be going with him to bring the present.
and to show our readiness,
Many of the Gentile churches Paul founded participated in this aggregate gift.
taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift;
Paul had representatives from churches in Macedonia and Galatia and Asia accompany him with this sizable bundle of money to take to Jerusalem for the saints, to provide security and accountability.
for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
Paul is thinking of the admonition of Proverbs 3:4, to find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. He wanted to give glory to God, and also to maintain a good reputation.
We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you.
This is the third worker Paul is sending to Corinth ahead of his own visit. All three of these men have great confidence in the Corinthian saints to follow through on their pledge.
As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.
So if anyone asks who these guys are: Titus is Paul's partner who works alongside him in the work, and the other two are delegates from the churches who have already contributed to the gift, all to bring glory to Christ.
Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.
Paul is encouraging them to welcome these men openly, loving them as brothers in the Lord, and to live up to the confidences Paul has in them.
For it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints;
for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them.
Paul considers it excessive to keep mentioning this, since they had decided and agreed a year ago to gather this collection and have it ready to send, and this has been a big encouragement to all these other churches to follow suit.
But I have sent the brethren, in order that our boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, as I was saying, you may be prepared;
So he's sending these three brothers to make sure they've made all the preparations, because they had said they would, and Paul has advertised their generosity among the other churches to encourage them to give also.
otherwise if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we--not to speak of you--will be put to shame by this confidence.
We don't want to be ashamed of you, and especially we don't want you to be embarrassed at not having done what you said you would do, so have it finished and ready when I show up with the Macedonian brothers who your example encouraged.
So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift,
so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness.
That's why he sending Titus and the others ahead of him, so that this generous gift would be just that, a gift generously given, not out of necessity or hastily thrown together out of duty.
Paul was handling and transporting a sizable sum of money, so he wanted them to have it all together and ready on time, so that he wouldn't be ashamed of boasting about them to encourage others to also give, and so they also wouldn't be embarrassed, if they didn't have it ready.
So he was sending not just one or two, but three brothers ahead of his coming, to help them get it all together. It needed to be freely given, and bountifully contributed, according to the bounty God had given them, not feeling that they had to give out of duty or obligation.
And Paul will be traveling in a large group, for several reasons. There is safety and security in numbers. They were delegates from many of the churches who contributed to this large gift, so they were invited to see the results, the recipients of this support. They would also provide accountability that it would all be there, and preserve the reputations of all involved. And God would receive the glory for all this cooperative giving.
O my Father, help us to understand how You view our finances, and the discernment to handle our money wisely, whether in paying our bills or contributing to the offering at church, or whatever we use it for. Grant us Your bounty in our incomes, so that we will be able to give generously, not having to count the pennies, or give out of obligation.
Father, Jesus taught us that what we do with our "treasure" shows where our hearts stand. So I pray that You would grant me the finances to joyfully give generously, not having to be concerned for my obligations.
And send me out, Father, let me sow Your precious seed, to cast it broadly across Your fertile fields. Let me reap some of Your fields ready for harvest, and help to fill Your great House. To build up Your Kingdom.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess in every language that Jesus our Christ is Lord God Almighty, the sovereign King of the the Universe, to the glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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