The Realistic Portrait of Ministry in 2 Corinthians
Explore the themes of reverence for God, respect for others, and relief from distress in the realistic portrait of ministry depicted in 2 Corinthians. Dive into Paul's guidance on reconciliation, purity, and spiritual growth within the Corinthian church, emphasizing the importance of warmth and acceptance in a world full of challenges.
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The Realistic Portrait of Ministry The Realistic Portrait of Ministry Reverence For God, Respect for Others, Reverence For God, Respect for Others, Relief from Distress Relief from Distress Week 87 01 May 2024
2 CORINTHIANS INTRODUCTION In our continuing study of Second Corinthians, the themes of this letter revolves around both the theological concepts and the practical aspects of Christian living. The primary issue at Corinth was the recognition of authentic ministry and submission to apostolic authority. Paul s corrective was to provide guidance and encouragement as the church navigates the challenges that continue to influence their unity, discipline, and spiritual growth. In our study, Paul addresses the issue of reconciliation and restoration within the Corinthian church. He urges the Corinthians to cleanse themselves from all defilement of body and spirit, to perfect holiness out of reverence for God, he emphasizes the need for purity and separation from worldly influences, and urged them to live in a manner that reflects their commitment to God.
2 CORINTHIANS - LESSON OVERVIEW Swindoll . . . opens our study with an observation about journalist Barbara Walters. He says . . . One of the best-known interviewers in the heyday of primetime television was Barbara Walters. At the height of her career she wrote a book entitled How to Talk with Practically Anybody about Practically Anything. While not written from a Christian perspective, she describes some characteristics that virtually everyone finds appealing: The most consistently endearing human trait is warmth. Everybody responds to the person who radiates friendliness from a serene core. Such people are lovely to be around because they don t reject or belittle, and best of all, they bring out the best, most generous qualities in the people they encounter.
2 CORINTHIANS - LESSON OVERVIEW That s so true. In a world as big and busy as ours, warmth is rare; coldness seems to rule the day. People on the street don t respond to polite greetings, Baristas at the coffee shop barely make eye contact. Even friends and family members sometimes respond to our attempts at engaging in meaningful conversation with Text me. No matter how sunny it may seem outside, the world feels like a pretty icy place. And as warm-blooded beings, we all crave the warmth of relationships like we crave the warmth of a fire on a snowy day. When we don t get this kind of warmth and acceptance from our families, friends, and fellow believers, we will seek it elsewhere.
2 CORINTHIANS - LESSON OVERVIEW This desire for acceptance and respect often drives many young people to engage in inappropriate sexual relationships. It can lead teenagers to embrace styles and behaviors that identify them with the wrong groups or gangs. It can lure men and women away from their hectic family life toward a responsibility-free adulterous relationship. While the need for acceptance and respect doesn t excuse these behaviors, it does help us make sense of them. People long for someone to notice them, to drop what they are doing and pay attention, to care about them, to love them. People want authentic relationships more than anything on earth. All of us do.
2 CORINTHIANS - LESSON OVERVIEW As the 1980s song goes, however, too many people are lookin for love in all the wrong places. As a result, many find themselves in a pit of despair and distress out of which they can t seem to climb. Only when we find our acceptance in a reverent relationship with God will we discover a true respect for others that can develop into warm, growing, and healthy relationships. When that happens, we will have vertical and horizontal stability to find relief in the midst of distress.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:1 1Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:1 In chapter 6, Paul gave some guidelines for choosing our relationships encouraging deep, open-hearted, transparent relationships among believers (6:11-13) and discouraging close, intimate partnerships with nonbelievers (6:14-18). So, Paul begins chapter 7:1, with words that immediately point us back to our previous discussion: Therefore, having these promises . . . What promises? The promises described in 6:16-18: God will dwell in our midst and walk among us. He will be our God and we will be His people. God will welcome us as friend. He will be like a Father to us, and will be like sons and daughters to Him.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:1 In light of these promises of an intimate relationship with God, 7:1 emphasizes our response to God, reiterating the idea of repentance and holiness mentioned in 6:17. In calling us to be separate from the world, God promises to comfort us with His presence. And when we open our hearts to Him, He will fill our need for authentic, intimate and permanent acceptance. But experience this kind of acceptance, we must have a vertical reverence (7:1). Meaning we must put God first. That is, your primary goal as a Christian, is to revere God in your life.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:1 Swindoll reminds us: Your goal as a businessperson is not to make a great name for yourself; it is to revere His Holy Name. Your goal as a pastor or minister is not to grow your church so it will be a force to be reckoned with; it is to help your congregation revere God and perfect His Holiness. How do we demonstrate fear and reverence for God? When we make a clean break with defilement. When we refuse to participate in anything displeasing to the Lord any activity, attitude, relationship, or pattern of thinking. Paul says we should be perfecting holiness in the fear of God. The word perfecting here means moving toward maturity.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:1 This does not mean we will be in a state of sinless perfection until Christ returns, but that God will maintain a progressive work of spiritual maturity throughout our lives. Our holiness is always a work in progress, an ongoing growth that comes when we reverence God in light of His great promise to us.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:2-4 2Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one. 3I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:2-4 Having a permanent relationship with the living God, being recipients of His promises, and responding to this relationship with a reverence that results in continuous purifying, we are now called to address our horizontal relationships. Now, Paul transitions from our relationship with God to our relationships with other people (7:2-4). Using his relationship with the Corinthians as an example, he returns to 6:11-13 where he reached out to the Corinthians, but they had not reached back to him. Using this example Paul make threestatements about how we are to relate to one another with mutual respect.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:2-4 FIRST when we respect someone, we make room for them in our hearts (7:2). Real respect is necessary to lay the groundwork to become kindred spirits to die together and live together (7:3). Sometime this kind of relationship in which two hearts beat as one can come quite naturally. However, most of the time making room for others in our hearts takes a great amount of effort. We need to rearrange some of the furniture in our hearts to create a place for them. This kind of respect for others can be inconvenient, but if we are going to have a thriving ministry with others, we need to make room.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:2-4 SECOND when we respect someone, we don t condemn them (7:3). Some of the Corinthians had done some pretty awful things. Many others had condoned them, and some even celebrated and encouraged them. Many harbored negative attitudes toward Paul, and the faction of the Judaizers Paul s arch-nemeses still held sway over part of the congregation. Paul could have shunned the Corinthians, saving himself time, energy, and expensive paper by simply writing them off until they repented. The silent treatment would have been understandable in this situation.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:2-4 Yet, Paul respected the Corinthians enough to restrain himself from condemnatory words and actions that would have slammed the door shut on their relationship. Though he confronted them for their sin, Paul went to great lengths to couch his criticism in love and respect. THIRD when we respect someone, we have confidence in them (7:3). The Corinthians had made more than a few mistakes in their Christian walk. They had stumbled, fallen, gotten up, and stumbled again. It would have been easy for Paul to diagnose the situation pessimistically and assign a bleak prognosis: Spiritually terminal Do Not Resuscitate!
2 CORINTHIANS 7:2-4 Paul, however, treated his spiritual children with respect not for what they had done, but for what they could do; not for what they were, but for what they could become. Paul believed in them, even when they failed. He stuck with them, encouraging them and spurring them toward greatness. He poured his life into them even when he saw no return on his investment, knowing that they were worth every moment of time and energy he spent on them. Now, Paul could see signs of renewal and repentance. His confidence had begun to pay off; he could even boast on their behalf (7:4).
2 CORINTHIANS 7:5-7 5For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. 6Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:5-7 The closing words of 7:4, mentions two benefits that flow from Paul s prescription for relationships. That when we respect others by making room for them in our hearts . . . When we refuse to condemn them, and hold out confident expectations for their spiritual growth and maturity . . . We can experience great comfortandjoy in the midst of our affliction. In 7:1-4, having shown the results of our vertical reverence to God and the horizontal respect we have for others. In 7:5-7, Paul describes the relief from distress we can experience in the midst of our circumstances.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:5-7 Paul had already faced numerous trails in ministry, including beatings, imprisonment, sleeplessness, and hunger (6:5). Now he adds the internal struggle he endured as a minister of the gospel. We are told that when he arrived in Macedonia, he suffered from severe exhaustion. Not only did he suffer conflicts from without, but also fear within (7:5). The word fears is the Greek word phobos . . . the English phobia. It carries the idea of dread and panic, a shrinking from courage, the desire to run for cover.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:5-7 Paul and his fellow workers struggled against distressing fears. Nevertheless, in the midst of this emotional turmoil, God provided relief. How? Through a relationship: But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus (7:6). So, the ultimate source of relief from distress is God: But God . . . comforted us. In this world, God uses natural means to accomplish His purposes. He ministers to us through His people, just as he used Titus to comfort Paul. After Paul sank deep in fearsanddepression, God drove away the floodwaters of distress and provided comfort.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:5-7 Not only did Paul find comfort in seeing his ministry partner again, but Titus also brought great news concerning the Corinthian church. Titus reported their longing to see Paul, their mourning for their sins, and their zeal to realign themselves with their father in the faith (7:7). For this reason Paul s encouragement knew no bounds, he says, I rejoiced even more (7:7).
APPLICATIONS OF THE LESSON Singin in the Rain
APPLICATION SINGIN IN THE RAIN Swindoll closes by reflecting on a couple of old songs that highlight Paul s description of his ministry. He says . . .Remember that line from the Carpenters old song? Rainy days and Mondays always get me down. Well, sometimes it seems like life has a lot more rainy days and Mondays than sunny days and Saturdays. Yet, there is another, even an older song I think is noteworthy: Singin in the Rain, from the classic musical of the same name. How do we go from Rainy days and Mondays to Singin in the rain ? In Paul s account of going from moping on his rainy days to singing in the rain (7:4-7).
APPLICATION SINGIN IN THE RAIN We saw Paul establish these essential ingredients for finding relief from his distress. He cultivated a reverent relationship with God (7:1), and maintain a respectful relationship with others (7:2-4). By these things, God provided comfort through Paul s interpersonal relationship with Titus and the Corinthians (7:5-7). What a simple yet significant prescription for relief! However, beyond these verses, there are two more principles at work that can enable us to face discouraging days and still find ourselves singing during the rainy day of our lives.
APPLICATION SINGIN IN THE RAIN FIRST denying difficulties complicates our lives. These days there is a lot of denial among Christians, as if honestly admitting our faults and frailty were sinful. On the contrary, admission is healthy while denial complicates things. If it s raining, it is raining. If you re cold, you are cold. If you re sad, you are sad. There is nothing spiritual about denying depression if you are depressed. Scripture never says we are not to grieve. It says we are not to grieve as those who have no hope (1Thes 4:13). There is room for a lot of tears in that kind of grief, but they aren t hopeless tears.
APPLICATION SINGIN IN THE RAIN Denial of difficulties will complicate our problems. It prevents us from dealing with them, from bringing them to the Lord, and from being comforted by other around us. Are you harboring internal grief all alone? Deep-seated fear or worry, veiled depression? Let it out! Bring it to your pastor, your spouse, a counselor, teacher, friend, or physician. If we deny the rain, we also deny the warmth and comfort God wants to give us through others. SECOND resenting the rain stunts our growth. James says, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials (James 1:2).
APPLICATION SINGIN IN THE RAIN The storms of life can teach us lessons, exercise our patience, drive us to depend on God s strengthening grace, and deliver us from a wrong course of sin. When life rains cats and dogs, we should stop, look, and listen. We should stop feeling sorry for ourselves or blaming someone else. Paul blamed no one from his troubles. We need to follow his example and put our blame to bed and our resentment to rest. We should, instead, look for lessons to be learned in the rain. However, sometimes we won t know the lessons until it s sunny again.
APPLICATION SINGIN IN THE RAIN Sometimes we may never know exactly why God allowed a particularly difficult storm. However, we can look to God and trust that His good and perfect will was accomplished through the difficulty. Looking for lessons in the rain can keep us from focusing only on the rain. We also need to listen to the rain. In the noise of the rain, the Spirit of God sings silent lyrics with a distinct rhythm, discernible only to our souls through the ears of faith. We can t begin to image how many great songs were planted in the soil of pain and sorrow, and how many great thoughts grew out of rainy days.
APPLICATION SINGIN IN THE RAIN Many of the great hymns were birthed from wombs of woe. Listen to what the Lord is teaching you about yourself, about life, about others, and about him in the midst of the rain. The next time it rains, consider the great lyrics of Psalm 40:1-3. Meditate on them. Memorize them. I waitedpatiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD.
Reverence for God, Respect for Others, Relief from Distress
NEXT CLASS 8 May 2024 Before next class, read the below chapters in Before next class, read the below chapters in the KJV and in one other versions of the Bible, the KJV and in one other versions of the Bible, i.e., NIV, NRSV, TLB, CEV, etc i.e., NIV, NRSV, TLB, CEV, etc Chapter 7:8 16 Reproofs unto Repentance
