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The Revealed Secret of the Book of 2 Corinthians - What You Need to Know from the Bible · truthunedited

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  Speaker 1: What would you do if you found out that people
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  Speaker 1: were doubting everything you've built. Imagine a leader who is
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  Speaker 1: deeply passionate about his community, someone who has poured his heart,
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  Speaker 1: his tears, and his very life into those he loves,
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  Speaker 1: only to now face accusations, criticism, and questions about his integrity.
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  Speaker 1: This is exactly the scenario in the Second Letter to
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  Speaker 1: the Corinthians, one of the most personal and emotional documents
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  Speaker 1: ever written. Within its pages, we don't just see a
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  Speaker 1: leader defending his ministry. We witness a broken heart being
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  Speaker 1: transformed into a powerful testimony of how God's grace works
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  Speaker 1: through our weaknesses. This is not just a letter, It's
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  Speaker 1: a deep dive into the soul of a man who
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  Speaker 1: discovered that paradoxically, his weakest moments became his greatest victories.
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  Speaker 1: In Zowing Corinthians, the apostle Paul reveals a startling truth
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  Speaker 1: that defies all human logic. When we are weak, that is,
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  Speaker 1: when we are truly strong. But how is that possible?
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  Speaker 1: How can our weaknesses become a source of strength? How
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  Speaker 1: can our scars be transformed into testimonies of glory? As
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  Speaker 1: we journey through Second Corinthians, we will uncover truths that
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  Speaker 1: have the power to revolutionize our understanding of leadership, ministry,
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  Speaker 1: and the Christian life. We will see how God turns
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  Speaker 1: persecution into triumph, tears into testimonies, and weakness into a
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  Speaker 1: display of his power. This letter is not just an
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  Speaker 1: ancient text, it is a survival manual for anyone who
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  Speaker 1: has ever felt inadequate, questioned, or pushed beyond their limits.
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  Speaker 1: To deeply understand the Second Letter to the Corinthians, we
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  Speaker 1: first need to learn about the city and the circumstances
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  Speaker 1: that led Paul to write this deeply personal and emotional letter.
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  Speaker 1: Corinth was an impressive city in the first century. Strategically
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  Speaker 1: located in ancient Greece, it was like a modern metropolis,
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  Speaker 1: with two major ports, one connecting to the west toward
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  Speaker 1: Rome and the other to the east toward Asia. Because
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  Speaker 1: of this prime location, the city was bustling with merchants, travelers,
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  Speaker 1: and people from various cultures and religions. When Paul first
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  Speaker 1: arrived in Corinth during his second missionary journey, he found
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  Speaker 1: a wealthy and prosperous city, but also one full of
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  Speaker 1: moral and spiritual challenges. The Apostles spent eighteen months there
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  Speaker 1: working as a tent maker alongside a Quila and Priscilla
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  Speaker 1: while establishing the church. It was an intense period of
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  Speaker 1: work during which many people converted to Christianity, including Crispus,
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  Speaker 1: the leader of the synagogue, as recorded in Acts eighteen.
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  Speaker 1: After establishing the church and moving on to other regions,
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  Speaker 1: Paul kept in touch with the Corinthians through letters and messengers. However,
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  Speaker 1: problems arose within the congregation. Some false teachers had arrived
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  Speaker 1: in the city, questioning Paul's authority as an apostle. They
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  Speaker 1: claimed that Paul was weak in person, even though his
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  Speaker 1: letters were strong. They began spreading doubts about his ministry
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  Speaker 1: and even his integrity. In Second Corinthians one one two,
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  Speaker 1: Paul begins his letter with a greeting that already affirms
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  Speaker 1: his apostolic authority. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by
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  Speaker 1: the will of God, and Timothy, our brother to the
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  Speaker 1: Church of God in Corinth together with all the saints
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  Speaker 1: throughout Achiah. Grace and peace to you from God our
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  Speaker 1: Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Immediately afterward, in Second
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  Speaker 1: Corinthians one three, p. Seven, Paul shares a profound truth
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  Speaker 1: about suffering and comfort. He reveals how God comforted him
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  Speaker 1: in all his tribulations, not just for his own benefit,
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  Speaker 1: but so that he could in turn comfort others going
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  Speaker 1: through similar struggles. It is as if every difficulty Paul
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  Speaker 1: faced became a school of consolation to help others. The
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  Speaker 1: situation was so serious that in Second Corinthians one eight
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  Speaker 1: to eleven, Paul reveals that he endured such extreme suffering
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  Speaker 1: in Asia that he thought he was going to die.
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  Speaker 1: We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and
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  Speaker 1: sisters about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia.
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  Speaker 1: We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure,
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  Speaker 1: so that we despaired of life itself. But through this
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  Speaker 1: experience he saw God's hand teaching him to rely not
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  Speaker 1: on himself but on the Lord who raises the dead.
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  Speaker 1: Paul then explains in Second Corinthians one to twelve twenty
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  Speaker 1: four why he changed his travel plans. He had promised
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  Speaker 1: to visit Corinth again, but ended up not going to
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  Speaker 1: spare them further sorrow. Some accused him of being unreli
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  Speaker 1: liable because of this change. However, Paul affirms that his
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  Speaker 1: decisions were not made lightly but with the Corinthian's spiritual
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  Speaker 1: well being in mind. In Said Corinthians two one four,
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  Speaker 1: we discover that Paul had previously written a painful letter
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  Speaker 1: to the Corinthians. For I wrote to you out of
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  Speaker 1: great distress and anguish of heart, and with many tears,
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  Speaker 1: not to grieve you, but to let you know the
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  Speaker 1: depth of my love for you. This letter, which was
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  Speaker 1: not preserved and is different from First Corinthians, apparently dealt
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  Speaker 1: with a serious issue that needed correction within the church.
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  Speaker 1: The situation involved someone who had caused grief not only
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  Speaker 1: to Paul, but to the entire church. As seen in
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  Speaker 1: Set Corinthians two five eleven, this offender had repented after
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  Speaker 1: the church's discipline, and now Paul was instructing them to
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  Speaker 1: forgive and comfort the person so that they would not
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  Speaker 1: be overwhelmed by excessive sons row. Paul knew that forgiveness
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  Speaker 1: was essential to prevent Satan from taking advantage of the
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  Speaker 1: situation through resentment or bitterness. The apostle then shares in
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  Speaker 1: Second Corinthians two twelve to thirteen that even though he
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  Speaker 1: found an open door to preach the gospel in Troas,
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  Speaker 1: he had no peace of mind because he did not
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  Speaker 1: find his brother Titus there, who was supposed to bring
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  Speaker 1: news from Corinth. His concern for the church was so
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  Speaker 1: great that he decided to leave for Macedonia in search
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  Speaker 1: of Titus. Finally, in Second Corinthians two fourteen seventeen, Paul
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  Speaker 1: bursts into gratitude to God, who always leads him in
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  Speaker 1: triumph in Christ. Using the metaphor of a Roman triumphal
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  Speaker 1: procession where incense was burned in the streets, Paul describes
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  Speaker 1: how the knowledge of Christ spreads through his ministry like
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  Speaker 1: an aroma. To those being saved, it is a fragrance
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  Speaker 1: of life to those perishing as of death. This responsibility
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  Speaker 1: was so great that Paul asks and who is equal
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  Speaker 1: to such a task. The answer would come later in
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  Speaker 1: the letter when he speaks about the sufficiency that comes
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  Speaker 1: from God. After speaking about the fragrance of the knowledge
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  Speaker 1: of Christ spreading through the ministry, Paul delves into a
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  Speaker 1: profound explanation of the nature of his apostolic work. In
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  Speaker 1: chapter three, verses one to three. He begins by questioning
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  Speaker 1: whether he needs letters of recommendation to prove his authority.
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  Speaker 1: Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we
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  Speaker 1: like some need letters of recommendation to you or from you.
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  Speaker 1: It was common at the time for traveling ministers to
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  Speaker 1: carry letters of recommendation from other churches, but Paul states
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  Speaker 1: that the Corinthians themselves are his letter of recommendation, written
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  Speaker 1: not with ink, but with the spirit of the Living God,
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  Speaker 1: not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of life
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  Speaker 1: human hearts. In Chapter three, verses four to six, Paul
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  Speaker 1: reinforces that his confidence comes through Christ and not from himself.
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  Speaker 1: Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that
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  Speaker 1: we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves,
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  Speaker 1: but our competence comes from God. He has made us
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  Speaker 1: competent as ministers of a New Covenant, not of the letter,
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  Speaker 1: but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the
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  Speaker 1: spirit gives life. Paul then develops in Chapter three, verses
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  Speaker 1: seven to eleven, a striking contrast between the ministry of
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  Speaker 1: the Old Covenant and that of the New Covenant. He
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  Speaker 1: recalls how Moses's face shone so brightly after being in
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  Speaker 1: God's presence that he had to wear a veil, even
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  Speaker 1: though that was a ministry of death engraved with letters
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  Speaker 1: on stone. The apostle argues, if the ministry that brought
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  Speaker 1: condemnation was glorious, how much more more glorious is the
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  Speaker 1: ministry that brings righteousness. For what was glorious has no
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  Speaker 1: glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if
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  Speaker 1: what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is
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  Speaker 1: the glory of that which lasts. Continuing this line of thought,
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  Speaker 1: in Chapter three, verses twelve to sixteen, Paul explains why
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  Speaker 1: he speaks with such boldness in his ministry. Unlike Moses,
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  Speaker 1: who put a veil over his face so the Israelites
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  Speaker 1: would not see the fading glory, the ministers of the
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  Speaker 1: New Covenant can speak with complete clarity. Paul notes that
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  Speaker 1: even to this day, when the Jews read the Old Testament,
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  Speaker 1: the same veil remains not being removed, because it is
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  Speaker 1: only in Christ that it is taken away, as he
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  Speaker 1: states in verse sixteen, But whenever anyone turns to the Lord,
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  Speaker 1: the veil is taken away. In Chapter three, verses seventeen
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  Speaker 1: and eighteen, Paul presents one of the most beautiful descriptions
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  Speaker 1: of Christian freedom and transformation. Now the Lord is the Spirit,
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  Speaker 1: and where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom,
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  Speaker 1: and we all who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory,
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  Speaker 1: are being transformed into his image, with ever increasing glory
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  Speaker 1: which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Moving
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  Speaker 1: into Chapter four, verses one and two, Paul explains how
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  Speaker 1: this glorious ministry affects his conduct. Therefore, since through God's
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  Speaker 1: mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather,
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  Speaker 1: we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not
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  Speaker 1: use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.
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  Speaker 1: On the contrary, By setting forth the truth plainly, we
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  Speaker 1: commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.
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  Speaker 1: In Chapter four, verses three to six, Paul addresses why
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  Speaker 1: some are unable to see the glory of this gospel,
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  Speaker 1: and even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled
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  Speaker 1: to those who are perishing. The God of this age
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  Speaker 1: has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they who
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  Speaker 1: cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the
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  Speaker 1: glory of Christ, who is the image of God. He
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  Speaker 1: emphasizes that he does not preach himself, but Jesus Christ
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  Speaker 1: as Lord. For it is the same God who said
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  Speaker 1: let light shine out of darkness, who has shone in
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  Speaker 1: our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge
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  Speaker 1: of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
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  Speaker 1: Paul then introduces in Chapter four, verses seven to twelve,
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  Speaker 1: a powerful metaphor about the nature of Christian ministry. But
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  Speaker 1: we have this treasure in jars of clay to show
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  Speaker 1: that this all surpassing power is from God and not
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  Speaker 1: from us. He describes how though they are hard pressed
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  Speaker 1: on every side, they are not crushed, perplexed but not
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  Speaker 1: in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not
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  Speaker 1: to destroyed. In their own bodies, they carry the death
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  Speaker 1: of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also
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  Speaker 1: be revealed in their mortal bodies. In Chapter four, verses
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  Speaker 1: thirteen to fifteen, Paul quotes Psalm one sixteen ten. I believed,
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  Speaker 1: therefore I have spoken, to explain that the same spirit
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  Speaker 1: of faith compels him to speak, knowing that the one
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  Speaker 1: who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise them with Jesus.
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  Speaker 1: All of this, he explains, is for the benefit of
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  Speaker 1: the Corinthians, so that as grace increases and reaches more people,
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  Speaker 1: thanksgiving may overflow to the glory of God. Finally, in
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  Speaker 1: chapter four, verses sixteen to eighteen, Paul reveals the secret
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  Speaker 1: of his unwavering perseverance. Therefore, we do not lose heart.
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  Speaker 1: Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are
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  Speaker 1: being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary
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  Speaker 1: troubles are achieving for us, and eternal glory that far
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  Speaker 1: outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on
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  Speaker 1: what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what
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  Speaker 1: is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
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  Speaker 1: After speaking about the unseen and eternal things, Paul continues
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  Speaker 1: his letter by developing a beautiful explanation of our future hope.
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  Speaker 1: In chapter five, verses one to four, he uses the
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  Speaker 1: metaphor of a tent and a building to describe the
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  Speaker 1: difference between our present body and the body we will receive.
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  Speaker 1: For we know that if our earthly house, this tent,
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  Speaker 1: is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house
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  Speaker 1: not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in
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  Speaker 1: this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed with our habitation,
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  Speaker 1: which is from heaven. If indeed, having been clothed, we
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  Speaker 1: shall not be found naked. For we who are in
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  Speaker 1: this tent grown being burdened, not because we want to
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  Speaker 1: be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed
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  Speaker 1: up by life. In Chapter five, verses five to eight,
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  Speaker 1: Paul explains that God has prepared us for this very
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  Speaker 1: transformation and has given us the spirit as a guarantee. Now,
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  Speaker 1: he who has prepared us for this very thing is God,
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  Speaker 1: who also has given us the spirit as a guarantee.
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  Speaker 1: So we are always confident, knowing that while we are
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  Speaker 1: at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes,
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  Speaker 1: well pleased, rather to be absent from the body and
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  Speaker 1: to be present with the Lord. This future hope, as
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  Speaker 1: Paul explains in Chapter five verses nine and ten, motivates
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  Speaker 1: wholly living in the present. Therefore we make it our aim,
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  Speaker 1: whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him,
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  Speaker 1: for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
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  Speaker 1: that each one may receive the things done in the
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  Speaker 1: body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
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  Speaker 1: The Apostle reminds us that our present actions have eternal consequences.
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  Speaker 1: With this awareness of future judgment, Paul shares in Chapter five,
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  Speaker 1: verses eleven to thirteen, what drives him in his ministry,
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  Speaker 1: Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord we persuade men.
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  Speaker 1: But we are well known to God. And I also
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  Speaker 1: trust our well known in your and consciences. For we
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  Speaker 1: do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you
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  Speaker 1: opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have
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  Speaker 1: an answer for those who boast in appearance and not
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  Speaker 1: in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is
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  Speaker 1: for God, or if we are of sound mind, it
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  Speaker 1: is for you. In Chapter five, verses fourteen and fifteen,
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  Speaker 1: Paul reveals the deepest driving force of his ministry, For
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  Speaker 1: the love of Christ compels us because we judge thus
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  Speaker 1: that if one died for all, then all died, and
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  Speaker 1: he died for all, that those who live should live
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  Speaker 1: no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for
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  Speaker 1: them and rose again. This love of Christ which compels
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  Speaker 1: him is the force that drives him to serve tirelessly.
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  Speaker 1: Paul then presents in Chapter five, verses sixteen and seventeen,
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  Speaker 1: one of the most revolutionary statements about new life in Christ. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: from now on we regard no one according to the flesh,
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  Speaker 1: even though we have known Christ according to the flesh.
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  Speaker 1: Yet now we know him thus no longer. Therefore, if
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  Speaker 1: anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old
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  Speaker 1: things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.
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  Speaker 1: In Chapter five, verses eighteen to twenty one, Paul explains
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  Speaker 1: the ministry of reconciliation that has been entrusted to believers.
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  Speaker 1: Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us
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  Speaker 1: to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the
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  Speaker 1: ministry of reconciliation, that is that God was in Christ
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  Speaker 1: reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them,
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  Speaker 1: and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now,
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  Speaker 1: then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were
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  Speaker 1: pleading through us. We implore you, on Christ's behalf, be
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  Speaker 1: reconciled to God, for He made him who knew no sin,
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  Speaker 1: to be sin for us, that we might become the
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  Speaker 1: righteousness of God in him. Entering chapter six, verses one
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  Speaker 1: and two, Paul makes an urgent appeal based on this truth.
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  Speaker 1: We then, as workers together with him, also plead with
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  Speaker 1: you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
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  Speaker 1: For he says, in an acceptable time I have heard you,
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  Speaker 1: and in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold,
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  Speaker 1: now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day
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  Speaker 1: of salvation. In Chapter six, verses three to ten, Paul
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  Speaker 1: presents an impressive catalog of his minsis nisterial experiences, showing
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  Speaker 1: how he conducts himself in all circumstances. We give no
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  Speaker 1: offense in anything that our ministry may not be blamed.
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  Speaker 1: But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of
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  Speaker 1: God in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,
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  Speaker 1: in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness,
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  Speaker 1: in fastings, by purity, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness,
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  Speaker 1: by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the Word
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  Speaker 1: of Truth, by the power of God, by the armor
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  Speaker 1: of righteousness, on the right hand and on the left,
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  Speaker 1: by honor and dishonor by evil report and good report.
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  Speaker 1: As deceivers and yet true, as unknown and yet well known,
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  Speaker 1: as dying, and behold we live, as chastened, and yet
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  Speaker 1: not killed, as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet
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  Speaker 1: making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
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  Speaker 1: Paul then makes an emotional appeal to the Corinthians in
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  Speaker 1: Chapter six, verses eleven to thirteen. O Corinthians, we have
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  Speaker 1: spoken openly to you. Our heart is wide open. You
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  Speaker 1: are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by
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  Speaker 1: your own affections. Now, in return for the same I
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  Speaker 1: speak as to children, you also be open. He Finally,
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  Speaker 1: in Chapter six, verses fourteen to eighteen, Paul calls for
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  Speaker 1: holiness through separation from evil. Do not be unequally yoked
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  Speaker 1: together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?
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  Speaker 1: And what communion has light with darkness? And what a
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  Speaker 1: chord has Christ with belial? Or what part has a
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  Speaker 1: believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple
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  Speaker 1: of God with idols? For you are the temple of
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  Speaker 1: the Living God. As God has said, I will dwell
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  Speaker 1: in them and walk among them. I will be their God,
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  Speaker 1: and they shall be my people. Therefore, come out from
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  Speaker 1: among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not
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  Speaker 1: touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I
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  Speaker 1: will be a father to you, and you shall be
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  Speaker 1: my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. The promise
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  Speaker 1: of being God's sons and daughters leads Paul to conclude
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  Speaker 1: in chapter seven, verse one, with a call to sanctification. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all
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  Speaker 1: filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the
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  Speaker 1: fear of God. After calling for sanctification, Paul continues his
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  Speaker 1: letter with a personal appeal to the Corinthians. In Second
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  Speaker 1: Corinthians seven two to four, he opens his heart, make
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  Speaker 1: room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one.
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  Speaker 1: We have corrupted no one. We have exploited no one.
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  Speaker 1: I do not say this to condemn you, for I
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  Speaker 1: have already told you that you are in our hearts
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  Speaker 1: to die together and to live together. I have great
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  Speaker 1: confidence in you. I take great pride in you. I
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  Speaker 1: am filled with comfort, and my joy overflows in all
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  Speaker 1: our affliction. Ind In verses five to seven, Paul shares
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  Speaker 1: his recent experiences in Macedonia. For even when we came
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  Speaker 1: to Macedonia, our flesh had no rest. Instead, we were
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: afflicted in every way. Conflicts on the outside fears within.
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: arrival of Titus, and not only by his arrival, but
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: also by the comfort he received from you. He told
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: us about your longing, your deep sorrow, and your zeal
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: for me, so that I rejoiced even more. In Verses
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: eight eleven, Paul reflects on his previous letter, which had
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: caused the Corinthians sorrow. Even if I caused you sorrow
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: did regret it, for I that my letter caused you sorrow,
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: though only for a little while. I now rejoice not
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance.
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: For you were grieved as God intended, so that you
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: were not harmed by us in any way. Godly sorrow
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: But worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: has produced in you? What earnestness, What eagerness to clear yourselves?
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: What indignation? What alarm? What longing? What zeal? What readiness
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: to see justice done? In everything? You have proved yourselves
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: to be innocent in this matter, Paul explains in verses
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: twelve to sixteen that the main purpose of his previous
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: letter was not about the one who caused the harm
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: or the one who suffered it, but rather to reveal
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: their earnestness toward Paul before God. So although I wrote
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: to you, it was not on a count of the
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: one who did the wrong or the one who suffered
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: the wrong, but rather that your earnestness for us might
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: be revealed to you in the sight of God. For
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: this reason we have been comforted. In addition to our comfort,
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: we rejoiced even more over the joy of Titus because
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. For
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: if I had boasted to him about you, I was
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: not put to shame. But just as everything we said
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: to you was true, so r boasting to Titus has
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: proved true as well. And his affection for you is
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: even greater when he remembers your obedience, how you welcomed
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: him with fear and trembling. I rejoice because I have
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: complete confidence in you. As Paul moves into chapter eight,
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: he shifts his focus to an important practical matter, the
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: collection for the Saints in Jerusalem. In verses one to five.
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: He begins by sharing the remarkable example of the Macedonian churches. Now,
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: grace of God that has been given to the churches
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: of Macedonia. In the midst of severe trial. Their overflowing
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: joy and extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: I testify that they gave as much as they were able,
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: and even beyond their ability, entirely on their own. They
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: this ministry to the saints. And not only did they
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: the Lord and then to us by the will of God.
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: In verses six to eight, Paul explains how this situation
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: led him to send Titus to help the Corinthians complete
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: their part in the election. So we urge Titus, just
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: as he had begun this work, to also complete this
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: act of grace among you. But just as you excel
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: in everything, in faith, in so speech and knowledge, in
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: all diligence, and in the love we have kindled in you,
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: I am not commanding you, but I want to test
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: earnestness of others. Then, in verses nine fifteen, Paul presents
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: the ultimate example of generosity, Christ himself. For you know
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich,
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: yet for your sake he became poor, so that through
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: his poverty you might become rich. And here is my
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: advice about what is best for you in this matter.
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: Last year you were the first, not only to give,
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: but also to desire to do. So. Now finish the
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: work so that your eager willingness to do it may
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: be matched by your completion of it according to your means.
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: according to what one has, not according to what one
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: does not have. Our desire is not that others might
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: be relieved while you are burdened, but that there might
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: be equality. At the present time, your surplice will supply
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: their need, so that in turn their surplice will supply
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: your need. Then there will be equality. As it is written,
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: the one who gathered much did not have too much,
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: and the one who gathered little did not have too little.
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: In the final verses of Chapter eight, verses sixteen to
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: twenty four, Paul expresses his concern for integrity in handling
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: the resources and explains the precautions he is taking. Thanks
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: be to God who put into the heart of Titus
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: the same devotion I have for you, For he not
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: only accepted our appeal, but is coming to you with
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: great eagerness on his own initiative. And we are sending
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: along with him, the brother who is praised by all
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: the churches for his service to the Gospel. More than that,
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: we administer this generous gift for the glory of the
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: Lord himself, and to show our readiness to help. We
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: are taking this precaution so that no one will criticize
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: us in our handling of this large gift, for we
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: aim to do what is right, not only in the
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: With them, we are also sending another brother who has
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: often proved his diligence in many matters, and is now
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: even more diligent because of his great confidence in you.
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: As for Titus, he is my partner and co worker
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: among you. As for our brothers, they are messengers of
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: the churches the glory of Christ. Therefore, show them proof
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: of your love and the reason for our pride in you,
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: so that the churches can see it. Continuing the discussion
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: on the collection for the Saints, Paul dedicates all of
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: chapter nine to developing fundamental principles of Christian generosity. In
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: verses one and two, he begins by acknowledging the Corinthian's willingness.
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: Now concerning the ministry to the Saints, it is unnecessary
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: for me to write to you, for I know your eagerness,
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, saying
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: that Achiah has been ready since last year, and your
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: zeal has stirred up most of them. Paul was so
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: confident in the Corinthian's willingness to give that he used
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: their example to motivate other believers in Macedonia. However, as
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: a wise leader, Paul understood that good intentions need to
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: be translated into concrete actions. That is why, in verses
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: three to five he explains why he is sending the
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: brothers ahead of time. But I have sent the brothers
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: in order that our boasting about you in this matter
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: may not prove empty, so that you may be ready,
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: just as I said you would be. Otherwise, if Macedonians
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: come with me and find you unprepared, we not to
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: mention you would be ashamed of having been so confident.
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: go ahead to you and arrange in advance for the
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: generous gift you had promised, so that it may be
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction. In
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: verse six, Paul presents a fundamental principle of generosity, known
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: as the law of sowing and reaping. The point is this,
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: bountifully will also reap bountifully. This principle, based on agriculture,
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: was easily understood by the Corinthians. Just as a farmer
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: who withholds too many seeds will have a small harvest,
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: those who give little will also receive little in return.
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: In verse seven, Paul establishes another crucial principle regarding the
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: attitude behind giving. Each one must give as he has
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion. For
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: God loves a cheerful giver. This verse teaches three important
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: aspects of Christian giving. First, it should be a personal
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: and intentional decision, as he has decided in his heart. Second,
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: it should not be done with reluctance or sadness. Third,
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: it should not result from external pressure or manipulation. The
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: right motivation is key because God cares not only about
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: what we give, but also about how we give. In
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: verses eight to eleven, Paul reveals God's empowerment for generosity.
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: And God is able to make all grace abound to you,
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times,
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: you may abound in every good work. As it is written,
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: he has distributed freely. He has given to the poor.
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: His righteousness endures forever. Now, he who supplies seed to
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: You will be enriched in every way to be generous
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: This passage shows that God is the source of all provision,
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: both for our needs and for our ability to help others.
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: Paul uses multiple agricultural metaphors here to illustrate how God works.
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: He is the one who provides the seed resources for
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: giving the bread our daily needs, and the one who
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: multiplies the seed, increasing our ability to give. The goal
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: is not merely personal enrichment, but so that you may
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: be enriched in every way to be generous in every way.
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: In other words, so that we can be even more generous.
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: In Verses twelve and thirteen explains the multiple benefits of generosity,
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: for the ministry of this service is not only supplying
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service,
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: they will glorify God because of your submission to the
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: Gospel of Christ and the generosity of your contribution for
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: them and for all others. Generosity has a twofold effect.
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: It meets practical needs and results in praise to God.
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: This passage reveals that generosity is a practical expression of
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: our submission to the Gospel. When we give generously, we
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: demonstrate that we truly believe in God's promises and that
• 32:43
  Speaker 1: the Gospel has transformed not only our spiritual lives, but
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: also our relationship with material possessions. In verse fourteen, Paul
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: highlights another precious outcome of generosity, and they will have
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: deep affection for you in their prayers on your behalf
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Generosity
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: creates bonds of love among believers. Those who receive not
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: only benefit materially, but are also moved to pray for
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: their benefactors with deep gratitude. Finally, in verse fifteen, Paul
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: concludes this section with an explosion of gratitude, Thanks be
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: to God for his inexpressible gift. This seemingly abrupt conclusion
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: actually ties the entire discussion on generosity to its ultimate source,
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: God's inexpressible gift in Jesus Christ. Our generosity is merely
• 33:39
  Speaker 1: a response to the infinitely greater generosity of God, who
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: gave his own son for us. This chapter establishes eternal
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: principles of generosity that transcend the specific context of the
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: collection for Jerusalem. Paul teaches that true generosity is planned, joyful,
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: confident in God's provisation, motivated by love, an expression of
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: faith in the Gospel, and oriented toward God's glory. He
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: shows that when we give generously, we participate in a
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: cycle of grace that begins with God, flows through us
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: to others, and returns to God in the form of
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: gratitude and praise. These principles are especially relevant because they
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: address not just the act of giving, but the entire
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: attitude of the heart toward the resources God has entrusted
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: to us. Paul emphasizes that generosity is not just about
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: quantity but about quality. It's not just about how much
• 34:39
  Speaker 1: we give, but how and why we give. True generosity
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: is borne from a heart transformed by the Gospel and
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: results in blessings for both the giver and the recipient.
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: The chapter's conclusion, with the mention of God's inexpressible gift,
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: reminds us that all discussions about generosity must begin and
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: end with the recognition of God's supreme generosity in Christ.
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: This awareness frees us from greed and the fear of giving,
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: allowing us to become channels of God's grace to others.
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: After speaking about God's inexpressible gift, Paul significantly shifts the
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: tone of his letter to address more personal matters and
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: defend his apostleship. In chapter ten, verses one and two,
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: he begins with a heartfelt appeal. Now, I, Paul myself,
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ,
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: I who am humble among you in person, but bold
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: toward you when absent. I beg you that when I
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: am present, I may not have to be bold with
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: the confidence by which I plan to challenge certain people
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: who think we are behaving according to the flesh. Paul
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: was responding to specific accusations. In Chapter ten, verses three
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: to six, he explains the spiritual nature of his battle,
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: for though we live in the flesh, we do not
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful
• 36:11
  Speaker 1: through God. For the demolition of strongholds, We demolish arguments
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: and every proud thing that is raised up against the
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: knowledge of God. And we take every thought captive to
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: obey Christ. And we are ready to punish any disobedience
• 36:26
  Speaker 1: once your obedience is complete. His opponents accused him of
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: being two faced. They claimed he was harsh in his
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: letters but weak in person. Paul addresses this accusation in
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: chapter ten, verses seven to eleven. You are looking at
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: outward appearances. If any one is confident that he belongs
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: to Christ. Let him reconsider that just as he belongs
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: to Christ, so do we. For if I boast a
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: little too much about our authority, which the Lord gave
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: for building you up and not for tearing you down,
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: I will not be ashamed. I don't want to seem
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: as though I am trying to intimidate you with my letters.
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: For they say his letters are weighty and powerful, but
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: his physical presence is weak and his public speaking is despicable.
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: Let such a person consider that what we are in
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: our letters when absent, we will also be in our
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: actions when present. In Chapter ten, verses twelve to eighteen,
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: Paul criticizes those who measure themselves by their own standards.
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: For we don't dare classify or compare ourselves with some
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: who commend themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: comparing themselves to themselves, they lack understanding. We, however, will
• 37:44
  Speaker 1: not boast be on measure, but according to the measure
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: of the area of ministry that God has assigned to us,
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: which reaches even to you. We are not over extending
• 37:53
  Speaker 1: ourselves as if we had not reached you. Since we
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: have come to you with the Gospel of Christ. We
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: are not boasting beyond measure about other people's labors. But
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: we have the hope that as your faith increases, our
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: area of ministry will be greatly enlarged, so that we
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: may preach the Gospel to the regions beyond you without
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: boasting about what has already been done in someone else's
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: area of ministry. So let the one who boasts boast
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: in the Lord. For it is not the one who
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: Lord commends. Moving into chapter eleven, Paul feels compelled to
• 38:32
  Speaker 1: do something he considers foolish, defending his apostleship by comparing
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: himself to false apostles. In chapter eleven, verses one to four,
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: he begins, I wish you would put up with a
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: little foolishness from me. Yes, do put up with me,
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: for I am jealous for you, with a godly jealousy,
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: because I have promised you in marriage to one husband,
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: I fear that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning,
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: your minds may be corrupted from a sincere and pure
• 39:08
  Speaker 1: devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and preaches another
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: Jesus whom we did not preach, or you receive a
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: different spirit which you had not received, or a different
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: Gospel which you had not accepted, you put up with
• 39:21
  Speaker 1: it splendidly. In Chapter eleven, verses five to eleven, Paul
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: addresses the issue of not receiving financial support from the Corinthians. Now,
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: I consider myself in no way inferior to those super apostles.
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am certainly
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: not unskilled in knowledge. Indeed, we have in every way
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: made this clear to you in everything. Or did I
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: be exalted? Because I preached the Gospel of God to
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: you free of charge. I robbed other churches by taking
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: pay from them to minister to you. When I was
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: present with you and in need, I did not burden
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: any one, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: my needs. I have kept myself and will keep myself
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: from burdening you in any way. As the truth of
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: be stopped in the regions of a caiah. Why because
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: I don't love you, God knows I do. In Chapter eleven,
• 40:28
  Speaker 1: verses twelve to fifteen, Paul exposes the false apostles. But
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: I will continue to do what I am doing in
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: order to deny any opportunity to those who want to
• 40:40
  Speaker 1: be regarded as our equals in what they boast about.
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: as apostles of Christ, and no wonder for Satan himself
• 40:54
  Speaker 1: disguises himself as an angel of light, so it is
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as
• 41:03
  Speaker 1: servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: Paul then feels forced to do something he calls foolishness,
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: listing his credentials. In chapter eleven, verses sixteen to twenty one,
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: he introduces this section. I repeat, let no one consider
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: me a fool, but if you do, at least accept
• 41:24
  Speaker 1: me as a fool, so that I may boast a little.
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: What I am saying in this matter of boasting, I
• 41:30
  Speaker 1: am not saying as the Lord would, but as foolishness.
• 41:34
  Speaker 1: Since many boast according to the flesh, I will also
• 41:38
  Speaker 1: boast for you, being so wise gladly put up with fools.
• 41:42
  Speaker 1: In fact, you put up with it if someone enslaves you,
• 41:45
  Speaker 1: if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you,
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: if someone is arrogant toward you, if someone slaps you
• 41:52
  Speaker 1: in the face. I say this to our shame. We
• 41:56
  Speaker 1: have been too weak for that. But in whatever anyone
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: dares to boast talking foolishly, I also dare. In the
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: final verses of Chapter eleven, from twenty two to thirty three,
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: Paul presents an impressive catalog of his sufferings for the Gospel.
• 42:12
  Speaker 1: Are they Hebrews, so am I? Are they Israelites? So
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: am I? Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I?
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: Are they servants of Christ? I'm talking like a madman.
• 42:24
  Speaker 1: I am more, with far more labours, many more imprisonments,
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: far worse beatings, many times near death. Five times I
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews. Three
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned,
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: and a day in the open sea. On frequent journeys.
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: my own people, dangers from gentiles, dangers in the city,
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: false brothers. Toil and hardship, many sleepless knights, hunger and thirst,
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: often without food, cold, and lack of clothing, not to
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: mention other things. There is the daily pressure on me,
• 43:14
  Speaker 1: my concern for all the churches. Who is weak and
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: I am not weak? Who is made to stumble? And
• 43:22
  Speaker 1: I do not burn with indignation? If I must boast,
• 43:26
  Speaker 1: I will boast about my weaknesses. The God and Father
• 43:29
  Speaker 1: of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I
• 43:33
  Speaker 1: am not lying. In Damascus. A ruler under King Aretus
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: guarded the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: So I was let down in a basket through a
• 43:44
  Speaker 1: window in the wall and escaped his hands. After sharing
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: his impressive catalog of sufferings, Paul continues his apostolic defense
• 43:54
  Speaker 1: by revealing extraordinary spiritual experiences. In Chapter two twelve, verses
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  Speaker 1: one and two, he begins, I must go on boasting,
• 44:05
  Speaker 1: although there is nothing to be gained. I will go
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught
• 44:14
  Speaker 1: up to the Third Heaven. Whether it was in the
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: body or out of the body, I do not know.
• 44:19
  Speaker 1: God knows. Paul speaks of himself in the third person,
• 44:23
  Speaker 1: demonstrating humility as he shares this supernatural experience. In Chapter twelve,
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: verses three and four, he continues describing this extraordinary experience,
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: and I know that this man, whether in the body
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: or apart from the body, I do not know, but
• 44:40
  Speaker 1: God knows, was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things,
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: things that no one is permitted to tell. This experience
• 44:50
  Speaker 1: was so sacred and profound that Paul could not even
• 44:53
  Speaker 1: share what he had heard. In Chapter twelve, verse five,
• 44:57
  Speaker 1: Paul expresses his attitude toward these exes experiences. I will
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  Speaker 1: boast about a man like that, but I will not
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: boast about myself, accept about my weaknesses. Even after having
• 45:10
  Speaker 1: such extraordinary experiences, Paul chooses not to boast about them,
• 45:16
  Speaker 1: preferring instead to boast in his weaknesses. In Chapter twelve,
• 45:20
  Speaker 1: verses six and seven, Paul explains why he does not
• 45:24
  Speaker 1: boast about these experiences. Even if I should choose to boast,
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: I would not be a fool, because I would be
• 45:31
  Speaker 1: speaking the truth. But I refrain so no one will
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: think more of me than is warranted by what I
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore,
• 45:43
  Speaker 1: in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was
• 45:46
  Speaker 1: given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan
• 45:50
  Speaker 1: to torment me. This thorn in the flesh has been
• 45:53
  Speaker 1: the subject of much debate throughout church history. Paul does
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: not specify exactly what it was, and in Chapter twelve,
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: verses eight and nine, he reveals his response to this
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: affliction and God's answer to his prayers. Three times I
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me,
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: but he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you,
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: that Christ's power may rest on me. This revelation completely
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: transformed Paul's perspective on his weaknesses. In Chapter twelve, verse ten,
• 46:32
  Speaker 1: he declares, that is why, for Christ's sake, I delight
• 46:36
  Speaker 1: in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, and persecutions, in difficulties.
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: For when I am weak, then I am strong. Paul
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: discovered that his weaknesses, rather than being obstacles to ministry,
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: became channels for God's power. In Chapter twelve, verses eleven
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: and twelve, Paul once again defends his apostleship. I have
• 46:59
  Speaker 1: made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it.
• 47:03
  Speaker 1: I ought to have been commended by you, for I
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: am not in the least inferior to the super apostles.
• 47:09
  Speaker 1: Even though I am nothing. I persevered in demonstrating among
• 47:13
  Speaker 1: you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders,
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: and miracles. In Chapter twelve, verses thirteen to fifteen, Paul
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: again addresses the issue of financial support. How were you
• 47:27
  Speaker 1: inferior to the other churches, except that I was never
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong. Now I
• 47:34
  Speaker 1: am ready to visit you for the third time, and
• 47:36
  Speaker 1: I will not be a burden to you, because what
• 47:39
  Speaker 1: I want is not your possessions, but you. After all,
• 47:43
  Speaker 1: children should not have to save up for their parents,
• 47:46
  Speaker 1: but parents for their children. So I will very gladly
• 47:50
  Speaker 1: spend for you everything I have, and expend myself as well.
• 47:54
  Speaker 1: If I love you more, will you love me less? Paul?
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: Then responds to possible accusations in Chapter twelve, verses sixteen
• 48:02
  Speaker 1: to eighteen. Be that, as it may, I have not
• 48:05
  Speaker 1: been a burden to you, yet, crafty fellow that I am,
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: I caught you by trickery? Did I exploit you through
• 48:13
  Speaker 1: any of the men I sent to you? I urged
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: Titus to go to you and sent our brother with him.
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: Did Titus exploit you? Did we not walk in the
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: same footsteps by the same spirit. In Chapter twelve, verses
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: nineteen to twenty one, Paul expresses his pastoral concern. Have
• 48:30
  Speaker 1: you been thinking all along that we have been defending
• 48:33
  Speaker 1: ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight
• 48:37
  Speaker 1: of God as those in Christ, And everything we do,
• 48:40
  Speaker 1: dear friends, is for your strengthening. For I am afraid
• 48:44
  Speaker 1: that when I come, I may not find you as
• 48:47
  Speaker 1: I want you to be, and you may not find
• 48:49
  Speaker 1: me as you want me to be. I fear that
• 48:51
  Speaker 1: there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance,
• 48:58
  Speaker 1: and disorder. I am afraid. But when I come again,
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: my God will humble me before you, and I will
• 49:04
  Speaker 1: be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have
• 49:07
  Speaker 1: not repented of the impurity, sexual sin, and debauchery in
• 49:11
  Speaker 1: which they have indulged. Entering the final chapter, Paul issues
• 49:16
  Speaker 1: serious warnings. In Chapter thirteen, verses one and two, he says,
• 49:20
  Speaker 1: this will be my third visit to you. Every matter
• 49:24
  Speaker 1: must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
• 49:29
  Speaker 1: I already gave you a warning when I was with
• 49:31
  Speaker 1: you the second time. I now repeat it while absent
• 49:34
  Speaker 1: on my return. I will not spare those who sinned
• 49:38
  Speaker 1: earlier or any of the others. In Chapter thirteen, verses
• 49:42
  Speaker 1: three and four, Paul responds to those who sought proof
• 49:46
  Speaker 1: that Christ was speaking through him, Since you are demanding
• 49:51
  Speaker 1: proof that Christ is speaking through me, he is not
• 49:54
  Speaker 1: weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.
• 49:57
  Speaker 1: For to be sure, he was crucified in wei weakness,
• 50:00
  Speaker 1: yet he lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak
• 50:04
  Speaker 1: in him, yet by God's power we will live with
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: him in our dealing with you. Paul then calls for
• 50:10
  Speaker 1: self examination in chapter thirteen, verses five and six. Examine
• 50:14
  Speaker 1: yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.
• 50:19
  Speaker 1: Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you, unless,
• 50:22
  Speaker 1: of course, you fail the test, and I trust that
• 50:25
  Speaker 1: you will discover that we have not failed the test.
• 50:29
  Speaker 1: In Chapter thirteen, verses seven to ten, Paul expresses his
• 50:33
  Speaker 1: desire for the corinthians spiritual well being. Now we pray
• 50:39
  Speaker 1: to God that you will not do anything wrong, not
• 50:42
  Speaker 1: so that people will see that we have stood the test,
• 50:45
  Speaker 1: but so that you will do what is right, even
• 50:47
  Speaker 1: though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.
• 50:54
  Speaker 1: We are glad whenever we are weak, but you are strong,
• 50:58
  Speaker 1: and our prayer is that you may be fully restored.
• 51:01
  Speaker 1: This is why I write these things when I am absent,
• 51:04
  Speaker 1: that when I come, I may not have to be
• 51:07
  Speaker 1: harsh in my use of authority, the authority the Lord
• 51:10
  Speaker 1: gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down. Finally,
• 51:16
  Speaker 1: in chapter thirteen, verses eleven to fourteen, Paul concludes his
• 51:20
  Speaker 1: letter with final exhortations and a trinitarian blessing. Finally, brothers
• 51:26
  Speaker 1: and sisters, rejoice, strive for full restoration, Encourage one another,
• 51:32
  Speaker 1: be of one mind, live in peace, and the God
• 51:35
  Speaker 1: of love and peace will be with you. Greet one
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: another with a holy kiss. All God's people here send
• 51:42
  Speaker 1: their greetings. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: and the Love of God and the fellowship of the
• 51:48
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit be with you all Amen. The Second Letter
• 51:52
  Speaker 1: to the Corinthians, with its powerful message about the sufficiency
• 51:56
  Speaker 1: of God's grace, teaches us profound lessons that remain relevant
• 52:01
  Speaker 1: for the Church to day. Every chapter of this letter
• 52:05
  Speaker 1: reveals fundamental aspects of Christian ministry and life in faith.
• 52:10
  Speaker 1: Right at the beginning. In Chapter one, verses three and four,
• 52:13
  Speaker 1: Paul establishes a foundational principle about comfort and tribulation. Blessed
• 52:19
  Speaker 1: be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
• 52:23
  Speaker 1: the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort,
• 52:27
  Speaker 1: who comforts us in all our tribulation, so that we
• 52:31
  Speaker 1: may also be able to comfort those who are in
• 52:34
  Speaker 1: any tribulation with the comfort with which we ourselves are
• 52:39
  Speaker 1: comforted by God. This principle of divine comfort is practically
• 52:44
  Speaker 1: demonstrated throughout the letter. In Chapter one, verses eight and nine,
• 52:49
  Speaker 1: we see how Paul applied this in his own life
• 52:51
  Speaker 1: when he faced a trial so severe that we despaired
• 52:55
  Speaker 1: even of life. Indeed, we felt we had received the
• 52:59
  Speaker 1: sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves,
• 53:02
  Speaker 1: but in God, who raises the dead. This experience taught
• 53:06
  Speaker 1: Paul a vital lesson about relying entirely on God. The
• 53:10
  Speaker 1: letter also reveals the transformative nature of the New Covenant.
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: In chapter three, verses seventeen and eighteen, Paul explains, now
• 53:20
  Speaker 1: the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of
• 53:23
  Speaker 1: the Lord is there is freedom. But we all, with
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: unveiled face beholding as in a mirror, the glory of
• 53:30
  Speaker 1: the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, from
• 53:34
  Speaker 1: glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
• 53:39
  Speaker 1: This progressive transformation is at the heart of the Christian life.
• 53:44
  Speaker 1: One of the most powerful themes of the letter is
• 53:47
  Speaker 1: strength made perfect in weakness. In chapter four, verses seven
• 53:51
  Speaker 1: to nine, Paul uses the metaphor of jars of clay.
• 53:55
  Speaker 1: But we have this treasure in jars of clay to
• 53:59
  Speaker 1: show the the surpassing power belongs to God and not
• 54:03
  Speaker 1: to us. We are hard pressed on every side, but
• 54:06
  Speaker 1: not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned,
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: struck down but not destroyed. This image reminds us that
• 54:17
  Speaker 1: our human weakness is not an obstacle for God, but
• 54:20
  Speaker 1: an opportunity for his power to be revealed. The letter
• 54:24
  Speaker 1: also teaches us about our future hope. In chapter five,
• 54:28
  Speaker 1: verses one and two, Paul speaks about our heavenly dwelling.
• 54:32
  Speaker 1: For we know that if our earthly house, this tent,
• 54:36
  Speaker 1: is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house
• 54:40
  Speaker 1: not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in
• 54:44
  Speaker 1: this we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling.
• 54:50
  Speaker 1: This hope strengthens us to endure present difficulties. Paul also
• 54:55
  Speaker 1: presents the ministry of reconciliation in chapter five, verses eighteen
• 54:58
  Speaker 1: and nineteen. Now all these things are from God, who
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave us
• 55:06
  Speaker 1: the ministry of reconciliation, that is, in Christ. God was
• 55:10
  Speaker 1: reconciling the world to himself, not counting their sins against them,
• 55:15
  Speaker 1: and He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
• 55:19
  Speaker 1: This ministry has been entrusted to every believer, making us
• 55:23
  Speaker 1: ambassadors for Christ. The letter teaches us fundamental principles about generosity.
• 55:29
  Speaker 1: In chapter nine, verse seven, Paul establishes each one should
• 55:33
  Speaker 1: give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly
• 55:37
  Speaker 1: or under compulsion, For God loves a cheerful giver. This
• 55:41
  Speaker 1: principle is reinforced by the promise in verse eight. And
• 55:45
  Speaker 1: God is able to make all grace abound to you,
• 55:48
  Speaker 1: so that always, having all sufficiency in all things, you
• 55:52
  Speaker 1: may abound in every good work do. One of the
• 55:55
  Speaker 1: deepest lessons from this letter comes from Paul's personal experience
• 55:59
  Speaker 1: with the thorn in the flesh. In chapter twelve, verses
• 56:03
  Speaker 1: nine and ten, we find God's response to his plea
• 56:06
  Speaker 1: for deliverance. My grace is sufficient for you, for my
• 56:11
  Speaker 1: power is made perfect in weakness, For when I am
• 56:15
  Speaker 1: weak than I am strong. This paradoxical spiritual truth continues
• 56:20
  Speaker 1: to be a source of comfort and strength for believers
• 56:24
  Speaker 1: in every generation. The letter also teaches us about the
• 56:27
  Speaker 1: nature of true spiritual authority. In chapter ten, verse eight,
• 56:32
  Speaker 1: Paul explains, for even if I boast somewhat more about
• 56:36
  Speaker 1: our authority, which the Lord has given us for edification
• 56:40
  Speaker 1: and not for your destruction, I will not be ashamed.
• 56:44
  Speaker 1: Genuine spiritual authority is always meant for building up, not
• 56:49
  Speaker 1: tearing down. Paul also addresses the importance of authenticity in ministry.
• 56:54
  Speaker 1: In Chapter four, verse two, he declares, rather, we have
• 56:59
  Speaker 1: renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not use deception,
• 57:03
  Speaker 1: nor do we distort the word of God. Instead, by
• 57:07
  Speaker 1: the open declaration of the truth, we commend ourselves to
• 57:10
  Speaker 1: every man's conscience in the sight of God. This integrity
• 57:15
  Speaker 1: should define every Christian ministry. The letter teaches us about
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: perseverance through hardships. In Chapter four, verses sixteen to eighteen,
• 57:24
  Speaker 1: Paul shares the secret to his endurance. Therefore, we do
• 57:29
  Speaker 1: not lose heart, even though our outer self is wasting away.
• 57:34
  Speaker 1: Yet our inner self is being renewed day by day,
• 57:37
  Speaker 1: For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us
• 57:40
  Speaker 1: an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we
• 57:44
  Speaker 1: do not look at the things that are seen, but
• 57:47
  Speaker 1: at the things that are unseen, For the things that
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: are seen are temporary, but the things that are unseen
• 57:56
  Speaker 1: are eternal. The importance of spiritual self examination is emphasized
• 58:01
  Speaker 1: in Chapter thirteen, verse five. Examine yourselves to see whether
• 58:06
  Speaker 1: you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: realize that Jesus Christ is in you, unless, of course,
• 58:13
  Speaker 1: you fail the test. This call to self examination is
• 58:17
  Speaker 1: essential for spiritual health. The final blessing of the letter
• 58:21
  Speaker 1: in chapter thirteen, verse fourteen, summarizes the fullness of the
• 58:26
  Speaker 1: Christian life. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
• 58:29
  Speaker 1: and the Love of God and the fellowship of the
• 58:32
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit be with you all. This trinitarian blessing reminds
• 58:39
  Speaker 1: us that the Christian life is centered on a relationship
• 58:42
  Speaker 1: with all three persons of the Trinity. The principles taught
• 58:46
  Speaker 1: in Second Corinthians remain vitally relevant for the Church to day.
• 58:51
  Speaker 1: This letter teaches us that God's power is made perfect
• 58:54
  Speaker 1: in our weakness, that grace is sufficient in all circumstances,
• 58:58
  Speaker 1: that we are transformed as we behold Christ's glory, and
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: that our mission is to be ambassadors of God's reconciliation
• 59:07
  Speaker 1: with the world. These truths continue to transform lives and
• 59:11
  Speaker 1: strengthen the Church in its mission to represent Christ to
• 59:14
  Speaker 1: the world. I hope to see you in our next video.
• 59:18
  Speaker 1: May God bless you abundantly. Amen.