Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture- 2 Cor 8-13
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: Good to see you today. My name is Philip Thomas, Pastor of Journey here in Elgin, and we are continuing our journey through scripture. We are in 2nd Corinthians. We're going to finish out the ⁓ letter. So 2nd Corinthians ⁓ 8 through 13. 2nd Corinthians 8 through 13. All right, so as we get into this, 8 and 9, ⁓ Paul is talking about the ⁓ collection that he is getting. He's collecting from the churches that he has started. By this time he's ⁓ about to go on his third missionary journey. He's gonna be coming back through ⁓ and he's collecting ⁓ a an offering for the church in Jerusalem. ⁓ that they need that. They they are struggling and they needed ⁓ some help. ⁓ but I think Paul sees more than just that because he really emphasizes it here. He sees this as the coming together of what the kingdom of God is supposed to be. Because what is the church in Jerusalem? Well it is strictly Jewish Christians, right? ⁓ that they would consider themselves Jews who believed that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. ⁓ but th at this time they still believed themselves as Jews, even though they were being persecuted by Jews because they believed that Jesus was the Messiah. And so Paul has been going to the Gentiles, ⁓ which the Gentiles had persecuted Jews. Jews did not look highly upon Gentiles, called them dogs. ⁓ and And so now you had both Jews and Gentiles coming to know Christ. And what and Paul, of course, is dealing mainly with Gentiles, but but with Jews as well. But a a lot of Gentiles have started to follow Christ. And he sees this as a wonderful opportunity to support each other. And ⁓ you know, that that it does show that the the message of the Messiah is extending beyond the Jewish people to the rest of the world. And so he really emphasizes ⁓ that. Amen. So as you ⁓ look, there's a couple things here in ⁓ chapter eight. ⁓ it says, Brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed upon the churches of Macedonia, that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their l liberality. So the churches in Macedonia were much more impoverished than the church in Corinth, but yet they were giving ⁓ money to help support. ⁓ the church in Jerusalem. And so he's bringing that to ⁓ the Corinthian church's it ⁓ attention. We don't know, it it kind of feels like he's probably heard a few things that maybe they don't want to give. I don't know. The Corinthian church had a lot of problems. ⁓ they it does appear that they do end up giving and supporting ⁓ the the cause. ⁓ it says verse three, for I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing. ⁓ imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of ministering with the saints. Verse seven, but as you abound in everything, in faith, and speech, and knowledge, and all diligence, and in your love for us, see that you abound in this grace also. So again, he's encouraging them to participate with the other churches and to give. ⁓ Verse eight, ⁓ I speak not by commandment, but by testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. For you know that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he rich ⁓ for your sakes became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich. ⁓ so again, he's he's making a a a big point that ⁓ this should be a natural expression ⁓ of your love for Christ, of what Christ has done for you, that you should desire to help those who are in need of help ⁓ whenever you can ⁓ when you can be of service. ⁓ verse thirteen. For I do not mean that others should be eased by your burden, but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance may also supply your lack, that there may be equality as it is written, he who gathered much has nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack, so that they help each other ⁓ as best that they are able to. He continues to cut go ⁓ talk about the the collection for the the saints. ⁓ verse five of chapter nine says, Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. So I I think he's probably heard some rumblings and he says, Listen, I'm I'm gonna be coming. I I I don't want to deal with this when I get there, you know, y'all figure this out. ⁓ verse six, ⁓ chapter nine. But this I say, He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he proposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. Verse ten Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality which causes thanksgiving through us to God. ⁓ right so he again ⁓ he's talking about the the heart of of giving, ⁓ of being a cheerful giving, not doing it grudgingly, but doing it out of ⁓ out of your response to what you have received in Christ. ⁓ then we get to chapter ten ⁓ through thirteen. ⁓ again the the tone the the subject changes. This is why people think that this may be a comp compilation of of letters. ⁓ Paul here is dealing with ⁓ clearly ⁓ issues in the Corinthian church that is challenging his ⁓ authority. ⁓ we've seen that before and the these chapters talk about that and tall p Paul talk spends a lot of time talking about boasting, ⁓ boasting in Christ. He defends himself, ⁓ and ⁓ he gets pretty pretty angry ⁓ at times. ⁓ but th this is some of the same issues that he's seen at other churches with people trying to undermine his ⁓ teaching by ⁓ by trying to claim that Paul doesn't have the authority ⁓ to tell them ⁓ tell them how to live and and especially in Corinth because Corinth was known for ⁓ not living a godly life they were a very paganistic secular immoral place and and so there that caused there to be lots of issues there in the church ⁓ and many are trying to cause issues While Paul is gone by demeaning his importance. So he starts off in chapter ten, ⁓ talking about how this is a spiritual war, ⁓ that that they are battling spiritual forces. Yes, it's manifesting in people ⁓ saying things and trying to diminish Paul, ⁓ but this is a spiritual battle. Verse three, for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare. are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments, and every high thing that exalt itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. So he's saying, Listen, there are people that are giving you different ideas and different knowledge, and you have to take that captive and you have to test it According to God, according to God's word. and it it talks about ⁓ that there are strongholds, ⁓ carnal strongholds that are trying to keep us ⁓ from fully ⁓ engaging and living in the life that Christ has called us to live in. That is what the spiritual battle is all about. And we need to take every thought captive. So when we look at ⁓ what everything, right? ⁓ all the different issues of our day. We need to take them captive and compare them ⁓ to what the Word of God says to determine if they are ⁓ true or not. ⁓ and what is happening here is there are people that are ⁓ teaching new ideas to the Corinthians or telling them that Paul's ideas aren't valid, trying to get them to go back to their old way of life. ⁓ He talks ⁓ again about his authority and ⁓ verse 17, but he who glories, let him glory in the Lord, for not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends. So so when Paul even is talking about himself, he's actually saying that this is coming from the Lord. Paul is concerned about their faithfulness, about how ⁓ the Corinthians will live their lives. ⁓ verse eleven, ⁓ or chapter eleven, excuse me, chapter eleven. ⁓ verse one, O that you would bear with me in a little folly, and indeed you do bear with me, for I am jealous for you with a godly jealous jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, Or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it. So he is scared that they are going to listen to these false teachers. ⁓ verse five, for I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But what ⁓ but we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things. He's like, listen, listen to me. Maybe I don't have the Worldly corin ⁓ credentials, but I have the knowledge that comes from Christ. Verse twelve. But what I do I will also continue to do, that I may ⁓ cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ, and no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, ⁓ whose end will come according to their words. Again, so we we have to be very aware of this, that there are those who masquerade as ministers of truth and and of love, but yet they are preaching a false gospel, that they are not preaching. The Jesus that we find in Scripture. That's why we have to take every thought captive, every teaching captive, every idea captive, and compare it to what we find in Scripture. He continues to go on talking about boasting, ⁓ about his, you know, that he ⁓ is of of his concern that he has for the Corinthians, verse ⁓ thirty. It says, If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is blessed forever knows that I am not lying. He has just recently listed all the difficulties that he's gone through because of being an apostle. In Damascus, the governor ⁓ was guarding the city of Damasenes with a garrison desiring to arrest me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands, right? So he he's just listed all the difficulties that he's gone through. and and he says, that's what I boast in about the ch the challenges that I've gone through because of Christ. I don't boast and say, look at all the ⁓ all that God has given me. I don't whenever I've ⁓ have a good financial gain or receive praise, I don't boast in that. I boast in what God is doing even in my weakness. ⁓ chapter twelve, starting in verse seven. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above the measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities than the power ⁓ that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches and needs and persecutions and distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. So he is again changing his perspective that those weaknesses that Christ will actually use those to make him strong. you know, people talk a lot about what the thorn in his flesh was. Was it a physical ailment, an injury, a sickness? We we really don't know. ⁓ one interesting thought is that it may be that he is a widow, that he's he has lost his his wife, and so it would have been his grieving of that that was the thorn in his flesh. We we we have no idea. ⁓ but whatever it was, it's something that is that that is on his mind constantly, right? So it's either a constant burden, something that is always there, that has not been completely taken away. And and so he is ⁓ boasting even in that. Weakness. ⁓ Verse twenty says this is chapter twelve, verse twenty, for I fear so this again this is where he's going to talk about what he fears could happen to the Corinthians if they are listening to these false teachers. For I fear lest when I come I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish. Lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults, lest when I come again my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before me and have not repented of the uncleanliness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced. So he's worried and he's getting word that they are going back to their old ways. ⁓ I am in chapter verse two, chapter thirteen, I have told you before, and I foretell as if I were present a second time, and now being absent I write to those who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare, since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak towards you, but mighty in you. For though he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by the power of God, for we are also weak in him. But we shall live in him by the power of God towards you. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. So look, test yourself. Evaluate your behavior. Check it against the word of God. Check it against the way that Christ has called us to live. That's something that's important for all of us. Sometimes we just get ⁓ into patterns and destructive patterns, and we don't take a step back to test ourselves and to make sure that we are still living the life that Christ has called us to live. All right, we're gonna stop there. ⁓ we're going to start we're gonna get into Romans. So let's do ⁓ Romans one through Probably four. ⁓ maybe five. So go ahead and read Romans one through five and we will start ⁓ looking at Romans