A Study in II Corinthians Week 2

II Corinthians 2:1-17

The Corinthians had written Paul about some issues in their church. In his first letter, Paul addressed their disunity. In this letter, he addresses the issue of RECONCILIATION (a bookkeeping term wherein one spreadsheet is “reconciled” with another…to make them agree).

In chapter two of II Corinthians, Paul deals with 3 things: 1) his continued desire to visit them; 2) forgiveness for the both the sinner and each other; and 3) the nature of ministers of the New Covenant.

The Old Covenant was the covenant of The Law, designed by God to prepare the hearts of mankind for the New Covenant.

The New Covenant represents a “new” idea about how to be a part of God’s Kingdom. Only it’s not new at all. It is exactly what the Old Covenant continually pointed to: salvation through, and only through, God’s Messiah (Jesus).

The Verses

1-4 Paul wants the members of First Baptist Church of Corinth to know that he is not angry with them, but that he loves them and wants the best for them. That is what God wants for our church today…the best. He is not talking about “professionalism,” but the state of our hearts.

5-11 When one of us causes grief in the church, the whole church is affected…even those who don’t know about the grief. We don’t function as individuals, but as a body. When one part hurts, the whole body hurts.

We must be a forgiving people.

We all have our peculiarities and short comings. In our dealings with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to keep that in mind. If we don’t, we allow Satan to gain a foothold and to cause dissension among us. Reconciliation begins with forgiveness. That is the way we were reconciled with God through Christ. That is the way we must reconcile and be reconciled with others.

12-17 Paul was having trouble catching up with Titus. But while he was stressed over that, he gave praise to God for being able to spread the gospel wherever he did get to go. His reference to the aroma of Christ points back to Hosea 14:6 – a prophecy of the coming Messiah. Paul points out that to the saved, Christ is like the aroma of life. For the unsaved, Christ has the aroma of death, because without Him, death is their eternal destination.

Paul is clear that the preaching of the gospel is NOT for the purpose of monetary gain (and here he is not saying ministers may not be paid, but that when they are paid, their pay must not be their motive for ministering).


Remember: The gospel is the good news that “…while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).

A Study in II Corinthians Week 1

II Corinthians 1 1-24

You may hear that II Corinthians is actually an amalgamation of two or more letters. This is utter nonsense and is not supported either internally or externally to the letter.

While I Corinthians apparently resolved some of the problems of unity in Corinth, a new and potentially more dangerous threat soon arose. False teachers, claiming to be apostles sent by the Jerusalem church, arrived in Corinth and soon wooed many of the congregation away from their loyalty to the truth of Christ’s adequacy for salvation.

II Corinthians may be the least read book of the New Testament. That’s sad, because it is a book of great triumph and deep theology. It is the most complete exposition of the New Covenant outside of the book of Hebrews.

The theme of II Corinthians is RECONCILIATION. 1) Reconciliation with God; 2) Reconciliation with each other and 3) Reconciliation through Christ.

Reconciliation is a bookkeeping term. In bookkeeping, the books are not made right unless and until they are reconciled…that is, until each of their elements are in agreement – the bank’s and the company’s (or your check book).

The letter deals with three aspects of Christian life that evidence reconciliation: 1) Verses 1-7 Christian Living; 2) Verses 8-9 Christian Giving; 3) Verses 10-13 Christian Guarding.

The Verses

1-2 Paul restates his authority as an Apostle. If what you are doing is by the will of God, you’re in a wonderful place! (Timothy was Paul’s “son in the Lord.” Paul led him to Christ. Have you led anyone to Christ lately?) God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense—to you—from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Note the conjunction, “and.” It could refer to two different entities, or it could mean that God is both our father and our Lord Jesus Christ. In light of the rest of Scripture, I believe it means the latter.

3-7 Whatever you are going through, you can know the comfort of God. When you are comforted by God, you are totally comforted. If God’s comfort is not enough for you, you need to re-examine your relationship to Him through Christ.

8-11 No preacher in the history of the church has faced such intense persecution as did Paul, and in this letter he models how to handle suffering in the ministry.

12-14 Paul emphasized the importance of dealing with each other with integrity. He assured the church members that he was dealing with them in terms of God’s grace, not according to some complex theological system.

15-17 Paul had told the Corinthians that he was coming to see them, but he was prevented from doing so. He assured them that he did not break his word, he would, indeed, come to them as soon as circumstances enabled him to do so…and he did.

18-23 Hold on to your seats folks…this is EXCITING! The message Paul had for the Corinthians was not a washed out, wishy-washy religious philosophy, it was a vibrant, positive shout-out of the answer to the sin problem of the world.

Verse 19 tells us that Paul and Silas preached Jesus as the Son of God and as one about whom there could be no doubt. He has always been the “Yes” of God, demonstrating His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption.

Verse 20 states that all of God’s promises are fulfilled in Christ.

Michael Card has a song called, “The promise.”

The Lord God said when time was full
He would shine His light in the darkness.
He said a virgin would conceive;
And give birth to the Promise.

For a thousand years the dreamers dreamt.
And hoped to see His love.
The Promise showed their wildest dreams;
Had simply not been wild enough.
But the Promise showed their wildest dreams;
Had simply not been wild enough.

Chorus
The Promise was love and the Promise was life.
The Promise meant light to the world.
Living proof Jehovah saves
For the name of the Promise was Jesus.

The Faithful One saw time was full;
And the ancient pledge was honored.
So God the Son, the Incarnate One;
His final Word, His own Son;
Was born in Bethlehem

But came into our hearts to live.
What more could God have given?
Tell me what more did He have to give?
What more could God have given?
Tell me what more did He have to give?

Repeat Chorus

At last the proof Jehovah saves
For the name of the Promise was Jesus.

The message of II Corinthians is not the demand of the Law upon people to compel them to follow certain rules and regulations. When Christianity becomes that it always becomes a deadly, stultifying, dangerous thing. Unfortunately, it has become just that among many, many people.

The message is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God is the great “AMEN” of God.

“Amen” is a word that means, “So be it.”

In other words, here the Bible is saying, “That’s it!” “It’s done!”

We can now stand firm, not in our philosophies, theologies or imaginations, but in Christ.

He has anointed us.

He has set His seal of ownership on us and has “deposited” (note the continuation of the financial analogy) His in our hearts so that we are “guaranteed” what is to come: Life through Christ.

Paul explains that he did not avoid coming to Corinth to spite them, but to help them see that it was not his intention to control or command them.

They could get their leadership directly from God in the Person of the Holy Spirit.

Paul encourages us to stand firm in our faith…not to have faith in our faith, but faith in the Object of our faith: Jesus Christ.

A Study in I Corinthians Week 17

We have covered I Corinthians 15 before, so if you want to do so again it is at the end of this exam.

In the mean time, you should have no trouble acing this test.

I Corinthians Review and Final Exam

1. The theme of I Corinthians is: a) Rules to live by; b) Unity in the church; c) homosexuality as a mortal sin; d) a study of body parts

2. Paul received a letter from the members of the church at Corinth and concluded from it that: a) there was lots of sin going on; b) the church was in a building program; c) there was disunity in the church; d) the church of Corinth was close to being perfect

3. In chapter 2, Paul asserts that knowing nothing but Christ and him crucified leads to: a) a simple minded approach to church matters; b) unity in the church; c) anti-intellectualism; d) utter frustration

4. Chapter 3 finds Paul concerned about: a) spiritual immaturity causing divisions in the church; b) being wise Christians; c) keeping a list of who did what to whom; d) holding to the right philosophy of life.

5. Chapter 3 also encourages us to: a) follow the theologian with the best Biblical knowledge; b) follow Christ and Christ only; c) watch plenty of Christian TV so you can see lots of different worship forms; d) sing many different types of songs in worship

6. Paul’s admonition in chapter 4 to “imitate him” is: a) his ego hanging out; b) his attempt to control the congregation; c) his belief that following Christ only, as he does, is the best way to achieve unity; d) a pathway to stardom on America’s Got Talent

7. Paul tells us in chapter 5 that allowing immoral people to infiltrate the church is a good way to: a) give people variety in their acquaintances; b) makes for many points of view in deacons’ meetings; c) gives us a chance to witness to lost people; d) invites disunity in the church

8. Chapter 6 emphasizes that fighting and lawsuits among the brethren: a) invites disunity; b) helps poor lawyers, who need clients; c) gives people release from boredom; d) provides fodder for the mainstream media to castigate the church

9. In chapter 7, Paul uses the picture of God ordained marriage to illustrate a) how men and women differ; b) unity in the church; c) how to have a knock-down drag-out fight with your spouse; d) the importance of a church wedding

10. Freedom in Christ is emphasized in chapter 8. Paul says freedom: a) means we can do what we want, when we want; b) includes following the teachings of other religions; c) should never be exercised if it is going to cause disunity; d) is absolute in all circumstances

11. In chapter 9, Paul emphasizes the rights we have in Christ, but reminds us that we must never claim our rights if they cause: a) traffic problems on the Damascus Road; b) lawsuits among the brethren; c) issues with authorities; d) disunity in the Body of Christ

12. Chapter 11 exhorts us to worship: a) any way we please; b) with great enthusiasm; c) in an orderly way for the sake of unity; d) by clapping and raising our hands

13. The purpose of spiritual gifts is to help us: a) show off; b) be ecstatic in our utterances; c) draw attention to the church for those outside; d) achieve unity

14. According to chapter 13, if we treat each other with “agape” love: a) we will maintain unity in the church; b) struggle to keep quiet; c) be successful in life

15. Chapter 14 reminds us that God is a God of: a) confusion; b) extremes; c) peace and unity; d) unknowability

Answers: 1-b; 2-c; 3-b; 4-a; 5-b; 6-c; 7-d; 8-a; 9-b; 10-c; 11-d; 12-c; 13-d; 14-a; 15-c

I Corinthians 15

I Corinthians 15 is a pivotal chapter in the New Testament. It addresses one of the early heresies of the church: that there is no bodily resurrection.

The fact is, the resurrection of Christ is the most important part of the gospel, for as we will see, if there is no resurrection, there is no salvation.

The word resurrection is from the Greek: ανάστασις (anastosis) the standing up of a corpse. The resurrection is always referring to the physical, not the spiritual.

There were three prevailing philosophies: Stoicism (the soul merges into deity at death); Epicureanism (totally materialistic); Platonism (immortality and transmigration of the soul).

The Verses

Verses 12-19 Paul presents a series of seven “ifs.” (Seven is the number of completion and/or perfection) Paul is using logic here to present both a physical and a spiritual truth. (Remember how logical he was in Romans?)

Verses 20-28 Christ is the “firstfruits.” Firstfruits was a Jewish feast held in the early spring at the beginning of the grain harvest. It was observed on Nissan 16, which was the third day after Passover and the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Firstfruits was a time of thanksgiving for God’s provision. Remember Romans 5:12-14? Death is the final enemy we face on this earth. And that has been conquered by Christ’s resurrection. Verse 28 tells us that Christ will return to his place in the Godhead after the millennial reign.

Verses29-34 The whole of I Corinthians 15 concerns the resurrection from the dead. Paul cites the example of those who were baptized as a proof of the resurrection. Their actions symbolized their hope that they would live again. The resurrection is the hope of the dead. Baptism illustrates the hope of the resurrection. One who is baptized rises out of a watery grave, symbolic of the resurrection. Paul is thus saying, "What good is it to be baptized if we do not rise in a resurrection from the dead?” Why then should one be baptized for a hope that would never come true?" However, Paul affirms that, because Christ died and rose again, we have this true hope, the resurrection, to look forward to.

Verses 35-42 Think of yourself as a seed. You have all of the requisites for life…indeed, in a sense, you are alive but you are not what you will be. A seed must “die” and be buried to become the plant it is to be. If we do not die, we cannot become what Christ has willed us to become. If you sow wheat, wheat comes up, not corn. If Christ sows you as saved, you are saved to the uttermost.

Verses 43-49 We perish, our resurrected body won’t. We are weak, but we will be strong. Verse 44 contrasts the natural with the supernatural. We’ll have a totally different kind of body…one we cannot imagine.

Verses 50-52 We cannot inherit God’s kingdom if we do not first give up our present form. The “mystery” mentioned here is that which is now revealed. In the Old Testament it was unrevealed. In the New Testament it is revealed. A twinkling of the eye is faster than a blink. A twinkle is the reflection of a light ray, and travels at 186,000 miles per second! That’s fast.

Verses 53-58 We’re going to be changed! If we are not changed, we cannot be in Heaven with God. But we do not need to fear death! The grave would like to win, but it will not! Christ has already walked the waters of death for you and me. He’ll bring us into eternity! In Christ, we are victors!

A Study in I Corinthians Week 16

I Corinthians 14:26-40 (A continuation from last week)

We’re continuing our study of Paul’s response to the First Baptist Church of Corinth, who had written him about some church issues. Paul use his response to express the importance of unity in the church.

Although there are some great doctrinal issues in I Corinthians, we must always remember that Paul’s reason for bringing them up is to illustrate practically how to achieve that unity.

The Verses

01. 26-28 Whatever our abilities or gifts, they should be used for the “strengthening” of the Body of Christ, the church. We’ll be putting this into practice on our next “Great Day.” We’ll have multiple speakers, in different languages, each of whom will interpret for the other. Paul implies that it would be divisive to have a speaker in a foreign language (tongue) with no interpreter around.

PAUL WOULD ENCOURAGE THE USE OF AN ORDER OF WORSHIP.

02. 29-33 Simple: There should not be two or more people speaking at once. That does not bring unity, but cacophony. “For God is not the author of disorder (confusion), but of peace.

03. 34-35 Remember, women had never been allowed to even be in with the men, let alone speak out in their presence.

(We recoil at the treatment of Muslim women by the religion of Islam, but it
is not so far removed from the treatment of women by ancient Jews).

This had been the practice in every congregation. Paul allows them in, but
implores them to follow convention, not to disrupt the congregation with
“far-out” participation.

That they are encouraged to “ask their husbands” assumes the husband to be
spiritually educated and spiritually minded.

The word translated “disgraceful” is δυσφημία (dusphemia): the condition of
one who is defamed ill-repute, and the action of one who uses disgraceful
language.

04. 36-38 In effect, Paul is saying: “Surely a person as spiritually intelligent as you can see that I’m right.”

05. This is the second time Paul has brought up the need for order. Remember, all Scripture is important, but when it says something twice, listen up!

Consider the orderliness of the building of the temple in I Kings 6ff.

Consider the laying out of the tents of Israel in Numbers 2.

Consider the arrangement of the people at the fall of Jericho in Joshua 6.

God is infinitely organized and has implored us to be organized, too.