Bible verse references for Sunday’s Hope Against Hope talk.
Gen 15:3-4, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house will be my heir.” 4 Now the word of the LORD came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.” 

Gen 17:19 But God said, “...Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm my covenant with him as a permanent covenant for his future offspring.”

Gen 21 “...and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had told him. 3 Abraham named his son who was born to him—the one Sarah bore to him—Isaac.”  

 Romans 4:17 when he described God as “...the one who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist.”  

Gen 17:19 But God said, “...Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm my covenant with him as a permanent covenant for his future offspring.”
Gen 22:5 “...you stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go up there. We will worship, then we will return to you.” 

Gen 22:11-14 And the angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham! Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 And he said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the boy; do not do anything to him… 
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked. And behold, a ram was caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place “Yahweh will provide.”

Hebrews 11:3 “...what is seen is not made out of things that are visible.” 

Luke 12:12 “ For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said.”

2 Thes 5:24 “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”   

2 Cor.12:8,9-10  “Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness…”10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. “

2 Tim 1:7  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment. 

1 Cor 3:16 and 6:19 reassures me that no matter what else my body may be (blind, sick, old, broken) it is also a temple - a dwelling place of God. His Spirit and His life dwell in me.  Eph 5:30 says I am a member of Christ’s Body.
1 Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

1 Cor 6:19 Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own;

Eph 5:30 because we are members of his body.



​

• In 2 Corinthians 8–9, Paul is challenging the Corinthians to be involved in the ministry of giving.
• He is wanting them to take up the collection that is going to minister to the church in Jerusalem.
• The process that he carries out here is unpacking a number of OT passages that actually give principles for how a person or a church is supposed to give.[1]

APPEAL TO COMPLETE THE COLLECTION
2 CORINTHIANS 9
6 The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.

• This idea comes from:
• Proverbs 22:8 - The one who sows injustice will reap disaster, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.[2]
• Hosea 8:7 - Indeed, they sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. [3]
• You are going to get what out of it whatever you put into it.
• Romans study.

7 Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion (not by feelings or pressure), since God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. 9 As it is written:
He distributed freely;
he gave to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever. (Psalm 112:9)
10 Now the one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will also provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

• “This ministry that you’re carrying out”—he’s talking there about the ministry of giving; of being involved in meeting the needs of other people.
• He says, “It is not only doing that—it’s not only meeting people’s needs—but it’s also having a bigger impact so that people are being made thankful to God because of the ministry that’s being stimulated in this context of faithful giving.”

13 Because of the proof provided by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedient confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone.

• They are using money as a tool for the advancement of the kingdom—it is a form of confession of agreeing that the good news of Jesus Christ is true, and their lives are manifesting the truth of the gospel by the way they are handling their resources.[4]
• It comes down to trusting the principle of the harvest.

14 And as they pray on your behalf, they will have deep affection for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

• We have much to celebrate because of what God is doing through you.
• Contribution statements
• Voice Message from Logan

 
PAUL’S APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY

• Now, in chapters 10–13, we hear a very different tone from Paul because he is confronting, and he’s even sarcastic at places.[5]
• He is confronting the false teachers.

2 CORINTHIANS 10
1 Now I, Paul, myself, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble among you in person but bold toward you when absent. 2 I beg you that when I am present I will not need to be bold with the confidence by which I plan to challenge certain people who think we are living according to the flesh.

• When Paul founded the church at Corinth, his purpose was to exalt Christ and not himself (1 Cor. 2:1–5).
• Christians usually grow the way they are born. If they are born in an atmosphere of dictatorial leadership, they grow up depending on man’s wisdom and strength.
• If they are born in an atmosphere of humility and love, they learn to depend on the Lord.
• Paul wanted his converts to trust the Lord, and not the servant; so he deliberately “played down” his own authority and ability.[6]

3 For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, 4 since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds.

• The language that he uses here is of a specific kind of warfare, and it is called siege warfare.
• In the ancient world, if you had a city, normally you built a large wall around the city as the major line of defense.
• And therefore, when you were fighting an enemy and you were going to capture a city, what you had to do is lay siege to the city.
• Ephesians 6:12 - 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.[7]

We demolish arguments 5 and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. 6 And we are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

• Notice that Paul’s emphasis is on issues of the thoughts.
• Theological issues are really critical in what is going on because people are going to live out of the way they think.
• So Paul talks about tearing down the wall of their ideas.
• Secondly, capturing the enemy soldiers was a second step in siege warfare.
• Paul says, “We take every thought captive, resulting in obedience to Christ.” And then he says, [essentially,] that once that happens, “What we are going to do is we are going to, in essence, prosecute the enemy soldiers.”
• Paul says, “We stand ready to punish every disobedient act once your obedience is complete.”[8]

7 Look at what is obvious. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, let him remind himself of this: Just as he belongs to Christ, so do we.

• He starts with “If anyone has convinced himself.”
• One of the ways that Paul refers to these false teachers is by using a very ambiguous idea of “anyone” or a certain person.
• He does not even do them the dignity of naming them; he just leaves it kind of ambiguous.
• And he says, [essentially,] “If these people are claiming to be from Christ, they need to consider the fact that we really are from Christ.”[9]

8 For if I boast a little too much about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be put to shame.

• The false teachers were boasting about their own accomplishments.
• Paul is boasting in the Lord who gave him the authority over teaching the Corinthians.

9 I don’t want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters. 10 For it is said, “His letters are weighty and powerful, but his physical presence is weak and his public speaking amounts to nothing.” 11 Let such a person consider this: What we are in our letters, when we are absent, we will also be in our actions when we are present.

• Evidently, people were saying, “Yeah, Paul can write these really powerful letters.”
• And people get this response going through these powerful letters, but then they go on and point out he’s really “a pushover in person, and his public speaking is disgraceful.”
• Public speakers, and so much of that kind of professional speaker tradition was about looking good and speaking powerfully and being able to move people with your words.
• But they were often criticized as having very little content in their speaking.
• They just can really wow the crowd, but they really don’t have a biblical content and theological content in what they’re doing.
• In chapter 13, he’s going to point out that when he arrives in Corinth, the power of Christ is going to bring these people in line.[10]

12 For we don’t dare classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves, they lack understanding.

• He says that they are overstepping ministry boundaries; they’re getting into areas that they have not been assigned by the Lord.
• The boasting these opponents were doing involved them commending themselves in a way that they were standing up and they were bragging about their own accomplishments.
• Paul says they were classifying and comparing themselves to each other.
• And this is a human standard, where we’re tempted to kind of line ourselves up next to somebody else and say, “Look how great I am” by perhaps tearing them down.
• So you have the standards there very much on a human level.
• So what these false teachers are doing is they are comparing themselves by others who are kind of in their own league, and Paul is saying that’s really not an appropriate spiritual way to think about who is qualified for ministry.
• He actually calls these guys “clueless.”
• He says [that] when the false teachers are playing this comparison game with one another, it basically is showing that they are spiritually dull-headed.
• They really don’t get spiritual perception and discernment.
• So he is saying that this is not the right way to approach Christian ministry—to compare yourself with others.
• There’s another standard that needs to be in play, and that is what the Lord considers worthy of boasting about.[11]

13 We, however, will not boast beyond measure but according to the measure of the area of ministry that God has assigned to us, which reaches even to you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we had not reached you, since we have come to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 We are not boasting beyond measure about other people’s labors. On the contrary, we have the hope that as your faith increases, our area of ministry will be greatly enlarged, 16 so that we may preach the gospel to the regions beyond you without boasting about what has already been done in someone else’s area of ministry. 17 So let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord., 18 For it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but the one the Lord commends. [12]

• In other words, “Let’s not play this comparison game that these false teachers are doing.
• Let’s focus on the work of God and be faithful in the work that God has given us to do and allow the Lord to commend us rather than us trying to just brag about our own accomplishments.”[13]

[1] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[2] Christian Standard Bible (Pr 22:8). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Christian Standard Bible (Ho 8:7). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[5] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[6] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 664). Victor Books.
[7] Christian Standard Bible (Eph 6:12). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[9] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[10] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[11] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[12] Christian Standard Bible (2 Co 9:6–10:18). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[13] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.

• Remember, he’s traveling through the area of Macedonia as he writes 2 Corinthians, and he’s going to use the Macedonians as a positive example of how to get this right.[1]

APPEAL TO COMPLETE THE COLLECTION
2 CORINTHIANS 8
1 We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that was given to the churches of Macedonia:

• What he wants them to see is that the Macedonians’ giving is an expression of God’s grace.
• The word we translate as “grace” at times could just simply mean attractiveness, charm, winsomeness, thanks, [or] thankfulness.
• It could speak of a gift or a benefit, it could speak of favor that someone gave to someone else, or it could speak of help.[2]
• But I think here it speaks of God’s ability to do amazing things through believers… in His strength.

2 During a severe trial brought about by affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

• He says it was a “severe test” that was the context that really prompted their giving.
• But they also were people who gave out of their poverty, which is very interesting.
• They didn’t have very much to begin with.
• They were in deep poverty, which means “rock-bottom destitution.”
• But their circumstances did not hinder them from giving. In fact, they gave joyfully and liberally![3]

3 I can testify that, according to their ability and even beyond their ability, of their own accord, 4 they begged us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints, 5 and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us by God’s will.

• Giving was a normal aspect of piety for Jews.
• They had ultimately set a pattern for the Gentiles.

6 So we urged Titus that just as he had begun, so he should also complete among you this act of grace.
7 Now as you excel in everything—in faith, speech, knowledge, and in all diligence and in your love for us—excel also in this act of grace. 8 I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

• One of things that is amazing when you think about the gospel and the way God initiated renewing the world [is that] it is counterintuitive to how we do things as human beings.
• It seems as Jesus would always do the unexpected.
• But what God is doing is He is setting up a way of taking over the world that is not by military might.
• It’s by transformation, and transformation that would make people servants to others and carry the gospel into the world in a way that is upside down.
• It’s by servanthood rather than by military might.[4]

10 And in this matter I am giving advice because it is profitable for you, who began last year not only to do something but also to want to do it. 11 Now also finish the task, so that just as there was an eager desire, there may also be a completion, according to what you have. 12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 It is not that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality.

• Some people will interpret this as Paul was teaching communism.
• But what Paul was teaching was purely volunteerism which is not communism.
• Their giving was voluntary and spontaneous.
• It was of grace, not pressure.
• They gave because they wanted to give and because they had experienced the grace of God.
• Grace not only frees us from our sins, but it frees us from ourselves.
• The grace of God will open your heart and your hand.[5]
• What he’s talking about is being sensitive (or listen to the Spirit) to the needs of others so that when we have a surplus, we are sensitive to those needs that are out there so that their needs can be met by the way that God has blessed us.[6]

14 At the present time your surplus is available for their need, so that their abundance may in turn meet your need, in order that there may be equality. 15 As it is written: The person who had much did not have too much, and the person who had little did not have too little.

• And the idea in that passage is even distribution: Make sure that everybody in the community has their basic needs met.[7]

 
ADMINISTRATION OF THE COLLECTION
16 Thanks be to God, who put the same concern for you into the heart of Titus. 17 For he welcomed our appeal and, being very diligent, went out to you by his own choice. 18 We have sent with him the brother who is praised among all the churches for his gospel ministry.

• The first brother who’s mentioned in verse 18 is a person who has been “universally praised throughout all the churches for his gospel work.”
• So this is someone who had a sterling reputation.
• He was deeply committed to the gospel, and he had been tagged by the churches to be a companion of Paul on this trip.[8]

19 And not only that, but he was also appointed by the churches to accompany us with this gracious gift that we are administering for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. 20 We are taking this precaution so that no one will criticize us about this large sum that we are administering. 21 Indeed, we are giving careful thought to do what is right, not only before the Lord but also before people.

• We should ask ourselves with regard to our handling of resources and our public witness, ‘Do we act with such sterling integrity that we allay suspicion of our motives and promote a positive witness before both a watching world and our God?’
• That’s the kind of integrity we need to have even in doing basic aspects of administration in ministry. [9]

22 We have also sent with them our brother. We have often tested him in many circumstances and found him to be diligent—and now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and coworker for you; as for our brothers, they are the messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24 Therefore, show them proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you. [10]
 
2 CORINTHIANS 9
1 Now concerning the ministry to the saints, it is unnecessary for me to write to you. 2 For I know your eagerness, and I boast about you to the Macedonians, “Achaia has been ready since last year,” and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you in this matter would not prove empty, and so that you would be ready just as I said.

• He doesn’t want the collection to be something that is still waiting in the wings.
• He wants it to be prepared so that the Corinthians are not shamed and he himself is not shamed because he’s been bragging on the Corinthians, [saying] that they would be ready.
• Evidently, he had even bragged to the Macedonians and said, “Hey, look. The Achaeans are going to do this; they’re going to follow through. They’ve been anxious to participate in giving since last year.”[11]

4 Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we, not to mention you, would be put to shame in that situation. 5 Therefore I considered it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance the generous gift you promised, so that it will be ready as a gift and not as an extortion.[12]

• He wants to set the Corinthians up for responding spiritually in a way that is out of generosity of spirit rather than out of stinginess.
• If Paul and the others had come to town eventually and the Corinthians were not ready, it might seem like they are grudgingly having to come up with some money to contribute.
• But if he can help them spiritually get ready, then they can give out of a generous spirit.

They can do it as an act of worship because they’ve been well prepared by [for] it.[13]

[1] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[2] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 655). Victor Books.
[4] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[5] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 655). Victor Books.
[6] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[7] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[8] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[9] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[10] Christian Standard Bible (2 Co 8:1–24). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[11] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[12] Christian Standard Bible (2 Co 9:1–5). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[13] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.

2 CORINTHIANS 6
16 For we are the temple of the living God, as God said:
I will dwell
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.,
17 Therefore, come out from among them
and be separate, says the Lord;
do not touch any unclean thing,
and I will welcome you.,
18 And I will be a Father to you,
and you will be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty., [1]
 
2 CORINTHIANS 7
1 So then, dear friends, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

JOY AND REPENTANCE
2 Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, corrupted no one, taken advantage of no one. 3 I don’t say this to condemn you, since I have already said that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 I am very frank with you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in all our afflictions.
5 In fact, when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest. Instead, we were troubled in every way: conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus, 7 and not only by his arrival but also by the comfort he received from you. He told us about your deep longing, your sorrow, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more. 8 For even if I grieved you with my letter, I don’t regret it. And if I regretted it—since I saw that the letter grieved you, yet only for a while--9 I now rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death. 11 For consider how much diligence this very thing—this grieving as God wills—has produced in you: what a desire to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what deep longing, what zeal, what justice! In every way you showed yourselves to be pure in this matter. 12 So even though I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong, or because of the one who was wronged, but in order that your devotion to us might be made plain to you in the sight of God. 13 For this reason we have been comforted.
In addition to our own comfort, we rejoiced even more over the joy Titus had, because his spirit was refreshed by all of you. 14 For if I have made any boast to him about you, I have not been disappointed; but as I have spoken everything to you in truth, so our boasting to Titus has also turned out to be the truth. 15 And his affection toward you is even greater as he remembers the obedience of all of you, and how you received him with fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice that I have complete confidence in you. [2]

[1] Christian Standard Bible (2 Co 6:16–18). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Christian Standard Bible (2 Co 7). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.

• Let’s get a running start and backup a few verses.

2 CORINTHIANS 5
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

• A transformation has taken place.
• Do you recognize it?
• Do you turn back to your flesh for a season?

18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. [1]
 
2 CORINTHIANS 6
1 Working together with him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive the grace of God in vain.”

• Can you abuse grace? No
• Can you misunderstand grace? Yes
• I’m begging you… pleading with you.

2 For he says:
At an acceptable time, I listened to you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.
See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!

• All over Corinth the believers were spread out in the region.
• False teachers were numerous.
• Sexual sin was active.
• Paul’s followers have one foot in and one foot out.

 
THE CHARACTER OF PAUL’S MINISTRY
3 We are not giving anyone an occasion for offense, so that the ministry will not be blamed.

• The purpose of this list that we find in this passage is they are marking his ministry as uniquely authentic because he is following along in the suffering of Christ.[2]

4 Instead, as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything: by great endurance, by afflictions, by hardships, by difficulties,

• You think ministry is stressful?
• People ask me all the time, “What do you do with everyone’s ‘stuff’?” – It’s not my “stuff”.
• Good people around me.
• But I truly believe what I teach.

5 by beatings, by imprisonments, by riots, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times of hunger,

• As Paul traveled around the Mediterranean area.

6 by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God;

• This is how we deal with all the “stuff”
• We can have all kinds of support ministry and tactics to deal with issues… but this, my friends, is where it is at… the power of God.
• Do not substitute programs, accountability and self-discipline for the power of God.

through weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, 8 through glory and dishonor, through slander and good report; regarded as deceivers, yet true; 9 as unknown, yet recognized; as dying, yet see—we live; as being disciplined, yet not killed; 10 as grieving, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet enriching many; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

• Compare this list of suffering by Paul and his disciples to today’s understanding of a “successful church”.
• Today’s church only reports the good.
• So Paul is saying that, really, the mark of authentic ministry are hardships.[3]
• I’m OK with being labeled “the little church that meets in the bar”, “the place that harbors sinners”, “the place that only teaches grace”, “the place that has no ministry programs”.
• Because I know the Truth and I know what I have in this little room and I am so thankful for you.

11 We have spoken openly to you, Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide. 12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us.

• Reciprocation was a huge understanding in the Corinth society.

13 I speak as to my children; as a proper response, open your heart to us.

• Today, we want to do a quick survey.
• Give away videos
• Share stories in the room.

 
SEPARATION TO GOD
14 Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15 What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols?

• Paul is pretty straightforward here.
• This passage has always been interpreted as don’t marry an unbeliever.
• It is in reference to intimate/close relationships.
• Relationships that impact both parties.
• I encourage relationships with unbelievers as long as the believer is having impact on the unbeliever.
• I discourage relationships with unbelievers if the believer is being impacted by the unbeliever.

For we are the temple of the living God, as God said:
I will dwell
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
17 Therefore, come out from among them
and be separate, says the Lord;
do not touch any unclean thing,
and I will welcome you.
18 And I will be a Father to you,
and you will be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.[4]

• Paul uses several passages here from the Old Testament because God told the Israelites to remain clean and separated.
• You have been made holy!
• Holy – sanctified – set apart
• We are not like the world… we are aliens.
• We will be made fun of… we will be challenged… we will be called out.
• But remember who you are in Christ.
• You are the redeemed. You are the holy.
• The Lord God dwells inside of you.
• When you acknowledge your true identity… it causes you to desire different things than the world desires.
• It causes you to be focused on Jesus rather than yourself or the world.

[1] Christian Standard Bible (2 Co 5:17–21). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[3] Guthrie, G. H. (2018). NT337 Book Study: Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. Lexham Press.
[4] Christian Standard Bible (2 Co 6). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.