Posted on May 22, 2018 in 1 & 2 Corinthians: A Walk of Immaturity Into Maturity |
Read 2 Corinthians 11:1-15
Paul asked the Corinthian believers to bear with him as he talked like a fool. In other words, Paul felt foolish rehearsing his credentials as a preacher of the Gospel. But he thought he had to do this in order to silence false teachers.
Posted on May 22, 2018 in 1 & 2 Corinthians: A Walk of Immaturity Into Maturity |
Read 2 Corinthians 10:1-18
Paul’s opponents questioned his authority. We know, from chapter 7, that the majority of Corinthian believers sided with Paul. However, a minority continued to slander him, saying that he was bold in his letters but had no authority in person. These last chapters are Paul’s response to this charge.
Posted on May 22, 2018 in 1 & 2 Corinthians: A Walk of Immaturity Into Maturity |
Read 2 Corinthians 9:1-15
Paul reminded the Corinthians to fulfill the commitment that they had already made. They had said that they would collect a financial gift to send to the church in Jerusalem. Paul was sending a few men ahead of him to make sure their gift was ready, so it would be a real gift and not look like people had to give under pressure at the last minute. He was holding them accountable to keep their promise, so that neither Paul nor the Corinthians would be embarrassed.
Posted on May 22, 2018 in 1 & 2 Corinthians: A Walk of Immaturity Into Maturity |
Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-24
During his third missionary journey, Paul had collected money for the impoverished believers in Jerusalem. The churches in Macedonia (Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea) had given money even though they were poor, and they had sacrificially given more than Paul expected. Although they were poor themselves, they wanted to help. The amount we give is not as important as why and how we give. God does not want us to give grudgingly. Instead, He wants us to give as these churches did; out of dedication to Christ, love for fellow believers, the joy of helping those in need, as well as the fact that it was simply the good and right thing to do. How well does your giving measure up to the standards set by the Macedonian churches?
Posted on May 16, 2018 in 1 & 2 Corinthians: A Walk of Immaturity Into Maturity |
Read 2 Corinthians 7:1-16
Cleansing is a two-fold action: turning away from sin, and turning toward God. The Corinthians were to have nothing to do with paganism. They were to make a clean break with their past and give themselves to God alone.
