Yesterday we began taking a look at an experience the Apostle Paul had when he was pelted with rocks at Lystra, dragged outside the city gates, and left in the dust for dead. His enemies thought he was dead, and it's likely they were right. Paul says he can't say for sure whether he was dead or alive; all he knows is that he saw a vision of heaven and heard things there that are too awesome to repeat.
He says he was caught up to the "third heaven". (2 Corinthians 12:2) The people of his day considered the atmosphere above them to be the first heaven, outer space as the second heaven, and the dwelling of God (or the gods if you were a pagan) as the third heaven. It was a common concept in ancient times to describe big ideas or holy things in an ascending order of threes. This is similar to the idea of the three different holy places we find in the Scriptures. For example, the outer portion of the temple was considered "holy", the room within the veil where only the high priest could go was the "holy holy" (sometimes referred to as the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies), and God's throne was the "holy holy holy"---the pinnacle of holy spaces. (Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:8)
So Paul is saying he was caught up to the holiest of all holy places, straight to the throne room of God, and that while there he heard "inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell". (2 Corinthians 12:4) I would love to know what he heard, but his human mind was unable to put what he heard into words. Plus he was forbidden either by commandment or by reverence for God to repeat it. The Apostle John also heard words he was forbidden to repeat when the Lord Jesus gave him the revelation of things to come. John was commanded by the Lord to write down the things he was going to see and hear during this revelation, but there was one experience he was not allowed to write about. John says he heard seven thunders speaking: "And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, 'Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.'" (Revelation 10:4)
Did Paul and John hear the same things? We don't know. What did they hear? It's not lawful for us to know because God does not want us to know, at least not while we live in the flesh. Some scholars think Paul and John may have heard the real name of God, a name so holy that no human being is permitted to speak it or write it. There is some evidence to back up this theory, for in Revelation 19:12 we learn that Christ has a name "that no one knows but He Himself". Whatever this name is, perhaps it completely and perfectly sums up everything about the character of our Lord. And whatever this name is, it has never been blasphemed by anyone. I am thankful that my Redeemer has a name that no one can ever abuse. He endured enough abuse while He walked the earth in the flesh; He deserves a name no one can take in vain or use as a curse word.
Earlier in the week we found Paul doing what he called "boasting" about the things he's endured while serving the Lord and while serving the believers. He considers all boasting about human accomplishments to be foolish unless those accomplishments were made possible by the Lord. So he says today that he will not boast about himself, but he will boast about his weaknesses. So he boasts about the man (himself) who while likely dead was caught up to heaven, "I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations." (2 Corinthians 12:5-7a)
Paul says, "I would not be sinning if I boasted about my experience because I'd be telling the truth. I really did enter heaven and I really did hear things that no human being is permitted to hear. But telling this story far and wide might elevate me too high in people's eyes. I'm just a regular human being and I don't want anyone to deify me in any way. Plus I don't want to think more of myself than I should." The Lord doesn't want Paul to think more of himself than he should either, and tomorrow we will study about a permanent difficulty the Lord placed in Paul's life to prevent him from becoming prideful.
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Friday, October 12, 2018
Paul's Second Letter To The Church At Corinth. Day 29, Paul's Near Death Experience, Part One
The first time I ever heard of near death experiences was when I checked out a book from my elementary school library back in the early 1980s. I was fascinated with what sounds like proof of life after death. While some people have admitted they made their near death stories up, the stories of others seem to be irrefutable. They saw and heard things in the emergency room or operating room that occurred after they had already been pronounced dead.
Actually, the term "near death" is a misnomer, since most of those who have experienced this phenomena were clinically dead. They had no pulse, no heartbeat, no breath, and no brain activity. It would be more accurate to call these phenomena "after death" experiences. Today the Apostle Paul is going to relate his own account of such an experience. He will say he isn't certain whether he was actually dead or still clinging to life when he saw his vision of heaven. He wasn't in a modern emergency room or operating room when it happened, so there was no one with the medical expertise and equipment to ascertain his lack of brain activity, but I think the evidence points to the conclusion that he actually was dead.
You will recall from yesterday's study that Paul was talking about the things he had suffered for the sake of the gospel. He was contrasting himself with the false apostles who were trying to lead the believers astray. The false apostles may have endured some forms of persecution and hardship simply because they claimed to be Christians, but it's likely they shied away from suffering whenever possible. Their hearts weren't true to the Lord or to the people they were pretending to serve. So Paul picks up where he left off yesterday---boasting about troubles and trials and weaknesses---which will lead him on into the subject of his near death experience and his vision of heaven.
"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying." (2 Corinthians 11:30-31) Many of us learned the song "Jesus Loves Me" in our childhood Sunday School days, and a line in that song goes perfectly with what Paul is saying here: "I am weak but He is strong." Paul tells us, "I will brag about the things my powerful Lord did for me when I was too weak to help myself. He has brought me through every peril I've ever faced. It wasn't human strength that saved my life a number of times; it was the Lord's strength."
Now the apostle makes reference to one of several conspiracies that the Lord saved him from, "In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands." (2 Corinthians 11:32-33) We find this account in Acts 9:23-25. The Lord often just speaks the word that miraculously works our problems out for us; at other times He uses believers as His hands and feet to help us out of our dire circumstances. Paul's friends in the faith operated according to the Lord's will by helping him to escape the city.
Since Paul is boasting of his weaknesses, he is about to relate a happening that occurred when he was at his very weakest. What is weaker than a dead body? Most scholars believe that Paul had his near death experience when he was pelted with stones, dragged outside of the city gates of Lystra, and left for dead. (Acts 14:19-20) Was he actually clinically dead? I tend to think so, but all Luke says is that the disciples gathered around him and then he got up and went straight back into the city. Stoning was a familiar practice to people of Paul's day, and I believe his enemies thought he was dead because he really was dead. They had experience in these matters. They knew a dead person when they saw one. I believe while the disciples were gathered around him they were calling out to the Lord to revive him. Luke doesn't say they performed CPR or mouth to mouth resuscitation. They didn't know about such things in those days. They only thing they knew was that their Lord was able to revive Paul, and I think that's where their hope was.
"I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know---God knows. And I know that this man---whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows---was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell." (2 Corinthians 12:1-4) Paul speaks in the third person here, but I know of no reputable scholar who doubts that Paul is speaking about himself. This tale occurs right in the middle of a passage where he is relating the hardships and suffering he has undergone for the sake of the gospel, plus immediately after telling this story he will say that because of the indescribable glory he was allowed to witness during his vision he was given a thorn in the flesh so he would not become conceited. There is no legitimate reason for doubting whether Paul is talking about himself.
I don't know whether the stories about near death experiences were true in the book I read way back in elementary school. I think at least some of those people were sincere in believing they had died and had gotten a glimpse of heaven. But there is one story we know we can trust, and that is the story of the Apostle Paul, so we are going to pick back up here tomorrow and take a more in-depth look at his experience and at the unnamed thorn in the flesh he was given so he would not be lifted up in pride. Paul already believed in life after death before he had his vision of heaven; his experience just confirmed what he already knew. I think what he saw was so glorious that for the rest of his life he longed to go on and be with the Lord, not just because he loved the Lord, but because he knew heaven is so much better than this world. This is why he later said, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far." (Philippians 1:21-23)
Actually, the term "near death" is a misnomer, since most of those who have experienced this phenomena were clinically dead. They had no pulse, no heartbeat, no breath, and no brain activity. It would be more accurate to call these phenomena "after death" experiences. Today the Apostle Paul is going to relate his own account of such an experience. He will say he isn't certain whether he was actually dead or still clinging to life when he saw his vision of heaven. He wasn't in a modern emergency room or operating room when it happened, so there was no one with the medical expertise and equipment to ascertain his lack of brain activity, but I think the evidence points to the conclusion that he actually was dead.
You will recall from yesterday's study that Paul was talking about the things he had suffered for the sake of the gospel. He was contrasting himself with the false apostles who were trying to lead the believers astray. The false apostles may have endured some forms of persecution and hardship simply because they claimed to be Christians, but it's likely they shied away from suffering whenever possible. Their hearts weren't true to the Lord or to the people they were pretending to serve. So Paul picks up where he left off yesterday---boasting about troubles and trials and weaknesses---which will lead him on into the subject of his near death experience and his vision of heaven.
"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying." (2 Corinthians 11:30-31) Many of us learned the song "Jesus Loves Me" in our childhood Sunday School days, and a line in that song goes perfectly with what Paul is saying here: "I am weak but He is strong." Paul tells us, "I will brag about the things my powerful Lord did for me when I was too weak to help myself. He has brought me through every peril I've ever faced. It wasn't human strength that saved my life a number of times; it was the Lord's strength."
Now the apostle makes reference to one of several conspiracies that the Lord saved him from, "In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands." (2 Corinthians 11:32-33) We find this account in Acts 9:23-25. The Lord often just speaks the word that miraculously works our problems out for us; at other times He uses believers as His hands and feet to help us out of our dire circumstances. Paul's friends in the faith operated according to the Lord's will by helping him to escape the city.
Since Paul is boasting of his weaknesses, he is about to relate a happening that occurred when he was at his very weakest. What is weaker than a dead body? Most scholars believe that Paul had his near death experience when he was pelted with stones, dragged outside of the city gates of Lystra, and left for dead. (Acts 14:19-20) Was he actually clinically dead? I tend to think so, but all Luke says is that the disciples gathered around him and then he got up and went straight back into the city. Stoning was a familiar practice to people of Paul's day, and I believe his enemies thought he was dead because he really was dead. They had experience in these matters. They knew a dead person when they saw one. I believe while the disciples were gathered around him they were calling out to the Lord to revive him. Luke doesn't say they performed CPR or mouth to mouth resuscitation. They didn't know about such things in those days. They only thing they knew was that their Lord was able to revive Paul, and I think that's where their hope was.
"I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know---God knows. And I know that this man---whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows---was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell." (2 Corinthians 12:1-4) Paul speaks in the third person here, but I know of no reputable scholar who doubts that Paul is speaking about himself. This tale occurs right in the middle of a passage where he is relating the hardships and suffering he has undergone for the sake of the gospel, plus immediately after telling this story he will say that because of the indescribable glory he was allowed to witness during his vision he was given a thorn in the flesh so he would not become conceited. There is no legitimate reason for doubting whether Paul is talking about himself.
I don't know whether the stories about near death experiences were true in the book I read way back in elementary school. I think at least some of those people were sincere in believing they had died and had gotten a glimpse of heaven. But there is one story we know we can trust, and that is the story of the Apostle Paul, so we are going to pick back up here tomorrow and take a more in-depth look at his experience and at the unnamed thorn in the flesh he was given so he would not be lifted up in pride. Paul already believed in life after death before he had his vision of heaven; his experience just confirmed what he already knew. I think what he saw was so glorious that for the rest of his life he longed to go on and be with the Lord, not just because he loved the Lord, but because he knew heaven is so much better than this world. This is why he later said, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far." (Philippians 1:21-23)
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Paul's Second Letter To The Church At Corinth. Day 28, The Suffering Paul Has Endured For The Gospel
False teachers who call themselves "super apostles" have been trying to lead the Christians of Corinth astray. These men are putting down the Apostle Paul for being plain in appearance, for not being a trained speaker, for working with his own hands instead of charging admission to his lectures, and for presenting the gospel in plain words rather than in impressive and difficult-to-understand words. In wealthy cities like ancient Corinth, the more difficult a speaker was to understand, the more intelligence he was credited with and the more respect he was given.
But Paul purposely made his message plain so that everyone could understand. "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified...My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power." (1 Corinthians 2:2,4-5) Some of the citizens of Corinth are now making the mistake of allowing their faith to rest on human wisdom.
"I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!" (2 Corinthians 16-21a) Paul takes on a sarcastic tone here. The people have eagerly welcomed teachers who are taking advantage of them. They may feel it's more prestigious to be a follower of an apostle who looks like a prosperous philosopher than to be a follower of the plain little Apostle Paul. He asks, "Could I and the other true apostles have converted you by using the same methods the false apostles use? Could we have frightened or bullied or confused or overwhelmed you into accepting the gospel message? Probably so. These methods seem to work with you. But these are not our methods. We don't have to prove we are true apostles by treating you the way the false teachers have treated you. We prove we are true apostles by being willing to endure hardship in order to minister to you."
As we learned earlier in this second letter to the Corinthians, Paul considers all boasting foolishness unless it's boasting about the Lord. But he's going to present his credentials to the Corinthians anyway, even while at the same time he feels foolish. "Whatever anyone else dares to boast about---I am speaking as a fool---I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again." (2 Corinthians 11:21b-23) We learn here that some of these "super apostles" are men of Paul's own nation. This may be one reason the Corinthians were so willing to listen to them, because they are of the same culture as Paul. The Corinthians may have become confused and thought, "Isn't one Jewish Christian apostle the same as another? If so, why not follow a more affluent apostle? Then we can proudly point to him on the street and tell our friends this is our teacher."
But have any of these false apostles really endured any hardship in preaching the gospel and in ministering to the believers? If they have, their suffering doesn't even begin to compare to what Paul has suffered. "Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers." (2 Corinthians 11:24-26) Paul has risked his life for the gospel, not once but many times. A man who is not a true apostle wouldn't endure such things. A man who doesn't love the Lord wouldn't have the strength and courage to keep on preaching a message that might get him killed.
"I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches." (2 Corinthians 11:27-28) He reminds his readers, "While I was in Corinth, I made a living with my own hands so you wouldn't have to support me. I taught the gospel during the day and I worked at night making tents. Sometimes I operated on very sleep or on no sleep at all. There were days when I didn't have enough to eat and my belly growled while I ministered to you. There were days when I taught so long that my throat grew dry and no one offered me any water. I've slept without enough blankets to keep me warm. I've worn raggedy clothes because I couldn't afford new ones. I endured these things because I love the Lord and I love you. I didn't want anything to hinder the gospel, so I did without rather than burden any of you with my daily needs. On top of all this, there is the constant concern in my mind for all the churches everywhere. I have been exhausted in both body and mind for the sake of the gospel. How many of your 'super apostles' can say that?"
Following Jesus is going to cost us something. We may never face the opposition or the hardship that Paul faced, but there will be many times in our lives when we will have to make a choice. Do we love the Lord enough to obey Him, or not? Do we love the Lord enough to give something up for Him, or not? Do we love the Lord enough to swim against the stream, or not? Jesus always made it clear that being His disciple wasn't going to be an easy road to walk. For an example, and to close our session today, let's take a look at this passage from Luke 9:57-58, "As they were walking along the road, a man said to Him, 'I will follow You wherever You go.' Jesus replied, 'Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.'" In other words, to prevent us from making reckless promises that we will not be able to keep, Jesus invites us to count the cost before committing to follow Him. We may have to suffer the loss of something in order to follow Him. It might be popularity or promotion when we don't join in with the sinful culture of our school or workplace. We may not be offered particular opportunities by the world because we are considered "goody two-shows". Following Jesus might mean giving up a bigger salary in the public sector in order to work for the church. It will definitely mean saying no to going to certain places or to doing certain things. Jesus gave up a lot for us, more than we can really understand. Is it asking too much for us to give up things for Him?
But Paul purposely made his message plain so that everyone could understand. "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified...My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power." (1 Corinthians 2:2,4-5) Some of the citizens of Corinth are now making the mistake of allowing their faith to rest on human wisdom.
"I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!" (2 Corinthians 16-21a) Paul takes on a sarcastic tone here. The people have eagerly welcomed teachers who are taking advantage of them. They may feel it's more prestigious to be a follower of an apostle who looks like a prosperous philosopher than to be a follower of the plain little Apostle Paul. He asks, "Could I and the other true apostles have converted you by using the same methods the false apostles use? Could we have frightened or bullied or confused or overwhelmed you into accepting the gospel message? Probably so. These methods seem to work with you. But these are not our methods. We don't have to prove we are true apostles by treating you the way the false teachers have treated you. We prove we are true apostles by being willing to endure hardship in order to minister to you."
As we learned earlier in this second letter to the Corinthians, Paul considers all boasting foolishness unless it's boasting about the Lord. But he's going to present his credentials to the Corinthians anyway, even while at the same time he feels foolish. "Whatever anyone else dares to boast about---I am speaking as a fool---I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again." (2 Corinthians 11:21b-23) We learn here that some of these "super apostles" are men of Paul's own nation. This may be one reason the Corinthians were so willing to listen to them, because they are of the same culture as Paul. The Corinthians may have become confused and thought, "Isn't one Jewish Christian apostle the same as another? If so, why not follow a more affluent apostle? Then we can proudly point to him on the street and tell our friends this is our teacher."
But have any of these false apostles really endured any hardship in preaching the gospel and in ministering to the believers? If they have, their suffering doesn't even begin to compare to what Paul has suffered. "Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers." (2 Corinthians 11:24-26) Paul has risked his life for the gospel, not once but many times. A man who is not a true apostle wouldn't endure such things. A man who doesn't love the Lord wouldn't have the strength and courage to keep on preaching a message that might get him killed.
"I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches." (2 Corinthians 11:27-28) He reminds his readers, "While I was in Corinth, I made a living with my own hands so you wouldn't have to support me. I taught the gospel during the day and I worked at night making tents. Sometimes I operated on very sleep or on no sleep at all. There were days when I didn't have enough to eat and my belly growled while I ministered to you. There were days when I taught so long that my throat grew dry and no one offered me any water. I've slept without enough blankets to keep me warm. I've worn raggedy clothes because I couldn't afford new ones. I endured these things because I love the Lord and I love you. I didn't want anything to hinder the gospel, so I did without rather than burden any of you with my daily needs. On top of all this, there is the constant concern in my mind for all the churches everywhere. I have been exhausted in both body and mind for the sake of the gospel. How many of your 'super apostles' can say that?"
Following Jesus is going to cost us something. We may never face the opposition or the hardship that Paul faced, but there will be many times in our lives when we will have to make a choice. Do we love the Lord enough to obey Him, or not? Do we love the Lord enough to give something up for Him, or not? Do we love the Lord enough to swim against the stream, or not? Jesus always made it clear that being His disciple wasn't going to be an easy road to walk. For an example, and to close our session today, let's take a look at this passage from Luke 9:57-58, "As they were walking along the road, a man said to Him, 'I will follow You wherever You go.' Jesus replied, 'Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.'" In other words, to prevent us from making reckless promises that we will not be able to keep, Jesus invites us to count the cost before committing to follow Him. We may have to suffer the loss of something in order to follow Him. It might be popularity or promotion when we don't join in with the sinful culture of our school or workplace. We may not be offered particular opportunities by the world because we are considered "goody two-shows". Following Jesus might mean giving up a bigger salary in the public sector in order to work for the church. It will definitely mean saying no to going to certain places or to doing certain things. Jesus gave up a lot for us, more than we can really understand. Is it asking too much for us to give up things for Him?
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Paul's Second Letter To The Church At Corinth. Day 27, A Disguised Enemy
When we concluded yesterday we found Paul sorrowfully commenting that the believers of Corinth quite easily put up with teachers who are adding to or taking away from the gospel. Apparently these men are proclaiming themselves to be the top apostles, or as Paul calls them in today's passage: "super apostles". These men are impressive in looks, in speech, and in education. They look as distinguished as the famous philosophers whose lectures the citizens of Corinth have been accustomed to attending, so in a way it's natural (according to the flesh) that the Corinthians immediately give these teachers their attention and respect. They were brought up in a culture that values philosophy and debate. They are used to judging people by the outward appearance instead of by the character. It's easy to see how these false apostles managed to creep in and distort the thinking of some of the church members of Corinth. But as we will learn today, there is a dark force behind the ministries of these men. They are being used by Satan himself.
Unfortunately, a love of sophistication and modern culture is causing some to value the teaching of these false apostles over the teaching of men like Paul who are sincere and trustworthy. It's likely the false apostles themselves criticize Paul for his appearance, his poverty, his habit of teaching the gospel for free, and his lack of training in public speaking. So Paul reminds the people of Corinth that he taught the gospel to them free of charge out of love, while the false apostles charge admittance to their speeches. "I do not think I am in the least inferior to those 'super-apostles'. I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?" (2 Corinthians 11:5-7)
I think the false apostles may have been saying to the people of Corinth, "If the gospel Paul preaches was worth listening to, wouldn't he charge admission to his lectures? Wouldn't he be able to make a living by preaching the gospel instead of sitting up late at night sewing tents? Why is he living off the work of his own hands and off the donations the other churches send to him? If he was any good at speaking, he would never have to work another day with his hands or accept love offerings from the churches."
It was not Paul's practice to accept aid from a church while he was founding it and building it up. He didn't want to be a burden to a new church. But whenever he left one region for another, it was the habit of the churches he had already founded to regularly take up a collection to help support his ministry. This is why he says what he says next, "I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!" (2 Corinthians 11:8-11) Of course Paul did not literally "rob churches" and he was not doing anything wrong by accepting donations from churches he had already founded. In our day we find missionaries doing the same thing Paul was doing: accepting donations from a home church in order to found a church in another area of the world. The original Greek more clearly explains what he is saying, for the expression he uses is an expression used for the provisions given by the Roman government to a Roman soldier while he is deployed on active duty. Paul is on active duty when he is bringing the gospel to a new region, and regions that have already accepted the gospel from him are sending him provisions while he is deployed.
Now the apostle has some very chilling words to say about these false apostles: they are the servants of Satan himself. "And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." (2 Corinthians 11:12-15)
If the devil showed us his true face and his true intentions, we would run from him as fast as we could. So he dresses sin up in attractive ways in order to entice us. Remember how he presented the forbidden fruit to Eve as something good and desirable? That's how he presents all sin to mankind. How did he present the sin of false apostleship to the men who infiltrated Corinth with a perverted gospel? We can't say for sure, but he may have lured them with easy money. This method was probably especially effective with those who knew what it was like to do without. He may have tempted men who had a deep need for acceptance, perhaps caused by something in their past, by promising them popularity and an entrance into the top levels of society. Whatever Satan promised them, it was like a package wrapped with beautiful paper and fancy ribbons. But on the inside it was filled with death. Paul says the men who fell for Satan's lies, and who allowed him to use them to cause people to fall from the truth, will get the reward they deserve.
Unfortunately, a love of sophistication and modern culture is causing some to value the teaching of these false apostles over the teaching of men like Paul who are sincere and trustworthy. It's likely the false apostles themselves criticize Paul for his appearance, his poverty, his habit of teaching the gospel for free, and his lack of training in public speaking. So Paul reminds the people of Corinth that he taught the gospel to them free of charge out of love, while the false apostles charge admittance to their speeches. "I do not think I am in the least inferior to those 'super-apostles'. I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?" (2 Corinthians 11:5-7)
I think the false apostles may have been saying to the people of Corinth, "If the gospel Paul preaches was worth listening to, wouldn't he charge admission to his lectures? Wouldn't he be able to make a living by preaching the gospel instead of sitting up late at night sewing tents? Why is he living off the work of his own hands and off the donations the other churches send to him? If he was any good at speaking, he would never have to work another day with his hands or accept love offerings from the churches."
It was not Paul's practice to accept aid from a church while he was founding it and building it up. He didn't want to be a burden to a new church. But whenever he left one region for another, it was the habit of the churches he had already founded to regularly take up a collection to help support his ministry. This is why he says what he says next, "I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!" (2 Corinthians 11:8-11) Of course Paul did not literally "rob churches" and he was not doing anything wrong by accepting donations from churches he had already founded. In our day we find missionaries doing the same thing Paul was doing: accepting donations from a home church in order to found a church in another area of the world. The original Greek more clearly explains what he is saying, for the expression he uses is an expression used for the provisions given by the Roman government to a Roman soldier while he is deployed on active duty. Paul is on active duty when he is bringing the gospel to a new region, and regions that have already accepted the gospel from him are sending him provisions while he is deployed.
Now the apostle has some very chilling words to say about these false apostles: they are the servants of Satan himself. "And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." (2 Corinthians 11:12-15)
If the devil showed us his true face and his true intentions, we would run from him as fast as we could. So he dresses sin up in attractive ways in order to entice us. Remember how he presented the forbidden fruit to Eve as something good and desirable? That's how he presents all sin to mankind. How did he present the sin of false apostleship to the men who infiltrated Corinth with a perverted gospel? We can't say for sure, but he may have lured them with easy money. This method was probably especially effective with those who knew what it was like to do without. He may have tempted men who had a deep need for acceptance, perhaps caused by something in their past, by promising them popularity and an entrance into the top levels of society. Whatever Satan promised them, it was like a package wrapped with beautiful paper and fancy ribbons. But on the inside it was filled with death. Paul says the men who fell for Satan's lies, and who allowed him to use them to cause people to fall from the truth, will get the reward they deserve.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Paul's Second Letter To The Church At Corinth. Day 26, Accept No Other Gospel: The Danger Of Believing There Is No "Absolute Truth"
The people of Corinth have not been Christians for very long, but false teachers and false doctrines have already crept into the city. The devil doesn't waste time! He couldn't prevent hundreds or thousands of them from being saved, so he's trying to do the next best thing: keep them from being effective for the kingdom of God. If he can deceive them and make them poor ambassadors for Christ, he can keep them from leading others to the truth. Wherever the gospel goes, opposition to the gospel is right on its heels.
Paul warns the Corinthians not to give the time of day to anyone who teaches a gospel that's in any way different than the gospel he already taught them. There are minor points, of course, in which believers may disagree when interpreting the Scriptures, but the basic facts of the gospel cannot be changed and they go like this: Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, the proof of which is that He fulfilled the prophecies concerning the first advent of the Messiah. He was born of a virgin just as the prophet Isaiah predicted (Isaiah 7:14), of the tribe of Judah as Jacob envisioned (Genesis 49:10), of the line of David as Isaiah predicted (Isaiah 11:1) and as the Lord promised David (2 Samuel 7:12), born in Bethlehem just as the prophet Micah foresaw (Micah 5:2), killed at Jerusalem as both the prophets Daniel (Daniel 9:26) foresaw, dying for our sins as Isaiah proclaimed He would (Isaiah 53:1-9), and rising victoriously from the dead as God promised the prophet Isaiah He would (Isaiah 53:10-12).
All along Paul has had trouble getting some of the Corinthian believers to accept his God-given authority over them as an apostle of Christ and as their father in the gospel (the one who first brought the good news to them). They are a fickle people. They willingly entertain viewpoints that are vastly at odds with the gospel that saved them. The citizens of Corinth were brought up in a society that welcomed debate and dissent, and even now they have difficulty committing themselves to the idea that anything can be an absolute truth. In my opinion, our nation is currently in danger of falling into the same trap. More and more our society is unwilling to accept that anything can be an absolute truth. More and more those who hold anything to be true and unchangeable are ridiculed and accused of being backwards, old-fashioned, prejudiced, and filled with hate. This attitude is not new, for Paul encountered it at Corinth in the first century B.C. Since Satan had a modest amount of success with it there, he still uses this method wherever he thinks it might turn people from the truth of the one and only message that is capable of saving souls and changing lives for the better.
Paul is deeply concerned about the tendency of the Corinthians to reject the idea of an absolute truth. He loves them with a fatherly love, so he uses the example of himself as a father who has promised his daughter (the church at Corinth) to Christ in marriage. "I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him." (2 Corinthians 11:1-2) He is saying something like this, "I love you as a father loves his child. I want the best for you; in other words, I am jealous for you. I want nothing but love and happiness for you, so like a father whose daughter is the apple of his eye, I betrothed you to One who will love you with all His heart. I guarded your virtue while you were under my care so that I could present you to Him as a pure bride."
But Paul is afraid something will happen between now and the time that Christ claims His bride. Some of the believers of Corinth may be seduced by false teaching and fall out of love with Christ. "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3) We are not being narrow-minded when we refuse to entertain false doctrine; we are being faithful to our Bridegroom. Just like an woman in love turns a deaf ear to the flattery of men other than her fiance, we must turn a deaf ear to the seducing whispers of the world. Have you ever heard the statement, credited to Alexander Hamilton, which says, "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything."? Paul is essentially telling the Corinthian church the same thing. If they do not hold fast to the truth of the gospel, they will fall for lies and fall away from their love of the Lord.
Paul has already observed a trend of the Corinthian believers to put up with false doctrine. "For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough." (2 Corinthians 11:4) Paul can't prevent liars and false teachers from rising up. Neither can the people of Corinth. But they can refuse to listen to them.
We can refuse to listen to wrong doctrine as well. Will anyone consider us impolite for this? Possibly so. Will anyone accuse us of being old-fashioned because we hold the Scriptures as our standard for living? I think we can count on it. Will people claim we are narrow-minded for proclaiming that Christ is our only way to heaven (John 14:6) and that there are not "many paths" to God? Most definitely. Will we be accused of being a bunch of ignorant hicks because we believe that disobeying God's commandments and laws is sinful? Of course. But like a woman who is deeply in love with the one to whom she is betrothed, we must be faithful our Bridegroom, keeping ourselves only unto Him.
Paul warns the Corinthians not to give the time of day to anyone who teaches a gospel that's in any way different than the gospel he already taught them. There are minor points, of course, in which believers may disagree when interpreting the Scriptures, but the basic facts of the gospel cannot be changed and they go like this: Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, the proof of which is that He fulfilled the prophecies concerning the first advent of the Messiah. He was born of a virgin just as the prophet Isaiah predicted (Isaiah 7:14), of the tribe of Judah as Jacob envisioned (Genesis 49:10), of the line of David as Isaiah predicted (Isaiah 11:1) and as the Lord promised David (2 Samuel 7:12), born in Bethlehem just as the prophet Micah foresaw (Micah 5:2), killed at Jerusalem as both the prophets Daniel (Daniel 9:26) foresaw, dying for our sins as Isaiah proclaimed He would (Isaiah 53:1-9), and rising victoriously from the dead as God promised the prophet Isaiah He would (Isaiah 53:10-12).
All along Paul has had trouble getting some of the Corinthian believers to accept his God-given authority over them as an apostle of Christ and as their father in the gospel (the one who first brought the good news to them). They are a fickle people. They willingly entertain viewpoints that are vastly at odds with the gospel that saved them. The citizens of Corinth were brought up in a society that welcomed debate and dissent, and even now they have difficulty committing themselves to the idea that anything can be an absolute truth. In my opinion, our nation is currently in danger of falling into the same trap. More and more our society is unwilling to accept that anything can be an absolute truth. More and more those who hold anything to be true and unchangeable are ridiculed and accused of being backwards, old-fashioned, prejudiced, and filled with hate. This attitude is not new, for Paul encountered it at Corinth in the first century B.C. Since Satan had a modest amount of success with it there, he still uses this method wherever he thinks it might turn people from the truth of the one and only message that is capable of saving souls and changing lives for the better.
Paul is deeply concerned about the tendency of the Corinthians to reject the idea of an absolute truth. He loves them with a fatherly love, so he uses the example of himself as a father who has promised his daughter (the church at Corinth) to Christ in marriage. "I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him." (2 Corinthians 11:1-2) He is saying something like this, "I love you as a father loves his child. I want the best for you; in other words, I am jealous for you. I want nothing but love and happiness for you, so like a father whose daughter is the apple of his eye, I betrothed you to One who will love you with all His heart. I guarded your virtue while you were under my care so that I could present you to Him as a pure bride."
But Paul is afraid something will happen between now and the time that Christ claims His bride. Some of the believers of Corinth may be seduced by false teaching and fall out of love with Christ. "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3) We are not being narrow-minded when we refuse to entertain false doctrine; we are being faithful to our Bridegroom. Just like an woman in love turns a deaf ear to the flattery of men other than her fiance, we must turn a deaf ear to the seducing whispers of the world. Have you ever heard the statement, credited to Alexander Hamilton, which says, "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything."? Paul is essentially telling the Corinthian church the same thing. If they do not hold fast to the truth of the gospel, they will fall for lies and fall away from their love of the Lord.
Paul has already observed a trend of the Corinthian believers to put up with false doctrine. "For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough." (2 Corinthians 11:4) Paul can't prevent liars and false teachers from rising up. Neither can the people of Corinth. But they can refuse to listen to them.
We can refuse to listen to wrong doctrine as well. Will anyone consider us impolite for this? Possibly so. Will anyone accuse us of being old-fashioned because we hold the Scriptures as our standard for living? I think we can count on it. Will people claim we are narrow-minded for proclaiming that Christ is our only way to heaven (John 14:6) and that there are not "many paths" to God? Most definitely. Will we be accused of being a bunch of ignorant hicks because we believe that disobeying God's commandments and laws is sinful? Of course. But like a woman who is deeply in love with the one to whom she is betrothed, we must be faithful our Bridegroom, keeping ourselves only unto Him.
Monday, October 8, 2018
Paul's Second Letter To The Church At Corinth. Day 25, Boast In The Lord And Not In Ourselves
I'm sorry I wasn't able to make a blog post on Sunday. I was having one of my vertigo spells and couldn't even look at the computer screen long enough yesterday morning to explain what was going on. Thankfully I only have these a few times a year and I feel better now. Today Paul warns his readers about comparing him and the other apostles with philosophers and false teachers. He speaks of not comparing himself with others, and we shouldn't compare ourselves with others either. He also reminds us that if we are to brag about anything, it should be to brag about what the Lord has done for us and through us.
He begins with a word of warning to those who think they can dismiss the instructions for godly living that he's given them. "And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete." (2 Corinthians 10:6) Some have mocked the Apostle Paul by saying, "He talks tough in his letters but he hasn't been back to visit us in a year. He isn't brave enough to scold us to our faces." That is not at all the case. Paul has been giving them time to repent. But when Paul returns to Corinth, those who have received the gospel but are living in disobedience will be dealt with face to face. So he's saying, "As soon as all of you who are willing to repent have repented, I will take to task those who are refusing to get back on the right track."
"You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, 'His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.' Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present." (2 Corinthians 10:7-11) The early church tradition says that Paul was a short bowlegged man with a bald head and a unibrow. When reading his letters I tend to picture him as a distinguished man of about fifty, tall and academic-looking, with a head full of graying hair and dressed in a nice suit. I know he didn't really look that way, but I can't help picturing him that way. I think the people of Corinth tended to picture him that way too when they read his letters, even though they knew he looked very different. So they say to themselves, "He sounds like a big deal in his letters, but in person he's not very imposing."
The intellectual people of Corinth were used to being visited by the very best philosophers, poets, and playwrights of their time. They were used to teachers who worked hard creating an impressive image of themselves and who made a big deal of themselves in the press, so to speak. Paul and the other apostles, in contrast, make a big deal only of Christ. They don't talk themselves up; they talk Christ up. So Paul says, "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." (2 Corinthians 10:12) When we compare ourselves with the world, we probably come off looking pretty good because we who are believers generally live by higher morals than the world. But when we compare ourselves with the word of God, we can clearly see that we fall short every day. This ought to keep us humble and remind us that we have to lean on the Lord in order to live lives that honor Him. Paul says, "Your false teachers are comparing themselves with each other, which is not wise. If one false teacher is a better speaker than another or if he is better looking or has nicer clothes, he is no better off. A false teacher is still a false teacher, no matter what he looks like or sounds like."
"We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you. We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:13-14) Is it wrong for Paul to be proud the Lord chose him to bring the gospel to Corinth? No, because the glory for this goes to the Lord. Is it wrong for Paul and the other apostles who ministered to the Corinthians to rejoice about how many souls were saved at Corinth through their ministries? No, because the power of their ministries comes from Christ and not from themselves. These men labored a great deal to bring forth a harvest of souls in Corinth, and they have a right to rejoice that the Lord allowed them to partner with Him in this task.
"Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else's territory." (2 Corinthians 10:15-16) Paul was interested in taking the gospel to places where it had never yet been preached. He didn't want to step on another apostle's toes or take authority over another preacher. His calling in the Lord was to enter regions where the gospel had never been heard and to plant churches there. He helped churches get started and then he trusted them to grow. He trusted the Lord to call teachers and preachers out of those churches to minister to the people of those regions. He doesn't brag about what any other man has done. He can say, "Praise the Lord for what He's done in the regions where Peter has preached and where Apollos has preached!" But he can't take any credit for converts other men have made, and he doesn't want to take credit for that, and he doesn't want to move into another apostle's territory and take over another man's ministry.
We will never accomplish anything worthwhile for the kingdom of Christ in our own strength and we won't honor Him pushing aside another faithful preacher or teacher and taking over their work. Instead we must always keep in mind that we would be nothing without the Lord, that all the glory goes to Him for anything good we are able to do, and that we owe Him our gratitude for allowing us to partner with Him in bringing souls to the truth. "But, 'Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.' For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends." (2 Corinthians 10:17-18)
Paul quotes the prophet Jeremiah in the paragraph above, and we will close with Jeremiah's words because they are good advice: "This is what the Lord says: 'Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,' declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
He begins with a word of warning to those who think they can dismiss the instructions for godly living that he's given them. "And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete." (2 Corinthians 10:6) Some have mocked the Apostle Paul by saying, "He talks tough in his letters but he hasn't been back to visit us in a year. He isn't brave enough to scold us to our faces." That is not at all the case. Paul has been giving them time to repent. But when Paul returns to Corinth, those who have received the gospel but are living in disobedience will be dealt with face to face. So he's saying, "As soon as all of you who are willing to repent have repented, I will take to task those who are refusing to get back on the right track."
"You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, 'His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.' Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present." (2 Corinthians 10:7-11) The early church tradition says that Paul was a short bowlegged man with a bald head and a unibrow. When reading his letters I tend to picture him as a distinguished man of about fifty, tall and academic-looking, with a head full of graying hair and dressed in a nice suit. I know he didn't really look that way, but I can't help picturing him that way. I think the people of Corinth tended to picture him that way too when they read his letters, even though they knew he looked very different. So they say to themselves, "He sounds like a big deal in his letters, but in person he's not very imposing."
The intellectual people of Corinth were used to being visited by the very best philosophers, poets, and playwrights of their time. They were used to teachers who worked hard creating an impressive image of themselves and who made a big deal of themselves in the press, so to speak. Paul and the other apostles, in contrast, make a big deal only of Christ. They don't talk themselves up; they talk Christ up. So Paul says, "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." (2 Corinthians 10:12) When we compare ourselves with the world, we probably come off looking pretty good because we who are believers generally live by higher morals than the world. But when we compare ourselves with the word of God, we can clearly see that we fall short every day. This ought to keep us humble and remind us that we have to lean on the Lord in order to live lives that honor Him. Paul says, "Your false teachers are comparing themselves with each other, which is not wise. If one false teacher is a better speaker than another or if he is better looking or has nicer clothes, he is no better off. A false teacher is still a false teacher, no matter what he looks like or sounds like."
"We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you. We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:13-14) Is it wrong for Paul to be proud the Lord chose him to bring the gospel to Corinth? No, because the glory for this goes to the Lord. Is it wrong for Paul and the other apostles who ministered to the Corinthians to rejoice about how many souls were saved at Corinth through their ministries? No, because the power of their ministries comes from Christ and not from themselves. These men labored a great deal to bring forth a harvest of souls in Corinth, and they have a right to rejoice that the Lord allowed them to partner with Him in this task.
"Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else's territory." (2 Corinthians 10:15-16) Paul was interested in taking the gospel to places where it had never yet been preached. He didn't want to step on another apostle's toes or take authority over another preacher. His calling in the Lord was to enter regions where the gospel had never been heard and to plant churches there. He helped churches get started and then he trusted them to grow. He trusted the Lord to call teachers and preachers out of those churches to minister to the people of those regions. He doesn't brag about what any other man has done. He can say, "Praise the Lord for what He's done in the regions where Peter has preached and where Apollos has preached!" But he can't take any credit for converts other men have made, and he doesn't want to take credit for that, and he doesn't want to move into another apostle's territory and take over another man's ministry.
We will never accomplish anything worthwhile for the kingdom of Christ in our own strength and we won't honor Him pushing aside another faithful preacher or teacher and taking over their work. Instead we must always keep in mind that we would be nothing without the Lord, that all the glory goes to Him for anything good we are able to do, and that we owe Him our gratitude for allowing us to partner with Him in bringing souls to the truth. "But, 'Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.' For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends." (2 Corinthians 10:17-18)
Paul quotes the prophet Jeremiah in the paragraph above, and we will close with Jeremiah's words because they are good advice: "This is what the Lord says: 'Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,' declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Paul's Second Letter To The Church At Corinth. Day 24, The Divine Power We Have Through Christ
We are going to take a look at one of my favorite passages written by the Apostle Paul. He's already made it clear to us that we are not of this world. Because we are not of this world, the weapons we fight with are not worldly but spiritual. In Christ we can experience victories that we could never have without Him.
You will recall that there are some citizens of Corinth who don't like Paul because of personal and petty reasons. That city is so sophisticated and so educated and so used to having illustrious philosophers visit them that there are those who turn up their noses at the very plain and down-to-earth apostle. He didn't come into town wearing the fine robes of a famous teacher, though he could have if he had not given up his high social standing and high income in order to become a traveling preacher (Philippians 3:8). He didn't enter Corinth and start bragging about his expensive education, though he could have because he spoke several languages and was educated by the well-respected Gamaliel. He didn't charge a fee for anyone to come and hear him preach the gospel, though he could have because the citizens of Corinth were used to buying tickets to attend appearances by philosophers and poets. Instead he worked at the tentmaking trade in order to supply his own needs and make the gospel free to everyone.
Paul has already warned us not to judge people by their outward appearance because it's what in the heart that counts. Paul belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ and that it what matters now and that is what's going to matter a million years from now. He is not of this world and should not be judged by worldly standards. We should not judge each other by outward appearance. We are the children of the living God; our worth and our status comes from who we are in Christ, not from our bank accounts or our wardrobes or our education. We are not of this world and must not judge or be judged by worldly standards. In addition, we don't wage war against sin or against spiritual attacks or against worldly opposition with weapons of the world but with spiritual weapons.
"By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you---I, Paul, who am 'timid' when face to face with you but 'bold' toward you when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world." (2 Corinthians 10:1-2) We learned earlier in our study of these two letters to Corinth that some scoffed at the scolding they received from Paul for their worldly behavior. They said things like, "He doesn't have the nerve to come here and scold us to our faces. He talks big in his letters but we haven't seen him in a year now. He's afraid to come here in person and tell us. He's all talk and no action."
But Paul says in reply, "Didn't Christ come into the world with an attitude of humility and gentleness? Of course He did, and that's how I came into your city. Christ didn't stand on the street corner and scream at people about their sins and neither did I. Instead the Lord taught the truth in love, as I also did. But remember that Christ will return to the world someday and judge those who have heard the truth and have not taken it to heart. In the same way, do I not have the right to take you to task for hearing the truth and not living by it? I hope when I return to Corinth I will not have to say in person the things I have had to say in my letters, but I fear I will. I taught you the truth of the gospel and I taught you how to live as Christians. When I come I will be bold in correcting anything that remains to be corrected."
Now we arrive at one of my favorite passages. "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) We face many obstacles in this world. Sometimes those obstacles take the form of opposition from our fellow man because they feel scornful toward us because of what we stand for. Sometimes obstacles are thrown into our path by Satan himself in an attempt to weaken our faith or turn us away from God's purpose for our life. At other times we place obstacles in our own path by negative thinking. But we don't overcome obstacles by waging war in the way the world wages it. We can read all the self-help books we want to read, but unless these materials are founded on the word of God they will have little impact on our success. We can attend seminars on positive thinking or go to mental health counseling or try to pull ourselves up out of despair by our own bootstraps, but unless the methods used are based on God's truth they are very likely to fail.
So what is the secret of our success and the reason we are able to keep getting up in the morning to face the world and to leap over the obstacles in our path? The Apostle John explains it better than I ever could, "You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)
Through Christ we have become the children God and have received the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Satan cannot overcome us because Christ has already overcome the world (John 16:33) and we belong to Him. Our own fearful minds don't even have the power to overcome us because we have the right as children of God to take captive every thought to Christ, as Paul says. We have the right to renounce negative and unholy thinking in the name of Christ our Savior. Sometimes we may catch ourselves thinking things like, "This is never going to work out. Things are never going to get any better. I must have heard God wrong about His plans for my life. I am not going to be able to do the things He has called me to do." But Paul says we don't have to tell ourselves such nonsense. Whenever we catch ourselves thinking such things, we need to renounce these thoughts and confess them to the Lord. Instead of focusing on negative things we ought to start praising the Lord for all the great things He's already done for us and for all the great things He's going to do for us. Like Jesus did when He was tempted by Satan, we should know and be able to quote Scriptures that refute the lies of our enemy. This will redirect our thoughts, just as Paul promises in the following verse: "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy---think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)
You will recall that there are some citizens of Corinth who don't like Paul because of personal and petty reasons. That city is so sophisticated and so educated and so used to having illustrious philosophers visit them that there are those who turn up their noses at the very plain and down-to-earth apostle. He didn't come into town wearing the fine robes of a famous teacher, though he could have if he had not given up his high social standing and high income in order to become a traveling preacher (Philippians 3:8). He didn't enter Corinth and start bragging about his expensive education, though he could have because he spoke several languages and was educated by the well-respected Gamaliel. He didn't charge a fee for anyone to come and hear him preach the gospel, though he could have because the citizens of Corinth were used to buying tickets to attend appearances by philosophers and poets. Instead he worked at the tentmaking trade in order to supply his own needs and make the gospel free to everyone.
Paul has already warned us not to judge people by their outward appearance because it's what in the heart that counts. Paul belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ and that it what matters now and that is what's going to matter a million years from now. He is not of this world and should not be judged by worldly standards. We should not judge each other by outward appearance. We are the children of the living God; our worth and our status comes from who we are in Christ, not from our bank accounts or our wardrobes or our education. We are not of this world and must not judge or be judged by worldly standards. In addition, we don't wage war against sin or against spiritual attacks or against worldly opposition with weapons of the world but with spiritual weapons.
"By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you---I, Paul, who am 'timid' when face to face with you but 'bold' toward you when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world." (2 Corinthians 10:1-2) We learned earlier in our study of these two letters to Corinth that some scoffed at the scolding they received from Paul for their worldly behavior. They said things like, "He doesn't have the nerve to come here and scold us to our faces. He talks big in his letters but we haven't seen him in a year now. He's afraid to come here in person and tell us. He's all talk and no action."
But Paul says in reply, "Didn't Christ come into the world with an attitude of humility and gentleness? Of course He did, and that's how I came into your city. Christ didn't stand on the street corner and scream at people about their sins and neither did I. Instead the Lord taught the truth in love, as I also did. But remember that Christ will return to the world someday and judge those who have heard the truth and have not taken it to heart. In the same way, do I not have the right to take you to task for hearing the truth and not living by it? I hope when I return to Corinth I will not have to say in person the things I have had to say in my letters, but I fear I will. I taught you the truth of the gospel and I taught you how to live as Christians. When I come I will be bold in correcting anything that remains to be corrected."
Now we arrive at one of my favorite passages. "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) We face many obstacles in this world. Sometimes those obstacles take the form of opposition from our fellow man because they feel scornful toward us because of what we stand for. Sometimes obstacles are thrown into our path by Satan himself in an attempt to weaken our faith or turn us away from God's purpose for our life. At other times we place obstacles in our own path by negative thinking. But we don't overcome obstacles by waging war in the way the world wages it. We can read all the self-help books we want to read, but unless these materials are founded on the word of God they will have little impact on our success. We can attend seminars on positive thinking or go to mental health counseling or try to pull ourselves up out of despair by our own bootstraps, but unless the methods used are based on God's truth they are very likely to fail.
So what is the secret of our success and the reason we are able to keep getting up in the morning to face the world and to leap over the obstacles in our path? The Apostle John explains it better than I ever could, "You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)
Through Christ we have become the children God and have received the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Satan cannot overcome us because Christ has already overcome the world (John 16:33) and we belong to Him. Our own fearful minds don't even have the power to overcome us because we have the right as children of God to take captive every thought to Christ, as Paul says. We have the right to renounce negative and unholy thinking in the name of Christ our Savior. Sometimes we may catch ourselves thinking things like, "This is never going to work out. Things are never going to get any better. I must have heard God wrong about His plans for my life. I am not going to be able to do the things He has called me to do." But Paul says we don't have to tell ourselves such nonsense. Whenever we catch ourselves thinking such things, we need to renounce these thoughts and confess them to the Lord. Instead of focusing on negative things we ought to start praising the Lord for all the great things He's already done for us and for all the great things He's going to do for us. Like Jesus did when He was tempted by Satan, we should know and be able to quote Scriptures that refute the lies of our enemy. This will redirect our thoughts, just as Paul promises in the following verse: "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy---think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)
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