2 Corinthians - Lesson 10B

• Good morning and welcome back guys. This morning, we pick back up in our teaching and study of 2 Corinthians. When we last left off, we ended our teaching with 2 Cor.10:5-6, where Paul moved from the topic of sacrificial giving back to that of admonishment.

  • Meaning, he shifted his narrative from that of giving back to the topic of reprimanding and correcting this church’s behavior. As we know, this fellowship has wandered off track, lost their way, and the very first thing Paul has to do in order to correct their thinking is change their perspective, or paradigm.

    • Which, by the way, is the first step to correcting any behavior. It all begins in the mind. You first must change your mentality, (perspective or paradigm), and then you can begin to change your behavior. And this applies to just about any problem you may be facing.

  • If you are struggling with your weight, for example, then read a book on weight loss, giving example success stories with before and after pictures. Once you do that, it will begin to affect your mindset. Where at first you may have been sitting around thinking about changing your diet and going to the gym, and you were dreading it, which by the way, causes you to have zero motivation.

    • But once you pick up a book and begin to read about how to do it and what you can look like in just a short period of time, your mindset will begin to change. And the more you read, the more motivated you become. And as I previously stated, this applies to just about every problem we face.

• We must first change our perspective before we can ever take the initial steps to real change. And believe it or not, many times this mindset change begins with reading or studying something related to the problem you may be experiencing.

  • You see, once you begin feeding your mind with the correct information, it’s then and only then that you can begin to move the needle in the right direction. And the same applies to church issues. It all starts with being fed the truth, and that’s exactly what Paul is doing here.

  • In verses 5&6, he is painting a picture for this group, showing them how, when stuff begins to enter their mind, when the naysayers begin planting seeds, specifically seeds of doubt against the knowledge of God, when the murmurs and gossipers begin questioning the things of God (you know, silently and in secret, whispering in the corners and shadows), speaking to whomever will listen.

    • Paul says we must identify it for what it is and not entertain it. We should grab hold of it and bring it into obedience of Christ.

    • Another way too say it is, bring it into submission to Christ. That’s exactly what Paul is trying to convey here in verse 5 when he says:

2 Cor. 10:5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 

• But then he goes on to say something else, and it shows up in verse 6, he says:

2 Cor. 10:6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

• Verse 6 is pretty straight forward, but I’ll put into to layman’s terms. Paul is saying, once you have dealt with the people inside your fellowship, the ones who are causing all the issues, once you as church leaders deal with them, punish them, punish them through the church discipline process, which is what?

  • To call them in and deal with them. Tell them to quit doing what they are doing, or they will be asked to leave the fellowship. Paul says once you guys do that, then and only then will we come in and back you up. Now, the question is, wonder why Paul tells them that?

  • It’s because the leadership of this church must deal with the naysayers first. And then and only then, after they have done that, he and the other disciples will come in and back them up. But once again, why specifically did he say that?

    • Because if the leadership won’t stand up against what’s going wrong, then nothing they (the Apostles) can say will help. Because as soon as they leave, things will go right back to the way they were. Now, in studying Paul’s words here, there is another point for us to consider, and that is, there is no doubt that Paul is trying to force the church leadership to step up and do what they should have done in the first place.

    • And this just highlights the fact that leadership is always at a premium, and it’s always an issue. It was an issue then, and I would say it’s an even bigger issue now and leadership in the church is even more critical.

  • The problem we are facing today in our society is that no one is willing to call an ace an ace or a spade a spade. And the church is no different. As a matter of fact, the church has become really good in practicing the ‘art of apathy’, and when problems arise, we simply say, just let it be.

  • I have seen this firsthand throughout my ministry, specifically when I served as a deacon and an associate pastor, and it always reminded me of the old saying, “In order for injustice to prevail, all it requires is for good men to stand around and do nothing.”

• Now having said that, and before I beat up the church leadership of my past (too bad), when church discipline is considered, it must be done prayerfully, from a place of love by elders, which are men who have a lot of T.O.P. – ‘Time on the Planet’ under their belt, because, obviously, this type of action against someone in the fellowship is a big deal and one that need not be taken lightly.

  • And this highlights what I said last week, which was, it would be better for the body or fellowship itself to stamp out any murmuring before it takes hold. That’s the very best scenario and its really how things should be handled.

  • But if that doesn’t work, then Paul says it must be dealt with, because the alternative of ‘letting it be’ won’t work. And if issues aren’t dealt with, eventually it will serve to cut the very foundation out from under the church. So, Paul has made his point, and I think we all have a clear understanding of what Paul is dealing with. So, let’s press on and see what he says next.

2 Cor. 10:7 You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, have him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so too are we.
2 Cor. 10:8 For if I boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,
2 Cor. 10:9 for I do not want to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.
2 Cor. 10:10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.”
2 Cor. 10:11 Have such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

• So, based on this section of Paul’s writings, we know Paul is speaking about an individual inside the church that is causing trouble, and we are pretty sure that it truly is one person who’s behind all of it. What we can also ascertain from Paul’s writings is that this individual feels as if he has the same authority Paul and the other disciples have.

  • Which is interesting, because I see the exact same thing happen in church today. There are many people, men and women, who say they are called into the ministry, and maybe they are and maybe they are not. I have no clue. And honestly, it’s absolutely none of my business. It’s between them and God.

  • Having said that, from time to time I will run into people who say they are called or were called previously into the ministry but are no longer in it. And from time to time, I will be asked about a particular situation with a minister or pastor who has done something wrong, or I will interview someone who completed seminary, received their Master of Divinity or doctorate, worked in ministry for a few years.

    • And then for some reason, they are no longer in ministry. It’s in those moments, and in an effort to reconcile their situation in my head, I often ask myself the question, were they truly called into ministry, or did they simply have some emotional experience? One that maybe made them think they were called into ministry.

  • Once again, their calling has zero to do with me, but I often wonder about it in my head. Especially when I interview someone for a job, and I see on their resume where they graduated from seminary. Sometimes I will ask the individual what happened. Why are you not in ministry anymore?

    • And almost always the answer is the same. “Well, I just got burned out”, or “I got tired of being beat up by church people,” A close pastor friend of mine said, “I was deacon possessed.”

  • Which then takes me back to the issues that Paul is dealing with in the church at Corinth. It’s church leadership. How they wouldn’t step up and deal with someone inside the fellowship causing problems.

• Now, you may be saying to yourself, well you sure sound somewhat judgmental this morning. Let me be clear, I never worry about what others are doing. Primarily because my hands are full of what God has called me to do. But what I can tell you is this, God never calls a person into ministry that he doesn’t equip, and He equips them and prepares them in every aspect:

  • Prepares them for the pressures of the ministry.

  • Gives them the heart and temperament for ministry,

  • Along with any other skill necessary to survive in their calling

• And if you think about it, this logically makes sense, right? Why would God call a person to something, only to take them there and then drop them off a cliff? The answer is, He wouldn’t. And for further proof of this, I will refer you to Romans 11:29, where Paul states the following:

Romans 11:29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 

• When God gives someone a gift, which by the way we all have one, when God gives someone a gift or calls them to do something, those gifts and callings are irrevocable. Which means they cannot be revoked or changed, and they won’t change.

  • And so, if this is the case, then we have a little bit of problem when studying Paul’s writings here in Chapter 10, and that is, if Paul is called to be an Apostle, which obviously he is, and at the same time this other gentleman in the fellowship says he’s called and has the same authority, then what gives? Who’s right and who’s wrong?

  • And even more than that, how do you know whose right or wrong? Who does the church listen to? I mean, they are obviously in a tough spot, right? Think about it. Here we have Paul, the man who founded this church, he established it, and then after setting up the leadership in the church he moved on to another area to do the same thing again.

    • But he has been gone for some time, and now he has received word the church is losing its way. Getting off track. Abandoning what Paul taught them, primarily because of this one individual who has made his way into their fellowship. Who’s obviously gained their trust, and with that trust firmly in hand, he has slowly began undermining everything Paul established.

    • Telling them things like, Paul has lied to them because he promised to come back and visit them at some point, but he hasn’t yet. He’s even gone so far as convincing the church that Paul has no more authority than he does. All of which is obviously not true. But who does the church believe?

• Well, Paul gives them some insight into how they know who they can believe. And by the way, this same methodology applies to those of us sitting here today. And what is it? Well, it’s really simple. Whose words line up with God’s word? And more than that, whose actions line up with God’s word?  Is it Paul or this other man?

  • And sure enough, this logic is where Paul heads next. Listen to it again:

2 Cor. 10:7 You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, have him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so too are we.
2 Cor. 10:8 For if I boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,
2 Cor. 10:9 for I do not want to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.
2 Cor. 10:10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.”
2 Cor. 10:11 Have such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

• So, here’s what’s happening. As we know, there’s this man inside this church sowing seeds of doubt in the minds of the people about who Paul is and what authority he possesses, and based on Paul’s own writings, this gentleman was evidently trying to build his case by telling the people to look at Paul outwardly.

  • It would be like saying, there is no way this guy is an Apostle. I mean, just look at him. His personal presence is unimpressive, and his speech is contemptible. I mean, seriously, look at him and listen to him speak.

  • And by the way, this man’s statement gives us further proof of what I was saying earlier about God calling a man into ministry. If God calls a man, He doesn’t call him because he has some type of rare skill, or impressive stature, or because he is a great speaker. I think we are all smart enough to know that statement would make sense logically speaking.

    • I mean, obviously, the God of creation doesn’t need a man’s look or stage presence, or even oratory skills to accomplish His will. All He needs from us is our obedience, along with leadership. Men and woman who are ready, willing, and able to answer God’s call on their life. It has always been rare, but it’s even rarer today.

  • And one more thing. Not only does God not call a man based on his looks or oratory skills, but many times also He goes out of His way to call men who are opposite of those descriptors. And just in case you are wondering if this might be the case, just look the Bible’s description of Paul. It’s not very luxurious.

    • But with God, it’s always this way. He always chooses the most unlikely candidates to accomplish His will. Men like Abraham, Peter, David, and the list goes on and on. God always operates opposite of what we think.

    • An example of this shows us with Jesus’ own words in the parable of the laborer in the vineyard, where our Lord says the first will be last and the last will be first. I’ll go even a step further and say the greatest example or proof of God choosing opposite what we would choose lies in God’s choosing the Jews as His chosen people.

  • Of all people on the earth that God could have chosen, He chose them. And trust me when I tell you there is no way anyone else would have picked them to be called God’s chosen people. But, once again the question is why? Why does God choose to operate opposite of the way we think and operate?

• Because of His Glory. It’s always about His Glory. God never wants man to receive credit, because if man receives any credit for the things of God, then God decreases while man increases. And to be honest with you, if man receives any credit, nine times out of 10 he cannot handle it. It’s just that simple.

  • Credit and accolades always puff up the individual, and once that sets in all types of bad things begin to happen. Plainly put, when pride sets in, it then becomes all about the individual and not about God. Now, when thinking about the way God operates, there is probably no better scripture to highlight what I am saying than 1 Cor. 1:26-31. Listen to what Paul wrote:

1 Cor. 1:26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
1 Cor. 1:27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
1 Cor. 1:28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,
1 Cor. 1:29 so that no man may boast before God.
1 Cor. 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
1 Cor. 1:31 so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”

• As I said, there is probably no greater commentary on why God chooses people opposite of what we would choose than that of 1 Cor. 1:26-31. And this fact gives us insight into at least two important spiritual principles that are in play as it relates to God, and one of these principals will serve you well as you try to navigate life, especially when it comes to asking yourself the question, how do I know when things are of God verses how do I know when things are of man?

  • Or, in the case of the church of Corinth, how do we know which man is telling us the truth and which one is not? Is it Paul or this other person?

• First of all, let me say, based on 1 Cor. 1:26-31, it’s no surprise that God gives us a glimpse into Paul’s appearance and stature and oratory skills. And it’s absolutely no surprise that God would choose Paul to be (what most scholars consider to be) the greatest writer of the New Testament, greatest evangelist, and the greatest Apostle.

  • It’s also no surprise, this man who has slipped into this fellowship would use Paul’s personal appearance in an effort to discredit him. If you listen closely, you can hear this man say, come on people, seriously, have you looked at this guy and have you listened to him speak, really? You think this is God’s man?

    • That’s the sense here, and unfortunately for Paul, he can only defend himself by way of writing a letter, because he is not there with them. So, with all this said, what principal or red flag is in play that helps us know when something is of God or when it is of man?

  • Before telling you, let me give you a hint. You cannot recognize this red flag unless you know God’s word, because God’s word is what gives you the basis to judge things by. So, the red flag is simple, and it begins with a question; is what this individual or group is saying line up with the character of God - who He is and how He operates?

    • If it doesn’t, you can know immediately who is working for the Lord and who is working in their own self-interest. You see, it’s all about knowing God, and when you know Him, and you know how He operates, it’s really easy to identify what or who is of God and who’s not.

• John the Evangelist gave us a warning, a warning that speaks to the heart of what I am trying to convey here this morning. Listen to what he said in 1 John 4:1:

1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 

• And so, based on John’s own writings, and based on the testimony of scripture, we should never believe everything we hear. Instead, we should test the spirit and see whether it’s from God or not. But how do we do that? We do it by lining up what is being said back against God’s word.

  • Believe it or not, it’s not that hard. We make it hard because we often mix emotion into the equation. And let me say one more thing. Whenever a man becomes the center of attention, or when man gets credit, or when man shows up larger than life, when he is exalted, looked up to, revered, and in the worst cases worshipped, that is definitely one of the first signs that something is not right.

    • And certainly, when that sets in inside a church, you can be rest assured pride is not far behind, and once pride takes hold, sets in inside that individual, the next step will result in a fall. That scenario has beseeched many a leader and certainly many a preacher throughout the history of mankind.

  • Over and over again man is exalted, pride ensues, he loses his humility and before you know it, he’s on the front page of the paper. And just a side bar before moving on, even though the scripture makes it clear that God chooses the most unlikely candidates to serve His purposes, that doesn’t mean that when you meet an ugly preacher who can’t speak well, that he must be God’s man. That’s not the litmus test.

    • Once again, how do you know who God’s man is? It all boils down to God’s word and decrees and do the man’s words/actions line up with God’s words. Then and only then can you rely on what he is saying. Anything short of that, good looking or unattractive or whatever, it doesn’t matter.

• Now, as we end our teaching this morning, I want to highlight one more thing. Something you hear me say all the time. Something very important. And that is, one of the primary callings of a Pastor/Teacher is to help eliminate confusion in the life of the believer. Everyone is confused because they don’t know what they believe, and the reason for that is their belief system has been developed by what someone has told them, not what they have studied.

  • Paul’s situation with the Church of Corinth is a prime example of this problem. These people are confused because their foundation is weak. All because they don’t know what they believe, and therefore they are easily swayed. I want to read a section from Matthew 7 in closing, where Jesus paints for us a picture of what I am trying to convey. Listen to it real quick Matt. 7:24-29:

Matt. 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Matt. 7:25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
Matt. 7:26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
Matt. 7:27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
Matt. 7:28 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching;
Matt. 7:29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

• In these verses Jesus lays it out for us. Whoever hears His words and does something with those words is compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. Whereas, the man who hears God’s word and ignores it is like a foolish man, one who is building a house on sand.

  • I want you to notice something as we close. When Jesus speaks in terms of someone being wise or foolish, He compares them as someone building a house on rock is the one who hears His words and acts on it, or the one who builds a house on sand, hears but does nothing with it.

    • What Jesus is ultimately talking about is someone’s foundation. Their base. And that base or foundation is God’s word. There is nothing else.

• Now, we started out today’s lesson talking about how Paul was trying to change this church’s mindset, their paradigm, which has taken a left turn somewhere along the way because they began listening to the wrong man. And so, what that tells us is their foundation is shaky, and for that reason Paul is trying to back it up by redirecting them back to God’s word.

  • So once again it all boils down to God’s word; hearing it, knowing it, and doing something with it. And so, if that’s the case, then the only question that remains is, how’s your foundation? Are you studying for yourself to find that these things might be true, or are you relying on the Pastor or some devotional (Lord help us), to tell you what you believe?

  • This is what’s at the heart of what Paul is dealing with, and if you as an individual believer don’t want to walk around this life in a spiritual malaise of sorts, always confused, you must build your foundation on the Word of God and know for yourself what God says, not what man says.