2 Corinthians - Lesson 1F

• Last week, we finished our teaching with verse 11, and now we move into the second half of the chapter. The half that some of your Bibles may have entitled, “Paul’s Integrity”.

  • And why is it titled Paul’s Integrity? Because Paul is desperately trying to defend who he is to this Corinthian Church (the one he founded). Remember, there is a person in this church (we don’t know who he is), who is exerting a lot of energy trying to discredit Paul, specifically his Apostolic Authority.

  • Saying that he is no different than anyone else, that he has no special authority, and so in the next 12 verses we are going to journey headlong into Paul defending who he is.

• Now, before we do, remember, leading up to these verses he’s already let the church know that he, along with the others, are one with them, and that they have suffered for the cause of Jesus Christ. And, more than that, they suffered greatly, excessively, to the point beyond which they could physically bare it, “To the point of death”.

  • And, they not only did it for Christ (for the sake of the Gospel), but also did it for them, for this church. He explained it this way in verses 6&7:

2 Cor. 1:6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;
2 Cor. 1:7 And our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.

• So, the message is this, we are one, together in this battle, and you should never forget it. By the way the same still holds true today. As believers, you and I as brothers and sisters, united in Christ, are all one, and we are called to suffer together in this life.

  • Which means when you hurt, I hurt, and when you feel comfort, I feel comfort. We are one. And so, the structure of the letter begins with an opening Salutation, which included Paul letting them know he was an Apostle of Jesus Christ (appointed) by the will of God.

  • Then, he moved into reminding them of who God is. He is the one who comforts us all. Then, he lets them know that he and the others are with them through suffering and through comfort, we are one together. He establishes who he is, and how they are one with this church.

    • And now he moves to defending His integrity, and that’s where we pick up next:

2 Cor. 1:12 For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you. 
2 Cor. 1:13 For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end; 
2 Cor. 1:14 just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, on the day of our Lord Jesus.

• Let’s pause here for just a minute to paraphrase what Paul is saying. He says our proud confidence (the Greek says - the boasting) is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity. In today’s terms we might say, “The Lord as my witness”. That’s the sense here!

  • Have you ever heard someone say that, or have you ever said it yourself? If you have, what you are really saying is, “I am telling you the truth” or “As God is my witness”. When we use that phrase it’s the same thing as them saying, “My conscience testifies to this, through the Holy Spirit as my witness”.

    • Now obviously, I was not sitting there the day Paul, or his understudy transcribed this letter, therefore I can’t say for sure what he meant, but you kind of get the sense of weightiness or anxiety within their words.

    • Meaning, we don’t generally say, “The Lord as my witness” unless we are desperately trying to get someone to believe us, right? And so, for that reason, along with the background of the letter, this gives me good reason to believe that what I am telling you is the truth.

• Next, Paul says in verse 13-14:

2 Cor. 1:13 For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end; 
2 Cor. 1:14 just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, on the day of our Lord Jesus.

• He says, for we write nothing less to you than just what you read and understand. I love Paul’s choice of words here, mainly because I say the same thing myself, but in a different way.

  • When Paul says, “For we write nothing else”, what he is saying is, “What I am telling you, is exactly the way it is”. Nothing more and nothing less. Another way to say it might be you can take it for face value. And why?

  • Because I have no bias, no hidden agenda, therefore it is exactly what I say it is. Then he says, “Just as you partially did understand us”. Now these words are important for us to understand, and for a reason that’s much deeper than you may realize. And so, what is that reason?

    • It’s that through Paul’s words we are reaffirmed about what we learned in the introduction of this letter. Which was that Paul’s previous letters didn’t seem to correct their behavior. Not totally. Which is what led him to write this letter.

    • This letter was written as a last-ditch effort, trying to fully straighten out this church’s behavior. That’s why he says you “partially understood”, because obviously, they didn’t “fully understand”. And that’s important for the validation of our understanding of the context of the letter.

  • Next, he says, “We are your reason to be proud as you also are ours.”

• Last week I talked about how it was that Paul was trying to humanize or make a connection with the people in this church, which is strange given the fact he founded it, but regardless, once again, we see it here one more time.

  • That is the whole reason he is saying, “We are your reason to be proud as you also are ours”. It’s for the promotion of unity through understanding, which is essential and is key to the success of the church.

  • This trait, unity, is still an essential key to the church’s success today. It’s also an essential key for any group or organization to succeed, which tells us that the leader’s primary purpose is to get the group in alignment. Because, once alignment takes hold, you achieve Synergy, and Synergy is where the magic happens.

    • Until the church is unified, until we are all in alignment, we will never be maximized in God’s will for us here on earth. But, let me expound just a minute of this concept of Unity, because, from a Biblical standpoint, it doesn’t mean we all get along, or that we never disagree.

    • On the contrary. It means if we all focus on Christ, (i.e. His word), and the instruction that comes from His Word, unity will be a natural byproduct of what we focus on as a group.

• Maybe a better example would be this; pick a dot on the map. You and I may disagree on the best mode of transportation, or route to get there, but if we remain focused on the goal, which is the destination, then the details (whether we take a train, plane, or automobile) will become a moot point.

  • But what does it require for unification to take place? First, it takes a clear understanding of the destination, or we might say the mission. And to understand the mission, you must understand the purpose or the why as we might call it. More specifically, the why to the what. Everyone must understand why we are doing what we do.

    • Before the beginning of the service this morning we handed everyone a piece of paper with a question that asked, “Why are you here today?” I haven’t looked at them yet, so if you wrote your name on it, don’t worry it is anonymous.

    • But for a fun exercise, and to prove my point, I wanted to ask everyone this question. I know it sounds elementary, but if you think about it, does it really? Now this is a simple and straightforward question, right? Wouldn’t you agree? And the answer itself should be straightforward as well. And maybe it is, but let’s see if that’s the case.

  • You see, if we as a group are confused about why we are here, then there is no way for us to maximize our effectiveness for the Kingdom of God. The answer to that question should not be obscure, unknown, or vague, because the answer comes from God’s Word.

  • But, if you are not being taught God’s Word correctly, or you don’t know how to study it for yourself correctly, then more than likely your answer might be obscure or vague, or unknown, and if that’s the case then ultimately, your belief will be drawn from what you think, or feel, or what you’ve been told, rather than what God said it is.

    • And if you think about it, this is really concerning, because if we can’t agree on this foundational and fundamental question, then we’re all in trouble. But guess what? Thankfully for all of us sitting here today there is an answer, and it lies in the pages of God’s Holy Manuscript and it’s not obscure or vague.

    • Matter a fact, it’s the opposite of obscure. It’s pointed and direct, and it’s available right at your fingertips. You see from God’s Word we receive it all. Our conviction, which leads to Salvation. And after Salvation that same conviction is what then leads to your Sanctification or your “Spiritual Maturity”.

  • Through God’s instructions we learn it all. We learn what’s Holy and acceptable to Him, how we should act and react. What we should do and what we shouldn’t do. What we should fear and what we shouldn’t fear. Ultimately, we learn that God is Sovereign and in control of His creation.

• Which means, anything and everything that we will ever face or contend with, the answers are right at our fingertips through the Power of the Scriptures. And so, when the church comes into alignment with God’s Word, meaning we all together understand the correct answers, that’s (as I said) where the magic happens.

  • That’s when the church (you and I) become an unstoppable force for the Kingdom. And that’s why unity is so important.

  • We pick up next in 2 Corinthians.

2 Cor. 1:15 In this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might twice receive a blessing; 
2 Cor. 1:16 that is, to pass your way into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be helped on my journey to Judea. 
2 Cor. 1:17 Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I decide, do I decide according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time? 

• Let’s take it from the top as they say, starting with verse 15. Immediately Paul goes into a defense of something he had previously told this church he would do. Which was what? He previously told them he would come visit them, but he hasn’t. And, evidently, he has now gotten word that they were upset because he hasn’t done what he told them he would do. He hasn’t kept his word.

  • Which helped to “fuel the fire” of the person in this church who was trying to undermine Paul’s authority in the first place. Now, the question is when and where did he tell them he was coming, and did he lie to them? For the answer let’s got to 1 Corinthians 16:2-9 and find out what he said.

1 Cor. 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you are to do as well. 
1 Cor. 16:2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save as he may prosper, so that no collections need to be made when I come. 
1 Cor. 16:3 When I arrive, whomever you approve, I will send them with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem; 
1 Cor. 16:4 and if it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me.
1 Cor. 16:5 But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia; for I am going through Macedonia, 
1 Cor. 16:6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I go. 
1 Cor. 16:7 For I do not want to see you now just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, if the Lord permits. 
1 Cor. 16:8 But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost; 
1 Cor. 16:9 for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

• Obviously, there is an entire message wound up in these verses, but that would require me to spend the rest of the service teaching on these verses.

  • In these verses Paul told them that he would come back soon and stay with them. And he made it clear that he didn’t want to come just for a quick visit. No, he wanted to wait so he could come and stay with them for a while, possibly all the way through winter. As I said, I don’t want to exegete all these verses, but I do want to touch on a few things really quick.

• First, I want to highlight the New Testament requirement for giving versus the Old Testament requirement for giving or tithing. In the Old Testament the requirement was 10%, and that lines up with what most of us have been taught our entire lives, that we were to give 10% of whatever we made. But now, in New Testament the mandate has changed. Look at Verse 2.

1 Cor. 16:2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save as he may prosper, so that no collections need to be made when I come. 

• Other than when I taught 1 Corinthians, this will be the first time in the history of our church that I have ever taught anything on giving or tithing. And why? Because your tithe and giving is none of my business. That’s why we have two treasurers in this church. They are the only ones that know what people give. They also reconcile the giving and approve whatever we give.

  • I have zero clue what people give and don’t want to know. It’s between you and God. But having said that, you are commanded to give, and if you feel 10% is good, then so be it. But Paul tells this Corinthian church to give as you have been prospered, he didn’t say give 10%.

  • But there’s a catch to all of this, and one you may not be aware of, and it lies in the words “and save as he may prosper”. I think the best way to demonstrate what Paul means is through the story of the widow’s mite, which shows up in Mark 12:41-44.

Mark 12:41 And Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and began watching how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large amounts. 
Mark 12:42 And a poor widow came and put in two lepta (lep-tuh) coins, which amount to a quadrans. (quad-rans)
Mark 12:43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 
Mark 12:44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

• In First Corinthians Paul says, “they were to save as they had been prospered, or save as they had been blessed,” and then of course they would give what they saved to the church. But in the story of the widow’s mite, this seems to conflict with what Paul said, and it’s definitely in conflict with what many churches teach today.

  • But honestly you can’t totally blame the church for its confusion. Because based on what 1 Corinthians 16:2-8 says in our English translation, it seems to clearly teach a concept that supports we are to give out of our abundance, but then in verse 43-44 Mark says:

Mark 12:43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 
Mark 12:44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

• There is something powerful happening here, and that is, Paul said, give as you have prospered. Mark reinforces this principle by telling us these rich people did exactly that. But then we have the widow, who didn’t do that, yet she is the one Jesus seems to be praising.

  • So, what’s this all about? Is the Bible in conflict? If it is, we all need to go home. But if it’s not, we need to know why. So, what’s the answer? The prosperity Paul is speaking of isn’t necessarily financial. It can be, and it is in the situation he’s speaking about, but it’s not always.

  • You see at the end of the day, the widow gave all that she had, not from her abundance financially, but from her heart, even though she was broke. She had been prospered in other ways. You too have also been prospered in ways other than financial. You just might not realize it, but it’s true.

• If you’re saved you’ve prospered, and honestly you could stop right there, but we will go on. You feel the sunshine yesterday - you’ve prospered. You live in America - you’ve prospered. Your kids are healthy - you’ve prospered. You’ve got a job - you’ve prospered. You have a roof over your head, food to eat – prospered. Your family still together – prospered. Mama doing well - Papa doing well – prospered. And the list goes on and on.

  • Prosperity shows up in many forms. It’s anything that God has done for you. But honestly, you know what’s the most prosperous thing God has done for you. He gave you access to “The peace that passes all understanding”. The peace that only God can bring. That is true prosperity.

  • Now, why is this understanding of prosperity important? Because, if you think your giving is linked to your financial prosperity, you will automatically look in your bank account and say, well, I haven’t been blessed financially, so I guess I don’t have much to give.

    • But as I said, it’s not always financial. It could be financial, but if it were financial and you used your bank account balance as a gauge of that blessing, that probably wouldn’t work, because what if you can’t manage money? You’ve been blessed financially, but you’re not a good steward of it.

• Remember, your giving should be a direct reflection of how thankful you are for all that God’s done for you in all areas of your life. But Pastor, how do I determine what to give? Your conscience. Let the conviction of your heart be your guide.

  • As I said, I don’t talk about money, and we don’t take up an offering here. We have a box in the back, and you can put your tithe in it. But just because we don’t take up an offering doesn’t mean that I don’t care about the giving. I care, but not in a sense of how much we receive. I care because it’s a sign of “Spiritual Maturity” in the believer.

  • And there it is again. Everything always goes back to maturity. Giving, like everything, is a matter of understanding which requires “Spiritual Maturity”. By the way, no preacher should ever feel pressure to preach on giving. If the giving is down, then my only advice is to double down on the teaching of God’s word to the people and let God convict them and mature them.

  • If I ever get to a place where I must ask people for money from the pulpit, then I’m done because we’ve lost the battle. Giving is a requirement from God, and it’s between you and Him as it relates to how much you give. And, just a side bar, it’s not dependent on whether you agree with the Pastor, Elders, Deacons, or whomever inside the church.

• People who give only based on agreeing with the leadership of the church should never give in the first place, because they don’t understand why they are to give. So, if that’s your thought process, to give based on you agreeing with the church leadership, I would say keep it, you’re just wasting your tithe.

  • Instead, go study and find out why you should tithe, then give. It’s a matter of obedience.

  • Because you guys have been faithful in giving here at our church, we have been able to do some amazing things for people in this community, which is one thing God calls us to do, to reach outside these walls and help people and other organizations. Which brings me to one final point.

• Notice how in verse 3 of 1 Corinthians 16, there was a reason for the collection of money - to give to the poorer church.

1 Cor. 16:3 When I arrive, whomever you approve, I will send them with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem; 

• Paul said collect the gifts, the money, and I will send it with whomever you approve to take letters and your gifts to Jerusalem. Paul didn’t keep the money, and he didn’t say let me give you a blessing based on your giving, or that our ministry needs a jet, an outreach center, or another building. No, Paul said, take up an offering so he can send it to the poorer Church in Jerusalem.

  • So, we now know from 1 Corinthians 16 that Paul said he would come see them, but he was unable to do so. And here in 2 Corinthians 1:15-17, we see him defending this previous statement where he says this:

2 Cor. 1:15 In this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might twice receive a blessing; 
2 Cor. 1:16 that is, to pass your way into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be helped on my journey to Judea. 
2 Cor. 1:17 Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I decide, do I decide according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time? 

• In verse 17, Paul says, “I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I decide, do I decide according to the flesh so that with me there will be yes, yes, and no, no at the same time?” Paraphrasing here, do you think, when I told you I was coming that I did not intend to do so? Is that what you think?

  • That I was saying one thing with my mouth, (from my flesh), and another from the Spirit, so that there will be yes, yes, and no, no at the same time? Do you think I was talking out of both sides of my mouth? Seriously, do you guys really think this is the case?

  • This reminds me of a principle or a law. One that, (once again), I made up. But it’s true. When judging someone based on one event or one situation, always consider the consistency of their life.

• In other words, if someone has made decisions their entire life, that are consistent, but then they decide the opposite of who they are in general. Give them the benefit of the doubt before judging them and apply a little Grace. Many times in my life I have had people get mad at me over something I knew nothing about. They often jump to conclusions without ever consulting with me first.

  • Once I find out about it, I always go directly to them and ask, “Do you really think I would do whatever it is they are mad about”? Almost always they say, “No, not really, I guess I should have talked to you first”.

    • That’s what Paul is saying here. “Come on people, do you really think that I would tell you I would come, but never intended to do so?” Now you see why the header in my NASB Bible at the beginning of this section says, Paul’s Integrity. Moving on, let’s finish the Chapter with Verses 18-24.

2 Cor. 1:18 But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. 
2 Cor. 1:19 For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no but has been yes in Him. 
2 Cor. 1:20 For as many as the promises of God are, in Him they are yes; therefore, through Him also is our Amen to the glory of God through us. 
2 Cor. 1:21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 
2 Cor. 1:22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.
2 Cor. 1:23 But I call God as witness to my soul, that it was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth. 
2 Cor. 1:24 Not that we domineer over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith, you are standing firm.

• Beginning with v.18 &19, Paul says, as God is faithful, so is our word, and just like Silvanus and Timothy did not vacillate, neither have I. What he is doing here is connecting himself back to reliable sources that they trust. He’s saying, just like God, Silvanus and Timothy are faithful. So am I.

  • Another way to say it is, if you believe Silvanus and Timothy and the others, you should believe me, because they were trained by me and they are accountable to me. And so, he’s saying, let’s be clear, I am not talking out of both sides of my mouth, and I am not ambiguous with my words, nor do I vacillate when I talk. I also do not make frivolous promises, with fickle intention.

    • But wait a minute. Paul did tell him he was coming, and he didn’t do it, so, isn’t he kind of talking out of both sides of his mouth? I mean, honestly, he didn’t keep his word - Right? No, not right. Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 16:7 one more time for the truth. What did he say?

1 Cor. 16:7 For I do not want to see you now just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, if the Lord permits. 

• The key to all of this lies in the words “If the Lord permits”. Guess what? Obviously, the Lord did not permit it. Growing up in the South, in Tennessee, I would often hear older people say something that I never really thought about until I studied Paul’s words here in verse 7.

  • Back then, when someone would tell you they were going to do something, or that they were coming to see you, they would often say it like this, “I will see you then, Lord willing.” Often, they would also add a little something extra to the end of the Lord willing part. They would say, Lord willing and the “Creek don’t rise.”

  • What they were saying was, “I will be there if the Lord permits” and “The Creek don’t rise.” Now, this “add on” at the end of Lord willing was obviously a cultural Southern saying, which meant ‘and as long as nothing else prevents me from coming’.

• The point is, many times when we tell someone we are going to do something, it doesn’t always work out. But that doesn’t mean that person is immediately discredited as it relates to everything they say for the rest of their life.

  • Once again, if an individual has been consistent in their life as it relates to their actions, then give them some Grace and don’t jump to conclusions. Let me also make one final point. If you are a rigid and hard person, meaning, you always draw a hard line with folks, then be prepared for others to draw a hard line with you.

  • Pretty simple concept. If you are unable to give people Grace, then don’t expect any Grace to be given out to you. Or another way to say it is, “If you live by the sword, then you will die by the sword.”

• Moving on to verses 20-24:

2 Cor. 1:20 For as many as the promises of God are, in Him they are yes; therefore, through Him also is our Amen to the glory of God through us. 
2 Cor. 1:21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 
2 Cor. 1:22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.
2 Cor. 1:23 But I call God as witness to my soul, that it was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth. 
2 Cor. 1:24 Not that we domineer over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith, you are standing firm.

• In verses 20-24, Paul is driving home his point, which is sad when you stop to think about it for a moment. Here is the Apostle Paul who must defend who he is. I began the introduction of 2 Corinthians by telling you that Paul is dealing with a church full of people, and those people are no different than the people today.

  • And, as usual, at the core of most problems are people. It was that way with this church and it’s that way with the church today. One person in this church is causing most of these problems. One person is trying to discredit Paul, which requires Paul to make a defense for who He is. It’s crazy when you think about it.

• So, in verses 20-24, Paul continues his defense, beginning with v.20-22 and paraphrasing a little, he says as true as the promises of God are in Him, they are yes. Therefore, through Him also is our Amen to the glory of God through us, who sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

  • Another way to say it is, God said yes through His promises, and we agree with Him by saying Amen. Now, before moving right past this, I’m going to talk a little bit more about it because it’s important we really understand what he’s saying here. He’s talking about the preaching of God.

• The Paul of the Bible is very straightforward. God made mankind in his own image, that we might love Him and enjoy Him. But mankind chose to rebel, and disobey God, therefore he was driven from the Garden. That loss also included not only alienation from God, but also included physical death.

  • And there, of course in the Garden he made a promise, and that promise was that He would redeem man through the seed of the woman and restore paradise and so forth. The focus of mankind throughout the centuries has been built on that hope, and the incarnation of Jesus Christ is a pivotal event in history. It’s the fulfillment of that commitment made in the Garden of Eden, and onward.

    • So, Christ himself is the yes of all God’s promises, and we agree with God when we accept Jesus as Lord. And so once again, Paul is establishing common ground with these folks through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, he’s saying people, we are all on the same team.

• And then finally in verses 23-24, he says:

2 Cor. 1:23 But I call God as witness to my soul, that it was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth. 
2 Cor. 1:24 Not that we domineer over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith, you are standing firm

• Paul closes the defense of His Integrity section by saying, paraphrasing once again, as God is my witness, God prevented me from coming, to spare you (for your benefit). That’s why I did not come to you. In other words, I told you I would come, but God prevented me from coming for your own benefit.

  • This tells us something. Sometimes, things don’t happen because God is protecting you. Remember that. God is Sovereign and the thing that someone did or did not do. That thing that aggravated you about the individual may have been for your own protection, and just like this church didn’t know why Paul didn’t come, you too may not know why God didn’t allow something to happen.

  • When things don’t work out, just say to yourself, well, I guess God had another plan. I promise you it’s better to live this way. It will bring you great peace in time of high stress. And then finally, and we will close here, Paul says:

2 Cor. 1:24 Not that we domineer over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith, you are standing firm.

• Basically he’s saying, we are not lording over your faith. We are coworkers. We are one with you. It’s the same theme repeated in a different way. Trust me, we are one with God and we are one with you, therefore, if you are going to listen to someone, listen to me. Don’t listen to this person causing all this trouble inside the church.