#2Corinthians10-13 - Weakness is Strength?

Click here to read 2 Corinthians 10-13:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

Paul spoke a lot about boasting in this chapter. Apparently some of the other people who had come to the city proclaiming Christ, claimed to be something like "super-apostles." They must have rattled off their so-called "credentials" in an effort to impress the church and sway people to their teaching. Paul wasn't about puffing himself up. Rather he was about lifting God's name up and proclaiming Christ. It was kind of fun to listen to him rattle off his own qualifications with interjections like, "I'm out of my mind for talking like this," or "I would never do this, but you forced me to." Many of the things he boasts about aren't even credentials so much as they are evidence of God's calling and authority in his life - things he would never endure if it was just about himself gaining popularity. Paul fully emphasizes this by sharing how God taught him to trust that God's grace was sufficient, and that God's power was actually displayed through our human weaknesses. So weakness is actually strength, when we trust in God's power to work through us and in us despite our weaknesses.

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

This concept of God's strength through our weakness is so similar to what Jesus teaches about those who are greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In Matthew 18, Jesus shows a child to the disciples and teaches them that we need to take a low position like a child to be considered great in the kingdom of heaven. In other places Jesus talks about being a servant. It's clear that God is flipping worldly standards and norms upside down in bringing about his kingdom.

3. What does this mean for my life?

I was especially impressed with the passage about Paul having a "thorn in his flesh." We don't really know what that was. It could have been a physical ailment, a struggle with sin, or an attitude issue. Regardless of what it was Paul prayed for God to take it away, but God didn't. He wanted to show Paul that despite his weakness(es), God could still use him. I have had several things in my life (i.e. physical ailments, sin struggles, obstacles to ministry, etc) that I have prayed for God to take them away, but he hasn't. I think like Paul, these are good reminders to me that I'm not perfect - to humble myself and trust that God will still use me and work in me. My weakness is a way to display God's power.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

What did Paul mean when he said that he knew someone who was caught up by God to the third heaven? I realize it was a vision of sorts, but what did he mean by the third heaven?

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

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#2Corinthians9 - Gratitude breeds Generosity

Click here to read 2 Corinthians 9:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

I think it's amazing to think about how fast rabbits can multiply. The average gestation period for a rabbit is 28-31 days, and a rabbit can have anywhere from 1-14 babies (although the conservative average is around 6). That means a rabbit can have 72 babies a year! But then those rabbits can eventually have more rabbits, and the cycle is multiplied. In this chapter, Paul seems to share with us that gratitude is both the origin and the result of generosity. When we think about God's gracious gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, and the magnitude of what he gave to us sinks in, our only real response is to in turn be thankful to God and be generous toward others. But when we are generous toward others, it results in their gratefulness to God (when it "accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ). Pretty soon it becomes a wonderful cycle of generosity breeding gratitude breeding more generosity, and so on.

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus encourages his listeners not to worry about what they will eat or drink or what they will wear. He tells them not to worry about storing up earthly possessions, rather that God would provide everything we need. I think fear of not having enough is something that keeps a lot of people from being more generous. But here in 2 Corinthians 9, Paul reaffirms that God will provide for the needs of the giver.

3. What does this mean for my life?

One of my biggest takeaways from this chapter is that giving to God and to others is not meant to be a guilt trip or pressure sale. God wants us to understand his generosity and then joyfully reflect that generosity in our giving. Even though we do plan to give generously each month/year, I still have that lingering question in my mind, "Should we be doing this? Will we have enough?" Although it's not guilt or pressure that motivates our giving, I still need to remember to give joyfully.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

If you're not careful, you could read this passage and think that if you give, say, $10 that God will bless you with $20 or $100. There are some churches that teach a philosophy similar to this, which I think is both biblically inaccurate and creating a greedy motivation for giving which manipulates people to give. But what exactly does Paul mean when he talks about God "increasing our store of seed and enlarging our harvest?"

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

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#2Corinthians7 #2Corinthians8 - Passing the Plate

Click here to read 2 Corinthians 7-8:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

You know the expression, "Curiosity killed the cat?" After reading chapter 8, I thought of this modification, "Generosity killed the greed." Paul is encouraging the people of Corinth to include generous giving as way of rounding off and completing their faith development. This is not a shameful, guilt-ridden message to pry the money from their hands. Nor is it a begging or pleading for money for a personal project. He is not passing the plate and pressuring anyone. He is asking them to think of the needs of the believers in Jerusalem who were trying desperately to provide for the poor, orphans, and widows with very little. By giving financially, we are breaking the chains of greed that are easy to be had in our society. We're all so afraid of having enough money that we hoard it (even though many of us spend it on unnecessary things). Giving is a blessing to the giver and the recipient when done in love. Paul wants them (and us) to experience this blessing.

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

Jesus also talked a lot about giving and being generous. In fact, he talked about money a lot. One of the passages that comes to my mind is from the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6. He says that we shouldn't give so that everyone can see our gift and be impressed with it, we should give almost secretly so that God sees it. He even says we should not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing. I always take that to mean that giving should become so natural that we almost don't even think twice about it. We should plan our giving, but not think twice about it. :)

3. What does this mean for my life?

One of the verses in chapter 7 that really hit me was verse 10. "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." I love this passage, because it shows that when we feel guilty because of sin, it is from God. But His desire is then that the guilt would remind us to repent and change our ways to experience God's plan for life and freedom. He doesn't want us to remain in the guilty feeling for long. That is what the devil would want for us, to steal the joy.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

In chapter 8 verse 13-15, it almost sounds like Paul is advocating for a sort of communism within the church. That everyone should have the same. I realize this is an overstatement, but to what extent is it true?

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

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