We wrap up our study in the book of 2 Corinthians with this 29th study. How does Paul end this letter, and what does it reveal about his heart for them?

Today, we see that there exists a real dissonance between the Jesus we worship and the church we experience. It is also important then, to ask and answer the question of what the church should actually be. How do we get to the point where we look at the church and can actually see Jesus?

This is what Paul is trying to achieve here, as he introduces and tackles this not popular topic of church discipline. In doing so, Paul is confronting the church and telling them that they don’t look like Jesus, and this is what they are to do to be like Him.

Paul has been defending his ministry from accusations thus far, and has been listing out the things that he can rightfully be boasting in. In 2 Cor 10, he speaks of a boasting “only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you” (2 Cor 10:14) and he ultimately boasts in the Lord (2 Cor 10:17-18). He also lists his nationality, heritage and labours as characteristics that are worth boasting in (also c.f. Phil 3:1-6).

Apart from these, in 2 Cor 11:23b-33, Paul also describes the sufferings that he has gone through and also highlights his willingness to endure it all. And in the immediate context, Paul speaks of the visions that he saw, but also the thorn given to him because of these visions (2 Cor 12:1-10). Notice how he spoke in the third person, intentionally not speaking to draw attention to himself. Even his weaknesses were not something to be ashamed of, but in these weaknesses, Paul boasted.

In this study, we go one to read about how Paul writes and thinks about his ministry.

What is your proudest moment in life? If you had to “flex” about just one thing, what would it be? In this section in 2 Corinthians, in Paul’s effort to defend his gospel ministry against the false apostles, he starts boasting. Ironically, instead of boasting in his own strengths and achievements, Paul boasts in his weakness because in doing so, God’s power and gospel is clearly displayed.

How would you describe the culture in your church? Some of our churches would call themselves a family church, intergenerational in nature. Others could describe their church as warm, missions-minded or also intentional especially when it comes to membership.

But, would anyone describe their church as worldly?

As we continue our study in 2 Corinthians, we continue to see how Paul defends his ministry against false accusations. In this section, Paul takes us through his argument and more importantly, helps us to see what it looks like to be one that is commended by the Lord.

This next part in 2 Cor 10-12 marks a new section in his letter. Previously, Paul writes as an apostle to call the church to repent in order to nourish them back to health. He also wrote to encourage them to be generous as they have returned to health (2 Cor 8-9).

In 2 Cor 10-12 there is a new tone and change of voice. Here, we see a Paul under fire and telling a church to be ready for war. Most of us don’t think of the Christian life as a war. But these verses tell us that we are meant to think of our Christian life in terms of war.

In this section of 2 Corinthians, we have been reading about what Christian giving should look like. In today’s passage, we see that it is a cheerful kind of giving. But how is it possible?

We are in a section where he is urging them to follow through the plan to give generously to the church in Jerusalem, which requires them to cross an ethnic divide. In today’s text, we will read of 3 men that will collect the gift and bring it to Jerusalem.

But it’s not just about collecting money and bringing it from point A to B. Paul emphasises here the importance of character and stresses credibility. What is God saying to me tonight about character in the church? What is God saying about my relationship to the church?

At the start of our series in 2 Corinthians, we likened the book of 2 Corinthians to a rich broth. This letter was given to a feeble, weak and struggling church that was on their way to growing in holiness. Paul therefore gave them this rich, gospel “broth” of care and truth to nurse them back to health.

But what are they to do with this health? Paul nursed them back to health so that their lives would produce mature Christian giving. It’s not just about giving but that we would enjoy participation in God’s supernatural plan for His church.

Why do we find it so difficult to give our money? We may struggle with trusting God for providing for us or fearing our own scarcity. There could be a degree of self-entilement and even self-centredness. We possess some form of self-righteousness, to think about whether the other person really deserves it. Perhaps we also want to maximise our return on giving and need the giving to do good and we think that there needs to be a sustainable and helpful way of helping others.

On the contrary, why do people give? Some are compelled by the story and cause. Others want to be good stewards of what God has given us and give out of compassion too. There are also those that give because they understand and have been there before . The more practical ones among us will say that we give also for tax deduction.

In today’s Paul is showing us what Christian giving looks like, and it looks different from what giving in society looks like. Giving for the Christian is intrinsic to who we are, and not who we want to become.

As we’ve been reading in 2 Corinthians, in Paul’s original plan, he wanted to travel from Ephesus to Macedonia to Corinth to Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Timothy was sent to Corinth on his behalf. Timothy discovers that the church was in turmoil, due to arrival of Paul’s opponents. We know the Corinthians were struggling with in continual struggle with impurity, sexual immorality and sensuality. At the same time, they also quarrelled over which leader to follow, displayed anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit and disorder. Paul immediately proceeds to Corinth to resolve the issues, and his visit turned out to be a very “painful” one due to the church’s open rebellion against him.

However, Paul adapted his plan. He decided it’s best to suffer humiliation and not visit them again on his return journey in order to extend mercy towards them and not cause more pain. Once back in Ephesus, Paul sent Titus back to Corinth with a tearful and severe letter (now lost and we do not have any copies), warning the church of God’s judgement if they did not repent.

To Paul’s great joy, the majority of the Corinthians did repent, which Paul discovered when he met Titus in Macedonia Paul decided to refrain from going back to Corinth on his return journey. This was to prevent causing them more pain.

Today’s passage tracks the response that the Corinthian church had when they received Paul’s letter.

We are now midway through the second letter Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. As we read these 8 verses, let us bear in mind the main melody that rings throughout the whole letter and joins each part together – the fellowship of the weak. Paul was writing to a church that looked at first like it would break fellowship and part ways. In this letter, he gives them a message that was given to him, invites them back and celebrates their return.

The gospel message – that God Himself would take on flesh, dwell among us, and suffer – was well-received by the Corinthian church. They loved the message, that is, until they found out that this would be their story too – then it gets challenging. How do we respond when we find ourselves weak and suffering?

Paul’s invitation to this young church is for us as well – if we are weary and need rest, if we mourn and long for comfort, if we sin and need a Saviour, God, through Paul, invites us to the fellowship of the weak, to know the risen Jesus Christ.

Today’s study picks up in the middle of the chapter, and prior to this, we read of how the church in Corinth doubted the credentials of Paul and the apostles, and therefore their message. In today’s passage, we’re going to read of how the Corinthians, like so many churches, was in the grip of worldliness. Holiness demands we be separate from the world.

In 2020, we spent twelve weeks going through 2 Cor 1-6. From these chapters, we see in this epistle more than anywhere else that Paul speaks in a very biographical way. He keeps going back to how weak he is and the Christian life cannot be lived without weakness. This is an incredibly important and apt lesson for 2020. 2020 has shown us how weak we are. That weakness is not malice or cruelty on God’s part, but it is grace.

Before we move on to study the rest of the letter, we are going to do a recap, so that we can understand the themes in the first half of the epistle that carries into the second half.

We will take a pause in 2 Cor after this study. In this first part of 2 Corinthians, Paul has been addressing the suspicions and accusations that he is not a real apostle because of the suffering and afflictions that he has faced! Paul is laying out a defence of the apostles’ ministry to those who do not believe. He is trying to show them how he is truly legitmate.

Who comes to your mind when you think about the people who taught you the Bible, who showed you the gospel, and who first helped you see, understand, and believe in Jesus? Your parents, pastors, or church leaders may come to mind. Now, think about how they first helped you fall in love with God’s Word.

This passage in 2 Corinthians describes the heart of every such person who genuinely laboured and gave of themselves to make Christ known to you through His Word. It represents their hopes and desires for you, from their heart to yours. In the example of Paul, we will look at their motivation, their model for ministry, and hear the message they so desperately want to communicate.

Paul has been speaking about suffering and affliction. Last week, we spoke about how Paul was like the ant or bug that just wouldn’t give up no matter how hard you press it against the wall or the table. Paul writes in 2 Cor 4:8 that he was afflicted in every way, but never crushed. After, Paul spoke about how he suffers for the sake of the Corinthians, for them to know the gospel/ We discussed about how Paul’s priority is in speaking the gospel (2 Cor 4: 13) so that God’s grace extends, and that in turn increases thanksgiving to God’s glory.

Paul concludes in 2 Cor 4:16 that Christians do not lose heart amidst suffering, even in intense suffering like his. And we ended by talking about the how even as our outer selves are wasting away, our inner selves are being renewed day by day. This happens as we look to things unseen and eternal as we suffer, knowing that our suffering (described as light and momentary) is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory.

What are these unseen things and how can we be like Paul? Today’s passage is a continuation of Paul’s arguments.

Our passage starts with a “But”, signalling a continuation of an argument/point made in the previous verses. In 2 Cor 4:4, Paul has just said that Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. In 2 Cor 4:6, Paul then says that for Christians, for believers: God has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Paul uses the language of creation to describe how one comes to Christ, that is why later in 2 Cor 5:17, we see that Paul describes those who are in Christ to be a new creation.

This idea and context is important in helping us to understand today’s passage!