2 Corinthians

Lecture 7
Chapter 1:1-2:17

Enduring Adversity
Imagine a Letter
•	That you received and it reads like this “I, Paul”.  Would that cause you to sit up and take notice?  Would that name mean anything to you and the other members of your church in ______________?
Paul’s Letter Continues
•	“an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,…”  This is the reason for all the fuss in the church. Is Paul really an apostle? Who made him one? In the first breath of this letter Paul clearly declares the reason he is an ______________. It is all by the will of Christ Jesus.  He is no self-made man; He is God appointed!
Timothy
•	On the other hand, is not an apostle. He is a brother, that is, fellow Christian.  This is a first person plural, “______________”.  
The Church of God at Corinth
•	Is not the usual location that one would expect a church to be located.  Paul calls these people “______________”.  These are God’s separated ______________.  They have been separated from the past lives and present slavery to sin.  It is not so much what they are but whose they are that is important.  
Peace
•	Was the common Hebrew greeting and often meant no more than our “hello”.  But it could mean what we refer to as salvation.  Paul always linked ______________ with ______________.  This was Paul’s favorite word to denote God’s gracious action in Christ from the incarnation to the advent in glory.  In the same light, no one could pray for anyone to have any more blessing than these.
After the Greeting 
•	Comes a ______________.  A sentence or two later Paul will share a dreadful experience he has endured and which he thought was the end of the journey for him. How easily he might have begun the letter with gloom and a sigh, but not Paul! He is ready to shout for his God is leading him on the victory. Blessed is His name!
What is His Name?
•	The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He is the God whom Jesus revealed in His word and action.  He is the God whom Jesus taught us to call Father.  More than that He is the Father of mercies. This means that He is the God whose principle action is ______________ and the God of all comfort, that is the God who walks alongside His sons.
The Comfort of God
•	Is not given to make men feel comfortable.  Verse 4 tells why God ______________ His children. What is the reason given here? ________________________________.
Paul’s Sufferings are
•	Described as Christ’s ______________. There is a history in this term worth remembering. Holy Jews looking for the kingdom of God believed that the Kingdom of God anticipated that the woes or sufferings of the Messiah should precede the kingdom; these were sufferings that men must endure before the Messiah arrives.  
When Israel’s Hope Arrived
•	The reverse of what they expected happened: the Messiah suffered for them.  The NT makes it plain that Jesus suffered to redeem men for the kingdom.  This suffering led to the once-for-all death and brought the new creation into being.  This once-for-all event became the pattern of life for the heirs of the ______________.  They are baptized into the dying and rising of the first Easter, that they might show the power of this event every day (Rom 6:3-11)
Paul Speaks of Sharing
•	Christ’s ______________ literally.  His words may literally be translated as “the sufferings of the Christ overflow to us, so through Christ our consolation overflows too.”  L. S. Thornton said, “There is an overflow of the Messiah’s sufferings; and the apostle’s afflictions are part of that overflow. Messiahship is rooted in suffering, and this law continues in the church.”
The Call to the Apostle
•	From the Lord is that he too enter into suffering for the good of others.  In turn the apostle encourages the church to endure the same kind of suffering, that the Christians too may experience the ______________ of being a ______________ for others.
The Precise Nature of the Suffering in Asia
•	Is not given (vv 8ff). The strong language that is used in describing it is hardly met by the supposition of a severe illness, still less by thinking that Paul was unbearably crushed by the news of what was happening at Corinth, as some suggest.  Perhaps something like the Demetrius incident in ______________ is what Paul is talking about (Acts 19:23ff). 
We Felt We had Received a Death Sentence
•	That is a paraphrase, for Paul did not actually say “We felt that”.  He said he had received a death sentence, that he might set his trust on God. Like Jesus in Gethsemane, Paul came to terms with ______________, accepted it from the hand of God, and looked with faith to God to vindicate his death. Paul walked again by Calvary’s hill and experienced a resurrection. 
He had come to know God
•	As the God who ______________ the ______________. That is His name, and that is His character. Every day He repeats the miracle of Easter. Paul anticipates that he himself will experience it again and again in the future.
Ponder Verse 11’s Principle:
•	There is a beautiful picture of Christians in their prayer life on behalf of their spiritual leaders. Paul was a man of ______________. He could not have been otherwise with this deep understanding of the prayer life of Jesus who, on at least one occasion, spent a whole night alone, in prayer before selecting the 12.
•	Howard Thurman’s ______________Shares the experience of a deep sea ______________ who first encounters a belt of fishes, a wide band of light reflecting the surface of the sea, then the diver moves into a depth of water that cannot be penetrated by the light above the surface. It is dark and foreboding. The diver is apt to feel panic; but as he drops deeper into the abyss, “slowly his eyes begin to pick up the luminous quality of the darkness.” and his fear is relaxed. Paul has gone deep enough to experience the luminous darkness of God’s sea.
1:12-14: The Sincerity of Paul’s Actions
•	The conjunction “______________” in 1:12 is important. It shows that Paul can ask for the church’s prayers because he has always pursued his ministry with a pure conscience.  Paul stresses this because it has been attacked in Corinth.  
1:13 – The reference to the hoped for
•	Intelligibility of his letters in verse 13 provides the clue to the reason for his denial of sincerity here; it was alleged that Paul was insincere in his letters, that he professed one thing but meant another. He denies this with saying that we ______________ only what you can ______________.  The Corinthians should have known Paul well enough to deny the allegations.  
The Corinthians Understood
•	Only in part! He hopes they will eventually understand fully!  He hopes they will then be proud of him as he will be of them in the day of the Lord.  This shows Paul’s characteristic confidence.  At the ______________ ______________ of Christ the naked truth about men will be known. Their secret thoughts and deeds will stand revealed (Luke 8:17; Rom 2:16).  
But Paul is Confident
•	That both he and the Corinthian believers will pass the ______________ and that, when the Lord vindicates him, the Corinthians will be proud of him just as he will be of them.  The implication is that if they can but understand him right, they may be proud of him even today.
Paul’s Postponed Visit (1:15-2:4)
•	Paul planned a double visit to the Corinthians, on his way to and from Macedonia, and so to give them “______________ ______________” (v. 16).  For some reason, Paul’s plans had to be changed. The Corinthians were now showing hostility toward Paul for changing his plans.  Now, it would not be a double-pleasure for them to show up twice.
This Additional Change in Plan
•	Brings Paul sharp criticism and he is charged with saying “yes and no in the same breath”.  He was fickle and covering up his real intentions. He was not to be ______________!
A Serious Charge
•	So that if it is true, then how could anyone take his preaching seriously? Paul responds. He includes the word he ______________ and the word he ______________, whether by letter or verbally, concerning everyday life. The content of his gospel is the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and there is nothing equivocal about him. The coming of Jesus was God’s long, loud Yes to his purpose and grace and his promises declared in the OT.
All the Promises of God 
•	Find their “yes” in Him.  All God promised to achieve in and for Israel and the whole world, culminated in Christ.  The incarnation, the ______________, and ______________ of our Lord, with the gift of the Spirit sent by Him, and its consummation will be effected through Him. 
Verse 20
•	Is Paul’s way of saying that since we recognize Christ is the fulfillment of all of God’s promises, then I can say “______________”!.  God has kept His word through Jesus and He will always keep it.  
Early Church Knew how
•	To do a united “Amen”.  It should be regained in the church, to the ______________ of ______________. 
The Binding Thread
•	Of the argument in verse 15ff is the presupposition that Paul could not ______________ the word and at the same time be ______________ to his word. The gospel of truth works truth, and the preacher without truthfulness is the worst of hypocrites.  To avoid such a state was Paul’s life-long concern (1:12).  
Verse 21
•	Faithfulness in the servants of the word is not a matter of the minister only.  Paul makes it clear that it is God who establishes the preacher with the Corinthians in Christ. The One who established His promises will also make his minister’s established.  This is related to Isa 65:16 where the phrase is rendered “the ______________ of ______________” is really the God of the Amen.
So,
•	We who say “Amen” to God and trust Him, and He says Amen to us and ______________ us. 
How Does God Do This?
•	In a double way: He ______________ us and ______________ us.  The term here, “commissioned” is actually “anointed”. The connection is thus, “God establishes us with you in the Anointed One, and He has anointed us in Christ”.  God has done this by giving us His Spirit as the seal.  
The Two-fold Purpose of the Holy Spirit
•	1) to enable the Christian to serve God and His kingdom, as Jesus did, and
•	2) to confirm that we shall ______________ the ______________. 
“Guarantee”
•	Means in ordinary speech meant a ______________ or down ______________ on an article with the understanding that the payment of the first installment guarantees that the rest of the money will follow.  The Spirit is God’s down payment or guarantee of the Kingdom. 
In the OT
•	The prophets promised the Spirit as God’s ______________ for the coming ______________ (Ezek 37:14; Joel 2:28).  The fact that He has been sent by the risen Lord is both a sign that the kingdom has come and a guarantee to those who receive Him of participation in the totality of God’s salvation when the kingdom is revealed in fullness (Eph 1:13).
1:23-24
•	Paul shows the reason why he had not come.  He called God as a witness for the truth that he is speaking.  This means that God is not only Paul’s witness to the truth, but that if Paul is not telling the truth, God is to take his life (see Acts 5:1ff). Finally Paul has no desire to usurp Christ’s authority in the church. The goal of apostolic work is ______________.  So, Paul explains why he did not come…it was to spare them ______________ and ______________.    
   
The Chapter Divided
•	1. ______________Through Grief (2:1-4)
•	2. Restoration Through ______________ (2:5-11)
•	3. ______________ Through Christ (2:12-17)
•	Joy Through Grief (2:1-4)
Paul had just finished saying in the last verse of Chapter 1 that he did not want to have ______________ over their ______________.  He did not crave authority over their affairs. He wanted to merely help.  Such help he would be willing to do at his own expense of comfort and reputation.
The Ideal Pastor
Paul stands as the ideal pastor as he handles this church. The ideal is not an ecclesiastical autocrat, nor a religious hireling who performs a duty. Leadership, dutifulness, and preaching are required of pastors, but these alone are not enough.  Pastors are fellow ______________ with their ______________. They are to feel the problems of their people.
The Pastor’s Heart and Life
Is seen by the following:
•	Compassion in Correction (v 1)
•	 Joy Through Correction (v. 2)
•	 Confidence by Assurance (v. 3)
•	 ______________ in Discipline (v 4)
•	Compassion in Correction (v. 1)
Paul was so ______________ when he thought of the Corinthians that he delayed his intended visit so as to not cause them more stress.  He realized a visit at the moment would escalate the situation.  If he waited, they might correct the problem themselves.  Here is genuine compassion as such be in all correction. 
B) Joy Through Correction (v 2)
•	These Christians were a source of joy for Paul. If he prolonged their ______________, they could not be a ______________. He told them his joy was not to come to them with a rod of correction.  He would rather feed them than punish them.  Don’t lose sight of the fact that Paul had severely dealt with them.  He had not been unwilling to discipline when needed. He had been faithful, but his joy would be to see them repent.
c). Confidence by Assurance (v. 3)
•	Paul’s confidence in these Corinthians was the assurance that they would correct the abuses and problems before he came.  He felt good that since they now knew what was missing in their lives that they would do what was needed to correct them.  Here is a quality of ______________ that lacks suspicion. It has high motives and anticipates the best.  
d) Love in Discipline (v. 4)
•	The crowing concern of Paul’s pastor-heart was that “they might know the love which I have more abundantly toward you.”  In all the harsh measures he had to employ, the motive behind them was love. He ______________ them; therefore he ______________ them. The greatest proof of love is not pampering, but discipline.
Discipline
•	Reveals the true depths of a father’s heart.  Every father is torn apart by ______________, but if he is faithful to his ______________, he will act out of love.The faithful pastor needs to learn that some of the greatest joys are born out of the deepest pains.  Some of the greatest affections sometimes come from the strictest discipline.
2. The Restoration Through Forgiveness (2:5-11)
•	The Offender’s Greater Grief (vs 5-6)
Apparently someone had attacked Paul’s ______________ and ______________ for working with the Corinthians.  So Paul said that the offender was more grieved than he Paul was hurt.  So Paul’s attitude was that the one who wounds another, damages himself far more than the other. The problem was that the man had not gone unchallenged.
The Discipline
The man received was not just from Paul, but from the ______________ as well. It was the punishment of church discipline. This discipline was spirit-filled and God led.
b). The forgiveness of the Brethren (vs 7-8)
The motive in discipline is the restoration of the brother.  Repentance is required of him, but once that has occurred, forgiveness must be exercised.  Here Paul says that even those who had sided with him and hurt with Paul had to forgive the man who caused Paul the trouble.  Test the sincerity of your ______________ when someone you love and admire have been attacked by others.
c) The Purpose of Paul (v 9-11)
Paul’s purpose was to inspire ______________ and require ______________.  He was not requiring what he was not willing to do himself.  In addition, this was something done “in the person of Christ.” He was acting with Christ. Paul’s concern was that Satan not be able to take advantage of the situation. 
Satan’s Devices
Satan first seeks to get Christians to overlook sin, fail to discipline it, and condone the offender. The he seeks to establish the other extreme. If discipline is used, he seeks to harden the Christian against the ______________ and refuse to ______________ him when he repents. 
3. Triumph Through Christ (2:12-17)
All of the subject matter of these verses revolves upon the personal ______________ of Paul and his pastoral ______________ for the Corinthians as well as his own ideals as a servant of Christ.
•	A Pastor’s Concern (v. 12-13)
Paul reached a place where there was an ______________ ______________ for the ______________. But Paul was much to concerned about the Corinthians.  He could not remain there. He went on to Macedonian and waited for Titus to return from Corinth.  No pastor is able to be effective when he worries over his people and their failures.  
B. A Pastor’s Triumph (v. 14)
Paul’s rendering of this verse is a reminder of a Roman triumphal march into Rome.  This was a public honor bestowed on the victorious commander by vote of the senate.  The honor was a march through the city of Rome.  The procession included both the ______________ and the ______________.  So, those who follow Christ will be lead to victory and triumph. So, no matter what the adversity, the victory will come when following Christ.
C. A Pastor’s Influence (v. 15-16)
One of the things that happened in the Victor’s parade is that fresh ______________ and aromatic ______________ were spread in the streets. When those who were the victors came into the streets, the smell was one of victory and life. The ones conquered would smell the same fragrances, but it would be the smell of death and defeat.  
D. A Pastor’s Preaching (v. 17)
Paul’s words refer to the wine merchant who deals in corrupt trading practices by diluting his wine and selling it as a pure product.  There are false teachers who are like that. They are men who make a living from holy things.  They mix the ______________ with ______________ things.  
One Word
That marked Paul’s preaching from the others was his “sincerity”.  It is more desired than oratory, brillance, education, and personal prominence. To be ______________, ______________, and spiritually wholesome in dealing with divine truth and in living the Christian life, is more becoming to Christ’s ______________ than any other attribute. Let us be such men!