September 4, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in 2 Corinthians? Here’s today’s reading:
2 Corinthians 1 (NIV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.…..Continue Reading
2 Corinthians 1 done.
Paul’s ministry was one where he experienced much suffering and he received comfort from God during these times. He spoke from true experience when he tells us that just as we share in the suffering of Christ we share in the comfort. The suffering we experience is many times something we can’t understand but God seeks to meet us in those times, He seeks to comfort us and this whole process then helps us to comfort others through their troubled times.
Paul’s ministry was one of simplicity, follow God at any and all costs and trust God for provision. A great way for us all to live our lives!
II Cor 2:17 I receive that Paul was grieved that he had to be stern with the church, and that one or more were quite angered or upset. Had to read this slowly. Verse 17 is a noble position. That is, do not corrupt the Word of God, but delivering the truth of Christ in sincerity. As I look back, I see where I failed here, not out of purposeful knowing or intent to do so, but in my ignorance, not realizing what I taught was wrong. Looking to check what I believe, and test it, make sure. II Cor 13:5. Sorry so dismal, Christian walk is not always perfect. -gy
II Corinthians, the most part of it, is rather hard for me to understand. It is as though Paul changed his writing style. There are gems in this Book!
Verse 4: I am reminded that others are in turmoil like me, rather, tribulation. Christ wants me to come along side the sufferers, and share how we are comforted in Christ.
Hard thing to do. In sufferings, help other sufferers. Only in Christ. -gy
2 Corinthians 1
Paul was chosen by Jesus to be an Apostle by the will of God. Paul states that God is the Father of mercies, and comfort. He will comfort us in our hard times and with that we will be able to comfort others. Also he includes the prayer of the believers would also help through these trials. Here Paul is ministering to the church that he lead to Christ and with good conscience, in simplicity and godly sincerity, By the grace of God and not fleshly wisdom. [ 2 Cor. 1;12] He also states that God is true and His promises are always kept. Once we have come to Christ we are anointed with the Holy Spirit in our hearts and sealed us which none can open. There were those that came to the church teaching false doctrine and saying things against Paul and his teaching and causing the believers to stumble. If someone is teaching contrary to the teachings of scriptures we should be aware of it. That is why we should know the scriptures ourselves. To know error when we hear or see it. We should gently teach them if possible as two believers corrected Apollos. Acts 18;24–26. Or as Paul rebuked Peter when he was acting one way with the Jews and behaving differently with the gentiles. Gal. 2;11,12. We are to be like the Berea church which searched the scriptures to see if it was true. [ Acts 17;11] Our thought and lives should be guided by the Word of God. For everyone will do what is right in his own eyes but what does the Lord say. This should be the guidance for He as also given us the Holy Spirit to teach us if we will only listen. God bless us as we study His Word. If we ask for wisdom He will give it.
Paul talks about suffering and consolation, the Corinthians and his own.
I’m not sure I am understanding completely (I did do a study on this with the ladies, years ago, maybe I should go back and look at my notes!) I think Paul is saying that when our suffering abounds, so does our consolation from Christ, not only for ourselves, but for others. I think of circumstances where I or others have gone through difficulty, it is always better when you are with others, to give each other comfort, to have true empathy, understanding what they are going through because you are also, or have gone through the same thing.
Paul is enduring suffering, even to the the threat of death. I think of our sufferings here in America, that can be emotional and relational but generally not physical. I suspect things are going to get worse for us. It is good to remember that Christ suffered and told us we would suffer. We can be encouraged like Paul, knowing that with suffering also comes consolation in Christ.
“For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.”
II Corinthians, the most part of it, is rather hard for me to understand. It is as though Paul changed his writing style. There are gems in this Book!
Verse 4: I am reminded that others are in turmoil like me, rather, tribulation. Christ wants me to come along side the sufferers, and share how we are comforted in Christ.
Hard thing to do. In sufferings, help other sufferers. Only in Christ. -gy
What a great title for our great God: the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. He understands and identifies with the hardships we go through and comforts our hearts in and through them. So the Christian life does bring with it a level of suffering and yet God’s comfort more than compensates. And yet the comfort we receive is not just for ourselves but for us to share with others. So much so, Paul says, that when he suffers it is for their comfort because he experiences more of God’s comfort because of His sufferings which he then can share with them. They also come to understand the nature of the Christian life through Paul and thereby share in his suffering and his comfort, and when their Christian lives bring the same, they recognize they are not alone. And when we read the book of Acts, we see the kinds of things Paul goes through for the sake of the gospel so it is interesting to read here how he internalized and got through that.
Now Paul’s relationship with the Corinthians was a bit rocky mostly due to their resistance to his teaching. It is likely that 2 Corinthians is really 3rd or even 4th Corinthians but the other letter(s) was/were not worthy of Scripture. So in what is a bit of a consolation letter, he wants to set things straight and smooth things over. So first he makes clear that His conscience is clear before God in regards to his dealings with them. He did and said what He thought best and was clear about his instruction. He then wants to straighten out his plans to visit them that did not work out. It is not a matter of him being wishy washy, but that God had a different agenda and it is His agenda that He follows. And we can know that God is never wishy washy but His promises are always yes in Jesus. And the best promise is salvation and God put His Spirit in us to make sure we knew our salvation was a firm YES. Paul then explains why it may have been better that God’s plans didn’t bring him to Corinth, but he explains more of it in chapter 2……
2 Corinthians 1
We have been chosen to be God’s holy people. The impossible has been made possible because of Jesus Christ who makes us holy. We have been invited into partnership with HIm as we walk through the circumstances of our lives, and he will keep us strong to the end. We can find comfort in this truth. And when others poke fun of us or judge ur for our “foolish” faith in Jesus, and we feel doubtful of our worthiness, we can remember this: “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.”