ll CORINTHIANS LESSON 2
We will begin this lesson in II Corinthians 1:13 "For we write
none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I
trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end;"
Many ministers, even now, find themselves in the awkward position
of trying to defend themselves. Paul was no different. Rumors had
arisen that he was not ministering correctly. This letter, as we said
before, is to dispel some of those rumors. Paul is just saying, in the
verse above, that he has no ulterior motive at all for what he is
doing. He said, in the previous verse, that his conscience was clear.
He had brought the simple message of salvation. Paul is saying here,
if you will examine what I have said, you will know it to be truth. He
also says, I believe the very things that you have heard and accepted.
II Corinthians 1:14 "As also ye have acknowledged us in part,
that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also [are] ours in the day of
the Lord Jesus."
Paul is saying, in this, that he will rejoice on judgement day,
when many of those that he brought the gospel message to, will stand
before the Lord and be saved. He is, also, saying that in that day,
they will rejoice that he brought them to the knowledge of the Lord.
It is so strange, after they were saved under his ministry, that
suddenly they find fault with his ministry.
II Corinthians 1:15 "And in this confidence I was minded to come
unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit;"
Paul is feeling that it would have been good, if he could have
come to them and ministered again. Sometimes there needs to be lessons
taught on how to continue in the faith. The difference in an
evangelist and a pastor tell us that. An evangelist brings the message
of salvation and goes on to the next place. The job of a pastor is to
teach his congregation to live in the salvation they have received.
The pastor is a shepherd who leads the sheep. That is the very reason
it is so important for the pastor to be living a good clean life
himself.
II Corinthians 1:16 "And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to
come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my
way toward Judaea."
Paul is saying, in this, that when he passes near by would be the
most opportune time to come and minister to them.
II Corinthians 1:17 "When I therefore was thus minded, did I use
lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the
flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay?"
It seems that, in the flesh, Paul had wanted to come to Corinth,
but Paul had not followed the wishes of the flesh. He had been led by
the Holy Spirit to go to other places. Paul was not his own man. He
went where God sent him. When the Lord sent Paul somewhere, Paul just
said, Yea Lord. There is no nay when speaking to the Lord. We just say
nay to the flesh. Some of the people in Corinth highly criticized Paul
for not coming by to see them and answer personally some of their
complaints.
II Corinthians 1:18 "But [as] God [is] true, our word toward you
was not yea and nay."
Paul is saying, that he preached the same thing to them all the
time. He was not preaching to itching ears, but to the best of his
ability bringing them the true message of God. Paul was not wishy-
washy with his message. He gave the same message every time to them.
The only time he appeared to be giving another message, was because he
was trying to get them to listen to the gospel message. He did honor
their customs as much as he could to get himself in to preach to them.
II Corinthians 1:19 "For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was
preached among you by us, [even] by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was
not yea and nay, but in him was yea."
The message of salvation is the same every time. It does not
matter if Paul brings it, or Silvanus, or Timothy. The only thing that
varies at all, is the observance of their customs.
II Corinthians 1:20 "For all the promises of God in him [are]
yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us."
God is unchangeable. Whatever God has promised in His Word will
definitely be. "Amen" means so be it. There are no promises of God
that will be changed.
II Corinthians 1:21 "Now he which stablisheth us with you in
Christ, and hath anointed us, [is] God;"
Paul is reminding them, again, that it was God who called him. It
was God who annointed Paul to preach. Notice that they, like Paul, had
been established in the Lord Jesus. Christians are in Christ, and He
in us. Romans 3:24 "Being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" Jesus is our Redemption. He is
our life. Romans 8:2 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." Paul says,
that his ministry is not in his own power, but in the anointing of
God.
II Corinthians 1:22 "Who hath also sealed us, and given the
earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."
Romans 8:23 "And not only [they], but ourselves also, which have
the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within
ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our
body." II Corinthians 5:5 "Now he that hath wrought us for the
selfsame thing [is] God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of
the Spirit." We Christians are actually citizens of heaven. We are
waiting for that day, when we will go there to live. In the meantime,
Jesus sent the Holy Spirit of God as an earnest on that promise to us.
The Holy Spirit of God is the seal of promise to the believer in
Christ. It just assures us of our adoption into the family of God.
II Corinthians 1:23 "Moreover I call God for a record upon my
soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth."
Paul did not want to come to Corinth while they were doing so
many things in the church that was displeasing to God. Paul, perhaps,
would have reprimanded them so harshly, had he been there in person,
that it might have made it difficult for him to minister there and
have the best results. Paul, in this entire letter, is trying to clear
his own name of false accusations placed against him. Had Paul come
and been terribly upset by what he saw, he might have caused some to
leave the church. He did not want that to happen.
II Corinthians 1:24 "Not for that we have dominion over your
faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand."
Paul is explaining, in this, that it is not like it was in the
Jewish temple where the high priest had so much power. Christianity is
an individual thing. When a person receives the Lord Jesus Christ as
his Saviour, it is very personal. The relationship is between the Lord
and that person. It is not for Paul, or any other minister, to decide
whether you are in good standing with God, or not. That is between you
and God. He can, however, instruct you on good sound principles of
Christianity. You are saved, or lost, by the amount of faith you, as
an individual, have. Paul will rejoice with you at your salvation, but
it is your salvation and no one else's. There is only one Judge as to
whether we are saved or not. His name is Jesus Christ.
ll Corinthians 2 Questions
1. What awkward position is Paul in, when he wrote this letter?
2. What is one of the main purposes of this letter?
3. What message had Paul brought to them?
4. What will cause Paul to rejoice on judgement day?
5. What is so strange about these complaints?
6. What was Paul speaking of about the second benefit?
7. What is the difference in the message of an evangelist and the
message of a pastor?
8. What had Paul's flesh wanted to do?
9. What guide did Paul follow?
10. What did some of the people highly criticize Paul for?
11. When was the only time that Paul had seemed to vary his message?
12. What 3 had preached the same message to them?
13. God is ________________.
14. What does "Amen" mean?
15. Who annointed Paul to preach?
16. Quote Romans chapter 3 verse 24.
17. _________ is our Redemption.
18. Quote Romans chapter 8 verse 2.
19. What is the "earnest of the Spirit"?
20. We Christians are actually citizens of ________.
21. What does the seal of the Spirit assure us of?
22. What reason did Paul give, in verse 23, why he had not come to
them?
23. How did Christianity drastically differ from worship the Jews had
done in the temple?
24. Paul did want to instruct them in what?
25. Christianity is a __________ relationship with the Lord Jesus
Christ.
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