(2 Corinthians Part 1): 2 Corinthians gives us the description of ministry, the discussion about the collection, and the defense of Paul's ministry.
2 Corinthians 1:1 - Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
Earlier, Paul says I have been sent out, and secondly, he says I am an apostle of Jesus Christ. So, Jesus Christ sent me and I represent Him in my sending out. And then he shares how he was called. It was by the will of God, literally in the Greek text, THROUGH the will of God. In other words, it wasn't ambition. It wasn't even his personal desire. God called him through His will.
In the book of Galatians, and this is very important, Paul says Paul an apostle, not of men (notice plural), neither by man (singular), but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead. So, he says not from a committee of human beings, nor by a man. Nobody put me in this position other than Jesus Christ Himself. He called me.
At the end of the verse where it says, "in all Achaia," the word all is not the normal word for all. In fact, it's the word whole in the Greek, in the whole region of Achaia. So that would be all the people, not just at Corinth, but so that this letter will reach all of the people over the whole region of Achaia. So, it's not just for Corinth.
2 Corinthians 1:2 - Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
He says Grace to you and peace. The greeting grace (CHARIS) is the greeting to the Greek or Gentile. And Peace (SHALOM) is the greeting to the Jew. EIRENE in Greek is the Greek version of SHALOM, the Hebrew greeting.
2 Corinthians 2:1 - But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.
The word heaviness is the word for grief. It's a word used all the way through here.
2 Corinthians 2:2 - For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?
For if I make you grieve (the word sorry is the word grieve), who is he then that makes me glad, and the word glad means to have a good frame of mind, but the same which is made to grieve by me?
So, he says if I come there, and I cause you to grieve over the heaviness of my discipline, and I'm looking for the Lord through you to minister back, so I can have a good encouraging frame of mind about the things of the Lord, but if I make you grieve, who's going to make me glad? It won't be there!
2 Corinthians 2:8 - Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.
The word confirm is a political word. It means to announce to the public. For instance, people announcing their candidacy for president. It's a public announcement. He's saying don't just let the guy in the side door and say sit over there and you can join us again. Make it a public announcement. Make it official that this person is welcome back to fellowship.
Let everybody know about it because they have been told to stay away. And you are to confirm your love toward him, in front of him, and in front of everyone else, your AGAPE, your concern for his spiritual welfare, even to the point of sharing with him how much it hurt the fellowship to discipline him like that. But it was out of love, not out of anger or hatred.
2 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?
When I therefore was thus minded, or intentions, did I use lightness? It literally means to waffle. Did I kind of say "Yea, I might do that, or I might not, kind of waffling between decisions."
2 Corinthians 1:18 - But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.
But as God is true, and that's the word faithful in the Greek, our word toward you was not yes and no.
2 Corinthians 1:22 - Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Who hath also sealed us (the protective element around our spirit), and has given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. The word earnest means guarantee. In fact, the word guarantee, ARRABON in Greek, the word now in modern Greek means engagement ring, a pledge so to speak. So, what God has done is He has sealed us, and He has given us His Spirit as a guarantee or pledge in our hearts that we belong to Him, and that He's coming for us.
He made similar remarks in Ephesians 1:13-14. He said in whom you also trusted (meaning Christ), after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest, and again that's ARRABON, of the guarantee of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory.
He has purchased us. He just hasn't come to pick us up yet. But the giving of His Spirit to us is the guarantee that He is coming for us. And we find that as we continue to go through the scriptures, it is the guarantee of God that we belong to Him. So, Paul says this is our confession, God is the one. He establishes us. He anoints us for what He wants us to do. He seals us. And He gives us His Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 1:6 - And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
And whether we be afflicted, again THLIPSIS, it is for your encouragement and salvation. He says we are afflicted, but it's for you, which is effectual, which means energized, in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, or encouraged, it is for your encouragement and salvation.
So, Paul says I'm going through these things so that what I'm going through, and the ministry of Christ to me while I'm going through it, will be an encouragement to you. But affliction (THLIPSIS) is necessary.
2 Corinthians 1:12 - For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
Paul says, for our rejoicing (literally boasting), is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation, which is an old English word for lifestyle, in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward, or toward you.
He says simplicity. The Greek word for simplicity means singleness of focus. In other words, he lived his life with one focus in mind. He made decisions for that one focus. He didn't get involved in the world except for the fulfilment of that one focus.
2 Corinthians 1:3 - Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Blessed is God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and notice this, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
The word mercies is the word for compassion. And the word for comfort is the word encouragement. There are different types of comfort. That's why I am being specific. God is the Father of compassions, and He is the God of all encouragement. The word encourage is the same word used for the comforter in the gospel of John. The comforter, PARA means alongside of, and KALEO means to call.
A comforter is somebody who comes alongside of you to lead and to guide and to be there with us. And the word encouragement, what is encouraging is that God sends His Spirit to be alongside of us to minister and to guide.
So, he blesses God. And again, the word bless or blessed is the word to speak well of. He wasn't pronouncing a blessing on God. He says God is to be well spoken of because He is the Father of mercies, and the God of all encouragement. You can kind of tell what the subject is going to be.
2 Corinthians 1:4 - Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
Who comforts, and again that's the word encourage, who comforteth us in all our tribulation. That word for tribulation is THLIPSIS. And this is the word that will be used all the way through. PARAKALEO is for encouragement, but THLIPSIS means stress or distress. The things we experience, every hardship we go through, it produces some level of stress.
(2 Corinthians Part 1): 2 Corinthians gives us the description of ministry, the discussion about the collection, and the defense of Paul's ministry.
2 Corinthians 1:1 - Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
Earlier, Paul says I have been sent out, and secondly, he says I am an apostle of Jesus Christ. So, Jesus Christ sent me and I represent Him in my sending out. And then he shares how he was called. It was by the will of God, literally in the Greek text, THROUGH the will of God. In other words, it wasn't ambition. It wasn't even his personal desire. God called him through His will.
In the book of Galatians, and this is very important, Paul says Paul an apostle, not of men (notice plural), neither by man (singular), but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead. So, he says not from a committee of human beings, nor by a man. Nobody put me in this position other than Jesus Christ Himself. He called me.
At the end of the verse where it says, "in all Achaia," the word all is not the normal word for all. In fact, it's the word whole in the Greek, in the whole region of Achaia. So that would be all the people, not just at Corinth, but so that this letter will reach all of the people over the whole region of Achaia. So, it's not just for Corinth.
2 Corinthians 1:2 - Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
He says Grace to you and peace. The greeting grace (CHARIS) is the greeting to the Greek or Gentile. And Peace (SHALOM) is the greeting to the Jew. EIRENE in Greek is the Greek version of SHALOM, the Hebrew greeting.
2 Corinthians 2:1 - But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.
The word heaviness is the word for grief. It's a word used all the way through here.
2 Corinthians 2:2 - For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?
For if I make you grieve (the word sorry is the word grieve), who is he then that makes me glad, and the word glad means to have a good frame of mind, but the same which is made to grieve by me?
So, he says if I come there, and I cause you to grieve over the heaviness of my discipline, and I'm looking for the Lord through you to minister back, so I can have a good encouraging frame of mind about the things of the Lord, but if I make you grieve, who's going to make me glad? It won't be there!
2 Corinthians 2:8 - Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.
The word confirm is a political word. It means to announce to the public. For instance, people announcing their candidacy for president. It's a public announcement. He's saying don't just let the guy in the side door and say sit over there and you can join us again. Make it a public announcement. Make it official that this person is welcome back to fellowship.
Let everybody know about it because they have been told to stay away. And you are to confirm your love toward him, in front of him, and in front of everyone else, your AGAPE, your concern for his spiritual welfare, even to the point of sharing with him how much it hurt the fellowship to discipline him like that. But it was out of love, not out of anger or hatred.
2 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?
When I therefore was thus minded, or intentions, did I use lightness? It literally means to waffle. Did I kind of say "Yea, I might do that, or I might not, kind of waffling between decisions."
2 Corinthians 1:18 - But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.
But as God is true, and that's the word faithful in the Greek, our word toward you was not yes and no.
2 Corinthians 1:22 - Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Who hath also sealed us (the protective element around our spirit), and has given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. The word earnest means guarantee. In fact, the word guarantee, ARRABON in Greek, the word now in modern Greek means engagement ring, a pledge so to speak. So, what God has done is He has sealed us, and He has given us His Spirit as a guarantee or pledge in our hearts that we belong to Him, and that He's coming for us.
He made similar remarks in Ephesians 1:13-14. He said in whom you also trusted (meaning Christ), after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest, and again that's ARRABON, of the guarantee of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory.
He has purchased us. He just hasn't come to pick us up yet. But the giving of His Spirit to us is the guarantee that He is coming for us. And we find that as we continue to go through the scriptures, it is the guarantee of God that we belong to Him. So, Paul says this is our confession, God is the one. He establishes us. He anoints us for what He wants us to do. He seals us. And He gives us His Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 1:6 - And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
And whether we be afflicted, again THLIPSIS, it is for your encouragement and salvation. He says we are afflicted, but it's for you, which is effectual, which means energized, in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, or encouraged, it is for your encouragement and salvation.
So, Paul says I'm going through these things so that what I'm going through, and the ministry of Christ to me while I'm going through it, will be an encouragement to you. But affliction (THLIPSIS) is necessary.
2 Corinthians 1:12 - For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
Paul says, for our rejoicing (literally boasting), is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation, which is an old English word for lifestyle, in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward, or toward you.
He says simplicity. The Greek word for simplicity means singleness of focus. In other words, he lived his life with one focus in mind. He made decisions for that one focus. He didn't get involved in the world except for the fulfilment of that one focus.
2 Corinthians 1:3 - Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Blessed is God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and notice this, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
The word mercies is the word for compassion. And the word for comfort is the word encouragement. There are different types of comfort. That's why I am being specific. God is the Father of compassions, and He is the God of all encouragement. The word encourage is the same word used for the comforter in the gospel of John. The comforter, PARA means alongside of, and KALEO means to call.
A comforter is somebody who comes alongside of you to lead and to guide and to be there with us. And the word encouragement, what is encouraging is that God sends His Spirit to be alongside of us to minister and to guide.
So, he blesses God. And again, the word bless or blessed is the word to speak well of. He wasn't pronouncing a blessing on God. He says God is to be well spoken of because He is the Father of mercies, and the God of all encouragement. You can kind of tell what the subject is going to be.
2 Corinthians 1:4 - Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
Who comforts, and again that's the word encourage, who comforteth us in all our tribulation. That word for tribulation is THLIPSIS. And this is the word that will be used all the way through. PARAKALEO is for encouragement, but THLIPSIS means stress or distress. The things we experience, every hardship we go through, it produces some level of stress.
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