Month: September 2020

2 Corinthians 13 

Paul is planning a 3d trip to visit the Corinthians and he is giving them a warning before he comes. The first trip was when he founded the church, the 2d trip was when there was conflict between the Corinthians and himself.  This trip is when he is planning to deal with those who keep on sinning and to prove his apostleship once and for all. 

“This the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them – since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.”  2 Corinthians 12:1-3

He is telling them, you have been asking for me to be more bold when I am present with you, well get ready, because I am coming. Paul gives a charge to the Corinthians. 

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 2 Corinthians 12:5

Paul is telling them that he has given them all the tools. He has told them how to have a relationship with Jesus and while Paul does not want to live by a list of rules and regulations but in relationship, he has told them some absolutes that some of the Corinthians kept on doing. When Paul says “test yourselves” he is wanting them to examine their relationship with Jesus. Paul is wanting them to examine themselves before he comes because he is planning to clean house when he comes. 

“For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.” 2 Corinthians 12:10

Paul’s ministry is all about building others up in their faith. But Paul is recognizing here that sometimes you have to tear something down that is not God honoring. And he is just letting them know that he is willing to do it. 

Before he comes he leaves them with some parting words in his letter. 

“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”  2 Corinthians 12:11-14

I read in my studies that this is the only place in the new Testament where the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are mentioned together in this type of blessing. Paul is wanting the Corinthians to be a blessed people. This reminds me of when Jesus stated his lament over Jerusalem. 

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” Matthew 23:37

Jesus is lamenting over Jerusalem. Paul is trying a different tactic with the Corinthians by blessing them. 

Lord we pray we may always Aim for Restoration! And Lord we thank you for your grace, love and fellowship! 

Please pray for the medical professionals today. Pray for the doctors and the nurses as well as the people checking in over the counter or cleaning the hospital rooms. 

2 Corinthians 12

“I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.”  2 Corinthians 12:1

Paul feels like all he has done with the Corinthians is talk about himself when he would rather talk to them about Jesus. The next few verses Paul begins talking of a man he knows who had a vision or a revelation of Christ. He starts off speaking in the 3d person of this other man, however in verse 7 he falls into speaking in the 1st person of himself and these revelations. Scholars believe that he was speaking of himself the whole time. But because of his discomfort in speaking of himself was why he tried to speak as if he was speaking of someone else.  Verse 7 also leads us into some much loved and quoted scripture. 

“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”  2 Corinthians 12: 7-9

We all know of Paul’s thorn in the flesh but scripture does not tell us what the thorn was. Why? While studying the thought was pointed out, if we knew Paul’s specific thorn in the flesh, I wonder how many people would compare themselves with Paul. I had never thought of that before but it truly does make sense. Also, would we glorify the thorn, rather than God? Paul was very conscientious about not wanting to glorify himself. The fact remains that God did not allow the thorn to be brought into scripture, and since that is the case, we can know that we all have our thorns. One does not necessarily mean worse or harder than someone else. I have often heard it said that if you think you have it bad, just look around someone will have it worse. I know that one time my family was going through a particularly difficult time. A friend asked me how we were. As I proceeded to tell her, I was humbled. You see this particular friends husband was in the dying process from a childhood illness that would soon be ending his life. I told her I knew that what I was going through was nothing compared to her. This friend, so sweetly told me, “Sonia, do you know whose cross is harder to bear?” I looked at her puzzled and she looked right at me and said “Your own.” I love that we can’t compare our thorn to Pauls. Because if we could we may think that the next verses weren’t for us as well. 

Paul says that three times he had pleaded with the Lord to take away his thorn. To unpack that, friends I can tell you I have prayed and I have seen the Lord answer and take things away and fix things that I wanted fixing. But I have also had things I have prayed for that remained. I have wondered why and I have cried out and begged and pleaded. Probably many more times than 3 times. I am somewhat more hard headed than Paul. When you aren’t getting the answers you want about something you are praying about the answer is always verse 9. Which bears repeating right here. 

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” 2 Corinthians 12:9a

You see when God is not “fixing your problem” or taking the thorn away, there is always something more to be learned or there is a way that God will be glorified in the end. Sometimes those thorns stay with us to keep us humble. Sometimes it’s just not time. But we can know this. “My grace is sufficient for you”. I have had many many things I could not walk through if not for His grace! His grace keeps me upright. His grace keeps me humble. His grace keeps me sane. His grace puts a smile on my face when I don’t really feel like smiling. It’s all about His grace! 

Oh sweet Jesus thank you for the grace to get up in the morning when I don’t really feel like getting up. Thank you Jesus for the grace that is sufficient for me! 

Please pray for our government leaders today.